Ujasiri - the warrior's courage
Every Maasai Warrior knows he needs ujasiri in life in order to survive. And every boy learning to be a warrior is on a quest to find it. Just like you.
But the hard thing is that ujasiri is not something you can go out and find. It's not hidden in a secret cave or hiding under a rock. No, true ujasiri is not something you can pick up and put in your pocket, because it is something God has placed in your heart.
The Quest for Ujasiri is the quest for courage, and courage is something you carry within you. Maasai boys learn the most important part of a warrior is the courage he carries in his heart.
UJASIRI, in the Swahili language, means COURAGE.
You are a young man of courage, not because of what you do,
but because of who God made you to be.
The final step a Maasai boy must face before he is considered a Maasai Warrior is to hunt and kill a lion.
"The secret to conquering the lion is not to be stronger than him in body, but to become like him in heart. Only a lion-heart of courage will slay the lion."
~Ancient Maasai Proverb
But, last we checked, there are no lions in your neighborhood for you to go kill and prove your worthiness to become a warrior.
Therefore, if your dad says you have a heart of courage, we'll believe him.
So should you.
There are two other skills every Maasai Warrior must learn.
The Fire and the Dance.
Check them out below.
Wood and metal.
Watch the videos below to learn how the Maasai Warriors make fire.
WOOD: The ancient Maasai used two sticks to make fire. Every warrior learns how to do it this way. They believe God put fire in the wood, and all they need to do is pull it out.
METAL: Did you know some metal burns? The Maasai also discovered how flammable a certain metal called magnesium is, and now many people around the world use it to start fires too. Give it a try.
Which method do you like the best?
Once you have learned the secret of the fire,
now you must learn the secret of the Maasai dance.
Masaai Warriors can jump! In order to prove themselves to the women of the tribe, warriors compete to see who can jump the highest. They form a circle and chant, and take turns launching themselves into the sky. The one who wins, leads the warrior hunt.
Sometimes courage is not about how strong you are or how you make it through hard times. Sometimes courage is about being brave enough to look a little silly to have some fun. It takes courage to jump like the Maasai because it looks so goofy! Give it a try.
You've been given a measuring tape. See how high you can jump like the men in this video. Have your dad record it on video, and send it to S.S.O.S.A. at the following email address: [email protected].
The Quest for Ujasiri is the Quest for Courage
You have eaten the food of the warrior.
You have discovered the heartstone - the Jiwelamoyo that is formed of fire and is found inside the rock.
You have made fire with your bare hands.
You have jumped in the dance of the warrior.
You have discovered the heart of the warrior - UJASIRI.
Dad, do you think your son has a heart of courage?
How would each of your define courage? What is it?
What do you see in him that you'd like to bless?
(He needs your words of blessing. Have the courage to give them to him.)
