good thoughts....

Journeyman's post, here, syncs in well with my last post on defense.... it combines defensive and offensive thought.

Awe...

When people loose their sense of awe, said Lao Tsu, disaster looms.

This can be seen being played out daily in the world: A lack of recognition of the sanctity of Self and Life in general. It is, after all, awe that begets respect. And of this there is a massive deficit on our planet these days.

As a martial artist, we must respect skill in ourselves and others, and likewise not take violence lightly.

Journeyman talks about specific goals of training that fit well with this point.

"There is a tendency for most martial artists to feel a need to best their opponent, to beat them, to win," he says. (See entire post here). This point can include the best way to survive a violent encounter, as well as the best way to respect one's own self and possibly the assailant.

Peace, itself, should not be taken lightly. As suggested, it is a result of respect and a sense of awe. It is a divided mind that creates chaotic situations, and being human, as the Taoist would say, we often have to wait for the mud in the water to settle to the bottom in order to achieve clarity.

link...

Journeyman on the passing of Professor Wally Jay: a true innovator and legend.

Fear Factor...

A myth about self-defense training is that your fear goes away.

I think a truer statement is that you learn to better understand your fears. They don't go anywhere. However, through self-examination, we may gain a good knowledge of our abilities under duress. Confidence is created this way, by knowing you can respond in a situation of fear, rather than being surprised when the nerves kick in.

To become fearless would be to lose one's humanity.

Journeyman talks about this a lot. He always factors in the psychological/physiological aspects to his methods, knowing that fine motor skills will be lost under stress, and an attackers injuries and/or rationality may be dulled by substances or adrenalin. He knows this because he has seen it happen. It is his job to study it.

Because in our training we constantly examine fear--and replicate it as much as is possible--we translate these lessons into our daily existence. Our actions, I believe, are less determined by avoidance of fear, as we accept its presence in the world. Instead we look for effective solutions (even if this require heaps of patience). We analyze why we may be fearful in the first place; and we hesitate to give our power and minds away to others.

These skills make a warrior of life itself. A humble, swift-acting, human being.

Not a fearless, thoughtless thug.

An Officer and a Budo Man

Having both frequently trained and discussed defensive tactics with law enforcement officers, I have come to realize a few things about my own training that I have directly learned and adopted from these individuals, and aspects in which my approach is quite different than theirs.

The differences are simple, really. Firstly, unlike an officer, I am free to run away, or use a defensive technique and then do so. I don't have to arrest anybody, which means I don't have to subdue an attacker if I feel there is another option available like hoofing it or breaking an arm and then fleeing. In the same way, I would have far less need--or none at all-- for come-alongs or setting up specific cuffing techniques (this could mean a different ground technique if it did come to pinning an attacker, such as keeping the attacker on his back if need be). Nor would I have a weapon--or many pounds of gear/protective vest--to consider (to be used by or against me).

All this said, what I have learned can definately be applied to my own skill set. Especially in situations where I could confidently use less violence to de-escalate a situation, or even more mental aspects such as taking control of a situation and learning what does work and what doesn't work under pressure (hit my link on japanese jiu-jitsu for more on this). Most officers are also well-versed in saftey issues and knowing what to do when injury does occur.

But I'd say that one of the most valuable things about training/talking with law enforcement guys and gals on a regular basis is listening to the descriptions and characteristics of the mindset common to the criminal on the street. Although there are always exceptions, there are certian traits that repeat themselves and behavior that can picked up on. And police study these--closely. And many of these bits of information can go a long way when it comes to avoiding a situation before it takes place, or handling it successfully if it does happen.

real knives...

Knife attacks are gruesome.

Do not be mislead into any false security.

I highly recommend reading the entire series (on-going) of knife defense at ol' Journeyman's site. It is a community dialogue on the subject, directed with insights from a very qualified professional.