Braveheart

I may be stretching this a bit yet you can learn something from the movies as well as animals. Not specifics but philosophies as in this particular post strength vs. cunning.

In the first scene, I think, with Mel returning to his home. He has a bit of a conflict between this really big strong guy and himself. The challenge was to stand apart some distance and then throw a stone to see who survives.

The big very strong guy picks up this really big stone. One we all know as viewers will crush Mel's skull if it connects. Yes, we know it won't or the film would be to darn short. The big guy struggles and tosses. Mel doesn't move and the stone misses. Of course Mel is much smaller so he simply picks up a stone about the size of a golf ball or slightly bigger.

I believe there is some laughter from the onlookers and the big guy, I think, also laughs or smiles as if this is going to hurt him. Think perceptions here. Now mel gets a good throwing grip and lets loose. The stone hits this big guy square between the eyes and on the forehead. Down he goes.

Lessons here? Whadda ya think?

First this should tell you that relying on strength does not always get you there. We Americans seem to feel that strength is everything so we spend a lot of time strongly performing or muscling our practice both as to waza or basic upper and lower techniques and the way we practice kata.

We spend time building stronger muscles and what we perceive as indications of strong technique, i.e. snapping sleeves, etc. but is this optimal or very good practice.

We train to charge in with thoughts of how our karate technique is winning the day but actually its our strength, muscles and that head on overwhelming charge straight in to achieve quick points to victory - sport, ya think?

What happens when you charge in, your committed to one direction and one perceived overwhelming blitz - not technique; not karate; brawling stuff maybe. What happens if the person you charge after simply steps to one side or better yet off to an angle 45 degrees to one side of the other out you your singular and committed straight in path. You miss, your momentum/charge carries you past. You have to stop, try to figure out what happened, turn, find the guy and then commit to another charging bull attack.

Braveheart even uses a quote I kind of like where the Uncle tells young Mel that he needs to learn how to find with his mind first. I say from my personal perspective we Americans so full of ideas that muscles and strength are everything we sometimes fail to realize that it ain't the end all means of not losing in a fight.

So, we can learn things from the movies as long as we use some common sense. I don't advocate trying to use the flashy stuff you might see in such movies as the "Transporter" or your gonna get stomped badly but such philosophical, also dramatized so you need to see the reality underneath, stuff may just provide insight to reality karate training.

Do you think?