In the Book of Martial Power by Steven J. Pearlman, i.e. I refer to the material as the fundamental principles of martial systems, when he writes of equal rights I tend toward a meaning of yin-yang. You can also use the maxim of "for every force applied there is an equal and opposite reactive force."
In a yin-yang environment, universe, if you encounter some reaction it is always a response to some action you have taken. We are responsible for everything that occurs in our lives and influences. I quote Steven, "We cannot afford to assume what others will and will not do." We can assume that if we act with others that our actions, words, deeds, etc. will elicit some reaction.
We can also assume that our actions be it where we decide to go in our environment, the actions we use to interact with others and the words along with body language we present toward others will result in some reaction. That reaction can be either yin (good) or yang (bad) or any level in between. In this we can actually and often predict what an adversary is going to do except in predatory attack situations, i.e. surprise, but we can also assume that if we suffer from a predatory attack/violence that something we did before hand lead up to that moment and that action resulted in the attacker reacting to our loss of awareness, etc. resulting in a reaction of fast, violent (at times), and furious attacks.
When we encounter others even in our homes, family and friends, our actions will always result in a reaction and others actions will result in our reactions - human nature. What does this mean in self-defense and/or martial arts?
How we train to act with others matters as a principle equal to and greater than the techniques we practice and train. Since we cannot predict what a person will do we have to know this principle and train accordingly. This often speaks to the mental training we need to practice the art of avoidance. How we set our minds, how we conduct ourselves and how we interact in all things IS how we avoid, deescalate and defend.
Add in a smidgeon of unpredictability, randomness, craftiness, chaos, and many other unknowns that would result in our facing conflict we can truly train our mind-bodies to achieve higher levels of morally correct behavior that will elicit a greater degree of positive reactions - it is called character and personality.
Let your training reflect the the randomness and unpredictability of actions by not restricting how tori-uke respond to conflict. Initially they are controlled but soon after let them do whatever they want. Let them be crafty, chaotic, and unpredictable within loose parameters toward injuries to achieve a more realistic response be it avoidance through verbal means or when it comes to physical. Remember that the principles for both ends, you and others, are the same and a true understanding of them will "lengthen your line."
If you train properly you are training to include the fight. Pre-defined drills are a great beginner program to get the basics of your system for the fight. We tend to allow our tori-uke to perform certain techniques allowing the other to see, determine and respond. That involves the thinking brain and that takes time where in the fight time is of the essence so thinking is not conducive to accomplishing the goal of defense.
In the initial tori-uke training relationship we tend toward avoidance of personal harm and that governs how we apply our system. Initially, for basic training, this is a good teaching model. It must be tempered with its opposite, i.e. the chaotic, randomness and unpredictability of how a real street encounter will be.
Think on this, take this to the dojo floor and work it out in a realistic manner or suffer the consequences. Find out what works for you and what does not work. If it does not work, discard it. If it does work, train and practice it till it becomes encoded in the hind-brain where you bypass thinking.
Bibliography:
Pearlman, Steven J. "The Book of Martial Power." Overlook Press. N.Y. 2006.
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