Movie Syndrome in Self-Defense

When viewing those selfie’s or cell phone video’s or even security video’s when violence occurs is not truly telling the entire story. Even when it seems that the entire incident is shown on the video we cannot take that as a full and complete picture. The question on my mind is, “Why?”

Why? Lets take a look quickly at the movie industry. We know that the movie industry controls the story from beginning to end so you might say, “why use this as an example, the video’s in question are not controlled?” 

First, all video’s are controlled, controlled by the person holding the camera and shooting the digital film. There positioning, the movement from the person’s body movement, what frames they shoot and why, the direction of that shoot and so on only covers a small part of the story. So, if this is true then why do folks “assume” they are seeing the whole and entire story that drives them emotionally to act and react as they do? The movie industry along with the television industry!

When we go to the movies or watch television we are transported. Time becomes something mysterious as in movies we can view someone entire life in only two hours. We travel to different planets, to different times and to different cultures all while sitting in a theater absorbed by the movie for two or more hours. Nothing on the screen is real yet we are transported to a mind-state that makes it all feel absolutely and completely “real.” 

This is the danger when we view video’s on youtube especially when it deals with violence and lives. It is similar to that video of the basketball players with a bear doing the moonwalk we don’t see unless we are told what to look for. This is a problem when it comes to what we view in video’s, we tend to “NOT SEE” things because we don’t have the knowledge and/or experience especially when it comes to violence. We make assumptions based on what we do know and what we have experienced and in almost all cases that is our personal lives, perceptions and experiences flooded with influences from the media with emphasis on television and movies - it is all fiction. 

There was a video yesterday of an elderly gentleman who early one morning stopped in to get gas. The video is very short and only seems to provide the actual attack. Two persons unknown to the police and unidentifiable by that same video were positioned, an assumption by the way the accosted the gentlemen, so when the gentleman got out of his truck to fill his tank they beat him and robbed him under duress from their presence, demeanor and the firearm held by one person. Note: all this is assumptions I have made from my knowledge and what little is provided on the video.

Now, the purpose of this video is the police are hoping someone who views it will recognize the two persons attacking the gentleman so they can question them. I say question them because even if say, I, think I might know the two the way they covered their faces or had their back turned I, even if I actually thought I knew these two, could not state emphatically that anyone I might know may not actually be the two in the video. 

Now, what inspired this thought pattern of movies, television and videos of this sort is all the emotionally infused comments that followed seem to be from the monkey making assumptions of what could or could not have occurred and that is because we make such assumptions based on factors that include our life time exposure to television, movies and other such media driven productions. 

It is best to remember that if anything comes from such video releases is that when our emotions get incensed we should direct that energy to asking a lot of questions and attempt to gain the rest of the story, the full story, before passing any judgements. Now, how we do this is we first must attain the proper knowledge of what violence is and how it is processed, by both parties - violent people and those who are being subjected to such violence. Until we gain that knowledge then we cannot ask relevant and valid questions and neither can the authorities. 

This brings what I am “assuming and perceiving” as a huge issue in our society today. We tend to think when horrible things happen that it is best if we remove that horrible stuff from our minds, hearing and sight. We bury it, we ignore it and then we try to say that we are not violent people, etc., and so on because it makes us feel “uncomfortable.” In truth we have to embrace our real selves completely, learn about both the good and not so good aspects of what humans are and then study and learn about both parts so we can teach ourselves to control, avoid and restrain our more aggressive sides allowing the human side of us to prevail while putting chains on our monkey side. 

We cannot achieve this by sticking our heads in the sand. We cannot rid ourselves of our true nature as human “animals” but we can learn, understand and gain experience through this process in controlling and restraining our true natures for the good of the group, society as a whole. 

I have spent an good deal of time learning and practicing martial arts with an emphasis on defense and as a Marine the combative aspects of martial arts. I thought I knew what I actually didn’t know - about violence. It has been only in the last decade that I have come to a certain enlightenment about violence and until the last or recent times have not found one good true source, a beginners primer so to speak, that addresses our true nature of conflict and violence. 

Even so, the material available today is astounding and amazing. Because of our technological advancements we have come to create a venue that can provide us with an amazing amount of knowledge. The least, and in my mind the most important for everyone if for no other reason then to gain a fundamental framework of knowledge on a subject that is as vast and deep as the universe itself, and most important start is “In the Name of Self-Defense,” by Marc MacYoung. This is just the start then there are several other tomes of knowledge on this subject starting with the books by Rory Miller about violence, force and other topics related to all of this. 

I recommend that the reader take a look at the following list as a start. If I could accomplish one thing it would be to make INOSD a required subject in our educational system along with a new subject of study to gain a law degree or to become a police and/or corrections person. Everyone, in my humble opinion, could benefit from what both Marc MacYoung and Rory Miller present from their knowledge, understanding and most important experience in this subject. 

Don’t let yourself succumb to the movie syndrome because one day you may be on the receiving end of such ignorance. Do you want your lawyer, your jury, the police who respond to your predicament, the prosecutor and most important of all the society that immediately condemns your self-defense defense because of the movie syndrome. Remember, every action we take is subject to being recorded and submitted to the public so do you want to be the one going to jail because of the publics perception as dictated by the movie syndrome?

p.s. the video of the gentleman being robbed is on my FB Wall if you want to see what happened but remember, take it with a grain of salt cause it ain’t the rest of the story. 

Bibliography:

Goleman, Daniel. "Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition [Kindle Edition]." Bantam. January 11, 2012.

MacYoung, Marc. "In the Name of Self-Defense: What It Costs. When It’s Worth It." Marc MacYoung. 2014.

Miller, Rory. "ConCom: Conflict Communications A New Paradigm in Conscious Communication." Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 2014. 

Miller, Rory. "Violence: A Writer's Guide." Pacific Northwest. Wyrd Goat Press. 2012.

Cain, Susan. "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking." Broadway. New York. 2013. 

Bown, Tim and Miller Rory. "Leading the Way: Maximize Your Potential as a Martial Arts Instructor." Rachelle Bown. Kindle. 2012

Overland, Clint; Anderson, Drew Dr.; Kane, Lawrence; Trahan, Terry; Burrese, Alain; Demeere, Wim; Eisler, Barry; MacYoung, Marc; Miller, Rory; Miller, Kamila. "Campfire Tales from Hell: Musing on Martial Arts, Survival, Bounding, and General Thug Stuff." CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 2012.

Miller, Rory and Kane, Lawrence A. "Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision-making under Threat of Violence." YMAA Publisher. New Hampshire. 2012

Miller, Rory. "Force Decisions: A Citizen's Guide." YMAA Publications. NH. 2012.

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Navarro, Joe. "What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People." Collins. New York. 2008.

Kane, Lawrence & Wilder, Kris. "How to Win a Fight: A Guide to Avoiding and Surviving Violence." Gotham Books. New York. 2011.

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Newberg, Andrew MD and Waldman, Mark Robert. "Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth." Free Press. New York. 2006

Sutrisno, Tristan, MacYoung, Marc and Gordon, Dianna. "Becoming a Complete Martial Artist: Error Detection in Self Defense and the Martial Arts." Lyons Press. Connecticut. 2005.

Miller, Rory Sgt. "Meditations of Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence" YMAA Publishing. 2008.

Miller, Rory Sgt. "Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected." YMAA Publishing. 2011.

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Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1993.

Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Written Self-Defense" MJF Books. 1997

Elgin, Suzette. "The Last Word on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1995

Elgin, Suzette. "Staying Well with the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense." MJF Books. 1990.

MacYoung, Marc. "Violence, Blunders, and Fractured Jaws: Advanced Awareness Techniques and Street Etiquette." Paladin Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1992.