Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)
In a recent email from a reader he/she asked the question, “If avoidance, escape and evasion are the best defenses to conflict and violence then why bother with learning and practicing martial arts or any self-defense system?” Well, I wrote back to tell them that part of avoidance is not just about avoiding an environment or avoiding a monkey dance attack or avoiding that ego driven response to some slight from others but rather the development of an armor that comes from body language and attitude or mind-set.
We train and practice the full spectrum found in the discipline of self-defense. It spans from the art of verbal defense, to conflict communications and on into the various levels and pathways that lead up to violent conflict. You can’t just take and assume that learning how to avoid conflict will work every time.
It is tantamount to teaching military to retreat and not train them in warfare that includes engaging and fighting the enemy. How long would that military last in war?
So, we train and practice in appropriate ways so that we develop, feel and project both competence and athleticism. Both come from our belief in our skills to handle all kinds and types of conflict as well as all kinds and types of violence, NOT JUST THE FIGHTING-EXCITING STUFF.
If an adversary is sizing up targets they tend to feel and often perceive a person when they have competence and athleticism and they also feel and perceive those without that competence and athleticism. The target will be the one that will require the least amount of effort and the least amount of potential danger when they ply their trade, which is why we train and practice accordingly - to develop and HAVE an attitude and demeanor that says, competent and athletic.
Bibliography (Click the link)
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