The Art of Status

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Status, it permeates every facet of our human society, the animal kingdom does it as well and is that which effects us humans too. Status can be many things and most important to us is how we perceive it and how our social constructs perceive it and finally how both use it in daily live. 

In the dojo status is not discussed much and it is something that is the essence of how the dojo works. The quickest example is the dan-i system, i.e., the belt that designates your status not just in the dojo but in the system or style itself. It is a microcosm of what we will see in our social constructs from the individual to the family to the extended family to the groups be they neighbors, social friends and those we work with out there in our jobs, etc., to name just a few. 

In truth, to my perception, the most critically important status is the one we give ourselves. We have to know and believe in ourselves and we must establish a status in our minds that allows us to function adequately when we gather with others be it at the dojo, tournament, seminar or the world at large. The hard part is creating and establishing such a personal status that is first and foremost to our benefit in all things. 

The hard part is also realizing that our status is not a lone wolf and it must be fluid and flexible because once we step across the threshold of our personal space it must adjust and flow with that of others, their status and along with that their belief systems. You see, status and beliefs are our realities and when realities collide we must have the ability, understanding and methodology to flow when those worlds of belief and status collide. 

When conflict and violence happen one of the main reasons it that others violate our beliefs thus effecting our status among our peers and that is a volatile situation. We have to realize also, as you already are imagining, that many of those with strong beliefs and important effects on their status and beliefs are how we enter the danger zone of conflicts and violence especially because many don't have that flexibility and fluidity acceptable to their own personal and group status based on that belief system. 

How we, in the dojo, that practice, teach and apply self-defense protection for defense must address the many variables of human behavior if we are to succeed in avoidance, deescalation and reach security, safety and social harmony. 

Question: What are you willing to endure for your status? 

Possibilities: Are you willing to suffer grave harm, i.e., physically, mentally and economically? Are you willing to DIE for those beliefs to maintain your status? Are you willing to apply grave harm on others to support and enforce your status and beliefs? Are you willing to kill another human being to support and enforce your status and beliefs? 

You see, as important as status is; as important as your beliefs are; as important as they are to your reality you really have to allow yourself the questions, the hard questions that go against your biases, dissonances and beliefs, to really apply those skills at what ever level and what ever forces to maintain your status and beliefs OR you will suffer the spears and arrows of conflict, violence and grave harm in what ever form that manifests. 

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