WARRIOR WISDOM

Bohdi Sanders, Ph.D.

True Self-Defense Leaves Nothing Out!

When most people hear the term “selfdefense,” it brings up visions of being physically attacked on the street or in a bar, or maybe a home invasion. This is especially true of martial artists. Hardcore martial artists train for selfdefense, not as a hobby or as a sport. We practice hard, visualizing the poor thug who was crazy enough to attack us and seeing ourselves totally dismantling our attacker.

Likewise, many martial artists have a false idea about what forms and katas are all about. They are essentially selfdefense practice as well, but only if you visualize yourself being attacked as you perform your kata. This is the true bunkai, the practical application, of all katas and forms. They are practice against multiple attackers.

Many martial artists see their forms as simply memorizing a sequence of specific blocks, kicks, and punches, but they are missing out on the true essence of their forms. If they simply see their forms as a specific sequence of stances, blocks, kicks, and punches that they must memorize to advance to a higher belt rank, they don’t truly understand their art.

Although many dojos have lost the true meaning of martial arts, that doesn’t change the fact that martial arts actually mean the art of war They were never meant to be a cool type of exercise or a sport.

Furthermore, the art of war and complete self-defense are not entirely the same thing. The art of war encompasses the physical aspects and strategies of the martial arts

And, although the art of war parallels and overlaps with the art of selfdefense, they are not completely the same thing. For example, in today’s world, there are many ways that someone can harm you or your family that have nothing to do with the physical side of self-defense. Many martial artists who are in the public eye or who have rivals in their local area are familiar with the underhanded tactics used by their unscrupulous rivals.

Many unscrupulous people will attack your reputation and your name by using underhanded tactics on the internet or social media to destroy your reputation. This also goes on in various workplaces where a colleague may undermine you to cost you a promotion, or even cost you your job. These things are much more common than you may think.

I could give you example after example of martial artists who have been attacked in this cowardly way. You may think that this is just the actions of a coward, and you would be right. But whether you are dealing with a physical attack or a cowardly online attack, you still need to know how to protect yourself.

While an online attack or the underhanded strategy of a colleague may not harm you physically, they can do a lot of damage to you and your family. You need to learn how to defend yourself in those situations as well.

In addition, every martial artist must understand the laws and political climate in their country. Even if you are able to physically defend yourself against a physical attack, you still must do so in the right way to avoid being arrested and prosecuted by some distorted justice system.

Here in the United States, there are several examples of upstanding warriors and ex-military guys who have stepped in to protect innocent people who are being harassed, threatened, or attacked, only to be arrested for doing the right thing by a politicized justice system

This is a reality that modern warriors must deal with and understand how to protect themselves from.

We live in times where doing the right thing can get you arrested and cost you thousands of dollars, while criminals and thugs can assault people, rob people, and destroy property without any worries of being arrested or prosecuted

All of these are included under the category of self-defense But most martial arts classes do not touch on these subjects, and if they do, it is simply a short warning like, “You must stop attacking when you have your attacker controlled or disabled, or you could be arrested ”

The great teachers and sages all warned against these other types of attacks Gichin Funakoshi stated, “In battle, do not think that you have to win. Think rather that you do not have to lose ” You don’t have to fight against every possible danger; just prepare yourself so well that you don’t lose, and that it cannot hurt you.

Sun Tzu put it perfectly when he wrote, “The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.”

The truth of the matter is that we are far more likely to be targeted in these other ways than we are to be physically attacked on the streets.

Martial artists, who keep themselves in shape and carry themselves in a confident manner, are not the people that most criminals and predators on the street want to target Predators are experts at sizing up their marks; the last thing they want to do is to attack someone who could beat the hell out of them.

On the other hand, any gutless coward can attack you online or take steps to destroy your reputation. They can covertly do things to undermine you and that will cost you dearly. And our legal system has become so unpredictable and corrupt that you should do everything in your power to stay clear of it.

A simple mistake or even doing the right thing, but in a careless way, can destroy your family and your finances. As Master Funakoshi taught, “Calamity springs from carelessness.”

The true martial artist should be clearheaded and aware of all of these aspects of self-defense, and more. This means you must do whatever it takes to ensure your safety and the safety of your family and those around you.

While you should definitely hone your martial arts skills against a physical attack, you should also be aware that there are more ways that criminals and predators can hurt you. You must understand how to defend yourself against all forms of danger, not just the physical ones.

Never think that because you can protect yourself physically, that you are safe from danger. Danger comes in many forms. Some of them, like a venomous snake, are completely camouflaged and can catch you unaware or unprepared. I wrote Defensive Living: The Other Side of SelfDefense, several years ago to address these other forms of personal attacks.

Take steps to ensure that you are as safe and secure as possible. If you are only prepared for a physical attack, you have a large hole in your defense. True self-defense leaves nothing out! Warrior up!

About the Author

Bohdi Sanders has been a martial artist for over 40 years, and is the author of 17 books on martial arts and warrior philosophy. His books are available on: www TheWisdomWarrior.com and on Amazon. Bohdi can be reached at: WarriorWisdom@comcast.net.