WISDOM WARRIOR

By Bohdi Sanders PhD.

A WARRIOR IN THE GARDEN WISDOM

The samurai maxim, “It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war,” is wisdom that every martial artist should remember. This maxim expresses the need to be prepared.

While you may never need to use your martial arts skills to defend yourself or your family, it is better to have those skills and not need them than to need them and not have them.

Consider the following statistics. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2020, there were around 4.8 million nonfatal violent crimes (assault, robbery, and rape) in the U.S. This means that 1 in 70 people were involved in a violent crime, and that doesn’t include homicides.

Out of those 4.8 million people, 3.5 million were victims of assault. That is 1 out of every 90 people! In addition to those violent crimes, according to the FBI, there were 21,570 homicides.

While the odds are in your favor that you won’t be involved in a violent attack, it is certainly a real possibility. And the odds of being attacked are increasing! It is absolutely better to be prepared to defend yourself than it is to count on not being attacked or that your attacker will be kind-hearted and have mercy on you.

It is normal for people to think, “It will never happen to me.” But I would be willing to bet that every single victim of a violent attack also thought that it would never happen to them. They were wrong!

Everyone should have some self-defense training. Sun Tzu made this clear in The Art of War, writing, “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.”

It is much safer to make yourself unassailable than it is to hope you won’t be attacked. Moreover, making yourself unassailable includes much more than becoming proficient in martial arts. True self-defense leaves nothing out!

Don’t put yourself in a compromised situation. You must be aware of your surroundings at all times. As Master Gichin Funakoshi stated, “When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies.” This doesn’t mean that you should see everyone as your enemy, but you must be ready for trouble. You never know when you will need your self-defense skills.

And it is not just when you are away from home that you should be aware of your surroundings. The crime statistics show that most violent assaults happen in the home, where they are least expected. That is where we are the most relaxed, feel safest, and are most likely to be unprepared for an attack.

Consider that 38% of assaults and 60% of rapes occur during home invasions. And, if that isn’t bad enough, in 65% of violent burglaries, the victim knows their attacker. Don’t think that you are safe from attack simply because you are familiar with someone.

Han Fei Tzu taught, “If you do not guard the door, if you do not make fast the gate, then tigers will lurk there.” Always be on guard and aware of what is happening around you, even in your home!

The purpose of this article is not to make you fearful or paranoid but rather to impress on you the importance of being aware of your surroundings and being prepared to defend yourself at all times. When you least expect an attack, you are the most vulnerable.

You don’t need to be paranoid or constantly expect trouble; that is not healthy. Just be smart, aware, and prepared. Keep in mind that it is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war or in a dangerous situation.