Introduction
W
e are living in dark and perilous times. We are witnessing the moral decline of humanity, increases in mental illness, rising crime, escalating incidents of violence and assault, and “countries are burning with the flame of dissension, and the fire of war and carnage is blazing throughout the east and the west.” (1)
We are also witnessing incredible acts of courage and resistance against attacks intended to destroy the foundations of free nations and societies. Never has there been a time when people have needed the balance and strength that training in the traditional martial arts provides. Balance and strength that comes from the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of these great training systems. People possessed of self-assurance and a sense of self-empowerment do not cower in fear in face of the aggressor or the tyrant, they arise resolutely and with courage. To everyone, everywhere, who is fighting for their lives, their families, their cities, and their nations, my thoughts and prayers are with you. This article is offered as a small contribution to the self-empowerment of peoples and societies everywhere it reaches. To those of you who have been training for years in the martial arts, I offer these thoughts in the hope of enriching your knowledge and increasing your ability to withstand injustice. To those of you who are new to the martial arts, this material is intended to show you the true path to martial ability. This article is a continuation of the concepts presented in Part One of this series. I recommend that the reader of this article (if they have not already done so) read “The Eye of Destruction: Self-Protection in a World Spinning out of Control, Part One” from the December 2021, Volume 20, issue of Lift Hands magazine. You may also want to review my previous three-part series entitled “The Medical Implications of Combat Tai Chi Chuan Techniques: Investigating Blunt Force Trauma,” which describes the medical consequences of combat Tai Chi Chuan and
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