Preparedness (**#)

     The past few days Hawaii has been hot with heavy rains and subsequent damages in the form of landslides and flooding has caused some havoc. An interesting comment from a city manager was to the effect "the drain off system didn't work....". Hmmm. This made me think of our martial arts training. Can we afford to make the same comment " it didn't work"?
     As I have written in the past, martial arts training should allow us to avoid or defuse conflicts, so we do not have to depend on the techniques we have learned. We learn to identify potential threats and take preventive measures. Simple common sense takes care most of the dangers. For example, not going to areas known to be crime ridden late at night (or any time for that matter), not to indulge excessive alcohol, to be observant when walking to your car in a parking lot. etc.  Several years ago, Japanese media "played up" how Japanese were being victimized in the United States. Well, the so-called victims were "delivering a bicycle to a friend late at night in a crime infested section of town"; drove to a 24 hr convenience store past midnight in a luxury car; sight seeing poverty areas, etc. Unfortunate that no one was able to input some common sense.
     Back to the topic  of "it didn't work". When we face a situation where not fighting is not an option, we will not be able to say later "it didn't work". This then becomes an often discussed and debated topic. Is what you are learning going to protect you? Those that have been in harm's way can understand that not everyone reacts the same way. Even simunition cannot replace the sound of an round zipping past you and the consequent reaction.  The Self defense drills cannot replace the "fear" of being suddenly attacked without warning or standing in the front row of charging demonstrators.  We can recreate to a certain level but we cannot recreate the actual tension and pressures of a real confrontation. After all, it's a class and when its over we all go home. Knowing that  it is a class and knowing that we will all go home is not the same as not knowing what will happen next.
    It is said Kata is the "Bible of Self Defense". I agree, there are many techniques that are applicable. I have actually seen my Sensei use the jodan uke in the fist movement of Gekisai 1 and take down rowdy Marines in bar. You might ask "Jodan Uke? Take down?" Isn't it a block against a head attack? That is where bunkai and oyo come in. It is a very long road from displaying kata to using kata. Now I ask myself, would I be able to do the same thing? Perhaps if I put in the hours that Sensei put in. But, as a weekend warrior? Hmmmm.
I recall  two incidents in Japan that have "influenced" (perhaps exaggerated) my view of martial arts.
      The first incident was a female Nidan who was attacked while hiking and murdered by a homeless. If we were to go by rank alone, then many would wonder why wasn't a karate nidan unable to protect herself?
I ask, what do we expect a Nidan to be able to do? What type of training did she have? Was bunkai and oyou part of her testing requirements? Was stamina and strength part of the testing? Or was it purely recreational?
     Nowadays, it the terms "alive", "reality base" "compliant/non complaint" are used extensively in advertising various schools. I believe that those terms may have some merit, but then my Sensei never used those terms and most of all he was able to apply the kata in actual confrontation. So I am confident that kata practiced wisely is effective, contrary to those who espouse the uselessness of kata training.
       The second incident was when a male reacted to what he thought was a female in distress, kicked the "antagonist" in the head with a jodan mawashigeri and knocked him down. The male subsequently hit his head on the street pavement and died. The "Samaritan" was sentenced to jail on excessive use of force resulting in death charges and spent time in a Japanese jail. Why a jodan mawashigeri to the head? A simple maegeri to the stomach wold have sufficed or even a gedangeri to the thigh. Or even a shitatsuki to the body.
He was a yudansha. What should we expect from a yudansha? Just techniques to knock someone down?
What happened to verbal skills? By the way, the couple was having a quarrel but it was not anywhere near a life threatening argument. 

      That is why need to pursue the path of Budo, the art of stopping conflict and not just the art of knocking someone down. (^^)

    Just some ranting on a rainy day !