Focus on now
Published: Tue, 10/31/17
I have started my book with a detailed recollection of my early journey through martial arts. It is a little strange looking back at who I was 30, 40 even 50 years ago, trying to recall what I already knew and what I still had to learn. What does seem apparent was that I had worked something pretty important out at an early age. It may just be my particular psychology but I always seem to have been able to maintain a high degree of emotional detachment even when threatened with violence. If you are detached it is possible to observe your antagonist’s behaviour and read their intentions. It is also very important not to be provoked into taking action which makes you the aggressor.
There are moral and legal arguments against hitting first but the real reason is that attacking is actually much more difficult than defending if you can see what is coming. So, if a confrontation is going to turn physically violent you are automatically at an advantage if the other person commits themselves first. You have to know how to handle yourself of course but if you are aware of the situation, focusing on the behaviour and intentions of your antagonist and emotionally detached from the situation you will have the best chance of coping with the situation.
Once emotions such as fear, anger, pride or frustration come over you then your judgement is going to suffer. Okay, you can try claiming afterwards that you got angry or you were scared and reacted out of fear. However, it is always better to deal with what actually happens, not react to what did happen or to what might happen. Just deal with what happens now, nothing else. If nothing happens then there is nothing to do and that should be just fine. Either way, you will be able to justify your action or inaction.
So, if not fighting is actually the best thing what is the point of training? Well, as Thor discovered on his visit to Utgard the opponent who will overcome us all one day is old age. The right training will keep us strong and mobile for as long as possible. You won’t win against age but you can put up a better and longer fight. You can also learn to keep centred, to focus and to observe the behaviour of others, the battle is always with ourselves, if we can win that battle dealing with other people is relatively easy.
I will be holding a self-defence and CQC seminar in January, but weapon training works just as well in the battle to overcome ourselves. See the programme here http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/train.html
regards
Graham