Martial Arts As War Part I

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about anything but now that things are settling down with my operational tempo, I’m back in the saddle so to speak.

During the “interment” as I like to call it, I was able to reflect on a lot of things as they relate to the martial arts and their significance especially for the average person. In this post I’m going to wax philosophically on some of these observations which were also shaped by the many discussions I’ve had over the past year and a half with the other Warrior Flow Instructors and students.

I’ll try to not make these posts War and Peace as with past posts and I’ll cover these matters in a number of shorter post and go from there.

Some of what I’m going to discuss has been discussed in previous posts however I do not think I’ve fully delved into the mental, moral, and spiritual aspect of what I’m going to cover in these posts. Now, I am not going to get into detail discussing any specific system because frankly I don’t care. The reason is what I’m laying out here has nothing to do with style of fighting and everything to do with the mindset behind why we do what we do. And what I believe the mindset any serious martial artist and in particular instructors need to have to be effective.

I can assure you there are going to be those who disagree with some of what I’m going to say here and that’s fine. Not my job to convince people of the truth and I can’t tell you what to believe I can only challenge you to think.

With that said…

Imagine

I want you to imagine…

I want you to imagine you’re 18 years old, you’ve seen all of the commercials, spoken to a recruiter, your parents, friends, everyone. Now you’re ready to take the plunge. You pass your MEPS physical, your physical fitness test and now you raise your right hand, and you take the oath to defend the Constitution of the United States so help you God. And on your sacred honor you meant every word of it.

You know what it’s all about, you know the risks. You wouldn’t have it any other way.

A few weeks later you arrive on a bus, probably “older” than you, at MCRD Paris Island, SC, and on walks a Staff NCO, fit, chiseled, definitely pissed off, and probably a little crazy. And the yelling begins. You practically jump off the bus and put your feet on those yellow footprints and no matter how this turns out your life will never be the same again.

So far… so bad… nothing unexpected.

While you are proud to be there you are still unfit, raw, soft, weak. But then again that is exactly why you are there. Like bringing a fine sword to life over the next 13 weeks you will be beaten, molded, and shaped into a weapon. You will learn things most will never know but above all you will learn about yourself. Every day is a struggle, every day is a hardship, yet every day you find a way to overcome.

You will learn how to use your hands, the knife, and most important of all be taught about the rifle and the moral will necessary to kill. You will learn all of these things and much more as you grow and become refined in the dark art of death. Then when all is said and done you will be handed the coveted title of Marine and join the ranks of the brotherhood of warriors stretching back hundreds of years.

Now, imagine after going through all of that, achieving all of that, enduring all of that and then some commander comes along and tells you that your job is not to kill the enemy but to run at the first sight of him?

WTF?

What in the sweet cornbread Hell is that all about!?!

Can you imagine?

Being trained as a Marine, a Soldier, Airman or Sailor and being told when faced with danger, when facing the enemy instead of fighting and putting foot to ass that you should just run away?

Yet, this is the advice that as of late I have seen being offered by people who profess to be martial arts instructors. Drives me absolutely crazy…

A Little Clarity

Before I continue just a little defining of terms.

Martial ^[mahr-shuhl]

adjective

1. inclined or disposed to war; warlike
2. suitable for, or associated with war or the armed forces
3. characteristic of or befitting a warrior

Art ^[ahrt]

noun

1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is appealing, or of more than ordinary significance
2. any field using the skills or techniques of art

I have to be honest here I really don’t even know where to begin with this mentality. However, after giving it a lot of thought I came to realize that there are several types of people who call themselves martial artist. So, I’m going to touch on it here.

Different Types of Martial Artist

When we talk about the martial arts there are also different types of martial artist or how they line up in terms of interest. I define them based on interest or genre as follows:

• Martial arts as sport competition
• Martial arts as fitness, health
• Martial arts for ascetic (traditional arts, forms)
• Martial arts as faith or religion
• Martial arts as a club
• Martial arts as a philosophy
• Martial arts as a cult
• Martial arts as a business
• Martial arts as self defense

Finally...

Martial arts as war!

Obviously, there is a lot of cross over with most of these things for the human body is the human body so there are a number of obvious similarities. However, for this post my focus is on Martial Arts as War and over the next series of posts from myself and others draw a distinction between Martial Arts as War and even Martial Arts as Self-Defense. Because I believe there are critical differences between the two at least in mindset.

Mind you there's nothing wrong with any of these if that's what you want. I could care less. Where the problem arises is when one cannot distinguish the difference between one mindset over another where in some cases it could be fatal. Not due to a lack of skill mind you but due to a lack of moral will and proper focus or what we in Warrior Flow call perfect clarity.

Again, can you imagine showing up for military training and after being taught how to kill the bad guys you are then told and encourage when faced with danger to either turn tail and run or surrender?

Can you imagine?

You would be like "What the f*@k!?!"

Yet this is what many people get when they sign up for a self-defense class or hear some expert pontificate on it. During the internment as I reflected, I looked at a lot of stuff and listened to a lot of folks on the internet. I also had people send me stuff all of the time wanting my opinion on what this guy said or that guy said. Personally, I think they're trying to make me crazy.

Anyway...

What I always find interesting is how a number of folks on the one hand tell people what to do in certain situations and then out of the other side of their mouths encourage them to "just run." Or they tell people to not take unnecessary risks (I’ll come back to this in another post). There is a recent video that came out and if you didn’t see it, it shows a guy who at least it was reported he was a former Marine disarm a guy in a store. You can check it out here Marine Vet Disarms Store Robber

You can be sure that there is some so-called expert out there telling his students that the guy was lucky, and he could have been shot. As opposed to like… being shot anyway by the bad guy? (Again, I will cover this aspect in another post because I’m going to "go Roman" on this mentality.)

Granted context is always key, and that is part of the problem. They overlook the context of how things go down and offer cookie cutter solutions and advice that no one in their right mind would believe that “they” (the experts) would respond in that manner.

For me, the question people should ask when some expert tells them to run, or to not take action is, "Would they do that?" And if you believe the answer to be “no” then you have to question why they are telling you that.

I can tell you right now most of it is rooted in a holier than thou mindset that only they have the requisite skill to fight back and vanquish evil while mere mortals need to know their place, etc. Oh, you had better believe that and trust me when I tell you this attitude is pervasive in the reality based martial arts world.

The other part of it is many of them though they teach people how to do the deadly deed are really not sure of themselves. So, they offer advice that is about as useful as your mom telling you to not eat yellow snow.

I was discussing this very attitude recently in a thread on the excellent Facebook group Fight Science Analytica. Where I discussed how I recently heard on a podcast former military folks with combat experiences, and who should know better, offering terrible advice. Advice that I can assure you they would not follow themselves.

As I’ve said, I have a different philosophy on this, and I know there are those who disagree with me on this, and my attitude is I don't care if you disagree. In Warrior Flow, our philosophy is about the Spirit of Action and winning the fight not the spirit of fear. If that's what you want (i.e., the spirit of fear), then go somewhere else because we don't entertain that.

It’s simple, if you can't stand in that space, you sure as Hell can't teach others too. So, you are worse than unless in my book and I don't care who you are, what you teach, or what a bad ass you claim to be. If you can't stand in that space win lose or draw you have no business teaching people how to fight for their lives.

I can assure you, those full of the spirit of fear will never become instructors in my system. No way Jose!

Anyway...

Another problem I see in a lot of reality-based self-defense systems is a misunderstanding that there is a major distinction between martial arts as war versus martial arts as self-defense. Though you may think they are the same, they are not. It's simple martial arts for self-defense is just that, self-defense and you can't win on the defense.

Martial arts for war is an all or nothing winner takes all mentality focused on winning by any means necessary. That focuses on seizing the initiative and ending the battle instantly if possible.

To accept that there are worse things than death and that if it's your time... good news they're coming with you to the afterlife. Because it's going to be like that. This is not hyperbole or bragging this is a mentality in which such an attitude and disposition is more a statement of fact. One in which you have perfect clarity on and are resolute in where you stand, and if it comes down to where you have to give battle then damn it let war come. 

They Be Giants?

"No man is invincible." --Miyamoto Musashi

For those familiar with the story of young David slaying Goliath the Philistine Champion then you know when the Philistines wanted to make war in Israel, the future King of Israel was having none of it.  As stated in 1 Samuel 17, KJV: 

"And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."

Later, David would call Goliath out, 

"This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."

We know how the rest of the story turned out, David killed Goliath and cut off his head with his own sword and then ala O-Ren-Ishi style from Kill Bill, Vol 1. Pretty much let the Philistines know there was more where that came from and if they had something to say now was the time to say it!

I bring this story up because it goes to a very fundamental point about the mindset for combat. I know I've spoken on this in the past but it bares repeating and that is too many folks in the martial arts give the bad guys too much credit. Okay, they're bad and they're evil, I get it, so what's the problem?

You already knew that that's why they are the bad guys. So, while you should never underestimate them, they are not gods either and only carry about 8-10 pints of blood like most of us and I'm sure they would like to keep their bodily fluids in tact like the next guy.

So, what is the problem?

No matter who they are at the end of the day the danger and the risk, relatively speaking, is always the same for you no matter what. Which is why you train.

At the end of the day the people I teach as I tell them only, they can decide what to do and each one of us has the right to risk our own lives. So, what it really comes down to is, what is the acceptable level of risk you as a person are willing to take?

If you're willing to risk your life in a confrontation, be it far from I to tell you different. My point is you're going to do what you have to do based on what you feel you are capable of. Win lose or draw, but you know, and I know if you do nothing it may be a fate worse than death should you live especially if your inaction resulted in death of a loved one or worse.

So, I say to Hell with what some expert thinks. What do you think because no expert if faced with the same situation would run and not try to do something to protect their life rather than wait to get stabbed up, shot, or whatever.

In my view any instructor that teaches otherwise and prevents folks from taking action needs to find something else to do. Or who instructs people it is too much of a risk again, they really need to really find something else to do.

It reminds me when I was in the military and people used to talk about low intensity conflict versus high intensity conflict. I'll tell you what combat is some pretty intense stuff for those who have experienced it, so I don't know what some pin head at the Pentagon is talking about.

Same thing here.

What are you talking about?

When something goes down, they’re already in it and the situation is already intense enough.

I'm serious because if you are teaching people to do things that you would never do yourself then you need to take a long look in the mirror and reevaluate why you do what you do because maybe the reason you feel that way is that you know you haven't either trained your students well enough to make that choice. Or you as an instructor honestly aren't sure of yourself and to me either way it's the same thing.

Also, why would you as a person train with someone who would tell you to do things they wouldn't do or are not sure of themselves?

Final Points (for now)

Life is risk and in a situation like that anything you do can get you injured or killed especially doing nothing. So, if you feel you need to fight then you need to fight because the alternative isn't any better if they decide they're going to attack you and only you can make that choice.

Again, some will argue with me and even accuse me of giving out dangerous advice. Fair enough...

I say people come to me to learn how to put foot to ass and not learn to have their fears reinforced but to overcome and manage them. To manage danger not to learn conflicting views on what to do. To gain moral certainty and perfect clarity not ambiguity and fear. They already had that when they walked through the door which is why they showed up in the first place. To overcome all of that as best they can.

So, if you're one of these people who wants to learn how to fight and win the damn fight that's what I'm going to focus on.

Fuck survival! Victims of all sorts of attacks survive, and I'm sure if given the chance they'd create a different outcome or die trying. So, I say learn to fight to win and if you're going to lose then die an honorable death. Because the best chance you have to survive is to fight back and win the damn fight!

Like I said in subsequent Blog Posts I along with other writers, are going to build on this theme because I feel it is of critical importance. Even more important than any technique or specific skill or strategy because if you cannot get this part of the equation right everything else is for naught.

Thanks.

LtCol Al Ridenhour

Warrior Flow