Thank God for My Training

And you thought combat only occurred on the street?

I am learning that there is something to the martial arts. More than just the ability to whip someone's behind. In fact, I am having a problem right now that I wish could be solved by Hamirabi's Code. Now if you don't know what that is, then go get a book and look it up. It's basically the eye for an eye thing. Something some of you all would refer to as "getting ghetto".

But my opponents in this situation cannot be hit. That would not be the right thing, it would only land me in jail. But that does not mean that I have not been feeling the adrenaline surges and internal combat systems or a racing heart beat, body tremors, tunnel vision, the urge to seperate heads from shoulders. And to top it all of, I take medication that can tend to make one agressive. So what is it that is holding me back? What is keeping the lid on the boiling pot? What is in fact keeping the surface of the pot cool to the touch?

It is my training.

By having been pushed to moderately stressful situations in class, I am no stranger to my own anxiety, anger, frustration. I have learned not to cave in when I know I am facing an opponent I cannot defeat. I have also learned not to be so obsessed with winning that I destroy my adversary either. I have learned that in the end, it is all about conflict, whether it be physical, mental, or spiritual.

My endurance is such that I can handle the raise in heart rate and blood pressure without risking a stroke. Of course, one can argue that it is merely because I am young. I disagree. First of all, sadly, I am no longer all that young, and I also work a desk job. Us desk jockeys are not known for our physical prowess, are we? And, most young men would rather think with their fists than their heads. Ironically, if I did take the typical young man approach, I would get more results. They'd be disastrous, but they'd be results. The other irony of my current dilema is that I live in a society that does not allow people to go to fisticuffs to settle debates. I am sure that if the people I had to deal with now feared an ass whippin', they would heed my advice and do the right thing. And not because it is right, but because they would fear death or harm. It is a shame that evil people take advantage of the No Ass Whippin' policy. That is why attorneys came into existence, and our legal system became clogged up with extraneous b.s. litigation.

As an aside from my own ramblings, consider this people: if men feared an ass-whippin' from ladies because ladies were allowed to beat them if they felt sexually harassed, there would have never been a Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill debate, or allegations against Bill Clinton. Think of a truly volatile, ghetto woman that you know, and ask yourself when was the last time that SHE was sexually harassed? If she was, ask her what she did to the poor bastard who was dumb enough to hit on her. Now RAPE is one thing, but sexual harassment may decrease if more chicks took up the martial arts.

The emotions of my current situation are running high, and on all sides. But, I have been able to remain calm. That's not to say I haven't felt anything, but I have not let that cloud my judgement. I have not jumped to any false conclusions, have stayed focussed and am still open to the truth.

I have not taken any anger management classes or anything to that effect. I know what it is that has helped me stay sane and thinking and feeling and proactive and reactive; it is my training. My training has saved me from being crippled by a jeep, blinded in a "friendly" match, possibly shot, bitten by stray dogs, and crumbling under the pressures of life in general and other stressful situations. And in fact, I don't think it will fail me again.

I had always wondered how people had learned through a martial arts how to be more focussed. I really hadn't believed it could be done because the method cannot really be explained fully in words. Using it as a form of stress-controlling physical exercise is merely one part of it. Using it as a meditation or mental and spiritual builder is another. It can even be seen as a form of distraction. It may be all of these and none of these. All I know is that the times in my life where I have been training, I have handled the challenges in my life well. It doesn't mean I always found victory. In fact, many times, I have dealt with not being destroyed by defeat.

It cannot be fully explained in words. But if you are reading this, and you have been there, you know what I am talking about. If not, then I hope that in my own journey as a student of The Way, I can assure you that the focus that some people want does come. Nobody said it would make your life free of pain, but it can make you better able to deal with it when it happens.