Gichin
Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan karate is quoted as saying "Inner mental
technique is more important than the physical one”.
I have discussed in
several blogs the importance of training the mind – specifically in the 2017
September blog “Training The Mind by Staying Focused “and the October 2017 blog “Training The Mind Through Attitude/Intent”. In
both of these blogs, training the mind is in reference to improving and/or
ensuring your physical techniques are effective which could mean the difference
from being killed or staying alive.
However,
training the mind is as important in the first two self-defense principles. As I have said in class and written in several blogs, Han Moo Kwan Tae
Kwon Do is to be used only if options do not exist to avoid confrontation and
conflict.
The first principle in self-defense is to be aware. Be aware of your surroundings at all times, and more aware at times where you are
in places that have higher risk. Unfortunately,
over the last decade or two, those places we thought may have zero risk
(schools, churches, etc.) are not completely risk free to experiencing
violence. Being aware means staying
focused and not being distracted (such as by walking while reading your text
messages or listening to loud music while running or walking). Massad Ayoob, an American firearms and
self-defense instructor, is quoted as saying ”To be safe you need first an
awareness of the danger and a healthy level of common sense.”
The second principle in self-defense is avoidance. Avoidance can occur through a variety of
actions. Avoidance could be not entering
a dark alley because it does not feel right.
Avoidance can be seeing a mob to the left and deciding to go to the
right and around the block to get where you need to go. Avoidance could be not reacting to someone who
is taunting you and escalating the confrontation to a physical one. Avoidance
could mean hiding from an assailant, running away from danger, or playing
dead. Avoidance is handing over your
wallet if someone asks for it while pointing a gun at you. What you would do to avoid violence may be
slightly different depending on the scenario (For example, if are on a plane
that is in the air versus outside in an uncrowded place). And what you may do to avoid a confrontation may
be different if you are by yourself versus with your friends or family member. There are hundreds of potential scenarios to
consider. I highly recommend that you
take time and mentally go through various scenarios and have a plan. Not that the plan can’t change, but by mentally
thinking through scenarios, you will be better prepared to protect yourself
and/or your friends/family though avoidance. If you can’t think of scenarios, every time
you see a violent encounter on You-Tube or the news, spend time to mentally go
over how you would have avoided that scenario.
You can find additional information and references/resources
on awareness and avoidance in my August
2009 blog, “More
Awareness” and my March 2014 blog “Awareness
Revisited”.
Given the current stay-at-home orders and our lives
are a bit slower than they were six months ago, now is a great opportunity to
take the time to be aware of our surroundings when we do go out and to go
through various scenarios mentally and think through how we would avoid a
confrontation.
Regards,
Kelly
"The secret principle of martial arts
is not vanquishing the attacker, but resolving to avoid an encounter before its
occurrence. To become an object of an attack is an indication that there was an
opening in one's guard, and the important thing is to be on guard at all
times." ~ Gichin Funakoshi
(1868-1957), founder of Shotokan Karate
