Karate Bashing

[karate_woman]

I don't know where your aunt and uncle live, but where I live, you can't carry concealed weapons (did they both have a handgun on their person at that moment?). OK, so criminals don't care about those laws, but I've been taught that you're more likely to be attacked by someone you KNOW, than some random criminal "on the street". We were taught that for a reason: so we could mentally prepare ourselves that we may not be using this against some unknown generic bad guy, but someone we actually know and care about (eg abusive situations).

 

Martial arts also has a side effect of helping you carry yourself in a more confident manner, reducing your attractiveness as a "target". People may have more confidence and avoid the abusive pattern in the first place, which often starts by tearing away at the victim's self esteem prior to any physical attacks. Many martial arts programs also teach avoidance and awareness. Those aspects, while common sense, are very important for self defense. As for techniques being rendered useless by the appearance of a gun, for women wanting defend against a rape situation, for example, the assailant will definitely come within range (including their gun/knife, if they have one), and will put themselves into vulnerable positions in the process - knowing a few moves would definitely come in handy.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Yes, Funakoshi did say "Karate ni sente nashi" or "In Karate, there is no first strike"...However, I disagree with much of the interpretation of this and his shift in emphasis of the martial arts. I do not deny the benefits of humility and other spiritual and mental benefits. These are all very good traits. However, you have to remember that Funakoshi's karate was more for the improvement of the self rather than self-defense. As I have said in numerous other posts, this emphasis was really introduced into karate only in the early 1900s. If that is your primary motivation for karate, I do not have a problem with that at all. Its just not me. As I said before, I practice bujutsu, which was created for group solidarity and for self-protection amongst warriors rather than budo, for the purpose of improving the self. That is my take on it. I do enjoy the other benefits than pure self-defense, they just are not my primary focus. With this in mind, I do not go around picking fights or purposely place myself in vulnerable positions, I'm just saying I would use my skills when put in a position. Also, due to the benefits of training, I think that I will not be too excited to think things calmly. I must admit that I have never had a gun pulled on me, only a knife once and a baseball bat on another occasion. The knife I was able to talk my way out of while the baseball bat I was not able to. I might add that my self-defense training did allow me to get out of the situation unscathed.

 

I do agree with you that there is something beyond the simple techniques, otherwise a person would not be a martial artist and would merely be a good fighter.

 

I think we have a mutual understanding on this so I won't belabor the point. As you said, it is a matter of emphasis and the purpose for which we both study martial arts.

 

Thank you for your discussion.