The Great, Renaissance, Jewish philosopher, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato ‘ZTL, in his introduction to one of the first self help books ever written, Path of The Just, tells us that this world is a battle that rages against us on all sides, to the front and to the back, to the left and to the right, and at all times.

This is a very important statement and should not be passed off as some cute fortune cookie wisdom.

I have recently come across an article about Martial Arts and social conflict. As one could imagine I was quite interested in what the Martial Artist, interviewed in the article, had to say. I even admit, I was a little bit jealous that someone else was promoting my idea.

However, after reading the article I came to two conclusions.

1. People are still a long way from understanding the legitimate place that fighting plays is our daily lives.
2. It is petty and wrong to think that Social Combat Theory is my idea. It is a law of nature that I gave a catchy name to, and it’s time others spread the word as well.

 

 

 

The Martial Artist in question, fed the interviewer the same stereotype impression of Martial Arts that you hear all the time. That Martial Arts teaches one not to fight, and that the principles of Martial Arts, when applied to social settings, are best used to avoid confrontations, and that the one who walks away is the true winner etc.

Let’s get something clear: Martial Arts is about FIGHTING!

It might be hard to accept because we have been fed, for so long, that Hollywood notion of the ancient, educated, and worldly cultures, who have nurtured the Martial Arts, having evolved to a point where they are above fighting. Know that this notion is the fabrication of some writer/producer/director’s childish, black and white view of the world where pacifism is an ideal. Vegetables are pacifists in the food chain and even bugs eat them.

If you want to mean something in this world you have to act. I’m not saying one should, G-d forbid, use violence indiscriminately, or that violence is always the answer. A true Martial Artist knows when to use a soft technique and when to use a hard one. When to be overtly violent and when to be subtly subversive. It’s a matter of understanding conflict and fighting and what strategies work best for which kind of situations. What the Martial Artist is aware of though, is that, when he needs to achieve a goal that is being challenged by an external force, stylistic strategy aside, he must fight for that goal.

When the trained fighter walks away from a physical fight, it is because strategy calls for him to achieve his goals through a softer technique. When the trained fighter controls his temper in the workplace it is to apply a fitting strategy from a clear headed perspective. That clear perspective though, may actually come to the conclusion, based on years of fighting experience, that against this particular opponent, an aggressive approach is appropriate. Therefore when the trained fighter floors his opponent in the street, or puts a work colleague in his place with an aggressive tone, he is doing so from a cold calculating mindset and not a temper driven emotional one.

The key is to realize, as all time tested, ancient wisdom’s have realized, that reality is a battle. Ancient Judaism is aware of this, evolutionary theory is aware of this, and Martial Arts theory is aware of it. The beauty of this reality, is that it forces those with the will to act, to dig deep within themselves, and discover their true potential, to nurture it, and to ultimately grow beyond it.