Holocaust Museum and The Martial Way
When Duty Called He Did Not Hesitate
Two days ago, a hateful old man consumed by a deluded worldview that denies humanity and historical reality, entered a public institution armed with a rifle. Inside, with 2,000 visitors, including school children, he started shooting. Vigilant guards stopped the crazed gunman in a shoot out. Security officer, Stephen T. Johns, trained to serve and protect, died heroically performing his duty to defend others.
Sometimes the Good Guys Die
One can only imagine the lives that were saved at the Museum. It came with great sacrifice: sometimes the good guys die. The brutal reality of violence shakes us. Most martial art practitioners are immersed in the health, philosophic, aesthetic and athletic aspects of the martial way. This tragedy provides us with a sober bottom line view of our martial training.
The Safety of the Dojo
In the safety of the dojo, kwoon, dojang, or gym, we practice kicks, punches, throws and joint locks feed, in part, our heroic fantasies. We must distinguish between stylistic self-defense and real life violence. They are often two different worlds. If our primary intention is realistic self defense, then our training must understand the ugly elements that are present on the street or the battlefield: terror, panic, violence, injury and tragedy.
The Evolving Martial Artist
The Evolving Martial Artist, focuses on higher martial ideals of self development, knowing that our ritual combat training for self defense, is a dress rehearsal for a violent encounter which we may or may not ever realize – hopefully never.
The Holocaust Museum in Washington DC opened its doors again, on this day, the birthday of Anne Frank. Had she not died in the Holocaust, she would be 80 years old today. One week ago today, Elie Wiesel and US President Obama visited Buchenwald.
More than 11 million people were killed in the Holocaust. Our best wishes to the family and friends of Stephen T. Johns and his family. Their loss is ours too.
Lawrence Tan & Toni Josephson
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Great comment. Your point about ritual combat training is very relevant.
Do you also think that our training is more fundamental? I think it may deal with our fundamental desire to control, and that martial arts seek to give order to what is – essentially – a chaotic process (violence).
What do you think?
Great blog
Rich
Thanks for your thoughtful comments ,Rich.
Martial arts is ultimately about power. Deep inside us all is a desire to give, as you aptly stated, order to chaos. For martial artists, the primal expression of chaos is violence. Yet, the martial way leads us to our fundamental roots by cultivating power – not just to order violence – but to effectively meet the chaos we encounter in our everyday lives. Hope I answered your question.