Hello all. Bill flagged me about this discussion and how the Marines handle the non-killing situations.
To wit:
MCMAP is the synergy of three warrior disciplines: mental, character, and physical. Mental discipline is the development of the combat mindset and the study of the art of war. Character discipline is the firm integration of ethics, values, principles, and leadership; the Marine Corps Core Values - honor, courage, and commitment - are the bedrock of character discipline. Physical discipline is the actual fighting techniques and principles used in battlefield application. Physical skills, combative fitness, and combat sports are the three aspects of this discipline.
As always, Marines are riflemen first. Now, they all are martial artists as well. The program was designed to infuse Marines with the knowledge of 'the right thing' regarding use of force.
Rule #1 has become what I call the 'CNN' rule. Basically, do not do anything that you would not want to be seen on CNN that evening. As we read about the alleged attrocities by Americans in Iraq, it is pleasing to see little or no mention of the US Marines. The message has gotten across.
Also, teaching the 'force continuum' has helped. In the past the Marine's weapons were his bayonet and his rifle. Now his weapons include many less than lethal techniques. The Marine force on deck in Iraq has so far shown remarkable patience but is still capable of unleashing hell on deadly threats.
Every group of techniques taught also has a tie-in discussion, usually during a recovery period. This might be about sexual harrasment, responsible use of force, suicide awareness and prevention, or a discussion of selfless act by Medal of Honor recipients.
One thing I do is tie in the 'civilian world' to the training. Last month I had a discussion with the Instructor Trainer Black Belt class about the concept of the 'force continuum' in the civilan context. Marines will go out on the town and raise hell and need to be aware of the ramifications of escalating physical confrontations.
Rich
Tiger or Sheepdog
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RACastanet
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Dana Sheets
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What Rick, Van, Bill, and Rich have written really touch on what I consider to be the "big picture" of the traditional martial arts approach.
Van offers the voice of the cautionary tale, the reality check. That in the end, after all the conditioning and sparring and scenario training in the world - there is no "magic bullet" learned from martial arts that will keep you safe. A street attack will not look like a dojo attack. So we must constantly search for methods that can help us bridge the gap from the relative safety of dojo training to the completely unsafe world of actual violence.
Bill reminds us that if you mindlessly do exercises without reflecting on the principles and skills they develop - then you're not helping the student advance in their training - you're just making a really good (insert execise name here) robot. And that if you engage in flexible training that puts people on the edge of their comfort zone you can help them to explore the inner animal in all of us and better understand how it plays in role in who we are.
Rich helps us bridge the gap between those who must train to function in a true warfare situation vs we who train for personal defense. And he's also helping us understand how you can take the best from both worlds and blend them.
Rick reminds us that what we do is, after all, martial arts. A process of learning combative techniques and that in order to actually learn these principles they have to be done in an environment that simulates the one where you'd apply them.
And what I'm putting on the table is the idea of doing the best job we can to encourage students to develop their spiritual growth, their mental resolve and abilities while their bodies are learning combative techniques.
Gary Khoury's Untilmate Black Belt Test experience is an extreme example of this process. But is it also what I think can help demonstrate why we are different than a cardio kickboxing class.
The path of the tiger, the sheepdog, the warrior is not (to me) a path focused only on my personal gratification of my skills. What I think we offer the world that is truly unique is the calling to be and embody and live by example those qualities that make the world a better place to live.
This might look different in every dojo. For some it could mean some kind of service project - teaching martial arts to disadvantaged youths, or the elderly, or having a scholarship program so that people who might not be able to afford training can come. For others it might mean taking on volunteer work as a dojo - comitting to making dinner at a homeless shelter once a month, offering free classes to the community on verbal self defense, doing a kick-a-thon to raise money for a local charity. And for some dojo - it may mean simply asking their students reflect on how they as inidivudals have contributed to the world around them.
As a community of martial artists we all live in a broader community of others. I think it is our role as tigers and sheepdogs and warriors to work to improve the community in which our community exists. So that our work helps our world to thrive.
Van offers the voice of the cautionary tale, the reality check. That in the end, after all the conditioning and sparring and scenario training in the world - there is no "magic bullet" learned from martial arts that will keep you safe. A street attack will not look like a dojo attack. So we must constantly search for methods that can help us bridge the gap from the relative safety of dojo training to the completely unsafe world of actual violence.
Bill reminds us that if you mindlessly do exercises without reflecting on the principles and skills they develop - then you're not helping the student advance in their training - you're just making a really good (insert execise name here) robot. And that if you engage in flexible training that puts people on the edge of their comfort zone you can help them to explore the inner animal in all of us and better understand how it plays in role in who we are.
Rich helps us bridge the gap between those who must train to function in a true warfare situation vs we who train for personal defense. And he's also helping us understand how you can take the best from both worlds and blend them.
Rick reminds us that what we do is, after all, martial arts. A process of learning combative techniques and that in order to actually learn these principles they have to be done in an environment that simulates the one where you'd apply them.
And what I'm putting on the table is the idea of doing the best job we can to encourage students to develop their spiritual growth, their mental resolve and abilities while their bodies are learning combative techniques.
Gary Khoury's Untilmate Black Belt Test experience is an extreme example of this process. But is it also what I think can help demonstrate why we are different than a cardio kickboxing class.
The path of the tiger, the sheepdog, the warrior is not (to me) a path focused only on my personal gratification of my skills. What I think we offer the world that is truly unique is the calling to be and embody and live by example those qualities that make the world a better place to live.
This might look different in every dojo. For some it could mean some kind of service project - teaching martial arts to disadvantaged youths, or the elderly, or having a scholarship program so that people who might not be able to afford training can come. For others it might mean taking on volunteer work as a dojo - comitting to making dinner at a homeless shelter once a month, offering free classes to the community on verbal self defense, doing a kick-a-thon to raise money for a local charity. And for some dojo - it may mean simply asking their students reflect on how they as inidivudals have contributed to the world around them.
As a community of martial artists we all live in a broader community of others. I think it is our role as tigers and sheepdogs and warriors to work to improve the community in which our community exists. So that our work helps our world to thrive.
Did you show compassion today?
What an excellent post.
Dana,
You are a world class practitioner, and a shining example of Uechi-Ryu "Class"
You are a world class practitioner, and a shining example of Uechi-Ryu "Class"
Van
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Dana Sheets
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Rick Wilson
Hi Dana:
Great post.
I actually agree with the basis of your approach entirely.
For instance you commented (and sorry I missed these somehow earlier as well
):
“Some of the training I engage in may not look like fighting principles. Many of the drills have to do with building personal body awareness. Then we do other drills to build your awareness of working with/against an opponent.”
ABSOLUTELY!
This is particularly true if you want to move into the internal way. Without body being awareness for yourself and of your partner you will never work internally.
However, (the polite form of but) the check point for separating self delusion from self development is always the martial.
In addition the martial forces us to look within ourselves. We must face that side of us that can do violence. (The history of our world tells us we all have it.) Martial artists understand that we have that capacity and in acknowledging this capacity we can accept perhaps learn what it means. Through this learning we can have that character growth that is supposed to accompany our training yet somehow is missed by many.
Is it an imbalance in the training that causes these practitioners to miss that character development?
Great post.
I actually agree with the basis of your approach entirely.
For instance you commented (and sorry I missed these somehow earlier as well
):“Some of the training I engage in may not look like fighting principles. Many of the drills have to do with building personal body awareness. Then we do other drills to build your awareness of working with/against an opponent.”
ABSOLUTELY!
This is particularly true if you want to move into the internal way. Without body being awareness for yourself and of your partner you will never work internally.
However, (the polite form of but) the check point for separating self delusion from self development is always the martial.
In addition the martial forces us to look within ourselves. We must face that side of us that can do violence. (The history of our world tells us we all have it.) Martial artists understand that we have that capacity and in acknowledging this capacity we can accept perhaps learn what it means. Through this learning we can have that character growth that is supposed to accompany our training yet somehow is missed by many.
Is it an imbalance in the training that causes these practitioners to miss that character development?
