Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate of England, 1809–1892 He hardly looks like a warrior, doesn’t he? Yet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate of England during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), was a warrior, as we all are, frankly. In fact, each of us goes to war every day, battling issues specific to our karma. No one is immune from the fray, from being forced to fight both our external problems and internal demons.
Martial Arts competitions offer a wonderful opportunity for those so disposed to perform their craft and show their expertise. In the Black Belt weapons division—where the bo was featured—there has been no more elegant, dynamic and powerful performer than Mike Bernardo. Back in the 1980s and 1990s when karate tournaments flourished, he was “the” quintessential bo performer and champion. The following 1990 video, taken from YouTube, showcases Bernardo’s performance in the Weapons Division of the New England Open.
Bruce Lee was, indisputably, the catalyst for the growth of martial arts throughout the world in the latter part of the 20th Century, and he was certainly the most influential martial artist in modern history. Who is there who has not been positively affected by him, his art, his movies? If there is one person who can be considered “the” icon of martial arts, it is Bruce Lee. Lee was a thinker.
Life lessons come to us from all avenues of the human spectrum. The movie Heartbreak Ridge starring Clint Eastwood offers a poignant lesson for all of us, a lesson which, if applied, can certainly enable us to live a better, more productive and substantive life. In the movie, Eastwood plays the role of Thomas Highway, an aging Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, tasked with straightening out a Recon (Reconnaissance) Platoon in the Second Marine Division, a platoon comprised of a bunch of out-of-control, defiant and arrogant losers, which is hardly the case of any real Marine unit of any size but, nonetheless, it makes for a good movie, however unrealistic the plot.
One would think that after thousands of years of human civilization, man would get the idea that appeasement is not a self-defense strategy. How many times has appeasement been tried and failed, not only in the social collective of world history but in peoples’ personal lives as well? The answer is that appeasement never works. Bullies who force themselves on others are never appeased. To them, appeasement is a sign of weakness and a green light to attack and destroy and then keep on attacking and destroying.
The year 2020 has been interesting, to say the least. We have seen a pandemic, a recession, and social tensions—long simmering under the surface—rise to the forefront of the world’s psyche. Many have lost their livelihood. Too many have lost their lives. All of us have had our lives altered in ways we did not foresee only a few short months ago. Still, I consider myself exceptionally fortunate. While all of this has happened, I have kept my job, have been able to provide for my family, and I do not know anyone who has been sick.
When you were born, do you remember anyone ever telling you that you would need courage to survive and manage the challenges, hardships, calamities and exigencies of your life? No? Me either. As we live through the upheavals of the coronavirus pandemic; the oft changing and bizarre dictatorial edicts of power-obsessed mayors and governors; the frustrating and ceaseless reversals of scientific assessments and, in the United States, the senseless, wanton, hate-driven destruction of life and property during the riots across America, how does one cope with such needless and lunatical madness without going mad?
As we all clearly know, “social distancing” has ingrained itself into the global community in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and ensure personal safety. Too, as all Kiado-Ryu students know, “Distance” is the #1 Security Principle in self-defense. This is continually driven into every KIA student’s mindset. However, distance is usually regarded as physical and defined as “external.” Yet, there is another type of distance which is, perhaps, even more critical in self-defense situations … “internal” distance.
Every one of the sixty-four Black Belts of the Karate Institute of America knows it. Every person who has become successful in any line of endeavor knows it, and those individuals who want to survive the coronavirus pandemic, as well as its aftermath, need to know it if they don’t already. Do you know what “it” is? Luck? Good luck with that. Hope? A nice thought but hope is just a belief, not a characteristic.