Fighting is not the answer

[Ron Goninan]

[voidisyinyang]

[goldisheavy]

I agree.

 

I think a lot of the anger comes from the business community that treats people as expendable resources. Work consumes the biggest chunk of time, or the second biggest right after sleep, if you divide the day into sleep, work, leisure. In our society leisure is practically non-existent for a lot of people, which is very unfortunate in and of itself. And then if at work you are constantly treated as a resource and not as a person, it has a way to make a person angry.

 

Business leaders need to wake up before the society boils over. When times are good people tend to lose themselves in consumerism and other distractions in order to forget all the humiliation they experience at work. But when opportunities for distractions dry up, humiliation stands out so much more and anger goes to the forefront. This is why people in ghettos tend to be a lot angrier. It is the result of poverty combined with our (USA, but I hear Chinese businessmen treat employees like trash even worse than USA, and I don't hear anything good about Japan either) nasty business culture.

 

Poverty doesn't have to lead to anger. In a different culture, if you are poor, but otherwise don't feel humiliated, and if you're treated as a real person, and don't have any of your own problems, it's possible to be content and happy.

Edited August 9, 2010 by goldisheavy

[3bob]

Hello Ron,

 

Thanks for sharing the fine pov.!

 

And the better prepared one is at the type of self-defense you speak

of the more options there are to avoid or turn aside from violence.

 

[3bob]

I agree.

 

I think a lot of the anger comes from the business community that treats people as expendable resources. Work consumers the biggest chunk of time, or the second biggest right after sleep, if you divide the day into sleep, work, leisure. In our society leisure is practically non-existent for a lot of people, which is very unfortunate in and of itself. And then if at work you are constantly treated as a resource and not as a person, it has a way to make a person angry.

 

Business leaders need to wake up before the society boils over. When times are good people tend to lose themselves in consumerism and other distractions in order to forget all the humiliation they experience at work. But when opportunities for distractions dry up, humiliation stands out so much more and anger goes to the forefront. This is why people in ghettos tend to be a lot angrier. It is the result of poverty combined with our (USA, but I hear Chinese businessmen treat employees like trash even worse than USA, and I don't hear anything good about Japan either) nasty business culture.

 

Poverty doesn't have to lead to anger. In a different culture, if you are poor, but otherwise don't feel humiliated, and if you're treated as a real person, and don't have any of your own problems, it's possible to be content and happy.

 

Agreed, and very key points!

And there is no private get-a-way to hide from what we sow, this world is getting smaller by the minute.

[buscon]

Very good reminder Rob!

 

I study Hung gar kung fu, and of course it's a lot about fighting. Still is not the real point: as you said, it's smt to use in extreme situation.

The real knowledge is learning about yourself, and you can do it just with practice, kung fu is just a way.

If you compare real kung fu with other fighting arts, you know what I mean.

 

When our teacher show us real application of our forms, an option is always go home: block your opponent and run away, you don't need to show off.

 

I suggest "Meditation on Violence" of Maya Deren.

 

Peace and practice.

[Marblehead]

Very good post Ron. Thanks for sharing.

 

Peace & Love!

[3L3VAT3]

i forgot who said it but something like:

 

"the best way to ensure a fight is to not be prepared for one"

 

meaning that the better prepared you are the less you may actually need to use your skills.

 

Or the other maxim; "Kill rather than be killed, maim rather that kill, and avoid rather than maim"... or something like that.

[immortal_sister]

good post!!

 

what school of white crane kungfu do you practice/teach?

[voidisyinyang]

good post!!

 

what school of white crane kungfu do you practice/teach?

 

Here's Ron's website giving his lineage:

 

http://www.whitecranefist.com/

[Astral_Anima]

Ron- VERY good point. Although I would enjoy sparring just to test myself, I would agree fighting out of anger is dangerous. However when you have two people training in a "art" who want to express themselves through that art...I see nothing wrong with that, as long as they're not trying to kill eachother.

 

gold- HEAVILY agree with that. I think Fight Club said it best...

"We are the middle children of history man, no purpose or place. We have no great war, no great depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives. We've all been raised on TV to believe that one day we'll become millionaires and moviegods and rockstars....but we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very...very pissed off.... "

Edited August 9, 2010 by Astral_Anima

[ben]

In my expericence there are some horrible people who won't think twice about resorting to violence. I think that pacifism is a nice sentiment but idealistic, with out my martial art training and a willingness to use it I would of been severely injured. I train to fight. Last year I was stabbed in the hand in Barcelona , I did not think twice going ape shit. Hope this dose not make me sound like a bone head. Chow for now.

[Gerard]

Sorry to hear that, Ben. Spanish cities are loaded with psychotic people whose lifestyles are fueled by drugs, alcohol and noise. It could have been worse than your hand but as you said your martial skills avoided the worst, I suppose.

 

I train Bagua only for spiritual and health reasons. I know my art is devastating and was traditionally used in China to kill people which is sad because the original form was Daoist in nature and used to attain enlightenment.

 

 

Edited: typo.

Edited August 10, 2010 by durkhrod chogori

[island]

Great post Ron!

 

"Only a warrior chooses pacifism; others are condemned to it."

[passenger1980]

Agreed on many points, but i think the key here is the intention behind. I'm very inclined to pacifism and violence to me should be the last resort in all cases. However, when there's no other way, one should have a very clear mind and not resort to hate, rage, or going "ape shit" like someone mentioned. That is the real violence to me.

 

Also, there are plenty of ways to disable an enemy and not actually kill him, it's ridiculous nowadays that we have to kill someone to prevent something, our weapons should all be non-lethal, at least the ones used legally.

 

It sounds to me that deep down what we really want is the enemy dead and buried.

[3bob]

"we have met the enemy and he is us"

.