| The founder of our martial arts dojo was fond of | | | | I've given a lot of thought to the idea of |
| telling a story about a 98 pound weakling in high | | | | developing a non-violent martial art, realizing of |
| school who served as an unwilling punching bag | | | | course, that excellent training in karate, aikido, and |
| for the local bullies. | | | | judo, to name a few disciplines, will strive to |
| Predictably, he'd be verbally harassed and then | | | | create a "peaceful warrior," someone that is less |
| pushed around by these toughs, and I suppose, | | | | and less likely to be involved in physical battle as |
| somewhere in the distance our founder may have | | | | his training increases. |
| even been cowering, himself; who knows? | | | | The problem, as I see it, is one of fear. Good |
| Anyway, one day the jerks picked on this "runt" | | | | folks fear too much, and evil doers fear too little. |
| and something in him snapped. He went totally | | | | And I'm not convinced a completely peaceful |
| nuts and started fighting back! | | | | approach to training will ever turn the tables. |
| Swinging wildly, but relentlessly, he drove off his | | | | Like blood in the water, the meek attract conflict, |
| attackers and he was left alone from that point | | | | and they're just too tempting, as targets. |
| forward. | | | | I'm going to watch the movie about "Gandi" again, |
| The moral to the story is that the toughest | | | | to see how this amazing waif of a fellow changed |
| creeps are afraid of people who snap, who act | | | | the world through the practice of nonviolence. |
| like uncontrollable animals, who are willing to risk all | | | | There has to be something he knew or did or |
| in their own defense or in defense of another. | | | | both that martial artists can benefit from. |