Peaceful Warrior

I believe that "true" Karate-Do (good Budo), the ART of the way is how to manage your emotions, emotional disturbances - and aggrressiveness. First you learn how to fight, but afterwards you learn how to controle body and mind. The ART of the way of Karate is to overcome the desires to fight, because win or loose is nothing worth. The only thing that is anything worth is to avoid violence. On my opinion the mastery of martial arts is to become a "Peaceful Warrior", that is someone who is able to fight but does not want to ! Not because he is afraid (in fact there is no reason to be afraid of anything, not even death), but because of his conviction of peace and his (fighting- and human) superyority.

What do you think about it ?

I think you may be right.

The only 'enemy' to overcome is yourself. Like in The Empire Strikes Back? I think we should all take a moment and revel in the glorious goodness that is George Lucas' brain.

-Danny Boyd
'All Your Base Are Belong To Us'

[Neil Hawkins]

Have you read "Way of the Peaceful Warrior", by Dan Millman?

It is one of a string of self-help books that came out some years ago, but it does cover this concept fairly well. It is supposedly semi-autobigraphical and is very easy to read. Whilst I don't necessarly believe that it is all true, it does give some good examples of how to overcome difficulty and internalize your search for the 'warrior ideal'.

I tend to think that he has taken stories and annecdotes from various eastern cultures and meshed them into a story so as to cash-in on the 'new-age' craze, but whatever the source it's a good read.

My main problem with it is that he has gone very commercial since he wrote it, and that doesn't ring true to his original concepts. But hey even Carlos Castenada has some useful stuff, even though he has pretty much been exposed as a fraud these days.

Anyway, I tend to agree that you should have your own house in order before attacking someone elses, so yes, being calm and at peace with yourself is essential in the path to warriorship.

Regards

Neil