Large Fierce Mammal

Greetings gentle reader! If you’ve made it here to these latest musings without reading Chapter the First and Chapter the Second of this series, I respectfully suggest that you do that before proceeding.

To the left is a photograph that I personally took last week, in the bedroom of an 82 year old woman who lives alone in a very remote corner of Nova Scotia. There are other houses around hers, but they are all occupied by senior citizens with problems of their own. I was there to set up a personal emergency reporting system, and in the process spotted this tableau. In case you need guidance interpreting the image, left to right in the corner are a cane, a baseball bat, and an exceptionally sharp and well maintained machete. Talking to her about it, I learned she has made a decision that would change the world if everyone did the same – she refuses to be a victim, and if she goes down in the face of superior strength or numbers, then she will go down fighting. She won’t give up out of fear of getting hurt or making her attacker angry. The cockles of my black heart still haven’t cooled down.

This brings me to the topic of the day – Respect for Life.The woman I refer to has made a decision that makes her a threat to only one class of being, Human or otherwise – that which would seek to enter her personal space and do her harm. In this, she is showing Respect for Life at its most basic and primal. She is Respecting her own, and in so doing demands that others do the same.

“Do nothing which is of no use.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi

I’ve said many times before that for creatures in Nature, getting through a day is very much an exercise in energy management. Investment measured against return. The Way of the Wild doesn’t hold it up as a good idea to expend valuable energy and expose the self to risk of injury or immediate death by attacking and killing out of such base sentiments as boredom or sheer malice, and defensive measures offered by the presumed “prey” are what hold potential attackers in check. Nothing in Nature meekly submits. It’s flight or fight, all the way!

In Human terms, the offer to a potential attacker of being maimed or killed as the cost of doing harm to one they would have their way with is an enforcement of morality. The moral code of a just and sound society patterned on the immutable laws of Nature. Respect Life, and never take it without sound reason. I spoke at length about this subject with Master At Arms James A. Keating, and today I’ll offer you the insights he brings to teaching his Art of the Blade.

In Jim’s own words:

This is an unusual subject for some players of the blade. The aspect I refer to is called the “Respect for Life” – Life you see is a sacred gift. It is so for all beings and must be seen as such, no exceptions to the rule.

Many fail to realize this detail and end up doing the wrong thing tactically and morally as well. Along with the ability of taking a life it must be counter balanced by also understanding  the saving of a life. In the world of hard bitten men who may pursue blade combat as a defensive alternative to the firearm this may sound rather feeble. Honestly it really isn’t.

To harm others is NOT why we train, in fact we train ourselves to a higher standard and that standard is to save lives, not take ’em. I have an important message going out to the knife and weapon bearing people of the world. Especially those of extraordinary ability. The respect we speak about for the life of another (yes, even an enemy) is also a form of respect for yourself. See far down the road of life, see the greater picture I bring unto you (if you can).

In the method of Kali in which I was so dutifully trained; I was taught to not kill the opponent if at all possible. Instead I was shown ways to bring them to a moment within the conflict that is known as the “Bargain” position. To know this element is to begin the long, arduous journey of the life saving warrior. Remember this wee tidbit too – any fool can bring on the death of another – anyone is capable of it. Man, critters, trained or untrained they can all be killers given the right motivation and circumstances. Hell, even some machines can do it! It takes a much greater skill though to conquer the adversary and allow them to live. To save that quivering, injured soul that’s now bowed down before you, to actually show the truth behind the philosophy you believe in by returning the gift of life back to them… well, it’s simply priceless! Yes, that really is taking the high road as you should (if – only if – you can safely pull it off though).

Learning a lethal combative skill is not about killing as a point in its own right. It’s about choice. Having the ability to offer death to another, but preferring not to do so absent the unavoidable insistence of that other.

Jim Keating continues:

To “bargain” refers to the principle that a man is worth more alive than he is dead. In the hierarchy of tribal fights and fighting methods this principle has proven to be quite successful for centuries. There are only “tribal fighting methods” (tribal fighting arts) in my humble opinion. To label them “martial” simply isn’t a proper picture to present to an unknowing public. To understand the methods you must also understand their connection to tribal lifestyles and beliefs.

For instance if you kill an opponent outright his relatives will all come hunting for you. A feud can develop in this manner. Lives lost on many levels. For such a kill you get nothing but trouble, so it better be worth it. But to show compassion, understanding and real mastery you should bring them to the point of bargain. To hold that person as ransom is a respected route of post engagement tribal behavior that demonstrates the respect for life, family and the art. You can gain wealth in this manner for sure, and if by chance YOU ever lose the knife fight, then perhaps they will show you the same service by NOT killing you! Your family can now “buy you back”. It’s a trait that is karmic in its own way and deadlier if you choose not to play. In this particular art which I personally practice we are shown several bargain positions and situations from which to draw upon. They, like all of the material we teach, are universal in their scope. They apply with empty hand, weapons of all types, and they contain both application and counter within their respective formats.

The art of the “returning blade” that I spoke of in a previous Knife Coach installment mirrors this belief in karmic-like effect occurring. The opponent decides their own fate in such instances by either submitting or through further aggression. As a knifeman myself I must tell you that at this moment in the encounter I myself decide-do nothing. He (my opponent) decides his path – to live or to die and I merely follow the choice he ultimately decides upon.

Photo courtesy James A. Keating

“Tribal”! Ah! There it is! No matter how big our cities get, how many of us are on the planet, or how sophisticated we think we’ve become, it all still comes down to each of us, those that matter, and those to whom we ourselves matter. The “tribe” or the “clan” – however you choose to describe it. Even those we call enemies, or who call us the same for whatever reason, have others in their own lives who admire; even love them. Some of those may be delusionally or willfully blind to the character traits that are contributing to their animosity toward us, or ours toward them, but still others see the good in that person. The good that, in the moment, they are choosing not to show to us.

We must value the powers and prowess of our adversary in service to the community up to the point where he makes the choice to invite removal from it. To do otherwise is NOT in keeping with the Way of the Wild as it is meant to express itself in Man. Only if the other chooses, or feels compelled, to be lethally harmful is it proper for his society to condone taking his life.

So, rather than making one a walking anti-personnel weapon, this Art leads us to being MORE connected, not less: “Everything is connected,” says author Johanne Markus, “The illusion of separation is what allows us to perceive individual realities rather than a collective,”

I’ll give the final word to Jim Keating:

In closing I’ll say this: A knife man is no angel; but a good knifeman can respect life, law and liberty just as any other good man may. In all of these aspects the judgement call you ultimately make is your own. These examples that I have supplied you with are meant to serve as a type of moral guide to help you on this path. They have served me and many generations of knifemen before me quite well. Give ’em a chance. Thank you for your patience and understanding!