“This is the unusual thing about nonviolence -- nobody is
defeated, everybody shares in the victory.”
Last week we examined the role compassion plays in the life
of the Martial Artist. This week, we’re examining a complementary idea to
compassion: nonviolence. Again, to the uninitiated person—perhaps someone who
only knows the Martial Arts through Jet Li movies—the idea of tying nonviolence
to Martial Arts may seem at odds with the whole notion of Martial Arts. When you stop and think about it, though,
nonviolence is actually a key aspect of our practice, our discipline, and our
way of life.
There is a story about Kung Fu master and movie legend Bruce
Lee that underlines the point. One day, as the story goes, Master Lee was
surrounded by eager fans who were badgering him with questions about how he’s
handle certain theoretical situations.
“What if you were cornered, in an alley, by seven guys with
baseball bats?” asked one fan. “What would you do then?”
Lee paused, smiled, and said to the group, “The master would
not be in that situation.”
It’s worth noting here that this interaction probably never
happened. It is most likely, like a lot of stories about famous people, a myth
fabricated out of whole cloth. But the moral of the story is, nonetheless, very
important. The practice of Martial Arts is not about defeating seven guys with
baseball bats in a blind alley; it’s about defending oneself when necessary and
living a life that does not require regular use of one’s skills. In other
words, the Martial Arts is about living honorably, not looking for a fight, and
being skillful in the world.
The Hagakure, Yamamoto
Tsunetomo’s 18th Century book on the Samurai code, attributes seven
virtues to Japan’s storied warriors, the Samurai: respect, honesty, courage,
rectitude, loyalty, honor, and benevolence. Upon closer inspection of the seven
virtues, one can clearly see that violence for the warrior is not a virtue; it’s an unfortunate
outcome when others do not adhere to the code.
Nonviolence can perhaps be understood as the balancing point
for the warrior. On one side, there is the need to be respectful and benevolent;
on the other, there is the need to be honorable and courageous. The respectful
and benevolent warrior does not seek a fight, but the honorable and courageous
Martial Artist will definitely defend himself and others in the event that
there is a need to do so.
“Nonviolence,” as Mahatma Gandhi said, “is the weapon of the
strong.”
Knowing how to throw a punch or use a weapon in self-defense
does not translate into a path of
violence. The Way of the Warrior is all about avoiding the fight; using our
wisdom and our discipline to defuse a situation before it becomes necessary to
defend ourselves. When we operate in the world as true warriors, persons of
respect and honor, courage and loyalty, we will be surprised to find how
infrequently the fight finds us—especially if we’re not looking for a fight.
