Fearless wretch... Insanity

He came into the group with ulterior motives. He had led a group like this before, and by golly, he intended that he would again! Sure, the subject matter here was slightly different, but once they saw it his way, they would have no choice but to bow to his awesome knowledge and understanding of the issues.

He had studied for years, and although the material at hand was new to him, it was related, and so he felt himself an expert. Of course, he had never excelled at anything physical, so he had pursued knowledge instead. That's what he had used to bully others time and time again. That and the fact that his carefully chosen targets never fought back. He chose them on purpose, specifically so they would not fight back. He chose those who feared confrontation, and would therefore, back down when he challenged them.

However, one misstep. One faulty reading of another person paired him up against one that not only knew more than he, but was perfectly willing to back it up. This person would never be bullied. This opponent had superior knowledge and understanding, despite being more youthful. This opponent was unprepared to back down, much to the chagrin of the hothead.

He found his knowledge failing him. For the first time in his life, he was challenged on points he thought he knew, but in reality he had no in-depth knowledge of. In the end he had heard only what he wanted to hear, and he only knew what he had heard. Meanwhile, the opponent had learned, had adapted, had bettered himself, had tested his steel against other steel for years. It was over before it had ever even started.

-----

Of course, I'm talking here about a "high-ranking" black belt with whom I had the privilege of being partnered some years ago in a seminar. The night prior, this individual, whom we shall call Roger Murtaugh*, had taught a session at this seminar. Later this same day, I would teach a session.

We were doing some Japanese Jujutsu - a self defense art of the Samurai. The movements are the exact same as the jiu-jitsu I study and teach: the setups were slightly different. That's why I was there - to learn those setups. Roger, however, was there to impose his style into the "new movements." Problem is, that just doesn't work.

We were practicing at one point, a simple juji-gatame and as I applied slow pressure, Roger screamed out, flailing his arms and legs. He refused to tap out. Of course, I released pressure. A natural question would be whether Roger, being a black belt of a striking art, knew how to tap out. However, he did, as he'd been briefed along with the rest of us, and he'd just completed a set of five repetitions on me - every one of which I'd tapped on!


The process repeated itself on the second repetition. People nearby started staring.



I asked why he had not tapped instead of making a spectacle of himself.

His response? "Martial arts is about life or death... if you get used to 'giving up' in practice, you'll give up when it comes time to protect yourself for real."


Usagi: "So you would prefer I break your arm then?"


Roger: "No. Just let go when I signal."


Usagi: "Then why don't you 'signal' like the other fifty people in the room with a tap."


-----


Some people are just hard-headed and don't know when to quit. Often, these are the same people who get themselves into the same type of situation I just outlined: where they show their ignorance in a public way. It is humiliating for them, because they try to portray themselves as experts in life. 



This post dedicated to JLR and DJB, two peas of a pod. They chose different vehicles, but the same path. 




*Name changed.