PEACE OVER WAR: Veteran's Day for Martial Artists.
At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, after over four years of terrifyingly intense fighting – the great powers of the Earth called for their guns to be silent. As we tried to understand the staggering loss of over 20 million souls to the horrors of war, the men who fought on both sides made their way home to a changed world. World War I was called ‘the war to end all wars’ because people assumed that after the terrific cost of this war, no one would ever start another.
A quote from George Orwell helped me to crystallize why I wanted to join the Army after 9/11. “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” This quote is interesting because in it we “stand ready” – we are prepared – rather than we DO violence; no right-thinking person who understands what combat is would wish for it.
Speaking as both a veteran and a martial artist, I can tell you the parallels between my military training and the classes I took at the dojo are striking.
As Martial Artists, it is important to remember that the self-defense skills we learn are a safeguard against violence and fighting, not an invitation to them. We train in Kenpo and Jiu Jitsu in the hopes that we will never have to use them. We learn Karate to strengthen our bodies and minds, not so we can use them to overpower anyone, but so that we might be in a position to protect ourselves or those we love in case someone wishes to do them harm.
This was the same mentality with which I pursued my military training. I learned to shoot, move, and communicate in order to protect my country. I pushed myself to learn how to jump out of airplanes so that I would be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the guy next to me on the drop zone. I worked hard day and night so that when the time came, I would be ready to defend what was most important to me.
The lessons I learned on Saturday mornings in the dojo on Lake Street in Nashua, NH were exactly the same as the lessons I learned at Fort Knox, Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, and all of the other places I trained: Attention to detail, teamwork is key, character matters, and integrity is among the most important of values. My black belt instructors taught me, “there are no first moves in karate” and the Army motto is “This we’ll defend”. Both of these mottos teach us the importance of protecting the good, never seeking out a fight.
When I think about the youth of southern NH attending the Independent Martial Arts School, I am hopeful that the lessons of non-aggression, of sharpening skills in the hopes of never using them, and of Peace over War will stick.
Our front position is a clenched fist representing war, covered by an open hand representing peace. The fist is there should it be required – but it is my fervent desire as both a black belt and a veteran, that peace should always take precedence over war.
This year on Veteran's Day, please take a moment to cherish the freedoms we have, but to recognize that the peace and freedom are fragile. They are guaranteed by our willingness to put ourselves between those we love and the wolves at the door. Members of the military volunteered to defend our nation abroad, but members of our school take on a responsibility to defend those smaller or weaker than themselves at home or at school. As an IMAS student, train hard! You'll need to be prepared to use your karate someday, all the while hoping that you never have reason to.
Veteran’s Day is observed on the day a war ended, a day peace prevailed. We give thanks to the men and women who believe so deeply in these values that they put their lives on the line to defend them - so that we may not have to.
