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"An eye for an eye - a tooth for a tooth"? |
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Pure tradition or the effect of pride? We've probably all heard this old adage, passed down from generation to generation like many others. If we remember the context, it was a situation in which it was a matter of in which it was a question of striking back revenge - with all the subjectivity that goes with it. with all the subjectivity associated with this kind of logic, proportional to the aggression or prejudice one thought to have suffered. This kind of reflex, or even an established course of action, is quite common, particularly when we feel our "ego" has been damaged and we intend to restore the balance of forces present by taking a "hard" stance. "Aggression" at the Dojo Our purpose here is not to dissertate on this form of mind in general, which would be far too vast a subject, but simply to put ourselves back in the context of our Karate practice. Aggressive" forms, or at least those we can perceive as such, can be very varied. First of all, there's the person (or group) behind them. Among these, we can find the teacher, the senior(s), the "equals" and, finally, the juniors, for the most classic scheme. We'll come back to the particular position of the Professor in a later dossier. It's worth mentioning here that some teachers are "harder" on their students than others, convinced as they are that this is the best way to help them progress. To give an example, they put more "pressure" during sparring training, and it happens, following certain contacts, that the pupil is keen to "give back" what he receives. Rules and ethics However, it is more appropriate to examine these contacts when they occur between students. It is customary, at least in traditional Shotokan schools, for absolute control to be de rigueur during any counter-attack in conventional assaults, and in all cases in free assaults such as "Ju Kumite". In the latter, light body contact may be allowed, provided it does not reflect excessive aggression or vindictiveness, and is not deemed dangerous. But any contact at "Jodan" level is strictly forbidden. This being said, even in conventional Kumite, it is desirable that "Tori's" engagement be controlled, to avoid injuring his partner, even if he is within his rights, by attacking sincerely, if he is openly overwhelmed. And above all, when the levels of the partners are too different, when you need to respect the other but not crush him either, which would be a form of cowardice, and contrary to the ethics of Karate-Do in general. And yet, more often than not, these rules are not respected. Let's take a closer look at the behavior of the parties involved. Whoever "receives" a blow will chain together a whole series of perceptions and reactions, leading to a new behavior compared to "before". The most common reaction, perhaps because it is the most "human", is to want to "give back" as quickly as possible, even if we don't do it too openly, because of a certain restraint we feel. Get mature Is it pain that makes us react this way? Actually, no. If we don't react "on the spot" within a second, it's no longer the main driving force. The real reason is a psychological resentment, based on two considerations. The first is that we must "cleanse our honor" and not let this crime of "lèse-ego" go unpunished. The second, more subtle, but far more revealing, is not to let the other person believe that he or she could be stronger than we are, even if the contact that occurred is in no way representative of such strength in this particular case. In fact, it's more a sign of a lack of self-confidence, since we feel obliged to demonstrate our ability to touch, even though, here too, it's pointless to try and prove anything. The only thing we're demonstrating, in fact, is our degree of immaturity and our real level of weakness. Some practitioners, having reached a more advanced form of maturity, consider that the more unjustified or uncontrolled contact they suffer, the more this denotes their fundamental superiority and their ability to "stress" the opponent, one might say to put him in an uncomfortable situation (by the way, isn't this precisely the avowed aim of "Kumite long distance"? ) and, moreover, they rightly consider that this teaches them to protect themselves better, which is ultimately beneficial in the quest for overall combat efficiency. The spirit will have the last word So, what's to be done? We're not holy men, and it's normal for any individual, including a martial arts practitioner, to want to be respected. But if we really are stronger, especially "than ourselves", there are plenty of ways to be dissuasive without falling into a vengeful or submissive attitude, ways that it's up to us to find. But it's also up to the teacher to monitor operations, and ensure that excessive or overly obvious belligerent impulses are channeled and quickly eradicated. This, in fact, enters into the whole scheme of creating the spirit reigning at the Dojo, a role which falls to him first and foremost in his mission as a martial educator. |
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