The struggle between peace and defense

OB1Shinobi wrote: this is very open and very self aware - i respect and admire it when people who are able to express themselves in such ways, and i want you to know that its recognized


i want to ask you about this part

CryojenX wrote:
But the real question is "defense from what"? I rarely leave my own yard unless it's to see a doctor, and I live in a city with a very good law enforcement track record by just about any standard, let alone a casino town. The only weapon I need is my mind.

i see two ideas expressed here - the second one i completely agree with, which is essentially one of self reliance and self confidence (which maybe develop in that order: self reliance fosters genuine confidence, the confident person then steps out into situations which require even greater levels of self reliance ect) but the first is actually quite contrary to the second

the first idea expressed here is basically "i am safe because i dont go anywhere and in the place i am now, there is someone else who will keep me safe"

now i am not telling you that this idea is incorrect - its not an idea i agree with for my life, and imo the very first step to being a JEDI is to commit to taking full responsibility for ones life and circumstance (insofar as what is actually under ones control)

but what i specifically want to point out is that these two ideas are in contradiction to one another

for the second idea to be true, the first idea has got to go

otherwise what you have is " all i need is my mind, and the police, and the fact that i live in a safe neighborhood, and the fact that i dont ever go anywhere" basically that the world is safe - or at least your little slice of it

it may be that all any of us need is our mind, but to be able to claim this, honestly, then you must first put your mind to the task of effectively and realistically ensuring your own safety

i think you are capable of doing that if you so choose

Firstly, thanks you. Secondly, I was reminding myself that I am in very little likelihood of clear and present/imminent danger because of these factors, therefore I have the time to work on the training of honing my mind into being the only weapon I will need. I probably could have worded it better.

then i spoke without understanding, my apologies

often in public and upon meeting people i tend to "play the sheep"....this causes people to underestimate what i'm capable of, giving me the advantage should the need to act arise, feigning weakness to hide strength...it also allows me to observe my surroundings and assess threats, maintaining situational awareness...of course when i'm someplace where weakness is preyed upon i do the opposite and "play the wolf", i display alpha level strength and confidence, maintaining full situational awareness while appearing uninterested with those around me...

when i "play the sheep" people tend to find me approachable, whereas when i "play the wolf" people will cross the road to keep their distance from me....

i got into martial arts because as a kid i got the %#!? kicked out of me 3 times a day, 5 days a week at school for the first 3 years of school and nearly everyday at home when my stepdad came home high on cocaine...for me martial arts was a way of gaining power. as i got older it become something more spiritual...now there's the part of me that practices purely for the spiritual effect, and there's the practical part of me that trains for defense and survival...which part is active is as simple as "flipping a switch"....i can be as peaceful and docile as a sheep, or as violent and vicious as a wolf....

OB1Shinobi wrote:

WarrenDeLevi wrote: In my opinion Martial Arts Training or Self Defense Training can give birth to many difficult decisions.
As Sensi in JuJit Su and Iaito (Japanese Sword) I have seen these difficult decisions and have had to deal with a few of the myself.

Over Confidence/Cockyness - This being the most common of things that many who learn martial arts have to deal with. Over Confidence can be a killer and it breeds Arrogance. If i was to beat three men down who have a far less skill match to me i will feel over confident and my arrogance will cloud my judgement of my next confrontation.

Be Mindful of your thoughts, they may betray you

Lack of Discipline - This can be of multiple reasons so i will just touch again on the most common, The Tutor.
The tutor is responsible for keeping watch on the discipline of their current students if they fail to do so then the ultimately create a future tutor with the same lack of attention to discipline. Kind of like a stone in still water. Drop it and watch the Knock on effect.

So now for my veiw on the current discussion, being that everyone living being is my family, and i will defend them as best i can with no regret. 99% of the time it is without violence rather reason, discussion and knowing when to walk away.
As a Jedi in training i can not offer too much of my opinion as it may change as i advance in my studies. What i will say as with my sword training i persist to perfect it to perfect me as a person, You should do the same.

May the force be with you

i do not understand ; are you, yourself, a sensei in JuJit Su and Iaito, or are you quoting or referencing a quote by a sensei of these disciplines?

I myself am an Instructor/Sensei within these two disciplines.

i understand the distinction between iaido and iaito, but why do you spell it "JuJit Su"? i usually see them spelled iaido and jiu-jitsu _ jujitsu or sometimes jujutsu, depending on the location and lineage of the school or dojo or gym

im excited/curious to see a variant of jujutsu/jiu-jitsu that i havent heard of before - was it just a typo or do you spell it that way deliberately? if so, do you know the history or reason for the spelling change?

for the record, i myself am not a sensei or an instructor of anything - my first jiu-jistu class ever was earlier this month - when i go to new gyms and people ask what i have trained in, i usually just tell them "i play a lot of video games" lol

CryojenX, I did a little digging and found a few older threads that might be of some relevance to you.

Violence and Jedi

Violence and the Right Way

i may be mistaken, but my understanding is that jiu jitsu/jutsu is typically of brazilian decent, whereas ju jitsu/jutsu is of chinese/japanese decent...

RyuJin wrote: i may be mistaken, but my understanding is that jiu jitsu/jutsu is typically of brazilian decent, whereas ju jitsu/jutsu is of chinese/japanese decent...

I'm pretty sure that all jujutsu/jiu jitsu/ju jitsu/ju jutsu is of Japanese origin and was then changed in Brazil into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, hence the need to specify that it's the Brazilian style. (I have a friend whose been a Ju Jitsu instructor for 20 some years and just goes off on wild rants about the differences. lol)

Spelling differences could be due to a number of things, the first of which would be that those words were not meant to be written in our alphabet. Romanization of Asian languages is semi-guess work followed by mild agreement. Beyond that it could be specific styles, regions of origin, etc.

Just my understanding though.

My bad on the Typo.
I have studied Ju JitSu with a Dojo under the name of WIJJF (Wirral & International Ju Jitsu Federation).
Iaito again my apologize, Iatio is in fact the type of sword used for the practice of Iaido.

I would encourage anyone interested in Swordsmanship to study Iaido. This being one of the main choices of Lucas's first laser sword battles in the original trilogy, From then you can develop your own style and technique.
I do it because it involves a need to perfect flowing movement, It is also very very meditative. As practiced it is mainly Kata's (series of movements).
I can lose myself in it and empty my mind of everything. Works for me.
If anyone would like to know any more about it feel free to PM me.

Goken wrote:

RyuJin wrote: i may be mistaken, but my understanding is that jiu jitsu/jutsu is typically of brazilian decent, whereas ju jitsu/jutsu is of chinese/japanese decent...

I'm pretty sure that all jujutsu/jiu jitsu/ju jitsu/ju jutsu is of Japanese origin and was then changed in Brazil into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, hence the need to specify that it's the Brazilian style. (I have a friend whose been a Ju Jitsu instructor for 20 some years and just goes off on wild rants about the differences. lol)

Spelling differences could be due to a number of things, the first of which would be that those words were not meant to be written in our alphabet. Romanization of Asian languages is semi-guess work followed by mild agreement. Beyond that it could be specific styles, regions of origin, etc.

Just my understanding though.

according to what i have read

"ju" and "jutsu" are approximate phonetic spellings of two specific japanese words - "ju" being translated as "gentle" but really is much bigger than that - we dont really have a precise, one word analog

it also means flexible or supple and being able to yeild and "flow with" - similar to "aiki" though not exactly the same

"jutsu" basically means "technique" and "skill"

so "ju jutsu" as a martial art would be kind of "the skill and techniques of being flexible and supple and flowing with an opponent"

because they are each different, specific words in japanese, i was thrown off by the spelling used here in the thread

it would be similar to saying "Closecom Bat" or "Hand Tohand"

i wondered if there was a zany story behind the difference but it turns out it was just a typo

now that its worked out i wont mention it again