Cobra Kai & Honor

https://youtu.be/LsWmTxxfLkc

I started watching the Cobra Kai, Karate Kid series on Netflix. When I first saw it the martial arts movements were not very good. It was actors that were playing martial artists so I was not too interested. I thought that I would give the series another chance so I committed some time into watching it again. The second time I had a better outcome, it brought back memories of my martial arts training and the pressures that I went through as a teenager. School was tough for me because I was a biracial child in a most prominent white school which was not inclusive. I had many years of martial arts training behind my belt before entering highschool and was very good. I was training with Olympic competitors and the US Tae Kwon Do Olympic coach at the time. I watch the series more now and have more of an interest in it, because the show is teaching this generation the importance of having a code in life to follow. The show is explaining how to apply that code to situations in our daily life that we have to overcome. 

I just watched a part in the show explaining the difference between choosing honor over no mercy, where the student was confused because the sensi was promoting no mercy. The lesson was never compromise your honor, displaying your toughness by showing no mercy to your opponents does not make you stronger. 

When I reflect back to my teaching and training, that was the importance of doing martial arts, it is having a vehicle and code to navigate my life. Something that children need now more than ever, code and vehicle to learn and apply in their daily life. Martial Arts was a good vehicle because most of the bullies that bothered me did not like me because of the color of my skin. I remember having to fight another student in the bathroom. I never met this student before, however he really had some hate for me, not sure where it was rooted from. I fought him and used just enough pressure to humiliate him. He did not get one punch landed, however I side kicked him in the side and back kicked him to the point where he gave up in front of the school. That was really the last time that I needed to use my martial arts in school. Sometimes teaching someone humility in a language they can only understand is necessary. I am not supporting violence, however sometimes life will put you in a circumstance that you will need to use your tools to protect yourself. I was so skilled in Martial Arts during that time I just used enough Martial Skill to effectively defend myself without having to seriously injure him. That is one of the highest levels of martial skill is to apply that skill without seriously injuring your opponent. 

So the Cobra Kai, Karate Kid series is a great show to provide the deeper level of understanding of the code in which both sides (Evil vs Good) battle. 

Bullying

I was walking through my daughter’s elementary school and was looking at the art on the walls of the hallway. I came across one artifact on the wall; it was a chart about Bullying. I was studying the components, and the roles each circle represented. The diagram is listed below:

It occurred to me that this just does not happen in school; additionally it happens everyday in our life. With everyone competing with each other in the workforce and in life, this kind of behavior happens daily, we just call it Tactics.

The Bully Circle above is a great picture of what can happen anywhere. 

Bullying charts should be posted in the workplace, public buildings etc. Not only does this behavior effect children, it effects adults in professional settings, the damaging effects are the same. Conflict leads to hostility, hostility leads to bullying, and bullying leads to lost productivity, higher costs and legal risk.

In the strategy and philosophy of the martial arts there are strategic techniques that teach you how to deal with these types of behaviors and tactics. Children can learn these strategies and tactics early in life, and adults can start learning and applying them in their life as well. Martial Arts provide these strategies and tactics through physical training. When a martial artist practices these techniques through physical training, they are able to transition these strategies and tactics to their professional life. Let me give you one example: When being verbally or physically attacked, the person with the trained mind will know how to control their emotions under stress (Emotional Intelligence) . By keeping emotions under control will allow one to handle each verbal attack in a strategic manner, by responding to the attack effectively. 

First you create off balance, by using your opponents force against them; you can apply this by using effective words. Each word is a technique that is applied that will change the direction and outcome of each verbal attack. By showing no fear, calming one’s mind, and keeping emotional balance.
In Judo we pull when being pushed, and push when we are being pulled before we go for a throw.

Example:

“PUSH” ABUSER: ‘You and your weird friends don’t contribute a damn thing around here!’

“PULL” MY REPLY: ‘You’re right, my friends and I could contribute more than we do.’

“PUSH” ABUSER: ‘And none of your worthless friends are getting promoted unless they shape up.’

“PULL MY REPLY: ‘You’re right; we will all have to work hard to get promoted.’

This is what I call verbal judo. Within a few seconds they are off balance, and do not know how to respond. 

Here is an example of the Push Pull method in real application. 

http://youtu.be/P73mcY3g5ZE

Verbal abusers have a game plan in mind: they attack, expecting you to counterattack or to fight fire with fire.  Pull when being pushed, and push when being pulled, and then flip them to create disorientation, It will shut them down.

This is an example how the martial arts philosophy can be incorporated into daily life, to control bullying. So it is important for children and others to learn these strategies, tactics, and learn inner balance through the study of the martial arts. Martial Arts is more than just fighting, it is about using the mind to overcome conflict, adversity, and risk, that Is why we train, study, and apply the ways of the martial arts.

Darin Boismier...........