View Single Post
Old 07-15-2002, 08:54 AM   #19
Chuck.Gordon
Location: Frederick, MD
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 509
United_States
Offline
Intimidation?

Quote:
davoravo wrote:
Despite martial training we have to be intimidated. The samurai were prepared to die, every and any day of their lives. They were prepared fight and to die as punishment even if they won the fight(Hagakure).
Probably not really. They were people, with human foibles and fears.

The Hagakure was a highly romanticized work by a samurai who'd never HAD to face death and who really hated the fact that he was never allowed the opportunity to sacrifice himself for his master. Sigh.

I know guys like that today. They pretend to be Special Forces vets and such ...

In-re intimidation, as in, do _I_ succumb to intimidation? No. I ain't intimidated. You gotta PROBLEM wit' dat?

All kidding aside, I agree with Peter that one of the primary and most valuable byproducts of budo training is NOT physical skill, but a mastery of self and tools with which to deal with fear.

The physical skills are tools -- templates maybe -- through which we can rewire, to some extent, the 'normal' human responses (fight or flight) and develop the ability to make choices, despite the external stressors we might encounter.

The true hero is still scared sh*tless, he just goes ahead and does what needs to be done.

  Reply With Quote