The Losing Game

There was a period of time when I practiced both Aikido and Karate.

One day I asked my Karate teacher what to do if someone should come to hit me.  I remember he rubbed his index finger on the corner of my brow ridge and said, "You feel this here?  This is only skin over bone.  No muscles but a lot of nerves underneath.  So, if you can hit here real hard with your knuckles, the skin is going to crack open and bleed.  It is so painful that most people won't be able to open their eyes.  When your attacker bends down to brace the wound, strike him a few more times, and then kick him in the stomach before you run." 

I stood there in shock.  😳  My Karate teacher has always been a nice and sweet person.  I cannot believe he would suggest something like this to me.  It just sounds too painful and bloody.  

Then I asked my Aikido teacher, Rocky Izumi Sensei, the same question.

Rocky Sensei looked at me with a smirky smile, "To begin with, why would anybody want to hit you?  What have you done?  If you are worried about that, you should reflect on yourself."  He rolled his eyes and went on.  "However, if somehow someone really is trying to hit, you get hit only because you are rude."  "Me? Rude? Why am I rude? Why is it my fault now?  I am the victim here!!!" I was confused.  

Rocky Sensei extended his fist out slowly towards my face and it landed on my forehead.  "You see?  I am moving forward.  You saw it coming, but you did not yield.  You got hit because you are rude.  You should have moved out of the way!" He demonstrated the footwork.  "After you get out of the way, you can then invite the person to sit down and talk."  Before I knew it, he was behind me and my lovely behind was going straight down to the mat.  

😮 But, no blood, no pain, no permanent damage to anybody.

I once had a conversation with a student about fighting.

Me: What do you get from fighting?

Student:  I want to win.  

Me: If you win, someone has to lose.

Student: Yep, the other person loses.

Me:  If you have an ultimate fight, what does the other person lose?

Student:  His life, I suppose.

Me: Okay, so, if the loser loses his life, what do you, the winner, win?

Student:  . . . . . .  I don't know. I don't gain anything.    

Me: Since the other person loses a life, don't you gain an extra life?

Student: No, of course not.  BUT, I get to live!

Me:  You already are living!  The only thing new is that you are now a murderer.  Do you actually gain anything from fighting?

Student:  Oh, . . . . .

Yes, it is true.  Fighting is a losing game.  You never win anything.  The only thing you can possibly get out of it is to lose.