Given the state of the world in 2020, I’ve been thinking a lot about care lately—for self, for others, for society, for the planet. This thinking, perhaps paradoxically, lead me to think of martial arts. When fighting, as in all forms of competition, you are actually taking care of two people, your opponent and yourself. This can mean several different things depending on the situation. Before discussing some additional factors, let’s consider the care that needs to be applied to a one-on-one fight:
This mindset will play out differently based on the type of fight. Following are examples that support the above three tenants of caring conflict.
Let’s apply these principals on a larger scale. What is the best way to “dominate the battle space”, if you are so inclined? To subdue an enemy so completely that they will bend low and submit? For many of us, the answer should be obvious.