I find it unfortunate that I have to write this blog, but I can't hold back on my thoughts anymore given the persistent news that is brought to us in the media about so much violence in our schools and neighborhoods. When I started training in Kenpo, it was a fun activity that was interesting for me and helped me improve myself and my athletic skills. It became a lens through which I could view the world and how I interacted with my environment, such as understanding how everything that surrounds you, from the clothes you wear to the places you frequent to the friends you spend time with on a daily basis. Now, unfortunately, it has become almost a tool to help with navigating through a difficult and violent world. Granted, your average person still does not experience a high degree of violence in many cases, but I find that living in the SF Bay Area that there is violence and tragedy daily and in many places. I hear from students about how so many confrontations happen on the street and they go unreported. It is a common thing for so many young people to experience some form of violence or threat yearly, monthly, or even weekly. To add to that, we have people carrying guns in schools and school communities with the intent to harm others. This last act is become more frequent and is truly troubling.
As a Kenpoist, or any martial artist, you may ask, "What can a person do against a weapon if someone is really intent on hurting others?" One of the first lessons I took away from my training 24 years ago was to be aware of my environment. That is our first line of defense. Know your environment! Your environment can be your enemy or your ally, depending on how you view it and make use of it. This applies to friends, clothes, where you travel, and anything else you can think of. We often talk about being practical and using common sense. Part of that is just thinking ahead.
When we do our techniques in Kenpo we try to always cover all the gaps we have so we do not get hit by mistake. The 'cover' is the anticipation of motion. That is what we have to do now, anticipate. We have to think ahead. I would no longer call this being paranoid. I would call it just being wise. If you practice the way of the warrior and study martial arts and that appeals to you, you have more options at your disposal for anticipating possible events that could be confrontational or violent. However, even if you are not a martial artist, you can still think in terms of planning ahead for possible emergencies and take some basic steps to prepare yourself for a possible emergency.
First and foremost, don't allow yourself to be a helpless victim. Plan ahead, particularly if you work in an area that could prove to be dangerous. Follow the emergency plans. Those are designed to help people in a time of crisis. Consult trained professionals, like police officers and safety personnel, about what to do in a time of crisis like some kind of attack or confrontation. One of the most effective aspects of the training of a warrior is the ability to prepare for a crisis. Heroes are often described as ordinary people who do extraordinary things. There are many out there like that today. Do the simple things, like being aware of your complete environment and that will go a long way towards helping increase your safety. Plan ahead and that will make you more aware of where you are and how you can use your environment to your advantage. Consult trained professionals. Learning protocols and skills, like CPR or how to dial an emergency number in a given situation, can make an incredible difference in many situations. For those of you who are martial artists, continue to train while you hope you never have to use what you have learned in a situation that is so serious that it could be considered so extraordinary. Use your greatest weapon, see what's coming, if possible, before it happens. Always be aware of your entire environment.
