Thanks for all the great feedback on “The Good Fight”! If you have not read it, here’s some info on what’s in it:
There is a sense that the world is spinning out of control. People feel something is wrong. Martial arts has a role to play, in our lives and beyond, to make things right. That is the subject of “The Good Fight.”
Great traditions emphasize moderation. The “middle way” of the Buddha. The Tao’s balanced interplay of yin and yang. The oracle at Delphi, whose wisdom was sought before Socrates and long after Alexander, advised “Nothing to excess.” Aristotle taught “Moderation in all things.” For all of them avoiding extremes, remaining balanced, was central to cultivating virtue and acquiring power. But what about “Total commitment?” “Going for the gold?” Victory “by any means necessary?”
Now extreme sports and extreme political positions are signs of seriousness. “Extreme” anything is better than “Regular.” Extreme flavors are marketed as serious eating. When a candidate says “Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice… ” some nod and others object but what does that mean?
As martial artists perfect balance and total commitment are both vital.
“The Good Fight” is about tactics, techniques, training, and the legacy we have inherited; revealed in stories of life-changing encounters in the dojo and beyond with teachers and friends, murderers and thieves, and all kinds of people; illuminating the world that informs how we train and how we live, and the responsibility we have to get it right.
“The Good Fight” is not easy. But it is for every serious martial artist.
“The Good Fight” is a fight we all need to win.
Post by Jeff Brooks Copyright © 2019