A warriors greatest accomplishment

Friday Knight News

 A warriors greatest accomplishment in life is measured by various sets of values, facing death is just one of the gauges. We all know our military personnel understands this all to well. I just read a tribute by a friend, and former student. He had written the tribute to his fallen brother, it that brought tears to my eyes, and it reminded me of the price his family has repeatedly paid. I will ask, and see if it is alright to post that moving tribute later on in the week.
 
Yesterday was the National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and it is the close of Police Week so I decided to write about a cop I only worked with one time. A foreign dignitary had come to town for a conference and he was assigned men for his security detail. Out of the members of our team he selected two of us as his personal bodyguards for the duration of his stay. The rest of the team served as a backup to the existing security personnel.  I had been instructed by our team leader about the difficulties of working with this particular gentleman, as he was notoriously hard to please.


I was happy to have been selected as part of his personal security detail as it gave me the opportunity to work alongside one of the most highly decorated police officers that I have ever known.  The officer in question and I lived in separate sections of the state, so we had never had the opportunity to work together, before this time. I knew the officer from my martial arts circle. He had many state, national, and a few world titles in his martial art resume. I previously had attended many of his seminars and had enjoyed hearing his thoughts.  This assignment gave us a lot of time to analyze the teachings of Musashi as we stood vigil outside of boardroom doors, luncheons, etc.  

 We were both fond of game theory for the purpose of learning and keeping ourselves sharp while on duty. So we played a game that let us practice our test our martial art observation concepts on those who wanted to gain access to see the ambassador. The event went off without any notoriety, and we only had to deal with a few bruised egos of individuals that were not allowed to gain access to restricted events as quickly as they wished.  All in all nothing happen from a security standpoint of view. However, one thing especially stood out to me, and it has stuck with me after all these years. The officer and I had been discussing highlights of my friend's Greco-Roman wrestling, collegiate wrestling, and police judo titles. It was at this time he pointed out that many martial artists only had events where they bought recognition to validate their martial art career.

He felt that this was a very sad, and a shallow way to live as it rarely changed a person on a deep level. Although he did feel it was marginally better than the individuals that only had validation of their status because of the rank, and title they had earned from their martial art association, he felt that earning  plastic trophies was somewhat better but not in the spirit of the martial arts.  He said that competition was a martial sport at the best. 

He also observed that most of these people, martial masters included, never knew what it was to live the life of a warrior. He felt that they lacked from not having a confrontation with someone armed with a club, bottle, knife, or gun that either wanted to go through you to escape or to kill you would honed you as a warrior. Being a peaceful warrior was the goal but standing in to fill the gap to protect was the true test of transformation. Warrior that missed the opportunity to fill the gap always felt cheapened having never been in a real life confrontation. Leveraging your life for the protection of others is not something that should be undertaken without training and safeguards. People that had been tested under this type of threat understood the true essence of satsujinken and katsujinken, (the sword that takes life and the sword that gives life).


Warrior Training

In his view real martial artist were the warriors who had been tested in this way, and he had particularly high esteem for the warriors who continued on the martial path despite the hurts, and injuries they had suffered from living a martial life.  I know for example that my friend from the body guarding detail had undergone several surgeries to correct damage that he had suffered from being hit, and or drug by at least two speeding vehicles on separate occasions, these injuries had been caused by reaching for the bad guys gun, keys or neck. I also knew he had been shot at several times, and like myself had got away unscathed. 

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” C.G. Jung

My sensei was big on talking me up, and as he taught for the state as well as running a martial art federation I got more credit than I deserved. I know that I have had a few national and internationally known martial art masters contact me as they wondered about the worth of their knowledge. This was due to them not having personally put their skills or themselves to this test. I assume they had asked me because they had heard stories about some of the situations I had been in at one time or another. I was able to reassure them that their skills, skills that they had taught me, had indeed helped save my life, as well as the lives of others, every now and again. 

My partner on this assignment was not a average day to day cop; he did not write out speeding tickets to keep us safer by enforcing people to drive safely. His assignment was to capture fugitive felons, probation and parole violators, often times various degrees of murders and the like. I had particularly admired his resolve to not kill any of the murderers he had been regularly assigned to track down, and recapture, (unless they left him no other option). He thought of human life more highly, much of the public especially today looks upon the police as cowards or bullies with little regard for those they serve, and protect. This is not what the call to law enforcement is about for good officers, and my friends was most impressive to me because I knew what he had been up against. Years later I understand that he had succeeded in avoiding taking a life throughout the duration of his police career. This was even after guns have been drawn, and shots fired from many of these escaped felons. He was more proud off his ability to preserve life, (even though he might have had to harm a few people to avoid killing them). 

His resolve to continue training despite his injuries was also one of the things I counted as his greatest accomplishments. This willingness to adapt to the circumstances reminded me of a man who had a short right leg and was nearsighted that went on to become the example that other martial artist were measured by. I know many of my friends, and or students have learned to make the art their own despite obstacles caused from injuries, and or diseases, and even physical short comings. They had just sought various adaptations to express their skills. To me this courage is equally capable of transformation; it doesn't matter where you face death, but in how you face it. 


"I became a martial artist in spite of my limitations." Bruce Lee

My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with paranormal or supernatural events. The following links are to the Kindle version books from the "Dream Walker” series. Our adventurers find themselves on a quest where they are confronted with both conspiracy and mystery. Their challenge is to unite their mind and body skills together utilizing what they have learned in the martial arts with the transcendental power of dream mediation. They attempt to do this while they are trying to make a life for themselves and elude those that seek to use and control them.

Conversations with a Sage (Book 1 of the Dream-Walker)

Conversations with a Sage: This explores Xander Davidson's early encounters with the mysterious fog like Dream Walking martial art sages. He ponders if they are real or if they are only remnants of his dreams. He mainly keeps this secret world to himself as he tries to copes with abuse, growing up without support or guidance and the mystery of his family's past. 

Xander and the Assassins Gift (Book 2 of the Dream-Walker)

The Assassins Gift: Xander Davidson struggles with the conspiracy of his family and the group that is actively trying to manipulate him to join them or die. The young Dream Walkers learns an early lesson to be careful about whom they let into their circle.


Warriors of Perception (Book 3 of the Dream-Walker)

Warriors of Perception: Xander Davidson and his band of friends embark on a mission to free themselves from their oppressors. They bravely face the challenge all the while vying for the right moment to turn the tables.

Jace Lee The Shift (Book 4 of the Dream-Walker)

Jace Lee The Shift: We find a new apprentice, Adam, that is fighting for his life. He is struggling to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee; a younger man that has trained under Xander Davidson. All the while his mentor attempts to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers.


Jace Lee No Agenda (Dream Walker Book 5)

Jace Lee No Agenda: Jace Lee attempts to find himself on a self-imposed vision quest of sorts. Instead he finds himself being stalked by the same group that had previously sought after his teacher, (Xander Davidson). Instead of mastering his odd Dream Walking skills he finds love and the potential loss of his powers.

Jace Lee and the Tutelage of Ming Wu: Dream Walker 6 

Jace Lee The Tutelage of Ming Wu: Jace Lee rejoins his teacher Xander Davidson as they cope with a possible combined threat (the mysterious), Ming Wu and the Council that has continuously monitored the Dream Walkers.