Indiana Martial Arts
Martial Arts Indiana
Martinsville Martial Arts
Martinsville Karate
Martinsville Indiana
Taekwondo Tae kwon do

Black Belt Paper Excerpts - Tracy Charlton

Make a sensible kill.

Not only difficult to translate readily into a modern framework, but potentially harmful if done incorrectly, the final precept of HwaRang Do bears special, extended consideration. First, analyzing this rule begins with the caveat that the word "kill" does not necessarily mean that "to make a sensible kill" refers only to killing or, in fact, that HwaRang Do endorses killing. We find quite the contrary to be the case, instead.

The word "sensible" is defined as a state of being "aware" or "cognizant" (American Heritage Dictionary). More precisely, to do anything sensibly is "acting with or showing good sense" (ibid.). "Sense" may then be reduced to "correct judgment" (ibid.). Placing these definitions where appropriate, we are left with, "Make a kill using correct judgment." What the Five Rules call us to do, then, is to respond to a threat appropriately, with an awareness of what is actually occurring around us, and what the situation calls for. Two phrases used by my instructor, Mr. Brandon Sieg, in reference to this rule, are "appropriate level of response" and "justice." I shall begin with the first term, and address the somewhat thornier issue of justice later on.

If a strange man were to approach me on the street, alone, after dark, inquiring in a not entirely friendly tone whether or not I am lost, what should I do? He may begin to close the distance between us, or begin to make insinuations that make me suspect I am at risk of being robbed or raped, if not both. What might I do then?

I might begin by staying calm and being assertive, warning him that I "know Tae Kwon Do"; by suggesting I have a weapon; or simply running away. All of these reactions present their own problems, some much worse than others. For simplicity's sake, I will choose two polar opposite reactions and analyze them, rather than going through the gamut.

Let's assume I reacted to his closing the distance between us by assaulting him. I could conceivably rush him, gouging at the face and attacking other vital, sensitive areas, possibly mauling him. I have protected myself from him, but now I am in trouble of a different kind. He had not exhibited any physical violence, or revealed a weapon to me. He had not even made a motion to touch me yet. In pre-empting a potential crime against myself, I have committed a crime, attacking without legal provocation a man who could argue in court he was simply flirting, or drunk, or simply behaving lewdly, when he was attacked and mauled by a tightly wound, militant woman. Furthermore, though on a less tangible note, I must now bear the psychological and moral trauma of having willfully and possibly quite excessively injured another person. Never being able to say with complete confidence that it was in self-defense would only exacerbate that pain. Clearly, this was not an appropriate - certainly not a wise - level of response.

In the alternative situation, I might try to maintain the distance between us during his approach, reply loudly and firmly to any demands he might make of me and - should this not convince him that I might be too troublesome a target - resort to physical violence only when I see him reach for what might be a weapon, or approach me in a pose of express violence (fist raised, etc.). Having confirmed to my satisfaction, and my safety, that I must engage him, I should try to immobilize him as quickly and efficiently as possible, then flee to a safe place where I may contact the proper authorities. To continue my attacks past the point of neutralizing the threat, or to attack his vitals with the immediate intent to maim, would escalate the situation away from self-defense and into the realm of assault.

Obviously, the difference between these two situation lies with my perception of the situation and the degree to which I allow myself to be a combatant. The appropriate - the sensible - level of response to any given "combat" situation will vary, but may be described in general as the response which inflicts no more harm than is necessary in order to minimize the harm done to oneself.

And this is where justice enters in. Not only was it inappropriate of me to maim the suspicious man, it was also unjust. Though it was American trial law that put the concept into these words, they still apply in the Five Rules: innocent until proven guilty. When approached, I should not have assumed that this had to be a crime in the making, and that the stranger wished to do me harm. In order to have justice on my side, I must wait long enough - though not so long as to permit any harm to occur - for some persuasive evidence of the stranger's "guilt" to present itself.

Thus, we see that the most important facet of the last rule is not in the making of the kill, but in the understanding of if, and when, and how that "kill" should proceed. Being trained in a martial art (such as Tae Kwon Do) puts the onus on the student to control the level of violence called for in a confrontation. Ideally, one would never have to use one's knowledge in self-defense. But should the occasion arise, one must be prepared to use one's sense of restraint, of justice, and of discretion as readily as one's feet or fists.................

………………………………Another point, often overlooked entirely in considerations of martial arts training's benefits, is the strengthening that occurs psychologically. As well as providing guns, modern life has provided us with a wide array of creature comforts meant to take the trouble out of everyday tasks. Elevators, escalators, dish washers, microwaves, computers, cars, and countless other machines exist for the express purpose of making our lives more effortless and convenient. Also with warfare often reduced to push-button targeting and medical science advanced to the point that death is often long delayed, and sometimes ultimately eased by various forms of euthanasia, the frequency and trials of death itself our forebears had to regularly face become increasingly limited. Life in the modern age is, in many respects, a study in shelteredness and removal. We indulge in daytime drama and cinematized battle to take up the place in our lives real conflict once occupied.

With genuine challenges - challenges of true impact and consequence - to one's personal development so limited, something palpable, something real must intercede to help us recover our mental fortitude. Without the regular conditioning our forebears had in the face of death, poverty, plague, and toil, we run the risk of becoming defenseless. Under-stimulated and under-inspired by anything but pop culture's fictions, we allow our minds to grow weak, unequipped to cope with real conflict. Psychological fortitude is not easily gained, but is easily let go. The real challenge of the modern age is to discover a way to preserve and redevelop what of that fortitude remains in us.

The martial arts meet this challenge by removing the crutches of our everyday lives - even the sport-friendly running shoe - and putting us out to face challenges to our body, character, and confidence. We are made to remember matters of consequence, such as honor, and expected to be obedient to men and women who not only outrank us in the substantive sense of belt color, but also "outrank" us in every virtue we are expected to cultivate. We must fight the good - but very daunting - fight to become like them, and along the way cope with failure, shame, frustration, and injury. In essence, we gain psychologically, through the martial arts, in ways we could never gain through any other pastime, because we engage them as more than a pastime. We engage them, and The Way itself, as a way of life……..............

Becoming Gentry meant more than wearing polo shirts and warm-ups to TTCA functions. It meant being part of a team, and of a family. I was forever inducted into a brotherhood I would always be willing to aid and defend, and my actions stood not only for me, but for us all, as testament to our combined character. It was the first time I could call myself a part of a social group I would never be ashamed of. It was the first connection, outside of my family, so strong that I could never deny it. To a young woman in search of her identity and its meaning, the overwhelming power of being Gentry was - and remains - a source of constant comfort and courage. It is the one identity I have that I believe can never be expunged. To say that such a realization enriched my life as well as informed my study of Tae Kwon Do is to attempt to pour a sea of personal meaning into a single flask.

Only after reaping the benefits liberation from my self-doubt and finding myself in the company of individuals who wished my good as passionately as I could ever wish it for myself was I able to see the ways in which Tae Kwon Do and The Way had changed my interaction with the world around me. …….............

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Last modified: September 10, 2006