A fellow student is attacked

Last night, a fellow student at my dojo told a story. It’s rare for Sifu to invite a student to speak at length during a normal class, so the air filled with tension as he came forward and sat in seiza before us.

The student is one of our most senior students and has practiced over a decade. He is very intense, very dedicated to practice, and is incredibly challenging to work with (in a good way). He comes across as extremely hard to beginners, and when I was new I dreaded when he was teaching a class. After a bit of time, you realize he’s actually a very warm person who is simply pushing you harder than you thought you could go. He’s certainly one of my favorites.

As he sat, he apologized and wondered if he would make it thru what he had to say. He was straining to hold back the emotion welling up in his eyes.

A few nights prior, he entered the stairwell of a parking garage near his office. It wasn’t late. He heard footsteps approaching behind him which struck him as odd because the stairwell had been empty when he entered. As he turned, an attacker thrust a knife at him. He pivoted, and grabbed the arm. They struggled back and forth, onto the ground, then back up again. Finally he broke the attacker’s arm, and the attacker fled, dropping his knife. He picked up the knife and a second attacker appeared, saw the knife, and likewise fled. He ran to his car. It probably lasted less than 60 seconds.

He called his wife, then found Sifu to work thru what had happened. He still wasn’t exactly sure, but walked us thru what he believe occurred during the struggle. Clearly, the muscle memory of practice had saved his life in a moment when there was no time to think.

Several things struck me about this.

After practicing martial arts for several years, you start to have some confidence in your abilities. You think, if it came down to it, you’d be OK if you got attacked. Stories like this are a wakeup call from that sort of complacency. It would not be OK. This was a highly trained, dedicated martial artist who can run circles around me in the dojo and he came so close to getting stabbed there was a hole in his fitted shirt afterward and his ribs were bruised by the attacker’s knuckles.

It also struck me that there was no revenge. He broke the attacker’s arm, yes, but then he let him go. He didn’t go after the second attacker at all. He ran. He gave the knife to Sifu. He went home and held his child. This is why we practice meditation of course, but it was still powerful to see it work.

Self-defense is not enough reason to practice the art for decades, but the effectiveness of the training saved the life of one of my favorite people, a husband and a father. Maybe it saved the attacker’s life too.

30 thoughts on “A fellow student is attacked

  1. During the telling, the student, who is of Asian descent, joked to break the tension: "Shouldn't they just assume we all know martial arts?" Sifu likewise joked, "When he started here, he was Jewish".
  2. I'm happy his okay. I can't understand why people do these things. I am afraid of going out down my street because of these sort of situations occurring. It's sad. I want to practice Akido which seem to suit me allot, I would feel more confident knowing at least if something did happen I would have some hope of defending myself. Maybe I should carry a rape alarm around with me. :P

    Thank you for sharing Lincoln. :3
  3. Did he file a police report? If not, why not? There may have been surveillance cameras that caught him fleeing, and an attacker with a broken arm wouldn't be hard to identify. Reporting the incident to the police could help spare others a similar fate.
  4. Thanks for sharing. Very good story. Glad to hear he's okay.

    A friend of mine who has trained in martial arts for years and is an expert, had told me that the more he learned and the better the got at it, the more he understood that he shouldn't use it. I asked if he was being threaten or robbed, would he then use his martial arts skill to defend himself. He said no, he would rather run away.
  5. A friend of mine who has trained in martial arts for years and is an expert, had told me that the more he learned and the better the got at it, the more he understood that he shouldn't use it. I asked if he was being threaten or robbed, would he then use his martial arts skill to defend himself. He said no, he would rather run away.
    This is a good point. Even if you have a high skill level, you can suddenly find yourself in over your head, as Lincoln's friend did. Running away is probably the best choice, then if you're pursued and trapped, you can use your skills to get out of the situation. Sometimes when we have fighting skills, it can cause us to overestimate ourselves, and get ourselves into worse trouble. A situation can get out of control instantaneously and unexpectedly.

  6. I'm happy his okay. I can't understand why people do these things. I am afraid of going out down my street because of these sort of situations occurring. It's sad. I want to practice Akido which seem to suit me allot, I would feel more confident knowing at least if something did happen I would have some hope of defending myself. Maybe I should carry a rape alarm around with me. :P

    Thank you for sharing Lincoln. :3
    Its a tough world we live in - fights are unpredictable so no amount of training is certain of success - frequent training however will allow you to cope with your adrenalin response so you can act decisively.

    I wouldnt bother with a rape alarm - noone responds to them - I hope youre never attacked but if you are youre better off shouting "Fire" - people respond to that more often...

    Mixed martial arts are the best - I would recommend some form of cage fighting all in type form... you should practice boxing style punching, jujitsu grappling, taichi movement and groundwork for a minimum 2 years (once a week formal and 4 times a week additional home training on your own or with friend etc for 30 mins minimum) - once you reach that point then start something like Aikido as that will build on your foundation - the problem with 'traditional' martial arts is that you have to undergo years of pointless form and subservience before they teach you an effective technique... better to start with a mixed martial arts as they substitute tradition for pragmatism and once you understand how your body works more you will be able to pick up a more traditional style and incorporate it to your needs...

  7. @Zero I couldn't disagree more, nor be more disappointed you chose to take that away from this story. I go to a very traditional school that starts with effective techniques from day one. Further, I don't see how you could read what I wrote without grasping the important role meditation played in it. To mistake respect for subservience is to misunderstand the art entirely. If my friend were a cage fighter, he'd have given up years ago due to injury or might've killed his attacker. Martial arts is a discipline of the mind and body. Cage fighting is not a martial art, it is sport.
  8. I hope your friend is ok, Lincoln. I wonder what he has to say, looking back on the experience?

    In a way, I find this thread a relief from the gun threads, where many people believe the solution to violence is to carry a gun. I notice no one here is saying they need to get a gun. Some aren't even talking about the need to buff up their skills, but about avoiding violence entirely, and taking evasive action. This is a welcome tonic from the "more guns = more safety" view.

    Good thread. :)
  9. I wonder what he has to say, looking back on the experience?
    He was extremely grateful for practice. He said the event hadn't changed his outlook on life because he was already focused on the moment from daily meditation. He reiterated the basic principles of our dojo and how they had helped him and now applied to what he was going thru (the five ways to become a martial artist: patience, perseverance, practice hard, practice exactly what you want to perform, and meditation).

  10. Lincoln, what martial art do you/he practice?

    Brazilian jujitsu has become very popular now, but in the case of a guy with a knife, I would think it's a liability (at least in its pure form)-- clenching is second nature to these guys and that can quickly get you stabbed.

    I remember watching an episode of "Human Weapon" where they went to the Philippines and trained in knife fighting. The MMA/jujitsu guy kept clenching his opponent, who promptly stabbed him in the side, repeatedly.


    In any case, nice to see that your friend is healthy.

  11. Lincoln, what martial art do you/he practice?
    His teacher calls it 'zen martial arts,' which, and @Lincoln can correct me if I'm wrong, incorporates a number of styles including karate, kung-fu, and tai chi, along with an emphasis on meditation as an integral part of the practice.
  12. It primary incorporates Kung Fu, Aikido, and lately some Brazilian Jujitsu I think. Tai Chi is offered separately. Sifu began in Karate, so I imagine there's influence from it but I'm not clear if we use specific techniques from it.

    @buddhajunkie It won't get you stabbed if what you lock up is the arm with the weapon :) I actually think the Aikido techniques that would be most useful here, but I'm speculating as I have no experience outside my current practice.
  13. It primary incorporates Kung Fu, Aikido, and lately some Brazilian Jujitsu I think. Tai Chi is offered separately. Sifu began in Karate, so I imagine there's influence from it but I'm not clear if we use specific techniques from it.
    Ah, gotcha.
  14. @zero Thank you for the info but all I want is the ability to defend myself without harming me or the attacker as much as possible. I agree with Lincoln. If I were to be attacked, it would most likely be by a 14-16 year old boy. I don't want to punch him up! :p

    I know there are techniques in Aikido that can disarm the person and restrain them, or at least a technique that can disable them for a couple of seconds, which is enough to run away. I have never been a fighter, but I will defend myself and others mindfully.

  15. @Murasaki337 Whenever walking alone at night (or day depending on the area), I am typically clutching my pepper spray in my pocket. I realize that a lot of people say that it isn't as effective as some would have you believe, but I think in a pinch it could offer a few extra seconds for an escape. Plus, my neighbor has a pitbull that they apparently hate because they leave it outside all the time and it rushes the gate every time I leave my apartment. It most definitely would attack me if it could get out. Pepper spray can be used on animals as well.
  16. @Zero I couldn't disagree more, nor be more disappointed you chose to take that away from this story. I go to a very traditional school that starts with effective techniques from day one. Further, I don't see how you could read what I wrote without grasping the important role meditation played in it. To mistake respect for subservience is to misunderstand the art entirely. If my friend were a cage fighter, he'd have given up years ago due to injury or might've killed his attacker. Martial arts is a discipline of the mind and body. Cage fighting is not a martial art, it is sport.
    We have a different outlook on martial arts - I moved away from standard form some time ago... I train to deal with adrenalin and how to disable and / or escape as effectively and safely as possible - this does require a constant mindful state however meditation is not essential.

    Our backgrounds may be different though... how long have you been training and where are you at?

    Thus far I have trained in Kyokushinkaikan (3rd Dan black belt), taekwondo (2nd dan), Wadu-Ryu (1st dan), Judo (2nd dan), Jujitsu (1st dan), kung fu toa (black sash), yang cheng fu tai chi and I've been boxing for about 18 years...

    I am usually training people for very highly violent situations such as security work, close protection and door work - the levels of violence we're talking about are staggering and the stakes are very high as usually the attacker is aiming to injure rather than for example to steal (with injury being a by product) so perhaps I am looking at it from not an everyday perspective...
  17. @zero Thank you for the info but all I want is the ability to defend myself without harming me or the attacker as much as possible. I agree with Lincoln. If I were to be attacked, it would most likely be by a 14-16 year old boy. I don't want to punch him up! :p

    I know there are techniques in Aikido that can disarm the person and restrain them, or at least a technique that can disable them for a couple of seconds, which is enough to run away. I have never been a fighter, but I will defend myself and others mindfully.

    The difficulty is that fights are unpredictable and fluid - if you want to defend yourself effectively then there are no limits and you have to be very very quick in identifying, dealing with it and escaping... defending mindfully is a nice thought but carries considerable risk - It does depend on the level of threat you are faced with though - I have never had a fight from an argument or due to emotion or circumstance - however the direct articulated threat of a knife is a threat to life and, to me, the response is exactly that, a threat to life...
  18. @Murasaki337 Whenever walking alone at night (or day depending on the area), I am typically clutching my pepper spray in my pocket. I realize that a lot of people say that it isn't as effective as some would have you believe, but I think in a pinch it could offer a few extra seconds for an escape. Plus, my neighbor has a pitbull that they apparently hate because they leave it outside all the time and it rushes the gate every time I leave my apartment. It most definitely would attack me if it could get out. Pepper spray can be used on animals as well.
    Pepper spray is very effective - from a distance in an open environment... if youre too close you will also hit yourself - hopefully you'll never be in such a situation - also it is not legal to carry it everywhere and if you use it when it is illegal you will be prosecuted... though I have heard from police officers that they treat women differently (i.e men carrying pepper spray are prosecuted but women are just cautioned)
  19. It primary incorporates Kung Fu, Aikido, and lately some Brazilian Jujitsu I think. Tai Chi is offered separately. Sifu began in Karate, so I imagine there's influence from it but I'm not clear if we use specific techniques from it.

    @buddhajunkie It won't get you stabbed if what you lock up is the arm with the weapon :) I actually think the Aikido techniques that would be most useful here, but I'm speculating as I have no experience outside my current practice.
    I think a Kung Fu/BJJ combo would be pretty awesome. You'd have your bases pretty much covered there.

    As for a knife attack, while I'm sure highly trained Aikido guys could defend well, I think it's too high risk for most people who are even reasonably trained. Against a person with a knife I think a kick to the groin and eye strike should be the default option (combined with a block, if necessary). Of course, even these moves must be practiced til they are second nature.
  20. That was on TV the other day - hilarious - still cracked me up seeing that moment!!
  21. One of my Buddhist martial art teachers was a policeman. His techniques were fast, hard and direct. The last time I was involved in an altercation, I saw it coming and used little more than a relaxed smile. I am told I am a little scary when smiling . . . On the whole I would prefer to be beaten up, rather than hitting or hurting. However my body might have other inclinations . . . Please smile more . . . think of it as proactive defense :-)
  22. Sometime one inviting bad karmic unknowingly not aware of. I think konfu monks of shaolin temple are more skilful in the true spirit of martial art.
  23. If the goal is to prevent suffering, you are more likely to do this by maiming your mugger than by running away. I mean, big picture...

    And bigger picture, of course we have to end capitalism, do paradise engineering, and mentor kids in the meantime.

    I think it would be ideal if we could all carry some ayahuasca spray or blow darts, as that would be more likely to teach a lesson than pepper spray or maiming or running away.
  24. @Joel Rosenblum I think attempts to "teach a lesson" through violence only reinforces violence... And the manner you slipped in your political beliefs were not too subtle... perhaps start a new thread on the evils of capitalism?
  25. This discussion should not entail political views. It is about knowing yourself, knowing that life is indeed precious and we are not super-humans or endowed with strange powers. We are all ordinary people. I am a former Marine, trained for combat. I was confronted near my home by a young man brandishing a hand gun. I knew I could take him, but I knew it was not the proper way. I knew this without analyzing, without judging. Instead, I talked to him, even as I was handing him my watch and wedding ring. I touched his life through soft words of sincerity. He ultimately handed back the watch and ring. He departed telling me to be careful and safe. I was told many yeas ago by a martial arts instructor that the best fight is the one you don't. Yes, I could have had him on the ground before he had time to react, but it was not time for battle. Instead, I honored his life and mine.

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