Best Of

Actually, I don't know about the USA, but in the UK, bullying at school can be taken as a criminal offence and the parents of said bully can be held liable for punitive damages and punished accordingly.
As to your comment about victims having to fend for themselves, I think the crowd tends to backs the underdog or little man.
At least, certainly that has been the case in my experience.

Even though the self-defensive retaliation may not have been on a physical level, for my part, I found different ways of defeating my bullies...
There are more ways to skin a cat....

It seems there was an off-duty Police Officer in there firing back. Fat lot of good that did.

@how said:
That, in case anybody wondered, is what I'd call Buddhism with little pants on.

I don't think anyone missed your use the diminutive when referring to people who see a connection between them.

Nor do I think anyone is calling martial arts a part of Buddhism. And I'd even say if you walked into the nearest studio, chances are overwhelming that what you learned there wouldn't help you.

I think the study of true martial arts complements Buddhism well.

Indeed, but that's rather what we do around here now isn't it?

The Buddha who was well trained in the martial arts as the younger Guatama, promoted no such practices for his own followers.

Anybody wonder why???????

The most interesting thing for me about this thread, is how ardently folks are willing to support the martial arts as a companion practice for Buddhism as opposed to
how few seemed willing to query even the possibility that it might not be so.

What do we call that which we are unwilling to question?

The OP who called himself a new Theravadin leaning Buddhist with interests in the martial arts, by the very fact he was willing to question those interests, demonstrated what I think is Buddhism with big pants on.

Our thread responses though are largely a demonstration of how little (after years of Buddhist practice) we are prepared to question any interests that we identify with.

That, in case anybody wondered, is what I'd call Buddhism with little pants on.

@Lionduck said:
Some adopted Buddhism through their Martial Arts, most (I can't speak for everybody), do it for either conditioning or sport with no intent to use it in battle (unless, of course, attacked - but only in self-defense).

We actually have trouble sparring in our dojo, because no one trains on how to attack. Most everything we do presupposes an attack already begun. Until we are more experienced we often have to use constructed exercises to make sure someone begins.

One oft-repeated aphorism in my school is that, when speaking of self-defense, we only really care about what could happen to you on the street, because you're never going to get into an actual fight with another martial artist!

While pure self-defense is really the lowest form of practice, speaking for myself only, I think it's a very valuable thing mentally. When you do not feel threatened, you perceive the world a little differently. It's easier to calm your mind when you have basic confidence about your physicality.

Sparring at a high level with someone who is, yes, trying to strike you - but no, not being aggressive - is extremely focusing. We speak of the idea of mushin, or "no-mind" in practice.

Some masters believe that mushin is the state where a person finally understands the uselessness of techniques and becomes truly free to move. In fact, those people will no longer even consider themselves as "fighters" but merely living beings moving through space.

The lessons you learn working with partners on the mats carry into your everyday lives. Sitting in meditation is a critical component of my practice as both a Buddhist and a martial artist, but I do not personally feel it completes the circle into the rest of my life without my experiences in the dojo.

Grasshopper

At least its not another thread about vegetarianism or hunting bringing the heat this time.

@SpinyNorman said:

@lobster said:. Advanced stuff but is the goal for some great martial artists.

The vast majority of people who do martial arts are not "great" and don't do it as a spiritual practice. Again with the cliched romanticism.

Yes, well the vast majority of martial artists are not Buddhist either.

Since when are we talking about the vast majority of martial artists? This is about martial arts and Buddhism, not martial arts and the vast majority that are not Buddhist.

@lobster said:. Advanced stuff but is the goal for some great martial artists.

The vast majority of people who do martial arts are not "great" and don't do it as a spiritual practice. Again with the cliched romanticism.

@seeker242 said: I did Akido and Tai chi for a little while. I never punched or kicked anyone!

But I'm sure you learned to throw people in akido. As I observed earlier soft martial arts like this might be more appropriate.