The “Martial Arts”, Even to those with no more than a
passing interest the very words conjure up a veritable cornucopia of
images and preconceived perceptions.
From the serene enlightened utterances of Master Po
to the blood curdling caterwauls of Bruce Lee and a thousand deviations
in between,the “Arts” have presented a multitude of meanings to the
general public.
Perhaps the most enduring representation is that of
the square jawed somewhat stoic figure who represents the pinnacle of
physical perfection ,who can seriously kick some ass, yet who
benevolently smiles on lessor mortals who may be in need of his guidance
and protection.
Truth
be told it's not a bad image,especially in these days of a very
disaffected culture. Strong leadership, an abundant work ethic, the
attainment of personal goals and the cultivation of a self protection
mindset are all immensely admirable and meritorious benefits of regular
training.
An aspect of martial arts which is taken as a given
is the development of one's self defence capabilities. The definition of
self defence is “the protection of one's person or property against some injury by another”. A pretty apt description given the pugilistic and self esteem assurances of most martial arts.
However, perhaps the amending of the definition to read “the protection of one's person or property against some injury by another or by oneself ” may be more pertinent.
Now ,inflicting harm or injury on the self is not the
normal intention of most individuals. However the prevalence of self
harm is more wide spread in our society than would be at first
apparent,aside from the obvious instances of self harm inflicted by
those sadly suffering from physiological issues. On a subliminal level
we do know that we are subjecting ourselves to a certain degree of self
harm. We constantly eat things we know to be bad for us. We smoke, take
too much alcohol and seem to be constantly subjecting ourselves to ever
increasing amounts of stress.
The ultimate result of such a lack of real self
protection is to invoke an attacker perhaps more lethal than any
deranged thug or socio-path:
The Silent Killer, the Ninja of Annihilation -C.H.D. - Coronary Heart Disease.
Before we continue please allow me to introduce
myself. My name is Alan Ellis and I am a martial artist. I have
practised martial arts for over forty years now and I have taught
martial arts extensively. My main system was Kenpo Karate and latterly I
discovered the wonders of Tai Chi.
My main raison d'etre was the teaching of practical
self defence. My philosophy was (still is) ,that every man or woman has
the inalienable right to the means of self protection. The manifestation
of that “means of self protection” was always conceived to be in the
utilisation of defensive strategies against a psychotic attacker or
attackers. Of course the other benefits of martial arts training were
also gratefully received. Fitness, camaraderie, a sense of achievement,
confidence and self esteem. While ostensibly good health was a natural
by product of my training regime I was to discover that fate had a
valuable and profound lesson in store.
April 5th 2010.
Jogging on Magheramore beach. A local,secluded enclave of golden sand
near my home on Ireland's east coast. The best, some say the only
surfing beach on the eastern seaboard and a spot where I had enjoyed
many a great day amongst the breakers. It was a hot blue skied spring
morning and I had taken my favourite yellow Labrador ,Machi, along with
me. The beach was deserted at that time , in fact it is normally a very
quite spot as access is only gained by walking a mile along a cow patted
lane which traverses two dairy farms. One is then obliged to negotiate a
near vertical descent down about one hundred concrete steps which are
laid along the cliff side leading to the beach.
After a leisurely jog along the sand I spent about
half an hour practising some forms on the empty beach while Machi ambled
at the waters edge. As the dog ran back towards the grey concrete steps
I jogged after him. About halfway up the beach I was overcome with the most unnatural tiredness I had ever experienced.I
stopped in my tracks and sat down on the warm sand, feeling compelled
to lie down and rest. I lay there for several minutes, on my back
spread-eagled gazing at the azure sky.
I
lay there for some minutes. Eventually I staggered to my feet and and
made my way along the sand towards the steps. I was experiencing
palpitations,I was breaking out in alight sweat,was I coming down with a
flu? For fleeting moment I thought that I might be experiencing a heart
attack but as there was no pain, and as this I assumed was a classic
symptom, I quickly dismissed that thought from my mind.
As I came to the step I was overcome with a
tremendous weakness. There is a small river which flows alongside and
then in front of the steps dissecting the beach as it makes its way
seaward. I stopped at the river , which is transvered by s series of
ancient stepping stones,and realised that I did not poses the strength
in my legs to make my way successfully across. Realising that I need to
ascend the the step as quickly as possible and with an impending sense
of panic beginning to set in I checked my mobile phone for network
coverage, The beach is notoriously black spot for coverage and it didn't
disappoint me. So no help. There was nothing left to do but to cross
the river and get to the steps under my own steam.
Knelling down I places my hand into the shallow
waters which rose to my elbows. Next I entered with my knees feeling the
smooth pebbles dig into my skin,Machi splashed alongside me. Usually he
would have revelled in this “game” but a deeper sense in him seemed to
let him know that this was not meant to be fun. After what seemed an
agonising eternity I made it to the start of the concrete steps.
Ascending the steps was my Everest, With Machi ahead
of me pulling me sledge dog style I grimly held on his leash and step by
step reached the summit. There, I lay on the soft grass verge, Machi
standing guard over me. Unsure of what had occurred I contemplated
calling out for help. A lone surfer came by, on route to the cliff's
edge to make the obligatory inspection of the day's swell. I waved
weakly but didn't feel comfortable enough to ask for assistance. After
all I was a fit ,strong karate instructor. A mixture of pride and and a
reluctant to accept that anything was amiss governed my more sensible
instincts.
A few more minute saw me regain composure and begin
to feel much better. I struggled to my feet and began the mile long trek
back to where I had parked my Jeep. With each step my senses seemed to
be returning to a degree of normality. By the time I reached the end of
the access lane I was almost back to normal. I sat behind the wheel of
the Jeep and put down the window. As I turn the vehicle homewards I felt
the cool spring wind on my face. It was a refreshing feeling. Reaching
home in about five minutes I collapsed on the bed. I slept for a
straight twenty four hours.
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