Consider yourself lucky the guy did not have a gun. Your martial art skills can come in handy when you have to deal with a drunk nutcase harassing you, but unfortunately as is the case for most other crimes in this country the perp will use a gun on you next time that would render your skills worthless. The good old days of hand to hand combat are over.
You are posting platitudes from a state of uninformed ignorance, that appear to have been read from a book somewhere. What I know comes from experience, training and teaching. The big red flag you or anyone else should be aware of is a working presumption that there is one rule that applies. News - there isn't. To rely on such an assumption can mean your death. The best you can hope for is to train to the point where you aren't thinking, only acting appropriately.
good post, i can respect that. i used to train at the Seidokan dojo which is an Okinawan martial art for about 5 years. It was a really good form and i learned a lot from it. But then i got in to kickboxing with my brother in law and i find that is more my style. any martial art that is worthy teaches you to fight so that you won't have to. I kinda like that, but there's more of me that doesn't so that's why i quit. i have a similar principle as you, except i act when someone feels they can get in my face and get away with it or mess with my friends/family. that's just how my dad taught me and it'll never change. i take the philosophies of combat from Joey Porter, DMX, and Kimbo Slice. 2 of them aren't even fighters but they all have inner demons that come out when they need to. might not be too healthy but it hasn't failed me yet
ehh to an extent. i think it's good to exercise and be proficient at both striking and shooting. i think anyone who wants to be safe should carry a gun, in those big cities. if everyone could just be like jack bauer..
I like the Okinawan styles. I trained in Isshinryu for some time, way back (25 years ago or so, now). I've always had the personal philosophy that the style matters less than the sincerity with which it is approached. Ultimately, each of us has to live the code we believe in. Whatever it is, I think it is better lived fully, or not at all, than half way. Sounds like you're on the same path.
that's definitely true. i don't think any one form is necessarily "better" than another, it usually has to do with the people practicing it. we are on the same path, most people have no codes so they go about their day messing with other people to make themselves feel better.