Tuesday, June 20, 2006

A Runaway Wise Piece Of Advice

WHO says one has to grit one's teeth and be aggressive to wear courage on one's sleeve? Give yourself a break, man. Or kick yourself if you deem it beneath you, as graceless as losing face, to hold your ground when the going gets rough.

Being tough is tritely macho. Or so avers Mr. Somchai, an Aikido master, at the recent 1st Fukakusa Shihan Aikido and Weapons International Seminar in Cebu. There's more to bravery than meets a black eye.

"Running away is the best form of self-defense," stresses Mr. Chomsai after he demonstrated a move to escape from several aggressors and exited as if nothing happened. “The Aikido philosophy is of peace, harmony and unit,” Mr. Somchai explained. “If you are trapped, defend yourself but if you can still run, then run.” Weaseling away from a fight is not a cowardly act, agrees Giovanni Capannelli, an Italian fouth dan aikikai and senior economist of the Asian Development Bank.

You bet, I'm on my feet.

3 comments:

talk said...

I remember a friend of mine in college who was an Aikido master (he wears a black belt) and he indeed practiced peace :-) Guess what, he had a fight with another friend and he never talked to him for many years. Yeah, the frienship was really 'peaceful' :-)

MICHAEL U. OBENIETA said...

Hi, Talksmart! Peace is fierce. Sometimes, one had to fight over it, and never mind if what ensues is the serenity and quiet of a Siberian treatment. Thanks for dropping by!

talk said...

Peace is to remain composed in your heart amongst the many hard knocks around. I think my friend, the aikido master, had it. He fought for peace and kept it in his heart. Though the result was a 'no talking' for years, it, still, was the best solution to attaining complete inner peace.