…..Here is an article I wrote in the fall of 2006 for the original newsletter The Instinctive Edge. This was a newsletter distributed only to IRT practitioner’s. The following article represents a certain viewpoint on warriorship which I feel is pretty correct. It is inclusionary and not exclusionary. It opens the door for many people to be warriors and yet it excludes those that are not willing to sacrifice, serve and help other people. Through out my life I have met many warriors. Heck I just had dinner with a friend of mine last night who is a former Marine Recon and the day before I had lunch with a good friend who is a police sergeant. (both of them are warriors in their own right) I have also met warriors in less traditional warrior paths. These are people who really laid it all on the line for someone else. I have also met people who are in classically thought of warrior positions and yet they are not warriors nor have they ever demonstrated warriorship skills or heart. They are in a position but they simply do not have it. (that warrior mentality, skill or heart) It would be unwise to count on them for anything. (I know of a local LEO just like this) I do not bandy about the warrior idea very easily nor would I assign it to someone on a whim. I think people in many ways have it or they do not.
Beginning of Article!
…..What is a 21st Century Warrior? Well in my opinion it is anyone who protects, serves and represents their community. This could be Military personnel, Police, Fire Fighters, Corrections, Security, Medical Emergency services and of course you the everyday citizen. Everyone that is in a position to help, serve and take care of someone and who trains in warrior based arts is a warrior in the 21st century. Warriorship Comes with a lot of duties though. You have to think above and beyond yourself
…..Whether it is taking care of your family, relatives, friends, etc. Warrior’s do more than think about just themselves. They think and find ways to protect their loved ones and also everyone around them. Warriors are people that I like to be around because I know if I encounter a problem that they will be there to help me through it. Warriorship means that you are going to go above and beyond the call and that you will take those extra steps to help influence in a positive manner those within your immediate influence. That is one of the reasons why I enjoy teaching the martial science traditions. I see people get to a point where they feel effective in their skills and they in turn help other people to grow and develop these same life affirming abilities. A former Marine and Budo Taijutsu Practitioner summed this idea up nicely.
The Warrior Creed
By Robert L. Humphrey
Iwo Jima Marine
and
Budo Taijutsu Blackbelt
Wherever I go everyone is a little safer because I am there.
Wherever I am everyone in need has a friend.
Whenever I return home, everyone is happy I am there.
“It’s a better Life!”
…..Warriorship takes on many different aspects and understanding the responsibilities of it is essential. If you train in IRT then you are training to protect yourself, your loved ones and other people who you may not have even met yet. It is a great responsibility and one that I feel confident that all of our IRT members can live up to. In IRT we are striving to be everything that we can become and also learning to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Learn these martial science skills well. So that if you ever need them they will be there for you.
…..To all the warriors who have gone before I salute you and to all the future warriors I am looking forward to meeting you someday.
End of article!
…..Now I am not naive enough to think that everyone who trains in IRT is a warrior as certainly some people do not have the mentality or heart for it yet. However, they may grow into becoming a warrior and be some one that protects, serves and goes above and beyond for other people. They may also lay it on the line for someone else down the road. Having been in a few of those situations I can say with confidence that either you will help someone out or you probably won’t. I have witnessed people and been there myself on the side of helping and also I have seen people retreat and go the other direction. In many ways you simply do not know where some one falls until a moment in time where some thing happens and they respond! That is when they can fall into a classificatin of a 21st Century Warrior!
See You On The Mats!
copyright Instinctive Response Training LLC 2008
Brian R. VanCise
Note: This Blog is opinion only and Instinctive Response Training LLC nor Brian R. VanCise is responsible for any third party actions taken.
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