So, are the martial arts relevant today?

Modern action movies love to mix gun play and the martial arts. Protagonists leap through the air, firing away with their submachine gun, tuck, roll, and launch into a spinning back kick. Of course anyone who has every served or trained in the combat arms sections of the US military knows that is pure fantasy.

In the real world that old maxim I learned in the Marines, "Never bring a knife to a gun fight," takes precedence. Kung Fu won't allow you to dodge bullets and no "iron skin" technique will make you bulletproof.

Of course one cannot simply whip out their concealed handgun and stick it in someone's face just because that said they were going to kick your keister. That's a quick trip to jail, even in Texas.

So, there could be situations where the martial arts are both practical and warranted. Occasionally a street fight may be unavoidable. In those instances it will be very important to take care not to seriously injury your assailant. In most states it will result in a trip to jail and, quite often, a civil lawsuit by your "victim." (What do you expect when you turn the reigns of society over to the soft and weak?)

But, there are two critical factors that has yet to be mentioned wherein the martial arts can be truly beneficial.

The first is awareness. Through training, particularly through sparring, a martial arts becomes more highly aware of their surroundings (or at least they should). By being aware of potential threats a martial artist is better able to avoid them, to cross a street, to slip into a store, or to leave the club before things become to rowdy.

"But, that's running from a fight," you exclaim! You are correct; you win the rubber chicken. Well, you're not exactly correct, but you can still have the rubber chicken.

That brings us to the second critical factor which the martial arts can help us address: ego. Avoiding a conflict should be a natural response. Most "dumb" animals will avoid conflict unless there is something in it for them, a meal, a mate... ok, that's pretty much it: self-preservation and reproduction.

But, the human being, on the other hand, has one thing an animal does not: an ego. Typically a gigantic over-inflated ego. We will fight for no other reason than to "prove we're a man" or "prove we're as good as any man." (Do not underestimate the ladies; I have seen some very beautiful ladies who can leave you on the ground wondering what happened and why your arms and legs are at such weird angles.)

This is where the traditional martial arts, at their highest level, provide their greatest benefit. According to Japanese tradition, the samurai who no longer cared whether he lived or died was superior. In kyudo, as attested by Eugen Herrigel in his excellent treatise "Zen in the Art of Archery, only when you mastery comes through "purposelessness."

Ultimately the martial arts provide us with an avenue to defeat our toughest opponent: ourselves, our ego. And I have yet to see an opponent that is bigger and tougher than my ego. Hey, I'm a Marine and they issue you at the end of Boot Camp that it took 13 weeks of hard training in order to carry.

And, if someone tells you that their martial arts system will turn you into "The Terminator" and allow you to mow through a room of armed terrorists like a laser through extra-firm tofu, take my advice: run.