The Enemy Within

Some externalize conflict without considering the source of greatest acrimony: the self.  One's own body, personality, preferences, and fears all constitute enemies that must be beaten and submitted to one's will.  One builds a strong body through exercise, a strong personality through austerity, and a strong character through challenge.  One should look upon outside pressures, attacks, and condemnations as opportunities to demonstrate and develop strength.  In this way, one should be thankful for strife.

The development of a strong will surpasses physical power in its importance.  In the words of Ed Parker, "Mastery of the Art is when the Tiger is seen but the Dragon prevails." The Tiger refers to brute physical force while the Dragon refers to force of will and wise discernment of proper action.  Particularly with respect to punishment, the strongest may be capable of inflicting the most damage, but will often cause the LEAST damage to others when their force of will is commensurate with their physical prowess.  Building this strength of will, or developing the dragon in one's art, requires defeating the enemy within which drives a person to be callous, impulsive, lazy, and harmful to others.

When the enemy within is dominant over one's actions, hesitation, self destruction, insecurity, addiction, avoidance, and fear will dominate one's decisions leading to great suffering for oneself and others.  To live a desired life will require the submission of one's own will to principle.  One who walks the martial way acts in closest accordance with efficiency, respect, restraint, and fairness.  Only by attacking and submitting one's own weaknesses and desires can this way become clear.  As one becomes accustomed to living life in balance and learning how to regain balance when pushed out of alignment by an external enemy, the proper path of the martial way becomes easier and easier to find and maintain.  Eventually, what was once a great effort of self control becomes a way of life.  While the nascent martial artist is easy to push out of balance, or kuzushi, the master has learned to regain the proper path through intuition.

To easily test the martial strength of others, try telling them NO when they greatly desire something from you.  Their response will determine their balance and their likelihood to throw others out of balance.  One can also use this test on themselves.  Attempting to refrain or postpone an impulse will be most painful to the weak and easiest for the strong.

The capacity to weather austerity with grace is a skill that requires perpetual refinement.  In this way, strength, happiness, and success are not possessions to be seized.  One cannot have them; one can only DO them every day of their life, or fail to act.