Screen new students before you allow them into your school. To qualify for Black Belt, one must demonstrate skills and possess the right attitude. To gain membership to a school, however, the only standard seems to be money.
Organizations, such as the elite military and the FBI, require high qualifications before accepting new recruits to assume responsibility for carrying weapons or using force to resolve problems. Even in these professional agencies, however, rogue members break the rules. To maintain the integrity of these institutions, dissidents are severely disciplined. They are instantly removed from these agencies and put on trial.
Any martial arts student who breaks the rules should face the same standard. Martial arts teaches self-control. The word “violence” implies the loss of control. Any person who chooses to use force to solve problems or discipline another, such as a child who is misbehaving, is sending the message that he or she condone violence. This is a major breach of what martial arts represents.
To dignify the self is the highest achievement of a martial artist.
It may be impossible, however, to prevent all students from abusing their martial arts skills on the street. It is difficult to teach a student to respond quickly enough to save his life when split second timing is required, and then expect him to suspend his emotional impulses and react with rational thought. The best fighters and masters in martial arts today are not able to function with this level of precision. Nevertheless, a martial artist’s every action should dignify one’s existence. To dignify the self is the highest achievement of a martial artist.
Most instructors do a good job teaching their students acceptable behavior, and to use ethical conduct reflected in the philosophy to which those schools subscribe. When rules are abused, however, I’ve seen expensive lawsuits. Though I do not own a school, I have seen every problem in the book. I know of an instructor who was shot at his school in a murder attempt; students who were raped; owners who were busted selling drugs; advanced-ranked martial artists using weapons to attack instructors at another school; martial artists being used as collectors for the mob; dozens of examples of rogue Black Belts starting fights intentionally and maliciously attacking drunk patrons leaving night clubs; and many other examples.
In almost all of these cases, the law became involved. The only time I would be involved was when I wanted to prevent someone from being seriously hurt. I do not like to see anyone abused, nor do I enjoy any act of violence, especially when the odds are uneven. Street fighting or any type of violent conduct has never appealed to me. I gain no pleasure from watching it.
My advice is to remember this proverb: “He who angers you, conquers you.” The only respectable fights appear in the record books, containing martial art ratings. Those that appear in the files at the local police department are only a disgrace to the dignity of what it means to be a martial artist.
In a career spanning more that four decades, Joe Lewis has won more competition titles and instituted more innovations than anyone in the history of martial sports. That’s why he is “The Greatest Fighter in the History of Karate.” Joe can be reached at Martial ArtsProfessional.com.
