Saturday, October 6, 2012

Boy Scouts Aren't The Only Ones Prepared...





I know just enough about the Boy Scouts of America to be dangerous.  I was the Cub Scout Master for one of the oldest packs in the area when my son was growing up and took the journey with him all the way to Eagle Scout.  The foundation of the BSA is to always be prepared.

Funny, but that's the same foundation I have found in my martial arts.  When I began my martial arts journey twelve years ago, I soon realized there were many similarities between the two.  The lessons I learned in my training carried over into other areas and I soon found those skills perfected on the mats could be applied in all aspects of my life.

Today, I came the closest I've ever been in the past twelve years in having to potentially use my training to defend myself.  And it was the most scared I've been in a long time.  But I learned  many things about myself today...

1.  Being scared doesn't mean I stop thinking.  The instant I felt threatened, I was thinking about how to put distance between myself and my opponent as well as making sure I didn't keep my back turned to him.  If I was going to be called upon to defend myself, I wanted to be fully prepared.

2.  Being in control of oneself sometimes can control the situation itself.  Once I realized this other person was losing control of their emotions and was quickly escalating to cursing me, I remained silent and presented a non-threatening demeanor.  Not only did it give the other person a moment to collect themselves, it gave me a chance to think of some options should things turn ugly.

3.  Being the last one standing may sometimes be the ultimate goal.  Fortunately today I was not called upon to put my training into practice.  But I do know I had come to the quick conclusion that should this other person put their hands on me in any threatening manner, I was going to react quickly and try to "persuade" him to leave me alone.  It's the choices we make in the heat of the moment that define our core character.  I can only hope that I will always make decisions I will never come to regret.

And you know the funny thing?  I have found that writing carries with it the same foundation I discovered while working with the Boy Scouts of America and which I have found with my martial arts.  It's all about learning the skills to carry yourself to the next level with pride.  To make the right choices which lead to no regrets and most always leads to life's most successful accomplishments.  And what can be sweeter than that?

10 comments:

  1. Wow. I'm so sorry that happened to you. It's horrible to be on the threatening end of any situation. Thank God that you have the ability to defend yourself along with the self-control to not think that it was the only option.

    Glad to hear that your safe! Good job de-fusing the situation.

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    1. Hi Tamara! Thanks for your kind words. It was scary and I wasn't dealing with a rational human being and I HATE confrontation so it was, needless to say, a rather uncomfortable situation but with results we could both live with...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  2. Donna,
    I'm sorry this encounter happened to you.
    Take care. Really sounds like you know how.
    Mona



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    1. Hi Mona! It could have been much worse...there were small children involved and the "mom" in me came to their defense against a stranger who didn't like the answer to the question he asked me...and the situation IMMEDIATELY turned threatening. But it's over now and everyone went home safe...that's all that matters...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. I'm so glad you are OK. It must be a great feeling to know that you can physically take care of things if necessary. It's courage with something real to back it up! I love that.

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    1. Hi Genevieve! Until yesterday I hadn't felt the adrenaline rush of being threatened in a very long time and almost forgot what it felt like. There was no need for the situation to escalate like it did, but I'm glad I kept my self control and the other person decided to just curse at me instead of becoming physical!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  4. That man has no idea with whom he "messed". I'm glad you "beat" him without having to "beat" him. I know that isn't the correct word but I hope you know what I mean.

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    1. Awww, Janet, I know you would have jumped in with both feet if he would have laid a hand on me...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  5. Good job. After all the training you've had, it must be nice to KNOW how you'd react in a threatening situation. Before, you knew you had the training; now, you know you have the cool head and smart attitude to go along with it.

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    1. Hi Susan...thank you for your kind words. While I am glad for my cool head, I realize now there could have been a better way of handling things but I had never been in quite the same situation before and hopefully will never be in it again...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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