Editorial
Jun/01/2003

The Winner – Part 2

However, I know that many disasters that end with murder and homicide develop in this way. As a result of consecutive irritations and difficulties, a poor diet and music that stimulates aggression the person concerned is already in a state of pre-tension, and quickly becomes more and more angry. The fact that R. nonetheless saw the light is worthy of the highest praise. He brought himself down to earth by taking stock and seeing himself through the eyes of an external observer. It was as if somebody had suddenly opened the curtains, allowing the sunshine to awaken a sleeper and end his nightmare at a stroke. R. was certainly a winner, as was the taxi-driver whose life and limb he may have saved.

We have little influence over the emotions that come over us, but we must be alert enough to recognise when we are irritable. This is part of knowing yourself. Only if you recognise your pre-tension can you exert control and de-escalate yourself, i.e. bring yourself down from a state of anger. In this respect a more aware R. would have recognised his emotional state sooner and refrained from furiously driving after the poor taxi-driver in the first place, who had probably had a similarly start to the day or led a completely frustrating life. So there is always room to learn. Let's work on ourselves, otherwise life will teach us the hard way! And speaking of learning, if life is to be our teacher and we are constantly reborn until we have learned enough (apparently this idea of continuous rebirth was once a part of old, esoteric Christian thought), we must not be angry with another person, whatever he does to us, as it is not really his fault. He is a part of a greater plan whose laws are unknown to him. He is only conveying a message to us whose purpose is to make us aware of our "faults". Whether this is the way things really are is neither here nor there for the present. It is sufficient to become sufficiently acquainted with the idea so that it brings you down from your anger at the other person. This not only helps him, but above all your "self".

How often do we read in amazement about people who run amok and e.g. slaughter their entire family with an axe because their wife has called them a "loser" in anger, or the baby will not stop screaming. If we are to believe the latest brain research, which claims that man is an automaton who is unable to make conscious decisions and has no more than a right of veto for which he has just 0.2 seconds available, it becomes more understandable why certain impulsive or "primitive" people follow their urges and are unable to use their 0.2 seconds. I am by no means excusing such people, however I would like to make my readers aware of the dangers which lie in wait for those who meander through life in a semiconscious state. Diet, music and the circumstances in life also play an important part.

Listen carefully to yourself. Find out what is good for you and your spiritual balance. As every conflict situation is different – the opposite number is different, the surroundings are different, the language is different etc. – it is impossible for me to give you a tailor-made recipe for pre-fight behaviour in every situation. What is needed here is a kind of universal strategy like the four fighting principles in WT or the golden rule of Confucius. Something that is always applicable under all conditions. In fact, after a great deal of thought, experimentation and research, I am fortunately able to offer you just that: a fighting or rather fight-avoidance strategy which – how could it be otherwise – corresponds to the four technical WT principles. More about this in my book "Self-defence or inner WingTsun", on which I have been working for several years and from which I have taken this editorial.

Livorno, May 2003

GM Keith R. Kernspecht, 10th degree Grandmaster WingTsun (Europe)