The origins of Praying Mantis Kung Fu are founded in the tradition of Shaolin integrating Ming dynasty martial practices with the Chan Buddhist meditation and Neo-Confucian philosophy. It is premised on the notions of self preservation, individual autonomy and the natural right to self defense in the pursuit of peace. Peace is commonly understood to mean a lack of violent conflict, but it is more importantly predicated on the presence of human rights, equality and justice. Peace is achieved through an adherence to fundamental human rights, the preservation of human security, and a commitment to resolving conflict non-violently. As a practical matter of living Praying Mantis kung fu recognizes the plurality of peace and acknowledges the existence of violence and injustice in society. It is in this context that Praying Mantis kung fu prescribes a martial practice to deal with violence if it is committed against you.
For most people there is an unwillingness to confront the realities of violence. It is an uncomfortable topic because of its dark nature and the potentially devastating physical and psychological impact it can inflict. This is only natural, but ultimately if you want to be able to mitigate violence or defend yourself against it then you must first understand what violence really is, what it means in the mind of the perpetrator, how it is committed, and the risks involved. Secondly, you must be of willing mind and prepared to engage in the use violence in order to defend yourself against it. This is a profound truth and not an easy mindset to bridge. A good first step is to make the conscious, self definitive, and self affirming decision that you will not be a target or a victim of violence and start by educating yourself on the topic.
This six-part series will help you to start building awareness and knowledge on the realities of violence and self defense. It will cover the following topics including: 1) what is violence, 2) what are the conceptual foundations and legal principles of self defense, 3) who you are and what is your defensive persona, 4) who is the violent offender and how is a target selected, 5) what are the characteristics of a violent interaction in time and place, and 6）what are prevention and mitigation strategies? In part-one of this essay today I will introduce the typology of violence, as well as provide as detailed case study on the current state of violent victimizations in the United States.
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FEB
2021