Ever since man was created, his very soul was deeply intertwined with violence. Decades of "civilized" living and social conditioning may have helped in forgetting how rough the natural world can be, but not too long ago, men were facing death on an almost daily basis. The last couple of years of peace that the western world has enjoyed are but a tiny fraction within the larger timeline of human history, a history defined in no small part by violence and war. Blindsighted by the neon lights and the feeble fabric of social justice, men have forgotten that the natural state of existence is not that of peace and quiet, but that of war, danger, and blood. Some years without a major war were enough to convince a whole generation of men that their capacity for violence and that their potential for strength were devilish symptoms of an inherent evil existing within everything born a man. Thus, men forgot. Men forgot the struggles of their ancestors, and men disconnected from their fighting nature. Born in comfortable times, men taught themselves to be weak, perceiving their strength and their capacity for violence -and protection- as innecessary, unnatural, and immoral. But men forgot the cyclical nature of the world, and after weak men take over, hard times are surre to follow. Look around and you'll see weak men plaguing the world. That's your wakeup call: be ready to face the imminent hard times or suffer greatly when they come.
My friends don't believe me
I've been working hard trying to convince my friends to start training JiuJitsu with me. After some years of training consistently, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that a man that does not know how to protect himself and his loved ones (or doesn't even try to learn), is an incomplete man. Being a "real man" is something that you earn, not something that is freely given to you as a consequence of being born a male. Real, masculine men do certain stuff and have certain characteristics, and being capable in defending yourself is one of them. My friends are amazing people, and I love and respect them dearly, but this is an issue that is non-negotiable. It's not only a matter of principle and philosophical truths, but an issue of practical safety. The pampered and mostly safe world that most of us inhabit is not guaranteed. READ THAT AGAIN. Tides turn quickly, and when they do, you are going to want to have learned at least some fundamental things about fighting. I competed in a BJJ tournament not too long ago. I did well enough, and the feeling of accomplishment after fighting with all your heart was something that I'm sure not many men will experience in a lifetime. You don't get to test your mettle in the modern world, not really. You don't really know how much heart and fight you have in you unless you put yourself out there and FIGHT. As famously stated by every man's favorite anarchist, Tyler Durden: "How much can you know about yourself if you haven't been in a fight?".
In a different category to mine, a man fought. As he was walking towards the mat in which his fight was about to take place, the entire arena fell silent. At first it looked as if he were having some trouble walking. And that he did. This man had just one leg. And he fought, with all his heart. He did well, but ultimately lost. Regardless, you could see in every single witness a look of the utmost respect for this man.
That's a true fighter right there. I think about him, and I think about the excuses that most people have for not learning to fight. I'm sorry, but "I only have one leg" is a damn good excuse, definitely better than "I'm too busy/tired/broke". And yet, the man trained, and fought. Think about your excuse and tell me if it's actually valid. If you're broke, get money and train. If you're busy, make time on your schedule for training. If you're tired, have a cup of coffee and a good night's sleep and train. Make it a priority, because it is.
Circumstances can change
Open your eyes to the reality of the world. Hard times can (and most likely will) come. Don't get caught up in the feeble and fleeting safety that the modern world provides. You are not exempt of having a run in with some savage soul looking to hurt you and your family. Better be ready for it then, even if it never happens. Who else is going to protect your family? Your kids, your wife? That's not their job, it's yours.
It's in your nature
Not many activities are as engaging and enjoyable as fighting. I believe this stems from the fact that fighting is your very nature as a man. When you're fighting, you're in a state of complete flow. You're not distracted by anything. You can't be, or you'll get choked out or knocked out cold. Maybe you will anyway, but that's just the nature of fighting. Sometimes you're the hammer and sometimes you're the nail. A lot of life lessons can be learned in a martial arts gym: a fight is a microsimulation of all the years that you will spend on this earth. Every struggle you face on the mats represents a struggle in the outside world. There are things about human nature that can ONLY be learned in the midst of a sweaty, bloody fight. A man needs to fight to truly know himself and understand his nature.
Community
People bond over shared experiences. Soldiers in a war, football players on the field and martial artists in the gym. If everything I've written this far is not enough to convince you to join your local martial arts gym, maybe this section will do it. When you enter a martial arts gym, what you see are tough men, gritty fighters and seasoned veterans. Men that have paid the price of blood, sweat, and tears. Men that have pushed their bodies to the limit, and they have the scars to show it. You walk in a preppy, weak little boy and immediately realize that these men will not respect you unless you earn their respect. As it should be. These men are free from the politically correct dogmas and social expectations that demand everyone to be universally respected simply for existing. You realize that you do not deserve respect unless you earn it. And you earn it by showing your heart, your capacity to persevere and fight, and in essence, by showing that you're not a little soyboy. You won't find this amount of honesty anywhere else. And you'll be faced with two choices: you either quit so as to avoid the judgemental look on the face of the real men you see before you, or you make it your calling to earn their respect, because you know that by doing so you'll develop into a true man. And if you do, you'll find lifelong, loyal friends, which, God knows, are scarce nowadays. Because yours will be a friendship based on trust. You know they'll have your back, and they know the same thing. You can trust them and they can lay their trust on you. That's what you'll be gaining through fighting.
Stop thinking about it and do it
Just pull the plug and join a martial arts gym. Choose whatever martial art you wish, the important thing is that you start learning. No more excuses, no more mental gymnastics to avoid this responsibility. Your family is counting on you. Protect them, or abandon them. It's up to you.
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