The Fight Has Been on for Decades

What can one do about it?

This is an old post, but I forgot it existed, and it’s as relevant today as it was a year ago:

https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/your-best-defense-are-you-ready-to

It earned 51 “Like”s and received 47 comments, which totals at 105 “Likes,” when the two are combined. Hopefully, I managed to correct the typos in the original, so here is the whole text:

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Everybody is threatened now

What can YOU do?

Perhaps my story will shed some light on that.

There is always a start

Growing up in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood did help me, although it made me somewhat callous, because simple survival was impossible for the faint-of-heart. I was unusually strong, so when I was ten, two rival gangs wanted to recruit me. I refused, so they beat me up every day. I was on the verge of killing some of them, and if I had carried out my plan, you couldn’t read this, but my parents moved to happier climates only a week or two before disaster would strike. At that point, I swore that nobody would ever beat me up again. Nobody did, and only lot larger and stronger ones tried, but that was not because I am invincible; it was due to preparation and determination, both of which you will need to fight the current evil.

At this point, I am determined to protect those whom I love and those who cannot fend for themselves. Of course, my means are meager, but it is still my job to do what I can.

So, what does it mean to be prepared?

When I was young, I learnt how to fight from four masters in my teenage years. The first of them was a friend of mine, a student of a world boxing champion (sadly, he passed away at 32 without having any “bad habits”), who taught me to be a “south paw” as a right-handed person, because I was lightning fast (response time 0.1 second), and my major strength, my kick, was up front, and I was able to easily kick a ceiling light off (well, I was a semi-professional soccer player, too). The second lesson came from my childhood friend, who practiced boxing and karate, and taught me the use of my hands and my fingers without a fist. I think, I can still easily punch a hole in a drywall, because I used to practice my “dragon blow” (you curve your fingers and deliver a blow with the middle finger leading) on concrete. My third master was another friend, who passed away four years ago after helping me settle in my little house in rural Kentucky. He was a street fighter, who had been in prison before on trumped-up charges. He taught me how no rules were to be respected, how to keep a distance, and how to deliver a blow without getting much back (well, the first boxer also taught me to take a small blow in order to be able to deliver a decisive one). When I asked him how come nobody beat me since the age of 10, he said, “they can see it in your eyes.” Sure thing, I’ll never be a slave to anyone. That’s why I’ve never worn a muzzle, either.

The fourth master I had was a cage-fighting warrior, who quit after only two fights in Vegas, because fighters were not protected and the fights were dirty. When he used to be 17, he still finished second in judo in a world championship, and as a lot older man in his forties, he taught me a number of things I prefer not to share in public.

Actually, there was a fifth person, a remote family member, who had been in some secret services, and shared a few tricks with me about using a knife; he passed a long time ago, but we were young, and a few glasses of Chardonnay loosened his tongue. :)

Learning about your weaknesses is also essential

You need to be challenged beyond your means to learn about your weaknesses. Military service taught me more about those than anything else I could have learnt in civilian life. I’m not telling you to climb Mount Everest, but a few nights out in the woods might serve you right. Of course, make no such attempts without the necessary skills, preparations, and equipment, whose amount depends on your current preparedness.

Learning how to use firearms responsibly is also a must, not only in the current US, but I guess, most of my readers already know that and my Canadian, Australian, NZ, and British brothers and sisters know that a 00 cannot be traced as long as the shell is saved. And should I mention revolvers shooting soft-points from .22s?

The attitude

Let me use an allegory. If you have ever watched the excellent Chinese propaganda movie franchise, IP Man (a name that has nothing to do with its English meaning), you can see in Donny Yen’s attitude what I mean. Well, his “fistfight” position is not always 20/20 (like he occasionally bends his fist up, well beyond the proverbial straight forearm in boxing and in martial arts, although that might be a decoy for moronic opponents or a position in which one can switch between using fingers or a palm instead of a fist), his peaceful disposition, detached attitude to fighting, his allowing the opponent to think he is less than what he is, and his responsible stance for his family and friends testify to what I mean.

The conclusion

Everything I’ve learnt is applicable to fighting the mass murderers.

As you see, I have used the talents I had, which is what I am doing on these pages, too. It is essential that you know your strength and focus on those. Knowing your weaknesses is also essential for making sure you can avoid situations in which you would be exposed.

It’s good, if your opponent underestimates you, but it is also essential to disorient him so that he wouldn’t be empowered with confidence.

It’s best to attack, when you have an opening; otherwise, you’ll never make it out of the conflict unharmed.

Being prepared is the MOST essential part. If you are not ready to act, when the time comes, you will NOT have the time to make up your mind, when it would be your turn to act.

Perhaps the most important part is to remain aware that everyone is vulnerable. As Pascal put it, humans are “thinking reeds,” who mostly differ from animals by knowing that they are going to die. Preparing for that can enable everyone to get rid of fear and focus on the next task.

I wish I could help you more, and I keep trying in my articles.