karate and Service

Two years ago my freshman year I took a month long course on the theory of Just War combined with the Christian ethic. In it we read many different articles, watched a handful of movies (Saving Private Ryan, and the Mission to name a few), and had an open forum like portion in class where we interacted and argued, and learned from one another as peers. It was while I took this class that I learned I am personally a pacifist by conviction. Since then I have wrestled with the ideas associated with pacifism, and that can make for some interesting journal entries. Recently one of those ideas come up and I thought I would share this one with you.

Yesterday in my Classical Mythology class I turned in a paper which analyzed a part of Homer's Odyssey in a Christian perspective. Having read the Odyssey there is a significant side plot involving Odysseus' son Telemachus coming of age during the story (no this does not involve sex as some may interpret). Telemachus gradually asserts himself as a grown man in two ways. One way is through his speech specifically his ability to respect his elders while still being convincing and assertive (near the end of book four he interacts with Menelaus in this way). He is bold in his speech in many ways all of which are commendable by the Greek standard. The second way Telemachus asserts his role as a man is through his action. This takes Telemachus longer to display, because he lacks initiative for a significant portion of the epic. By the Greek standard action for a man was best measured through competition of which war was the climax (all those track and field events were really training practices for ancient warriors). The Greeks were not warmongers always looking for a fight, they were quick to defend their honor though. Telemachus attains his honor through his defending of his father's (if you have not read the epic I am sorry I can only go into so much detail). In summation Telemachus is the archetype for future Greek youths who are coming of age. The ideal was to become a man of words and deeds.

The rest of this is my personal ramblings.

Personally I do not see much wrong with being a man of words and deeds. I really like that hermeneutic and I wish more people made their word their deed and vice versa. The problem for me was what these deeds and words are. Let me illustrate this with a story from my own life.

This semester I am enrolled in a karate class and it has been pretty cool. I thought the idea of body control and movement along with intensity and focus would be good for my head, and a good stress reliever (I have 17 credits this semester). For the most part my non-violent stance has not found a problem with this practice. However, we have begun preparing for sparring.... Now I know this is a simulation and that sort of thing, but I'm not wired correctly for this. I am beginning to believe that war is not a part of human nature, but something we teach orselves over time. Yesterday we "sparred" with a partner. One of us through random punches while the other blocked and countered. It was already awkward because my partner was a girl. So here is what you are seeing; a pacifist male in a karate class sparring against a girl (if you are not laughing at this you should reread it until you do). In my defense though I took karate because I'm a horrible dancer and wanted to do something that involved focused movement but did not take away from my supposed "man points" (yes I can be vain at time just like anyone else). I am no good at this and that's alright with me, because unlike Telemachus my deed is not competition in the form of war or sport.

My deed is testifying to the Lord in my words and deeds as a servant. If my honor is dragged through the mud it is not my job to go save it. I am to boast in the Lord alone not in self (I fail at this too). I follow the example given to Timothy by Paul in I & II Timothy. Timothy is called to be a man of word and deed which both testify to the Lord. The Christian struggle is one against powers and trends not flesh and bone. I am to love people on the micro real world level not the philosophical macro level.

To go back to my story in karate class. I did my best not to fumble around in my sparring, but I think I still have some focus issues. I am really good at imagining enemies when we do our kata which is a planned scenario where we fight off invisible enemies (its like a dance with punching). There may be another illustration there, but I will leave it at that for now. I wanted to leave you with two pictures I found and maybe you will see the discrepancy between the traditional western ideal and what I argue is the epitome of the Christian attitude.

Top : Chas. A. Buchel's "Telemachus" circa 1902

Bottom: Guido Rocha's "The Tortured Christ" circa 1975