Shadows and Light

Walking back home from downtown on a Friday Night with an old buddy, noticing that same figure for three blocks.
The scenario is familiar, the hunter seeking its' prey; I don't know what made him think we were that sort to begin with, but something made him change his mind, though it was obvious this would-be point man was a bit skeptical from the start.

For one, this particular buddy of mine is ex Force Recon, we've both been through some shit together not to mention the other shit we've been through walking our separate paths.
'Where'd they go,' he probably thought as we ducked around a corner to watch. That was that, he went the other way, probably to find a different mark.
Self Defense may not be all awareness, and awareness may not help to avoid every situation, but it sure helps.

This lesson is not necessarily from the Dojo Floor if you have a rather narrow view of what the word 'Dojo' actually means.
A place of the way is anywhere you stand, or fall, whatever the case may be, but in some instances the lesson is for keeps and you don't get the retake the exam - belts are soiled by dirty gutters and rain-soaked gi are soiled with mud and grime.

Mabuni Kenwa said there are no fixed positions, just the same with Choki Motobu, echoed in our modern era by people like Geoff Thompson, Al Peasland, Iain Abernethy, Marc MacYoung, Rory Miller, and Kris Wilder.
Karate is in the spirit, real Budo is in the Soul, and it cannot be separated from the notion of Bujutsu, the science of stopping the spear, wherever that spear may come from, whether it is far off in the distance, or close at hand, the way is here and now, in donning that full deep Kime as you make your way through the dark and dirty places of the world that is your self.

Propriety is a farce unless it is born of experience, and experience shows in how propriety is presented.
To walk the walk is not necessarily the same as talking the talk, words have their limits and limits are where we happen to place them.
That has nothing to do with how many perfect kicks, punches, or rolls you can do, but it does not take away from the skill, skill has its' place and always will, but know-how comes first and foremost.
That deep rooted thing beats out tremendous skill on any given day, but at the same time, if you have it, you have tremendous skill none-the-less.

So fear the man that can do a thousand punches, a thousand kicks, without losing the necessary intent or mindset on each and every one.
Anyone can go through the motions and brag about a black belt or a feat in a particular school, that is easy, and there are many who do just that, I would say the majority. The real Bushi are a minority and they know exactly who they are.