Live by the Sword Die by the Sword and I Pity the Fool

By | | ,

pity

If you’re into self-defense, MMA or specific martial arts you’ve probably heard the saying, “Live by the sword, die by the sword”. It’s actually derived from a saying of Jesus, quoted in the Bible, in effect meaning that if you use violence you can expect to have those same means used against you. Is this saying true?

If we utilize or dwell within violence are we more apt to be a victim of it? The answer is, unequivocally, yes. If we hang out, partake, even with good intentions around fist-fights, shootings or stabbings, as opposed to siting in a religious monastery all day as an example, we’re more likely to become victims of those violent acts. You’re near it, around it, all over it and because of that, you’re also more likely to be a victim of it.

You may wonder how all this could have any bearing on the average self-defense practitioner. If your mindset is that of being on guard and being ready to fight at a moment’s notice and even perhaps your mindset is one of jumping into action if someone else is being bullied or accosted; you are more apt to also be a victim. You have more of a chance to get beat up, stabbed, shot or again, “die” by that sword or a similar “sword”.

Conversely, if you run away, hide or simply bury your head a lot, the less of a chance you have of being a victim. But the more you are ready and raring to go, the more of a chance we have of also being “that victim”.

Does this mean those of us who are trained to fight should never use that training, or hide from everything?  Of course not. Does it mean that we should only use it when we are pushed into a corner? Herein lies the meat of the matter. Civilians or regular folks as opposed to police and military should do their best to not fight unless it’s absolutely necessary. Law-suits, and criminal charges are waiting in the wings. Our society is law-suit happy and there’s the possibility of criminal charges even if you did not start the battle. Someone may lie about what really happened or why you got physical or witnesses may see things wrongly which occurs quite often.

Here is something even more concerning. If you are really on top of your game and very good at “fighting” it may be harder for you to back off, turn the other cheek, look away or take any crap from anyone. Much harder than the average bear. After all, you’ve learned and practiced a lot to be physically self-sufficient and to be able to protect yourself so why should you take any crap from anyone even mildly abusive; verbally or physically?

Great fighters are rarely bullies and when I say that it may be harder for someone who is very proficient at self-defense to back off, all I mean is that they are ready and raring to take it to the bad guy. They know that they can. I’m not saying that they do not walk away or that they do not let some things go but I do know that for some great fighters it is much more difficult to walk away. But my suggestion is to do just that whenever possible. If you cannot walk away or the person continues his abuse or hassling and comes after you or stays in your face, then as Mr. T, the once famous TV bad ass was famous for saying, “I pity the fool” comes into play. Then his ass is yours. Do what you have to do. Do it quick and well but only as a last resort.

For anyone trained to protect themselves it can be a fine line when to use their skills and when to walk away. We simply cannot hesitate in many instances and knowing when not to hesitate is a crucial learned skill—learn that well. And of course, it goes beyond saying that we should learn our physical craft to the level of excellence. And very importantly, learn to walk away or leave the area when you can. If you cannot and you must turn it on, turn it on like a tornado and wipe the floor with the culprit that we now know, obviously, needed a thumping.

Steve Kovacs
Follow Steve
Latest posts by Steve Kovacs (see all)
Tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.
Steve Kovacs

About Steve Kovacs

Steve's the bestselling author of 'Protect Your Kids! The Simple Keys to Children's Safety and Survival'. He's written many articles on a wide variety of topics and has three published books. Steve's a three-time survivor of violence in his youth, a former police supervisor and a graduate of The Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) and was also an award winning part-time college Criminal Justice instructor. For several years, Steve did written and radio political and current event commentary and was the former host of the long running 'The Kovacs Perspective' Internet radio and TV talk show. Steve presently owns a small businesses in Ohio--The Mayfield Academy of Self-Defense.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Recent Articles Posted

    • The Teacher from the Past—A True Story 
      My business partner texted me one afternoon while he was doing some paperwork at our business, The Mayfield Academy of Self-Defense. Dan wrote, “A little old lady stopped in at the school and said she knew you.” I texted back asking if she had left her name. “Mrs. Gronick.”  “Mrs. Gronick, ...
    • How To Survive and Safely Enjoy Hiking in the Woods
      Every year people disappear in the woods without much of a trace. Most get lost or sustain an immobilizing injury. Many of these people are either not found in time to survive their injuries or in some cases, they’re simply never found, even after extensive searches.  Of course, in certain areas, ...
    • Winter in America—Thin Blue Line and Do Something
      Winter in America is sometimes unbearable but fortunately, most of us will hunker down in the warmth, comfort, and safety of our homes. But not everyone. Especially not the people experiencing the nightmares I’ll mention here. In the United States, about 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys ...
    • The Simple Best Thing You Can Do To Not Become A Victim
      The mother of a murdered girl said, “It’s easy for people to say she should have slept with pepper spray under her pillows or taken other security precautions, but people don’t do those things unless they’ve been victims.”    It's a fact that people don’t take regular security precautions unless they’re reminded ...
    • The Streets are filled with Vipers
      In Bob Dylan’s song, ‘Don’t Fall Apart on me Tonight’ he sings a line that explains a major reason why crime is rampant in the U.S. “The streets are filled with vipers who’ve lost all ray of hope.” Bingo! The genius got it right . . .  almost. He wrote that verse ...
    • Women Taking Charge: A Guide to Violent Attack Survival—Part 2—Weapons
      I just talked to a personal security expert who I respect more than just about any other expert including the loads of experts who have sprouted up on-line. I’ve known this expert for decades and he talks reality. He’s traveled the globe doing security and bodyguard work and has done ...
    • Bones Heal, Pain is Temporary and Chicks Dig Scars—Dealing with Fear
      Years after famous motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel retired he had a business disagreement with someone in Geauga County, Ohio. Geauga County is home to several small police departments and my friend worked for one of them. One afternoon he told me that he had to make an official phone call ...
    • Feet Don’t Fail Me Now and How Not To Get Shot
      Even though violent crime and specifically, shootings are on the rise the odds are good that you’ll never be shot at. But if you could learn simple methods to handle shootings, just in case, in about five minutes, wouldn’t you take the time? Continue reading for that five-minute training that ...
    • What’s In a Name? (5 to Survive) Your Survival, That’s What
      For years, I’ve written articles and done countless seminars on how not to become victims of crime. Throughout those years, I’ve also listened to many others talking on the same topic and one thing that always bothered me was the two words that they almost always said but hardly ever ...
    • Are You a Coward?
      A famous Danish theologian, philosopher, poet and religious author, Soren Kierkegaard once wrote, “Once you label me, you negate me.” Negate means to nullify or make ineffective. In his quote, he’s saying that once you or I are labeled as anything—stupid, brute, irresponsible, brave or a coward, that’s what people ...