Are You Afraid?

Are you afraid to stand up to injustice? Are you afraid you might get hurt in the process? On the other hand are you afraid of a world gone mad? Are you afraid of a world where people disappear and no one talks about it? Are you afraid of a world where murder goes unpunished, where people with different points of view are eliminated?

Basically we have a choice, one or the other. Which do we fear more; a single act of courage against injustice or a world gone insane, as it was in Europe during the period 1939 – 1945? For either we stand up to the problem when it is small, when it is just beginning, or we face the situation the allies faced in World War Two, a situation that requires huge sacrifices.

I am sure you know the famous lines…"When they came for the Jew I did not act as I was not a Jew. When they came for the black I did not act as I was black. When they came for the political dissidents I did not act…etc… and when they came for me there was no one left to act."

We define Krav Maga and Israeli strategy in general, as seeking out the problem, engaging the enemy, not trying to avoid the problem. If you have a problem you had better deal with it now, putting it off will only make it more difficult later on. If you lack courage now to engage your enemy what makes you think that later you will have that courage?

In Krav Maga we try to train good people to do something. As the rabbis said, "In a place where there is no man, try to be a man."

I met an Israeli woman who visited Japan, she was astonished. She said people park their bikes everywhere, unlocked, unchained, and no one steals them. Imagine that! There are places in the USA that if you leave your car unattended for half an hour it will either be missing all its hubcaps and other removable items, or it will just be gone. Wouldn't we all prefer to live in the first kind of society? The one where no one steals, where there is nothing to fear?

How do we create such a society? Where do we begin? Well we can start by raising children with proper values, like those taught in martial arts classes. We can continue by acting appropriately when we see wrong doing. We can stand up for what is right rather than lie down and play dead. We can apprehend the man who tries to snatch a purse from an old woman, we can form a neighborhood watch or join groups like the Guardian Angles.

But first we must set ourselves a goal; we want a better society and we are going to do something about it. First step is to start caring, next step; prepare yourself to be able to act in times of need.