On Power and Grace

The main martial art that I discuss in these posts is Gozan-ryu Saito ninjutsu- a familial martial art which is at once beautiful, violent, traditional and practical.  My class is taught by Lance Wisdom, a guy who is genuinely one of the nicest (though also likely most dangerous) men that I know. He has taught me much about what it means to stand at odds with an enemy and what it really takes to defeat an enemy should there be need to engage.

One of Lance’s specialties is improvised weapons. He once spent an entire class teaching us how to fight with pens and books. He demonstrated a certain technique on me; one minute I was standing upright, the next minute I was held upside down, pinned against a wall, with a pen dug into my knee in a way that I quite simply did not understand in any manner other than it would hurt very badly should he apply full pressure.  It is important to note that he never applies these techniques out of anger and he is not trying to show off how tough he is. He exposes us to (gentle) pain to help us mentally prepare for real world conflict, and he teaches us carefully because he cares about us and would never want anything bad to happen to us.  We know that Lance is very strong, and we respect him for how he uses that strength and shares it with us.

In my first year at UCLA, our class had a visit from Sensei. For those of you not familiar with martial arts, sensei is a respectful term for a master of the art and the teacher of the teachers. Our sensei, Sensei Kawika, was and is Lance’s teacher. His biography is extensive, including work with the SEALs, the CIA, degrees from Ivy League schools, and oh yeah- he’s an ordained Episcopal priest (more on that later). As those of us in the class listened to Lance introduce Sensei with a great deal of respect, we too prepared a respectful attitude for a man who has authority as a master.

Sensei spoke for most of the time, but he did demonstrate a few techniques on Lance. Now, I’m not sure how many of you have ever watched one full grown man throw another full grown man across a room, but let me tell you, it is humbling. We watched as Sensei did to Lance as Lance does to us- putting him into submissions and locks with the same ease with which he might open a door. It was an odd thing to watch a man that I know to be so strong be that vulnerable at the hands of another. My logic went like this: Lance is more powerful than I am, and so I have a healthy fear and respect for him. Sensei is more powerful than Lance is, and therefore my fear and respect for Sensei should be proportionally greater. And indeed, it was.

At Sensei’s beckoning, Lance rushed full speed at Sensei. Sensei’s reaction happened very quickly, so much so that I don’t think I can describe it with much accuracy. What did happen was that Sensei shouted (ki-ai’ed) and lifted his hand into a uniquely shaped fist that stopped on a dime, poised directly in front of Lance’s eye. I believe Sensei’s foot had trapped Lance’s foot and planted it on the earth, stopping Lance dead in his tracks- a fitting expression given that Lance’s eye was literally inches away from the hand that could effortlessly thrust through his eyeball and into his skull.

It was at that moment that Sensei said something that I will never forget. With one hand poised lethally, he pointed down at his enemy with his other hand and said that the best thing that would ever happen to our enemy would be that they had attacked us and not somebody else.  He said that his faith taught him not to kill, and that he did not want to take any man’s life. However, it is only by having the power to take a life that you have the power to refrain from doing so.

This was how Sensei started to explain why some of the first things students are taught in this art are techniques to kill in combat.  I was especially listening to this, because it was one thing that had always bothered me about this art. I am a Christian, and God instructs that I am not to murder. Yes, I want to know how to defend myself, but I don’t think I would ever want to actually kill another human being. And here is the Sensei of this art, teaching these techniques and yet also an ordained priest in the Christian faith. How is my faith- our faith- to be reconciled with this art where techniques to kill are taught right from the get go? If that is where we start from, to where do we progress?

The answer, I came to realize, is that we progress toward mercy. In his demonstration with Lance, Sensei was completely confident in his control within the situation. He knew that he could end the threat at any time, and having this power meant that he also had the capability to make a conscious choice of whether to kill or not kill. In other words, he had the power to exercise mercy. I thought about that in light of all the martial arts training I have had. I pictured what my reaction would actually be if I were to be attacked by someone with the express intent of harming or killing me. Under ideal conditions I might be able to gracefully land my blows and escape, but life is not lived under ideal conditions. Even with hundreds of hours of training, I would still have adrenaline coursing through my veins, and I would still be terrified to a certain extent. And if I wasn’t careful, if I wasn’t in control, it would be entirely possible that in my panicked state I could end up harming that person far beyond what I would normally feel comfortably inflicting, and possibly even killing them. Because I would not have control or power, I would not have the capability to exercise mercy. This is what Sensei and Lance aim to give us with our training- not only power over our enemies, but power even to the point of showing grace in the form of mercy to our enemy.

            As powerful as Lance is, and as powerful as Sensei is, they are but men. Their power, my power, your power- any height or degree of power to which any one person can attain is still infinitesimally pathetic in comparison to the power of the living God. God created us, fathomed us even before the beginning of all things. He created the universe out of nothing. He sees all things and knows all things; he is present in every single situation simultaneously. God doesn’t just feel confident that he has control in a situation, he actually does have constant and complete control over every atom in the universe. With a single word, he could destroy us in an instant. If there is anyone who is worthy of our fear and respect, it is the living God himself.

            And yet, notice what this all-powerful God has done: though we gravely offend him in the vilest of ways, though we violate every command from the source of pure goodness and truth, though we have spit in the face of our Creator who has the absolute power to annihilate us- he offers us mercy. Our sin against a truly perfect God is eternally insolent- infinitely more offensive than any transgression that one human being can commit toward another. But because God is completely powerful, he is able to show complete mercy to his enemies (us). Instead of instantly delivering the death blow that he is fully justified to give, God reaches out to us and offers complete forgiveness for all of our sins toward him. By accepting Jesus Christ and believing that He paid the ultimate price- the death that you deserve for your offenses against God- you cease to become an enemy of God. You surrender to the one who is more powerful than you, and he extends to you an unfathomable amount of mercy. Not only do you cease to become an enemy, but you are adopted as a son into the family of God- taught, cared for, and loved with the compassion that a good father shows toward his son.

Things to consider:

-What kind of power do you ascribe to God? What is your place before God in light of this? What is your justification for this? 
-Would you be prepared to face God as an enemy?
-Most importantly: if God were extending his mercy toward you, would you be willing to accept it?