RESPONSE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Recognize the situation and be decisive with your actions with a patient, reflective response. Situations can escalate quickly and need appropriate, proportional responses. Extend your help to others and to yourself. Understand and uphold the consequences that may come with your actions.
Martial arts teaches nonviolent approaches to situations and how to respond with patience and reflection. Whether it be taking yourself or someone else out of a potentially violent situation by being composed or being able to respond to a physical or mental attack, students in the dojo are able to see and understand the effects of their decisions in a controlled environment.
Why Response and Responsibility
People who have studied martial arts have all this knowledge, strength, confidence, and technique that they could use as aggressors. However, they also have wisdom because they know not to show or force their skills upon anyone, but rather use them to help and support other people in need. This tenet carries a lot of weight because whatever action that someone takes in order to help someone, they have to see it through and know the consequences. If a physical response is needed, every single last step must have been taken in order to avoid the physical altercation. It is very important to know what the implications are going to be and to be prepared to handle the repercussions.
The Stance
This stance invokes Response and Responsibility a mobile base and responsive arm and hand placements. The legs are shoulder-width apart, with the knees bent and one leg slightly in front of the other. This creates a mobile base in which someone can be reactive and move in any direction. The arms are set in a posture that is both defensive and offensive. Your forward hand is set at a downward angle with its hand open, while your other hand is at your jaw level with a fist. This stance really sets the tone because of the body language and drives the point that physical altercations are serious. Out of all tenet stances, this one feels way different because of the offensive nature of it. It is meant to instill that feeling because someone needs to feel it, and see it, to know the differences and the responsibility it carries.
Performing the stance
This stance helps associate with response and responsibility because of the offensive nature of the stance. It helps with your lower leg muscles and preparation of arm placements.
The distance between your front and back leg are one and a half your normal gait (1.5 steps).
Set your feet shoulder-width apart.
Balance your weight evenly, 50% on each foot.
Position your front hand mid-torso, palm out, with your wrist down and your fingers up. Keep your fingers together and your thumb tucked in.
Raise your back hand level with your jaw. With your hand in a fist, cover your face.
Keep your shoulders and back straight.