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Showing posts from June, 2013

Understanding your violent potential

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Here are a couple of videos that struck a chord with me regarding violence against women - and violence in general.  In a roundabout way, they led me to start thinking more generally about martial arts and its relationship to violence. I've long been a fan of the actor Sir Patrick Stewart. 1   In the first video below you will see him bringing all his considerable  gravitas  to bear on a very serious issue.  He shows himself to be a true humanist, as well as a man of great insight, wisdom and compassion. Stewart talks about the abuse his mother and he endured at the hands of his father.  It is a most touching and revealing account of what it means to live with the constant threat and fear of physical violence. I've included the second video below because Stewart goes one step further to reveal the most likely  cause of his father's violence : untreated, chronic and severe post-traumatic stress disorder from fighting in World War II. It is important to note that