Better Angels

Uncle Jim pointed to a recent article in Science discussing Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (2011). I gave the book a quick read and found it a simple gloss on the benefits of global integration; hopeful homilies of an academician sheltered from the possibilities of violence. Pinker’s general thesis isContinue reading “Better Angels”

MENTAL COMBAT

The real target always was, has been, and will be the mind of the opponent. And so now we get to the crux of the matter – how do we control the mind of another? Leading the spirit, capturing ki, are just poor descriptors for what is now better labeled psychological operations (psyops)[1] or better still,Continue reading “MENTAL COMBAT”

NECESSARY VIOLENCE

In Aikido we use weapons as a basis of understanding or a metaphor for action – “shomen is like an overhead strike” – and yet we often change the way we execute any given technique when a weapon is actually involved.  Aikido does at least make the pretext of keeping the principles the same – meaningContinue reading “NECESSARY VIOLENCE”