DO NOT WIN, DO NOT LOSE

 by Phillip Starr

In today's martial arts world, especially in the competition arena a lot of emphasis is placed on winning. The so-called “reality-based martial arts” do the same thing. However, in the traditional martial ways, teachers often admonish their students to “not lose.” This is a bit different from the concept of “winning” and is one of the differences between the traditional martial disciplines and the shallower contemporary versions.

Striving to win and focusing on not losing are two different animals. Let's examine them more closely... If winning is your focal point, there must be both a winner and a loser. Naturally, you don't want to lose, so you direct your polestar to winning. This is crucial in a contest; if you compete, you must naturally do your best to win. The only other option is to lose, and you didn't enter the event so that you could lose, right? But it is this very point that is a hindrance to those who wish to follow the traditional ways.

When you focus on winning, you're more likely to do things that you wouldn't ordinarily do. You may well do something very foolhardy in your effort to “win” and that can very easily end badly for you (but it may put your dentist's kids through college). Moreover, part of your attention is directed towards yourself rather than being directed at your opponent. This weakens your spirit and yi (intention). It causes at least a partial withdrawal of your qi (ki, in Japanese), which can result in defeat.

Bear in mind that there's fighting, and then there's FIGHTING. Fighting in a competition ring is one thing...but it's not real, of course. Even practice with classmates cannot compare to actual combat. The attacks may not not be clean, crisp movements and Mr. Murphy (of Murphy's Law fame) will be sitting in your back pocket. The surface that you're standing on will likely be less than ideal. The area around you may well be cramped, with plenty of objects hindering freedom of movement. Real fighting is messy on a good day. There are no referees, no coaches, and no such things as “points.” Survival is the only issue and when you engage your foe, you can feel and hear the hiss of his hot breath, smell the stink of his sweat, and feel his rage. Face it; you'll likely get a bit scuffed up yourself and you must be able to fight through the shock, the pain, and the blood.

The object here is to NOT LOSE. The most effective method is to walk or run away. Fight only if you must...when, for instance, you are not able to run or if you must defend your family (or even other people). Don't fight to save your pride; but if you must fight, you must not lose!

That means surviving. You won't try any of your point-winning techniques; you'll rely instead on what you believe will work to bring the conflict to an end, one way or another. All of your attention must necessarily be focused on your enemy. There's no such thing here as second-place.