The young man slowly CIRCLED, surveying the battlefield where seconds earlier he had successfully derailed the attack of a school yard bully. Mikey, and a couple of his gang stopped Steven on his way home from school, and the huge “haymaker punch” Mikey threw was with knockout intention, however Steven was used to that move and had practiced it over and over again in his HAPKIDO sessions lately.
As Mikey’s CIRCULAR “cowboy style punch” swung wide, Steven stepped inside and hooked Mikey’s head and elbow to tie him up. Mikey’s frustration was evident as he cursed, struggled and cursed some more, and attempted follow up strikes to no avail.
Steven’s head was close, and tight to Mikey’s, putting added pressure on his head and back as he said firmly, “I don’t want to fight, calm down…” The weight of Steven’s body took its toll, and Mikey finally stopped, more from the exhaustion of holding Steven’s relentlessly CIRCLING weight on his head, neck and back than anything else.
Pulling away, Mikey cursed, red faced, stomping away with his buddies in tow, humiliated, as he kicked an imaginary stone and promised, “This wasn’t over.” However, for now it was over, and they both knew it…
CIRCLING in self-defense extenuates over extension, overcommitment, and when coordinated in a hold, or throw neutralizes the attack. In our example Steven also CIRCLED to clear his area of other possible threats, coming from emboldened members of Mikey’s crew. Additionally, Steven had been taught to CIRCLE and RE-CENTER after a conflict was over.
In life this might look like CIRCLING to clear your head after a heated project meeting, conversation with your teen about appropriate curfews, or an impromptu political debate online.
CIRCLING not only checks an area for other threats, it also serves as a mental and emotional RE-CENTERING of your mental, emotional and physical self.
People might not always agree with you. However, knockout punches might be best dealt with by CIRCLING to neutralize the threat first, and RE-CENTERING to bring you back to where you are RE-CENTERED on what is important to you, and the stand that you are in the world. CIRCLE, RE-CENTER and RE-SET!
Allen Hughes
Warrior Way Life Defense
#lifedefense #circle #allenhughes #
