Defining Terms, 7

Continued from "Defining Terms, 6"

In "Defining Terms" I explained Christian Martialism as "my understanding of the motives, values and beliefs of the warrior who submits to the authority and discipline of Jesus." Just as Christian Martialism is a philosophy and lifestyle, so WARSKYL comprises the system of close combat that I have embraced as consistent with that philosophy and lifestyle.

I'm not sure, but it may have begun when I was as young as 3 or 4 years. I was in the kitchen, having a knock-down drag out battle with an invisible adversary. My mother asked me what I was doing, and I told her that I was helping God fight the Devil.

Over the years, I maintained a vigilance, looking for techniques or tricks. Many I did not understand or feel I could do, but every now and then something would click, and I would say to myself, "I can do that."

My first experience with a Judo front roll came from a (library, I think?) book on Judo by E.J. Harrison. In it, he described exactly how to perform the roll. I took the book to the back yard, then followed the directions, and I executed them in the grass. I was about twelve.

During that same time period I a couple of other books came into my possession: American Combat Judo by Bernard Cosneck and My Method of Judo by Mikonosuke Kawaishi. The latter was a Christmas present from my grandfather, and I still count it among my prized possessions.

During that same time period, I discovered a comic book hero called "The Fly". Some of the early issues each included a page which taught a jujitsu or self defense technique. I also found a little red paperback book with poorly drawn illustrations and a promise that I could learn karate by following its instructions.

My encounters with bullies in junior high school taught me something about how rage and ruthlessnes can overcome size and strength. I did a little wrestling in high school (season-and-a-half), and that taught me a little bit about the kinesthetics of grappling.

After marriage, I received some basic instruction in subduing and cuffing a suspect along with my armed security training in Florida. About that time, Fairbairn's books Get Tough and Shooting to Live convinced me of the rationale behind WWII combatives.

Up to that point in my life, however, those elements of close combat that I had picked up from such varied sources did not represent a unified, coherent system. They were merely the raw materials.

To be continued