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Fighting Without Fighting

Table of Contents

Bruce Lees Jeet Kune Do – The Art of Fighting Without FightingWhen we think about martial art systems and different fighting techniques a centerline question may be asked, “What style are you and what will be your response to the energy that I give you?” We always think very linear about ourability to respond when we are trained in any martial art system. The question may arise do wealways use brute force in a street situation or any heated conflict when confronted by a bully? The answer may be ambiguous and might relate to what is relative at the time. I love to recall ascene in the motion picture “ENTER THE DRAGON” when Master Bruce’s space is invaded by a bully who obviously believes that he is invincible. Inthis scene Bruce appears to be in deep thought demonstrating his ability to focus and assert his thoughts into power.

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The bully poses the question, “What style are you? “And Bruce responds, “The art of fighting without fighting.” The bully repeats the response like it some ancient Chinese secret, “fighting without fighting” Bruce starts to walkaway and then the bully attempts to stop him when Bruce responds, “Don’t waste yourself.” Thebully wants to use intimidation; however, MasterBruce has a foil in place to ultimately diffuse this bully and points to an island where there will be more room to fight. Bruce fools his opponent and makes him believe that he is going fight. The man then jumps into a dingy while Bruce stays on the boat holding a line. Knowing all along, he had out smarted and redirected hisopponents force without even touching him. This is a remarkable subtle assertion of true personal power without violence; and Lee is unequivocally demonstrating the art of true deception.Bruce in his wisdom may have wanted this scene to reveal the importance of mental composure with a response that was well thought out. He used his personal power to respond with a well timed resolution which was his own brand of

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commonsense. Living in reaction to the negative forces which are apparent in our society, also being incognizant of how we may direct our internal force could endanger our existence. Responding to a negative situation with a methodin place in everyday life, or with a street criminal can make the difference between life and death. Responding in a crisis is not the same as reacting to one in that: to react is unpreparedness; while responding is applying what has been trained. The manner in which we manage a negative situation will involve training specific mental and physical attributes. A good example of this was seen in the 1970’s television series Kung Fu when “Kwai Chang Caine” avoided the insulting tongue. He developed his will to survive and face death as a Shaolin Priest, evolving and defining his pathway; ultimately moving away from the burgeoning emotional weaknesses which influence ego. I believe that there is an enigma between being a “warrior” and also being a “pacifist”.The reactionary obliterates their ability to focus while losing control of their temperament.They are in a sense, out of control with their

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mental thoughts and physical actions. Often whenwe think of a warrior the image of a seasoned fighter comes into view; however, a hard wired pacifist has total confidence in taking the necessary action to attain a goal or take a strong stance.Would you ever conceive that the spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was a warrior in sheep’s clothing? He was a bone-fide pacifist; however he fought like a warrior with a peaceful yet committed hard line approach, to bring a peaceful solution to India’s social problems during the early to mid 20th century. Gandhi paid the ultimate price when he was gunned down by an obsessive reactionary caught up in political strife. This assassin in his violence could never possibly have realized the overall of effect of his aggression. He was ultimately fueled by aggression and blinded by internal strife without an ability to regulate mental composure.We know that life is combative and that many problems could be successfully redirected, especially street and road rage violence. It is obvious that we are not going to encounter a

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violent street situation on a daily basis and yet martial art training for many encompasses that ultimate street fight. The greatest attribute in the human condition is management of other individuals and their unruly emotions: however more profoundly it is our own. Gandhi ina sense applied an indirect attribute of Mental JKD without ever training in any JKD system. He used focus to pinpoint his desired cause which was peace without violence. Acting tough and possessing the ability to be tough, standing up to what life may throw at you presents the hard line imperative, what brings people to the truthof real combat?The realization of killer instinct is respondingto life and death with brute force; however encompassing a mixture, in which manifesting peace and the ability to survive is deeply intertwined. It is the “Enigma” which is definedas puzzling and mysterious, it is extremely difficult to extract a definitive meaning. In JKD, it is called “killer instinct” a method of turning fear into power, possessing the ability to remain in focus and at the same time– unleashing blinding force. I guess it is just

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the Zen of it, when terms like killer instinct can posses a blend of active and passive forces:waging war to win peace. This is enigma at its best activating a midpoint between violence and peace. The activation of killer instinct on its own can be turned on by the threat of fear, and the very nature of fear itself is something thatmost people want to avoid.Fear is a bold face emotion which rears up in all us depending on the circumstance and makes its presence in various ways. When I contemplatefear it is using every part of my being to drivemyself to survive in the face of total violence.When asked the question how to deal with fear some martial art instructors might assume their students will just react. They may expect their students to just use a technique without really knowing how to control fear. Facing fear can shut a person down no matter how many self defense techniques they possess. The ability to mold it into focused power equals training underan adrenaline response.Understanding how to access control over emotions is the combative edge in winning a street fight! It is knowledge put into practical

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power and directing its use for survival! Fear has many levels and everyone will be wired differently to deal with it. When confronted by a threatening situation fear can be turned into anger if the person who is threatened has trained in the absolute JKD system. That anger mixed with blinding focus can perhaps save theirlife. It is the ability to change a limiting belief from a disabling emotion—- into pure directed force, believing it can be accomplished.The one constant approach for my life has been the training in the JKD system and using the physical attribute training, along with what I like to call Mental JKD training too. It is vital to know how to redirect negativity withoutalways using violence. This is true because if violence is the first option used in a negative situation there can be legal battles in the aftermath which could be devastating. It is of the greatest importance to know how to overcome a dangerous street situation or otherwise the intimidation of real bully. The genesis in all of this is “mental power” and having the abilityto initiate a controlled response.

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Fighting without fighting can be the flip side to actually fighting with fighting. Deliberate, effective, communication is an essential skill which can determine how we deal with others. Master Bruce in street situations with his opponents used his ability to teach even when hewas engaged in a street fight. Bruce lee was a master in communication and possessed the best of physical and mental attributes. In reading the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, the Yin and Yang forcesof fighting without fighting and fighting with fighting share the same space; just as the symbolic Yin and Yang representation which is Lee’s symbolic signature.The art of communication is central to the humancondition and also in the development of how we direct the main focus of our lives. There has been for many years a thought and speech processwhich can determine what we pay attention to andhow we might derive success. The way that we think and the manner in which we communicate with speech makes the ultimate difference. This is the science called “Neuro Linguistic Programming” and it is the art of communication in connection with our selves and others too.

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The emergence of NLP as it is known was created by Dr. Richard Bandler in the 1970’s; and emerged, as system of using positive based language and positive mental focus. It was designed to breakthrough old negative thought patterns and develops a new response to positve conditioning.The core of NLP is based upon what an individualdesires to accomplish and how they might break something down into viable pieces to realize a finished goal. NLP is a science worth researching and it where I insert mental JKD andthe attribute of congruency; knowing exactly what we want and how we decide to respond to life. The power of response is about knowing what we focus upon and what decisions we make toattain any desirable goal.I am a Neuro Linguistic Practioner and believe that this science helps anyone to focus on what they want to achieve through mental imaging and direct positive language. In my years being a personal trainer and cardio Jeet Kune do instructor the principles of JKD and NLP have helped me and people that I’ve worked with. It has helped to restore my confidence, furthermore

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a will to survive. I have also developed a “Cardio JKD system” based on all the principles that have been taught to me over the years. I use street defense in the cardio JKD format; however it is, fighting without fighting too because very often– I am fighting demons within.These are the ones that disable an individual inovercoming their fears. A street fight may not be around the corner every day, so it is important to realize, there might be personal demons, disabling are ability to activate the success mechanism within. The art of JKD training can help anyone looking to improve their overall mental attributes for the purpose of self control, self-defense, and unified connection with a fitness harmony.The real beauty of this system is in the art of mental control which embraces life through the development of attributes which is the Yin and Yang of it in a nutshell. The fire power of JKD is in a dance called the strait blast, eye jab, knees, elbows, and head butt, which upon entering center line leaves personal demons and the street variety in a place they never should have occupied! Learning how to diffuse the

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essence of rage is essential to the physical andmental training science of JKD.The fighting without fighting approach is far superior because redirecting negative emotions– through attribute training, saves lives. This science can be applied to any internally on almost any level and changes fear into focus. Whatever style you may possess the ability to empower your mental focus combined with the development of the physical body is the truth ofa combat for a lifetime. This truth is ultimately the enigma of warrior- ism vs. pacifism. The art of human expression and expressing one’s self honestly can be achieved through Bruce Lee’s science of Jeet Kune Do and the focus of Mental JKD.

Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” –Sun Tzu

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“It is useless to fight against people’s rigid ways, or to argue against their irrational concepts. You will only waste time and make yourself rigid in the process. The best strategyis to simply accept rigidity in others, outwardly displaying deference to their need fororder. On your own, however, you must work to maintain your open spirit, letting go of bad habits and deliberately cultivating new ideas.” –Robert Greene

Imagine you are back in high school and a bully starts making fun of you in front of everyone. What do you do? Poke fun back? Cry? Run? Punch him in the face? What? The answer is none of theabove.

The best way to deal with a bully who is making fun of you is to make fun of yourself better than the bully did. The worst way to deal with abully is to retaliate. This is because retaliation perpetuates the bully’s agenda and leads to violence, whereas making fun of yourself uses self-deprecating humor to derail

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the bully’s agenda while forcing the bully into a confused psychosocial dilemma. It’s a power-play, and it’s all psychological. The bully expects you to poke fun back at him, or cry, or run, or throw a punch; anything but you making fun of yourself. And if you can do it better than the bully did, then bully for you. Pun intended.

Like Carlos Castaneda said:

“Feeling important makes one heavy, clumsy and vain. To be a warrior one needs to be light and fluid… Self-importance is man’s greatest enemy. What weakens him is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of his fellow men. Self-importance requires that one spend most of one’slife offended by something or someone… The average man is hooked to his fellow men, while the warrior is hooked only to infinity.”

Let’s shed the heaviness of self-importance and don the lightness of humor instead. Let’s feel

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“offended” but then let it go, like a sponge absorbs water and then squeezes it out. The key is not to linger with the pettiness of the offense but to transcend the offense through a humor of the most high. Be present with the offense, with the pain, with the shame, but thenrelease it through laughter. Like Mark Twain wittily opined, “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”

Boxers, MMA fighters, soldiers, martial artists,and any individual who gets their minds and bodies into peak condition: all of them are smart and healthy up until the point that they idiotically and unhealthily ruin everything theystrived for by either egotistically, patriotically and/or greedily placing themselvesinto harm’s way, thus destroying everything theyworked so hard to attain.

Almost every martial art philosophy can agree that the point of learning to fight is so that you don’t have to. But, sadly, almost every martial artist eventually gets seduced by ego,

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money, or both. Think about it. They are showcasing violence for money and ego glorification, inadvertently going against the very principles they stand (or once stood) for. Sad. You can’t even turn on the TV without seeing some idiot idiotically hitting another idiot with his/her idiot fists. Pathetic. But, hey, even Bruce Lee was victim of the ego glorification, money, and Hollywoodization of Kung Fu. Something I’m sure he would have learned to regret had he lived long enough. He was only 32 when he died.

One of the most important reasons for standing on the shoulders of giants is so that we can seefurther than they did. The “giant” in this case is Bruce Lee. The art of fighting without fighting was originally portrayed in his movie Enter the Dragon. The idea is simply based on outsmarting one’s “opponent” so that the fight never has to occur. It embraces the core principle of learning to fight so that you don’thave to, and it is inherently non-violent. Takento the next level (that is seeing further than Bruce Lee did) and applying it broadly and

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philosophically, the idea is extremely powerful,and it’s a very effective tool for an amoral agent practicing the principles of non-violence.

“You haven’t yet opened your heart fully, to life, to each moment. The peaceful warrior’s wayis not about invulnerability, but absolute vulnerability–to the world, to life, and to the Presence you felt. All along I’ve shown you by example that a warrior’s life is not about imagined perfection or victory; it is about love. Love is a warrior’s sword; wherever it cuts, it gives life, not death.” –Dan Millman

In the movie, Bruce Lee’s character “tricks” theother character in order to avoid fighting him. It’s not that he’s afraid to fight him, it’s that there really is no point in fighting him just to prove he can beat him. He knows he can beat him. But he would rather teach him a lesson. Hence the art of fighting without fighting requires tricking the situation somehow. It’s having the wherewithal to rise above the situation, using metamind. It’s not only having the capacity to outthink one’s

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opponent, it’s also the ability to out-reason one’s own emotions (i.e. rising above feelings of anger, jealousy, or revenge). It’s a kind of emotional alchemy one must master in the moment in order to get a grip on the situation before it escalates into violence.

Bruce Lee

Here’s the thing: Acting violently in a violent culture only perpetuates violence. Similarly, acting immorally in an immoral society just perpetuates immorality. Unhealthy acts beget unhealthy acts. Like Gandhi said, “An eye for aneye makes the whole world blind.” Lest the wholeworld go blind, eventually someone wise enough must wake up, swallow their pride, think wisely instead of emotionally, and put a stop to the vicious cycle. One who implements the art of fighting without fighting is precisely the one who ends the violent and immoral cycle. The tactics and methods one uses in practicing this art can be myriad and far-reaching, and always depend on the situation.

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The key is to find a middle ground. In a violentculture, the worst thing you can do is to react violently (violence should only ever be used as an act of self-defense, and even then used only as a last resort). The second worst thing you can do is to remain complacent and allow atrocities to occur. The best course of action is to be proactively non-violent through strategic and wise civil disobedience.

Similarly, in an immoral society, the worst thing is to be immoral and commit atrocities. The second worst thing is to remain too moral (goody-two-shoes, blind-faith, status quo junkies) and simply allow atrocities to occur. The best course of action is to react amorally through tactical civil disobedience against the immoral system, or by counting coup in humorous non-violent ways.

Civil disobedience is similar to “tricking” someone who wants to fight into not fighting. It’s outsmarting the bully, whether that bully is the schoolyard variety or an overreaching cop, or the State itself. Like Howard Zinn

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wrote, “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.” We solve the problem of civil obedience by implementing the art of fighting without fighting on the powers that be. Humorously shaming the system (trickingit) into becoming healthier is far superior and moral to using fear tactics and violence which is inferior and immoral.

The non-violent, amoral agent practicing the artof fighting without fighting is the key to undermining both violence and immorality, because this particular agent is the one using the art of fighting without fighting like a surgeon’s scalpel to slice open the Achilles’ Heel of the violent and immoral system. Not by attacking or harming humans, but by attacking and harming the unhealthy infrastructure (both psychological and physical) that is holding up the violent and immoral system.

The art of fighting without fighting is a celebration of trickery and satire, not guns andviolence. It’s the understanding that a violent person is almost always a symbol of failure.

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Violence is immature at best, and deadly at worst. True courage isn’t blowing up a hostile tank, it’s counting coup on your enemy in hilarious ways. It’s tricking your “opponent” into boarding a dingy so you can fight him on a nearby island, but then pushing the dingy away from the boat before boarding it. It’s making fun of yourself better than the bully did. It’s becoming the sponge, absorbing the worst the system can dish out, and then wringing it out inimaginative, paradigm crushing, comfort zone stretching, box-flattening ways. It’s mocking Power itself. It’s laughing at authority and using a sincere sense of humor to dethrone self-seriousness.

When confronted with violence, we’re conditionedto be violent. When confronted with war, we’re conditioned to want war. When teased by a bully we’re “supposed to” retaliate, or tease back, orrun, or fight. But the art of fighting without fighting changes the name of the game. It turns the tables on the psychosocial dynamic being played out. It kicks the ego off its throne of nothingness by changing the way the game is

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“usually” played. It propels us into becoming infinite players playing the game of life, instead of finite players being played by the game. It is staring into the outdated mirror of the status quo and saying, “Don’t worry so much about supposed to,” and then doing whatever is necessary to bring tonality to an otherwise atonal world. Like E.E. Cummings said, “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

SUN TZUFor to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.Variant translationsHence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

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The best victory is when the opponent surrendersof its own accord before there are any actual hostilities... It is best to win without fighting.What the ancients called a clever fighter is onewho not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

TV Trope ExampleTo Win Without Fighting"The epitome of strategy isn't winning every battle, but winning without fighting."— Sun Tzu, The Art of WarA situation where one side wins by putting the other side at such a massive disadvantage that the issue of fighting it out never comes up. Named for Sun Tzu's recommendations in The Art of War, it is often the mark of a Badass Pacifist or sometimes a Guile Hero, and particularly of the All-Loving Hero, and it often can happen on a small scale as well with one group putting the other at such a disadvantage that they give up without ever coming to blows.

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Colonel Badass has the Evil Army surrounded. Its a no-go situation for the villains. The Ragtag Bunch of Misfits have completely disabledtheir supply lines. The Cavalry that were expected to have arrived have been distracted byLa Résistance and have failed to arrive. They'relow on ammunition, starving and exhausted. The Redshirt Army mounts the ridges on all sides of the Evil Army, just about ready to launch into abrutal melee in which many of the good guys soldiers will probably die, but after which the Evil Army will be utterly annihilated.But the charge never comes... instead, a single soldier marches out of the allied ranks. The Hero gives the enemy a chance to surrender themselves, explaining that this is a Last-Second Chance and that failure to relinquish their weapons will result in their painful and bloody slaughter. And it works.General Ripper is ignored as men throw down their weapons and surrender in droves to the good guys. Drill Sergeant Nasty desperately tries to restore order but is defeated and maybeeven murdered by the soldiers he has been oppressing the spirits of for so long. The Evil

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Overlord screams in frustration and indicates for his Five-Bad Band to defend him, only for the Token Good Teammate to be the first to breakranks, followed shortly by the rest of the groupand finally, to the Big Bads horror, even his faithful dragon. The matter is completely resolved and the Evil Army disbanded without anyone getting killed by the good guys.Related is Talking the Monster to Death, where acharacter lacks overwhelming tactical superiority but instead wins by diplomacy. Another possibility for non-violent victory is Victory Through Intimidation, in which the character is weaker than the total enemy force but can bring down whichever one of them makes himself a target by starting a fight. This is opposite to Violence Is the Only Option, where any attempt to resolve the situation peacefully either fails or turns out to be a trick by the villains. For obvious reasons, The Dreaded is often invoked.This trope is a powerful tool; it leaves the impression of a powerful, impressive hero or sympathetic antagonist who has defeated his or her enemy so completely he could crush him with

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a signal... yet he doesn't, because he knows that it is not necessary. Sometimes the greatestsign of power is not having to use it. It is particularly powerful when combined with Character Development; a hero who was previouslymerciless and hot-headed, yet impotent, who grows into this wise, merciful, and yet powerfulfigure by stories end is someone who will leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Talking the Monster to DeathHas anyone tried talking to him? Violence may bethe best answer, but it's not the only answer!"— Duck DodgersThe hero has cornered the vicious monster. It's taken out everyone who has confronted it thus far, and the hero seems like no exception.That's when the hero, rather than drawing a sword, pulls out his cue cards. He begins a speech about the good things in life, the wonders of good, how Humans Are Special and the monster should respect that, etc.And it works. This hideous monster surrenders, lets itself die, chooses to Ascend to a Higher

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Plane of Existence, disappears in a Puff of Logic, or what-have-you. Basically, an organic version of the Logic Bomb.More cynically, it moves the monster just long enough for the hero's friends to open fire, shuttering out that one chance of redemption... Or it doesn't work at all and just gives the monster some open spot to attack the hero.Done well, this can be a very moving finale. Done badly, it comes across as a giant cop-out (See: Swiper, No Swiping!). Sometimes spoofed byhaving the monster giving up just to make the hero shut up.

Tsukahara Bokuden – Samurai Legend In one anecdote recorded in the Kōyō Gunkan, Bokuden was challenged by a mannerless ruffian. When asked about his style, Bokuden replied thathe studied the "Style of No Sword". The ruffian laughed and insultingly challenged Bokuden to fight him without a sword. Bokuden then agreed to fight the man without his sword but suggestedthey row out to a nearby island on Lake Biwa to avoid disturbing others. The ruffian agreed, butwhen he jumped from the boat to the shore of the

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island, drawing his blade, Bokuden pushed the boat back out, leaving the ruffian stranded on the island. Bokuden explained: "This is my no-sword school".While travelling on a ferry, a young samurai began bullying and intimidating some of the other passengers, boasting of his fighting prowess and claiming to be the best in the country with a samurai sword.

When the young warrior noticed how unmoved Bokuden was, he was enraged and not knowing who he was dealing with challenged the old master toa duel. Bokuden told him; “My art is different from yours. It consists notso much in defeating others but in not being defeated.” He continued to inform him that his school was called The Mutekatsu Ryu meaning ‘to defeat an enemy without hands’. The young samurai saw thisas cowardice and demanded satisfaction so he told the boats-man to stop at an island so they could do battle there.

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However when he jumped into the shallow waters to make his way to the fight venue, Bokuden got hold of the boats-man’s pole and proceeded back to deeper waters minus a now irate young samurai. The wise old master laughed and shoutedto his would be adversary; “Here is my no sword school!”

Tsukahara Bokuden Defeats a Braggart[Note: There are many versions of this story, and these events have even been attributed to other warriors. The tale was likely passed around orally before it was written down myriad times in myriad different ways (most famously inthe Kōyō Gunkan.) The details of the story aren’t important; it’s the overall moral of the story and that remains the same from one versionto the next.]Tsukahara Bokuden listened to the braggart nauseating the ferry passengers with graphic details of his “exploits.” Bokuden would have

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happily ignored the young samurai, but the cockyyouth seemed eager to take offense at the lack of interest in his tales of hacking people to bits and was looking for a fight. The other passengers on the boat were all commoners: an elderly man who was probably a craftsman or a small business merchant, and a mother with her young child.

“Do you doubt me? Do you have the audacity to call me a liar,” The young man said, having not received a suitably enthusiastic response to hisstories. And he stood, one hand on his scabbard and the other brushing his sword’s hilt.

Tsukahara Bokuden said, “Easy, young man. No oneis calling you a liar. These good people are just not used to such bloody stories.”

The young samurai turned to eye Bokuden, who hadappeared to be napping in the back earlier. The braggart asked, “And who are you to challenge me?”

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“I didn’t challenge you. I merely explained these people’s lack of enthusiasm for your yarns. But if you must know, I am Tsukahara Bokuden,” he replied, hoping his name might givethe bragging samurai pause. Bokuden was well-known, having traversed Japan in musha shugyō (sometimes related to the European “knights errantry,”musha shugyō was a time in a samurai’slife–particularly in times of relative peace–when he traveled the land engaging in matches with individuals from other schools to increase his skill and notoriety–i.e. if he didn’t get killed, which was not uncommon, even when the fight was with wooden swords.)

“I’ve never heard of you. What’s your style?” the cocky samurai asked.

“Mine is the School of No-Sword,” replied Bokuden.

“I’ve never heard of that school, but it sounds weak,” the braggart said.

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“I assure you, the technique is quite powerful,”Bokuden said.

“Are you suggesting that you could defeat me with this so-called ‘no sword’ technique?” the braggart said, his hand tightening on his scabbard.

“I said nothing of the sort. I would just like to enjoy the remainder of the ferry ride in peace,” said Bokuden.

“Are you scared to have a match to see who’s style is better?” the cocky youth asked.

“Not in the least, but I see no benefit in it either,” Bokuden replied.

“I’ve had enough of your lip, old man, prepare to defend yourself,” said the young samurai.

Bokuden sighed, “If you insist upon a match, letus at least do so where these good people’s lives will not be in peril. Surely you’ll agree that it would do no great honor to the samurai

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class if we were to injure or kill innocent bystanders.”

At this the braggart just harrumphed, “Who cares, but I’ll take you on wherever you wish.”

Tsukahara Bokuden said to the oarsman, “Sorry totrouble you, but would you mind diverting to drop us on that outcrop so that we can spare these people the swinging blades.”

The oarsman was readily agreeable. He didn’t want two samurai fighting on his ferryboat any more than Bokuden did.

He rowed them to a stony outcrop that jutted up out of the water. The uneven rocky ground wasn’tideal for a match, but it would spare the other passengers and would provide a challenge.

When the boat’s bow ground up against the rock, the young samurai jumped out, twisting around inair, and landed on the rock. The braggart held his scabbard and hilt at the ready for a swift draw. The young man was eager to do battle, and

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it was clear that he was annoyed with Tsukahara Bokuden’s slow movement. The older swordsman took out both of his swords and asked one of thepassengers to hold the swords. The oarsman and the passengers were surprised by this disarming behavior, but they’d heard him call his school the “school of no-sword.”

Tsukahara Bokuden then moved up to the boat’s bow as if preparing to move ashore.

“Might I borrow your oar, young man?” Bokuden said to the oarsman. The oarsman nodded and handed Bokuden the long oar with two hands, and with his head bowed. The general assumption was that the older samurai wanted to stabilize the boat against the rock so he could pass ashore smoothly.

Taking the oar, Bokuden drove one end into the outcrop, and grabbed the other pushing the boat away from the rock. The boat glided out from therock in an accelerating fashion.

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Lunging toward the water’s edge, the perplexed braggart called out, “What on earth are you doing, old man?”

To which Bokuden replied, “I’m defeating you with the school of no sword.”

By the time the young samurai could remove his swords and tug away his outer garment, Bokuden had rowed out to deep waters and returned the oar to the oarsman.