Martial Arts Over Training - Important Martial Principle While Driving a Car

The best martial artists don't limit their training to a few hours a week. They are constantly bettering themselves in the martial arts by learning to live their principles. After all, if it's good enough for the dojo or garage, then it's probably a principle that you could apply to life. I wonder how many martial-arts will ignore this sound advice for staying safe. Are you serious enough about the martial arts that you'd change your lifestyle to incorporate this martial principle?

Important Martial Principle When You Are Driving

I have two friends who look at me, when they talk -- while they are driving and I am in the passenger seat. They also look away from the road to notice beautiful females, sporty cars, and other distractions.

I also have friends and relatives who exhibit unsafe driving practices -- they are the "quick-motion" drivers, and the cellphone drivers (handheld phones in cars). Does all of this seem minor? Are you wondering how all of this pertains to over training and martial-arts principles?

Let's go back to the looking away from the road while driving...

Dangerous "Un-Martial-Arts-Like" Driving Behavior

This behavior especially bothers me, when they are approaching a red light. The cars in front of them are stopped or are slowing down. Do my friends slow down as they approach the brake lights in front of them?

No, not at all.

Do they at least keep their eyes on the car stopped or slowing in front of them?

Not a chance.

In fact they look away from the road. It's as if they ... "just checked the car in front, so they can look away, because nothing out of the ordinary could possibly happen that would cause the

car in front of them to suddenly hit the brakes and stop short." (Wishful thinking on their part.) Anyway, I was pondering all of this the last time I was in the car with a friend, as I grabbed the hand-grip above the passenger window inside the car, to brace myself in case we crashed.

I suddenly had an "Aha! Moment." A true epiphany.

Bruce Lee Martial Arts Principle

The reason that their cavalier driving makes me so uncomfortable is that I was taught in martial arts "never to take my eyes of the opponent." (Credit to Bruce Lee.)

In my mind, the car in front of me is like my opponent.

It's sheer folly to look away.

Note: Remember, I tend to avoid 'spinning' kicks and hits for the very same reason.

I want to keep my eyes on my opponent at all times....

And I want my friends to keep their eyes on the car in front of them, too.

Martial Arts Over Training

Now, imagine if you always reinforce the principle of keeping your eyes on your opponent. Every time you are behind the wheel, you make it a point to practice internalizing this principle. You'll over train the idea by imprinting it so often, and so blatantly on your brain.

You'll always remember to focus on your opponent. (And you might even stay alive while driving.) At the very least, you will be spending your driving time considering martial principles, rather than yapping on the cell phone, and possibly (if you have a hand held phone) endangering the rest of us.

Now, are there other martial principles you could ponder while driving, riding a bike, or walking? If you are looking to be prepared, just in case, then ...

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Keith Pascal is a martial-arts writer and has taught martial arts for 25 years.