The True Warrior

By the Real Frank Dux

Before cultures moved from being isolated feudal societies to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized nation state, anyone engaged in devoting themself to warfare was referred to as “warrior.”

A person who similarly shows or had shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness as happens in politics or sports was not.

The term Warrior is honorific, reserved and in various cultures they may represent an entire social cast as in the case of feudal Japan’s infamous Samurai.

With the introduction of industrial revolution and mass media, its marketers hijack speech. This is overtly evident when athletes are conceived to be “warriors” by legions of their fans.

The term warrior is appropriated, overused and under-appreciated.

Dare visit a battlefield to experience the sounds of agony, fear, wake up to the smell of burning flesh and rotting corpses to look into eyes that have a 1000-mile stare that conveys they are hardened by the experience, veterans have every right to feel slighted when the honored title “warrior” is trivialized.

For instance, while well intentioned when you call a person a warrior to make someone feel better when a health or other unwelcome personal tragedy invades a life, warriors choose to put themselves in harm’s way as it is not chosen for them by fate and circumstance.

As a lion recognizes a “pussycat” trained itself to roar like a lion, so do authentic warriors, martial artists, recognize a “role player” playing at it; comfortably delude themselves into believing they are “a lion.”

The term warrior is appropriated, overused and under-appreciated. Dare visit a battlefield to experience the sounds of agony, fear, wake up to the smell of burning flesh and rotting corpses to look into eyes that have a 1000-mile stare that conveys they are hardened by the experience, veterans have every right to feel slighted when the honored title “warrior” is trivialized.

Their bravado ends past a keyboard or camera lens. Anyone experienced in the murderous violence of war recognizes all too well what type of deluded soul I am talking about or perhaps, even whom, comparatively, being born with a penis and growing into adulthood does not automatically make you a “man” in any conservative traditional usage of the word.

Likewise, not all martial artists who have a martial art lineage should ever be worthy of being thought of or called a “warrior.” Their self-image ends abruptly if a Hemmingway’s moment of truth arrives for them.

For instance, while well intentioned when you call a person a warrior to make someone feel better when a health or other unwelcome personal tragedy invades a life, warriors choose to put themselves in harm’s way as it is not chosen for them by fate and circumstance. But are as ferocious as a baby sheep trapped neck high in mud.

There is no birthright, no grant of inheritance, NO MENKYO KAIDEN (license of transmission) that makes you a bona fide “warrior.” This honorific term once had interchangeable meaning with the term Martial Artist. That meaningful interconnectivity ending in confusion over how social boundaries are nonexistent and most anyone is free to call themselves a martial artist without ever touching hands with another person.

“The warrior embraces and perfects violence to accomplish the mission with specific ends and within the context of serving a higher purpose - opposed to feeding an insatiable ego”.

A warrior is an instrument of destruction that trains to be so, relentlessly; is pressure tested; “tastes bitterness” as the Shaolin say. The warrior embraces and perfects violence to accomplish the mission with specific ends and within the context of serving a higher purpose opposed to feeding an insatiable ego. The later, being your certificate swapping trophy chasers in the martial arts community.

Sadly, I look around me and I witness the word warrior along with martial art titles arbitrarily awarded, granted, and purchased! Selfishness corrupts the meaning and prestiege.

“Warrior” is a mantle that must be taken through affliction and ratified by contribution. In an of itself struggle and suffering does not make an authentic warrior, a martial artist.

Warriors do not need to put on airs as they recognize wars aren’t fought and won by grandstanding, lone individuals. A kitchenhand is as vital and valuable as a rifleman who depends on the kitchen hand to keep him fed, to continue to kill the enemy.

General Patton’s legendary address to the 3 rd Army Group corroborates this reality. While there may co-exist many visions of what the journey looks like only one true path can be traveled down to arrive at and know the true meaning of the honorific title -“warrior.”

Since, there is nothing unique about struggle and suffering. Each of us spends our lives in struggle and suffering. There is no escaping it for anyone.

To suggest enduring these experiences qualifies you to call yourself a warrior trivializes those who willingly wrote the ultimate check for their nation. Made apparent on my nation’s Memorial Day dedicated to honoring it’s fallen warriors.

Warriors are those who went to or prepare themselves for war. That’s it in a nutshell. And yet, we hear words justice and social warriors riding on the coattails of brave men and women. This is done to make the movement appear just as noble… in whose eyes?

Are these “justice warriors” any different from those advertising martial art home study courses promising to transform adolescent children into the “Ultimate Warrior?” With “role players” serving as the industry luminaries. The kind of person whose most traumatic experience is being rejected by someone they ask to be their prom date, still brooding.

No distinction can ever exist between the warrior class and citizens if class struggle and suffering is the criteria. From the moment we all come into this world we cried our tiny lungs out until our needs are met.

A repetitive pattern of behavior that continues for some well into adulthood. Therefore, logically, enduring struggle and suffering alone is not a determining qualifier. Why would it be?

Warfare is not a contest where the greater the challenges you face in this life the more transformed or relevant you are valued in being a warrior.

Problems defining one’s relevancy maybe acceptable in women’s sewing circles. Not in the company of men or women that face or tasted the sting of real battle.

Responsibilities and capabilities define the classes amongst authentic warriors. A warrior is many things and, unmistakably, the destroyer of other’s worlds by way of being skilled in the application of the military arts. They can be a life coach, unlicensed psychologist, or glorified babysitter.

Since, part of their duty is to uplift those who may not be able to do it for themselves. Even if that is being an example for others to follow.

Why there exist the warrior ethos that defines a warrior from the barbarian or terrorist that fancy him or herself, a warrior.

A warrior, a bona fide martial art expert, is nothing short of someone capable of raining down absolute hell. But the real warrior keeps it under control until justified to do so.

Someone, so skilled at neutralizing a threat they perform at lightning speed. Likewise, in the blink of an eye a warrior is capable of great personal sacrifice. They connect with and uplift others. They enjoy a brother and sisterhood experience.

A warrior will throw themselves on a grenade to spare the lives of their comrades while a soldier in combat stands there frozen at the prospect of death. While sacrifice and bravery helps define who is a warrior from whom is not this act by itself, is not good enough.

Unveiling the truth about ourselves is the only means to defeat the internal and external enemy of us needed before any battle is fought and this trait is the earmark of a warrior.

The notion showing bravery in the face of great adversity makes you a warrior is derived out of how in becoming a warrior one must endure what I call: “The Furnace of Affliction.”

The term stems from Isaiah 48:10, NIV: “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”

The context of the “furnace of affliction” that Isaiah is referring to, is one where our spirit is tested; we either give up and become cowardly, bitter, and resentful or we look inward -- find the strength to keep believing we shall overcome even though all outcomes look unfavorable.

An experience of great affliction helps to create our definitive shape, from where we come to know ourselves, formulate, our character. Being subjected to afflictions makes us able to compare ourselves to our enemies.

Making comparisons dictates tactics by which to defeat others. Men understand the value of undergoing such harsh experiences. You cannot become a man without it. Boys never knowing a furnace of affliction, coddled by their mothers, never grow into men.

Mentoring by men helps boys and us understand how while criminals are capable of great violence, invariably, they fall short of transformation into being warriors.

They have no context provided them in navigating violence that must be instilled by others this is carried out with a sense of defining purpose; where it is warriors and men forge and shape in their Furnace of Affliction uncompromising terms that defines them to themselves.

Being capable of violence used in a meaningful purposeful way is what defines and separates a good man from a coward and a warrior from a homicidal maniac.

Violence in and of itself cannot define the warrior, and neither, a genuine practitioner of traditional Asian martial arts.

Therefore, be careful if you aren’t what you say you are. Tread very lightly as you may not survive a “Furnace of Affliction” you make and toss yourself into by being a snarky-shit poser, trivializing, diluting the honored term “warrior.”

The title warrior and the warrior culture itself have and will always be defined by its vitally important role in how it prepares, protects and/or expands the goals of their society.

Contributions to society in the form of perfecting violence is why a warrior is not limited to the male gender.

But violence does separate out the authentic from those who are a “role-playing” glorified entertainer, babysitter.

Along with those who think showing some form of bravery allows them the right to appropriate to them the term of honor, “warrior.” Who will dare to wear all the trappings of a genuine martial artist without really earning rank, have all the measurable skill sets of one.

Nothing but a wanton desire of “maintaining the peace” in their own life prevents any genuine warrior from decimating the life of anyone who offends their sensibilities in their presence.

About the Author

Frank Dux is best known as the creative mind of the hit blockbuster film “Bloodsport” and “The Quest”. He has written the book “the Secret Man” Published orginally by Haper Collins publishers.

He currently heads up the new Black Dragon Fighting Society and lectures and teaches tactical techniques to law enforcement.

Frank currently is working on the finishing touches of his newest book, “Ninja’s are Bullshit” . A new enlightening account of the true origins and understanding of Ninjutsu and his involvement with the real history of its use.

Frank Dux is a monthly columnist to International Martial Arts Magazine, where you can find his interesting perspective on the martial arts and the martial arts community.