Practitioners of reality-based fighting arts are morally obligated to use their skills only in the direst of circumstances Richard Ryan (left) says. PHOTO BY RICK HUSTEAD

There was a time when some people thought a black belt had to register his hands as deadly weapons with the police. This belief implies that martial artists have a greater responsibility to society than do average citizens and that a black belt automatically turns its wearer into a lethal weapon. No one believes that anymore, but it does raise an interesting question: Do martial artists have a greater moral responsibility than ordinary people when it comes to going out of their way to avoid trouble?

The majority of traditional sensei would answer yes. Some of the more socially conscious aspects of martial arts instruction focus on honor, humility, respect and a spiritual approach that produces practitioners who often manifest a greater sense of moral responsibility.

The real question is, “Is there a special moral imperative implied by the study of an activity that deals so blatantly with force and violence?” Many who practice and teach modern martial arts tend to de-emphasize the spiritual aspects of their heritage in favor of more practical elements of combat training. They believe instructors should teach conflict-avoidance dance techniques, legal aspects of the use of force, fear-management and cerebral self-defense, along with practical skills and tactics. But do they also have a responsibility to teach a code of honor or a social conscience along with that real world fighting skill? Some say no, especially those who teach eclectic martial arts.

Many of today's mixed-martial arts practitioners and those involved in sport fighting argue that they're fighters and not role models or moral policemen. Others disagree, proclaiming that we're forsaking our heritage and forgetting the very things that separate true martial artists from those who just know how to fight.

The issue of moral responsibility in the martial arts is really about moral fairness. As an individual in a free society, you have an inalienable right to think and do what you like as long as it doesn't infringe on other people's rights or cause them harm. Think of it this way: You're alone on a desert island. You can do whatever you want, including practicing the arts of war. You don't have to adhere to any particular moral code or social contract.

However, the moment you learn that another person is on the island, everything changes. The new inhabitant has exactly the same rights as you, and interaction with him demands a considerable degree of responsibility when it comes to the use of force.

If you get into an altercation with him and you have a superior weapon while he's unarmed, you're morally obligated to try to avoid any conflict that might lead to your having to use that weapon. Knowing how to fight is like walking around with a .45-caliber pistol strapped to your hip-only in the martial arts, you're the weapon, and no one can see it until you throw a technique. If you're highly skilled, you have an unfair advantage over the average Joe, especially if you practice a reality-based fighting art.

When I was younger, I spent some time working as a professional bodyguard. Part of my job was to "shadow" a specified person by blending in with the crowd and the environment and becoming as inconspicuous as possible. I would just be one of the guys until I was needed; then I would explode, seemingly out of nowhere to overwhelm the assailant using the element of surprise. Potential foes didn't view me as a threat, and I had a tremendous advantage in the initial stages of any conflict because it's hard to stop what you don't see coming.

And that's my point: If you're a trained martial artist, especially one who practices reality-based fighting, you have an undeniable edge over the average Joe. The garden-variety drunk who may pick a fight with you on a Saturday night isn't usually overly dangerous, and you probably don't want to rip out his eyeballs because he shoved you.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying that everyone who studies the martial arts is deadly in comparison to the average person. Anyone who thinks that is naive. I know guys who never took a day of martial arts in their lives but could stomp most black belts into a mud hole in seconds. You shouldn't underestimate anyone, but as a martial artist, you should also gauge your response to the specific threat.

Studying the martial arts should be more than just learning new and better ways to beat people up. It should be more than winning a trophy or earning another belt. It should be about teaching people to be better human beings. It should be about conveying positive values along with the right cross. It should be about protecting another person's life, as well as preserving your own.

The serious study of the martial arts automatically carries a certain degree of moral responsibility, and the better you get at your style, the more responsible you must be in its application. In Spider-Man, there was a wonderful line: "With great power comes great responsibility." Martial artists would do well to remember that.

About the author: Richard Ryan is the founder of Dynamic Combat and the creator of the Tactical Defense Training System. For more information, visit http://www.blackbeltmag.com and click on Community, then Black Belt Authors.

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