| The real warrior does his job. | | | | walking the beat. |
| The real warrior does not seek out accolades or | | | | It's important to realize that Men like these |
| glory. | | | | epitomize what it means to be a real warrior. |
| The real warrior remembers fallen comrades as | | | | They survived combat on the streets and in the |
| the real heroes. | | | | jungles. They went out prepared to commit |
| The real warrior protects himself, his family, and | | | | violence not because they in enjoyed it, but out |
| his country out of duty, not expectation of | | | | of a sense of duty. |
| thanks or reward. | | | | Sadly society does not seem to applaud their kind |
| The real warrior never brags about scraps, kills, or | | | | of service any longer. |
| combat. | | | | All over the country fire departments are in |
| In the immortal words of everyone's favorite | | | | desperate need of volunteers. A young person |
| master, Yoda... | | | | that wants to serve in law enforcement is often |
| Adventure? Heh. Excitement? Heh. A Jedi craves | | | | discouraged in favor of more lucrative career |
| not these things... | | | | path. And those joining the military are called |
| So, how do you pick out a true warrior from the | | | | stupid or murderers. |
| THOUSANDS of soldiers, cops, martial artists, | | | | Some parents even discourage martial arts and |
| athletes, and other assorted toughies? | | | | self defense training because they don't want |
| Simple. The ones that make you laugh hardest | | | | their children to get hurt or become violent bullies. |
| are the toughest. | | | | Recently, an anti-war activist, Jesse Adam |
| It's absolutely true. The toughest men I've met | | | | Macbeth was arrested for falsifying documents. |
| throughout my life always have the best sense of | | | | He claimed he was a medal-winning Army Ranger |
| humor. | | | | who had serviced in Iraq. |
| While they never brag, and rarely talk of courage | | | | However, not only didn't he serve in Iraq, but he |
| and honor, they often share their knowledge and | | | | washed out of boot camp 6 weeks in. |
| experiences through humorous accounts of their | | | | Conjuring up completely false accounts of orders |
| adventures. Even when it concerns the most | | | | to commit atrocities against the Iraqi people, he |
| dangerous and deadliest of situations. | | | | touted stories of killing and violent mutilation in an |
| A few years ago, I was visiting an injured friend | | | | attempt to further his cause. But like many "fake" |
| in the hospital who mentioned that the gentlemen | | | | tough guys, he was eventually called out on the |
| in the next room were "absolutely hilarious", and | | | | carpet and exposed for the fraud he was. |
| that I had to stop in to say hi. As it turned out, | | | | In the martial arts and self defense arena, |
| one was a Marine who had served in the Pacific | | | | inexperienced "tough-talkers" are unfortunately |
| during WWII, and the other man had been a | | | | the rule, not the exception. |
| Navy SEAL and street cop. | | | | 99.9% of all martial arts instructors have never |
| The older man was modest about his service, and | | | | been in so much as a kiddie playground scuffle, |
| simply told funny stories of his goofy friends | | | | never mind a drag-out fight for their life. |
| from basic training and in his squad. | | | | They teach theorized, unproven, nonsense that |
| Like most tough bastards, he didn't go into much | | | | gives practitioners a false sense of confidence, |
| detail about his combat experiences, but it was | | | | and a dangerous "untouchable" attitude that will |
| blatantly obvious that he was in it deep as a few | | | | get you killed if attacked by a hardened criminal. |
| of his stories revolved around to hand-to-hand | | | | And when protecting your family or your life, is |
| combat and cleaning his bayonet. | | | | not the time to find out that "Master Yells-A-Lot" |
| The other man was a Vietnam Vet, who was | | | | really is "Master Full-of it". |
| involved in the Navy's transition from UDTs | | | | REAL self defense is ugly, violent, and brutal...which |
| (Underwater Demolition Teams) to the SEALs | | | | is why those of us who've experienced it, dealt |
| (Sea Air Land) in an effort to become even more | | | | with it, or teach it have to balance it all out with |
| effective in unconventional warfare. | | | | humor. |
| He was also a police officer for one of the dirtiest | | | | While there is nothing funny about death, war, or |
| and most violent towns on the East coast. | | | | violence...real "tough-guys" train hard and laugh |
| And again, this combat hardened tough-guy, | | | | hard. Because when it's all said and done, the |
| completely downplayed his service by telling | | | | laughter is what our friends and family will |
| stories of what he and his buddies did for fun to | | | | remember...Not the violence. |
| keep themselves entertained during the war and | | | | |