The Last Samurai
Last night, I watched the movie The Last Samurai for the first time. Yes, it’s an old movie; and I’m not a huge Tom Cruise fan (which is probably why I never took the time to see it when it came out). Anyway, regardless of my affinity for the star, I have to say this movie had me on the edge of my seat for two and a half hours.
I could go into all the details; but instead I’m going to just touch on one of the things I was reminded of as I watched the movie. This point is just one of many that struck me as I sat there in awe; so I would say watch it to learn more! However, here is what I wanted to share today…
In one scene of The Last Samurai, Tom Cruise’s character is walking through the city; on his way to do a grand thing (don’t want to spoil the plot!). Knowing he may try this, his enemies have men following him. Soon Cruise is surrounded by his detractors, and they are armed with sticks and self defense weapons (the type used in the late 1800’s…in China). It isn’t the moves that are thrown around in this scene that are so amazing; it is what Cruise’s character does BEFORE he engages in a fight with the thugs facing him.
Before ever moving a finger, Cruise closes his eyes. In a few short moments, his character has run through the entire fight scene in his head. And with that, he takes out all 5 guys who wish him dead. The scene holds a great deal of power and appeal; but it also holds a great lesson for anyone engaged in martial arts training or self defense.
In self defense, part of the art itself is that of anticipation. Anticipation is more than just paying attention and being aware; it is like predicting what your opponent will do and planning how you will respond. This is not a basic principle taught in most martial arts training programs. In fact, it may not be taught in all self defense programs either. But it is a tip I am giving you. If you want to be a stellar protector of your person; your friends or family; then you need to remember to anticipate.
The way you learn to anticipate in self defense is to visualize. I’ve talked about this before. Just like Tom Cruise did in The Last Samurai, you need to imagine scenarios in which you would have to employ self defense skills. What would you do if approached at the gas pump? How would you keep a safe distance between yourself and a stranger? What would you do if this person actually made a move to attack you or rob you?
Thinking through scenarios is the best way to train your brain to respond quickly and effectively should you be forced to. If you don’t practice in this way, then you may have a slower response to an attack. That slower response makes a big difference in who wins the confrontation.
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