Category Archives: Philosophy

Tradition, Truth, and Belief Revision

Leave a reply

darwin-008

 

Below is a short video of a fight between a young man who claimed to be a Ninja, and MMA fighter, Dominick Cruz.

Take a look – then read below.

 

Regards the ethics of this, let’s assume the ‘Ninja’ isn’t mentally ill, and let’s assume he demanded the fight. Given both, I think these sorts of match ups can occasionally be justified; though I would have preferred to see Cruz, who was never in any danger, use less head trauma – especially the elbows from mount.

That said let’s look at this event from a slightly different angle.

In years past, when MMA was just beginning and still known as Vale Tudo or NHB (No Holds Barred), these kinds of matches weren’t uncommon. Why? Because Traditional Martial Arts practitioners of all styles and backgrounds, really believed what they did worked. They didn’t know any better. The UFC was in its infancy, and absent a background in combat athletics – wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, etc., why would they know what they were doing was make believe?

The Traditional Martial Arts contained extensive and detailed dogma that seemed to resemble something that could be mistaken for evidence. Those techniques, those beliefs, were then placed in neat patterns. And, as with all ideological based systems, those patterns started at the conclusion and worked backwards. You knew what your opponent would do, and therefore, you could respond in a manner that was choreographed, neatly packaged, and cool looking. No functional resistance, no critical thinking – required.

You can no more blame a sincere Wing Chun, Aikido, Silat, Kali, Kung Fu, or other form of fantasy based Martial Arts practitioner for thinking what they did would actually work against someone skilled at boxing and wrestling, then you could blame a 19th century intellectual for thinking the arguments made by William Paley were rock solid prior to the spread of Darwin’s expositions on natural selection post 1859.

But 1859 has long past, and we are now well past the 200th UFC. The evidence for a pecking order in learning/training/discovering methods, is overwhelming and beyond the point of mystery.

On one hand you have science, with its demand for truth, repeated experiments, and methodology that starts with a question and works to a conclusion by following the evidence where it leads. Form following function.

On the other hand you have tradition, with its demand for faith, repeated dogma, and methodology that starts with a conclusion and then works its way backwards. Function following form.

These two systems for learning aren’t just different, they’re antithetical; and only one delivers anything we could ever call truth.

What do I mean by “truth”?

I mean a measurement that is likely to admit to ever increasing complexity.

There is a distance that exists between the Sun and the Earth. There is a best-known way to execute a rear naked choke that cuts off the blood supply to another human being’s head. The universe admits to the natural laws of physics. The human animal admits to the natural laws of physics. And while true that as our instrumentation improves and our methods of measurement or movement advance, that distance, and that technique, will admit to ever increasing complexity – that reality does not mean that such a distance or that current best practice, doesn’t exist. Nor does it mean that one measurement, or method, will not be more accurate than another.

That understanding, the fallacy of relativistic thinking applied to empirical questions – is vital.

So our Ninja stumbles headlong into the reality of what scientific training can produce. It’s no surprise he’s beaten quickly. Like all things rooted in strong evidence, superior training methods produce more predictable outcomes.

What may in fact be more interesting is what our Ninja, having been forced to submit in the wake of overwhelming evidence, will choose to do after the fight ends.

He has three options.

First, he can dive straight into denial. That isn’t uncommon. And that choice will require a consistent and somewhat tiring effort on his part to ruthlessly avoid any evidence that contradicts his current theology. He can’t take BJJ or MMA classes and remain in denial, because these arts force you to submit publicly, and if you want to gain skill, repeatedly. The evolution book has to remain closed. The critical thinking has to remain safely boxed away from a belief system that must now stay tucked inside a doxastically-closed mind. If it doesn’t, he’ll be forced to come face to face with his own cognitive dissonance. That can be uncomfortable. And if his anxiety at that uncomfort is stronger than his desire for the truth, then in the congregation he will stay.

That congregation, assuming he has one, will help protect his cognitive dissonance. After all, that is in part what congregations evolved to do. They will reinforce the faith. They will tell him that even if he tapped repeatedly, it still wasn’t the “street”. In the street, he could have used a groin strike. In the street he could have won. The experiments are rigged. The scientists are biased. Never mind they achieve the same results worldwide. They don’t understand the lineage. After all, our enlightened prophet was able to fight her way out of a burning monastery using only her sticking hands skills derived from the sacred Sil Lum Tao. Our Sensei once knocked a bull unconscious with just one punch, don’t they know? How could generation upon generation be wrong? Our Tradition stretches back to the Shaolin Temple, when apostles performed miracles. With a little back patting, a little chanting, a run through the Kata a few hundred more times, another ten readings of the same verses, and some prayer – the TMA practitioner will forget it’s all make believe.

Yes, the comfort of Plato’s cave. Why see what’s real when you’ve grown so fond of the shadows?

Option two is slightly different, and upon superficial glance appears more advanced. But appearances are frequently deceptive. Option two is the attempt to reconcile these two competing versions of reality. On one hand, the Tradition failed him. On the other, that doesn’t mean it’s not effective, it just means it is from a Non-Overlapping Magisteria. After all, isn’t that what the late, great, MMA coach, Stephen Jay Gould would say?

MMA is for fighting, but sombrada, kata, djurus , Ninjustu – those are for “self-perfection”, or – the “street”.

Science is after all, just one, limited way to view the world. There are others. Sure you can gather evidence from resisting opponents. But, you can also repeat the patterns and gain a wealth of insight and wisdom from the clues left behind by the enlightened ancient ones.

Didn’t Krishnamurti himself declare, “Truth is a pathless land?” There is after all, no such thing as “Truth”. All truth is relative. Our candid indifference to a hierarchy of epistemologies doesn’t betray a casual relationship to reality – instead it’s a virtue signal, one that demonstrates our superior, “spiritual” nature. Everything works in the right time and place, right? There is no “better” way. A flying sidekick might seem silly, until you’re trying to knock a man off a horse. The notion that this might be a belief only possible in an era where battles on horseback have long since ended, never needs to be addressed. As Guru Dan says, “All traditions have something good.”

Given that reconciliation between fantasy and reality, our Ninja can now safely take BJJ class, tap out, learn, and when later asked to demonstrate some Ninjutsu, he can show the armbar he’s been pulling off in class, and declare “that’s always been in our Ninja katas, Soke Masaaki Hatsumi taught it years ago.”

And what if he’s called out on that untruth by others recognizing his TMA as a form of incompatible superstition, what does he do then? Well, then he can play the card available to all relativists – he can label one “faith”, and amenable to no form of scientific testing. It’s simply ‘too dangerous’ for MMA.

“MMA is for fighting, it’s a science – Ninjutsu is for self-perfection, it is a matter of faith.”

And with that, all dialogue ends – because the faith card is the ace up the sleeve of anyone willing to turn a blind eye to truth; and the fallacious claim of Non-Overlapping-Magisteria, is the protector of anyone who wants to remain blind.

That’s option two, and it too, is common. By adopting Inosanto style relativism, the Ninja can safely attempt to bind together Sclerotic Tradition and Living Science. Their antithetical nature denied; our TMA moderate also provides cover with his arguments for his fundamentalist Ninja practitioners. A side effect most moderate Ninjas prefer to avoid acknowledging, but a reality nonetheless.

Our third option is, I would submit, the only healthy one.

Our Ninja realizes he’s been mistaken. There is a better way to train. There are better methods. There are more accurate conclusions. And being humble enough, being smart enough, and being strong enough to let go of the old, he fully embraces the new.

Over time, as he advances in the scientific methods, he becomes a teacher who can build a bridge for others who are crossing over from the realm of TMA superstition, into the beauty of MMA science. The energy that would otherwise be wasted defending the indefensible is freed up for better, more worthy purposes. The impoverished thinking of a relativistic mind is replaced with the wisdom that welcomes and appreciates the sincere pursuit of truth. In short, he evolves.

That requires one thing that is absolutely essential to all forms of human advancement, including progress of moral character – the willingness to revise one’s beliefs in light of new evidence.

If you’re holding onto a tradition, Martial Arts related or otherwise, ask yourself, what would it take for you to change your mind? What evidence would you need to be presented with, in order to revise your own beliefs?

If your answer is “nothing” – step back and recognize you’ve now rendered yourself immune to improvement.

Truth, the measurement that is likely to admit to ever increasing complexity – in so far as the topic you’re unwilling to be moved on is concerned – is no longer alive within you. In Plato’s cave you’ll stay.

Don’t be that Ninja.

The ABC’s of keeping our daughters safe (part 1):

Leave a reply

Anika

Given recent news in Orlando, writing about solutions to problematic violence seems more daunting. What I’ll be posting here will be for the most part, pieces of the larger work that I’m finishing. This will include essays on mass shootings, and guns. Two topics I am asked frequently about. 

But – I cannot move forward without acknowledging how sad I’ve been at some of the explanations and misguided theories I’ve heard regarding why this Jihadist did what he did in Florida, on June 12th. Some of the worst articles contained the presupposition that ‘masculinity’ itself, was the core problem. That isn’t just a nauseating and incorrect idea – it’s a backwards and dangerous one. And understanding why, is crucial to anyone who is interested in keeping themselves, and others, safe.

This brings me to some of the responses I’ve received related to my last two pieces: It Takes Mentors to Make Men and Appropriate Response Training – and Dads 

A few people expressed concern that I was focusing only on young men. As a father of two daughters, I can promise, that isn’t the case. In general, what serves as sound self-defense advice for boys, is also sound self-defense advice for girls – though there are crucial differences that need to be brought into focus.

What’s posted below is part one of a three part series from my upcoming work that spotlights what I as a father teach my own daughters. And if much of it strikes you as ‘masculine‘, i.e. traits like assertiveness, bluntness, and direct action – then you may be starting to get the larger point.

When it comes to the majority of problematic violence, masculinity is never the problem – a lack of masculine fathers in the home, is.

IMG_6569

The ABC’s of keeping our daughters safe (part 1):

Whenever there is a discussion of people’s values and personal philosophy, you’ll hear a wide variety of thoughts, ideas, and banter, but, where it truly matters, is where we have skin in the game. How do we raise our children? A parent’s behavior towards their children, around their children, and in conversation with their children, is one of the best laboratories we have for viewing what that parent truly believes important. The world of theoretical philosophy and everyday reality collide head on in what we teach our kids. As a father of four children, including two young daughters, I’ve thought about this a lot. What I’ll share with you now is what I strive to teach them.

Outside maturity, no other single factor will keep you safer than applied intelligence.

Being smart matters a lot. And when it comes to violence, learning to become smarter, more intelligent in our approach to threats, is the cornerstone of progress.

What are the main things I want my daughters to learn? What do I want them to become very good at?

Here are is my list of the top three traits:

#1 – Confidence

#2- Assertiveness

#3 –Mature Intelligence

First and foremost, I want my daughters to grow up unafraid to speak their minds, and defend their boundaries. I want defiance, aimed at anyone who would try and hurt, demean, or victimize them, to be the go to reaction. In short, I want to raise assertive women.

Assertiveness requires confidence, and confidence in girls comes from a safe, stable, loving, connected, family environment. Where as sons need boundaries to keep in line, daughters need boundaries just to feel safe. Young girls who grow up without that feeling of safety, the kind of safety that a strong father maintains, are less likely to develop the trust and connection required to tell an adult when someone is trying to harm them. They become vulnerable to sexual predators and character-disordered creeps. They become more likely to be picked out as targets, and less likely to fight back. They become victims.

Confidence is a skill that cannot be faked. She could mimic the appearance of confidence, and there are specific circumstances, for example within athletic competitions, where that can be useful; but true confidence isn’t that. True confidence is the product, once again, of maturity – a solid sense of self-awareness, empathy for others, and impulse control built through disciplined practice, and the observation of other, strong, successful people around her.

Confidence in the sense I mean it, should not be confused with the modern, scientifically fallacious idea of “self-esteem”. To quote Steven Pinker:

“Perhaps the most extraordinary popular delusion about violence of the past quarter-century is that it is caused by low self-esteem. That theory has been endorsed by dozens of prominent experts, has inspired school programs designed to get kids to feel better about themselves, and in the late 1980s led the California legislature to form a Task Force to Promote Self-Esteem. Yet Baumeister has shown that the theory could not be more spectacularly, hilariously, achingly wrong. Violence is a problem not of too little self-esteem but of too much, particularly when it is unearned.”

When I use the word ‘confidence’, I am not talking about the kind of ‘self-esteem’ Steven Pinker rightly calls out. I am talking about the type of confidence someone has on the mat after a decade of training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I am talking about something substantial. I am talking about something authentic.

Someone with ten years training in an art like BJJ doesn’t carry with them a grandiose view of their own ability. Nor do they harbor undo anxiety that some beginner will walk in off the street and show them up in front of the rest of the class. Someone with ten years of solid training knows exactly what he or she can do, and more importantly, they know exactly what they cannot do. The sort of comic book fantasies people can retain about the nature of violent physical conflict after attending a two days crash course on “self-defense”, or spending ten years throwing around cooperative opponents in a make believe martial art like Aikido, can lead to the opposite state I am describing. Instead of real confidence, what they are acquiring is delusion. And when it comes to violence, delusion can be deadly.

Remember our three levels of ignorance – in order of least dangerous to most:

Level One:   you know you don’t know.

Level Two:   you think you know, but you don’t.

Level Three:   you deny the problem exists.

A young woman who knows she doesn’t know about a topic, and is willing to admit that not just to herself, but publicly, to those around her, is a young woman who is displaying a mature intelligence.

All very smart people say the three words “I don’t know”, all the time. This level of ignorance is the one we want to recognize, embrace, and, issue by issue, address. There is nothing shameful about Level One ignorance, in fact, it could more rightly be called, clever.

A young woman who thinks she knows but actually doesn’t, is in danger.

She thinks she knows someone’s character, despite being warned she may be wrong, and goes with him somewhere she shouldn’t. She thinks she knows something is safe and she’s mistaken, her misplaced confidence being her downfall. Her arrogance enforces her ignorance. This is common, human, and needs to be addressed as kids grow.

Teaching a child that telling the truth about what we know and don’t know isn’t just okay, it’s intelligent – is vital. Honesty with one’s self and others is an indispensable part of strong character. Kids need to be shown that saying, “I don’t know”, when that’s true, is a sign of strength, not weakness. It betrays true confidence, not an inflated sense of “self-esteem”. And by ‘shown’ I mean modeled, in our own, everyday behavior; not just preached as a goal.

A young woman, who, when finding herself in the midst of a bad situation, ignores her instincts, and rationalizing the behavior of her exploiters, plays along, or simply locks up, is a vulnerable target who will be abused.

She is displaying our 3rd and most dangerous level of ignorance – denial.

Girls who have backgrounds that include sexual abuse, or come from character-disordered parents (two things which frequently go together) can easily fall into this trap. And make no mistake, pedophiles, rapists, CDOs, VCAs, and predators of all shapes and sizes – know precisely how to spot these girls. When they find one undefended by a strong father or a stable home life – they zero in.

The first step in making sure our daughters never fall into this category is building confidence within them. Confidence, like physical strength, grappling skill, musical talent, or any other trade, art form, or expertise, is a skill-set that both requires and grows, through consistent practice and proper training methods.

If someone said they wanted to build leg strength, but were limited to just one exercise, I might have them do squats. The first step would be teaching them how to perform the skill properly, mechanically correct, so they don’t injure themselves.

Next, we would create a routine. No exercise, no matter how amazing it is, works, if it isn’t performed regularly. Consistency is the least applied and most important factor when it comes to the acquisition of skill.

Finally, progressively, over time and as skill was acquired, we would increase the weight.

Increases, followed by failures, followed by practice, followed by success, followed by further increases, followed by failures, followed by practice, followed by success, followed by further increases. Keep in mind the fact that failure is an essential part of the process.

Strong people – and by strong I mean strength of character, intellect, emotion, and body – fail frequently.

They fail better.

They reach new plateaus.

They become stronger.

Two important things about this process, first, every skill, from guitar playing to speaking a second language, follows it.

Second, the increase in performance ability gained through the process cannot be faked, and as a consequence, true confidence in its application cannot be faked either.

If you throw 1000 pounds onto a squat rack and ask me to squat it, I will have zero confidence in my ability to do it. If you throw 50 pounds on a squat rack and ask me to squat it, I will have total confidence in my ability to do it. I know this about myself, because I know what I can squat and what I cannot squat. Being wrong about that, our second state of ignorance, could result in a severe injury. But that wont happen because I know what I can do and what I cannot do. That knowledge is, in and of itself, ‘true’ confidence. Confidence isn’t hope. Confidence isn’t wish thinking. Confidence isn’t faith. This brings us to our 16th Principle:

#16 The True Confidence Principle:

True confidence is the ability to accurately predict performance within a measurable skill-set, and is attained through experience and practice.

Confident, assertive, mature and smart – in short, I want to raise strong girls.

Raising a girl to be strong is the best way to help her avoid the pitfalls of ignorance, pretending to know things she doesn’t, or worse, refusing to acknowledge reality when it’s upon her.

Strong physically, strong emotionally, strong intellectually, that’s what I want for my daughters. And as a coach, that’s what I want for my students.

LOGO(1)

Confident, assertive, mature and smart, that’s the hardware I’m looking to build in the core of my daughter’s character. In part two of this article, we will go into the software – the accurate knowledge and skill, we will want to arm them with.