While writing this article, I have discovered how hard it is to speak about a personal experience such as the Do of martial arts without letting your personal opinion affect the speech. I want to share a short summary of the teachings of the Master who inspired me to walk the way of Do; I will not tell his name, since I know he would most certainly be annoyed if I do:

When you train martial arts, you learn deadly techniques which allow you to literally destroy a person.

However, who suffers defeat when your enemy lies on the ground in front of you?

Your enemy who could not stand your strength, or you who gave in to violence?

A men who brings evil looks for comprehension and has to be helped, not annihilated.

After listening to this lesson, I thought a lot, about true strenght, about good, about evil, and many other things. I’ve reached several conclusions, both about myself and the external world, and I discovered the great strength which is required to follow this path. But most of all I discovered the even bigger strength which can be acquired, and the well-being which someone gets when this strength lies quiet into yourself.

However, I’m still at the beginning of the path, and the small steps I’ve made since now are nothing but an incentive to go on and discover what can be found at the end of this path, if this end even exists.

Mariano Comense Italy, Januar 2012, Instructor Matteo Benelli