Inside the heart of every man lives a warrior waiting to be unleashed. Unfortunately, this fierceness, for the majority of men, lies dormant and untested. But, I assure you, it is there.
As boys we pretended to be superheroes, Jedi knights, or ninja warriors. I know I did all 3 with matching costumes, capes, and weapons to boot. In fact, I distinctly remember when I was 6 or 7 leaping off the back deck of my parent’s house in New Hampshire fully garbed in Superman Underoos (on the outside of my clothes, of course!) and cape fully expecting to fly.
We ran wild, climbed trees, built forts, engaged in mock sword battles, and real fist fights as boys – not to test our mettle, but really just as an open and honest expression of our warrior nature.
As we grew up though, things changed. We grew tame (lame?). The wildness was repressed and replaced under the well meaning familial and societal pressure of becoming a responsible adult. We went to school, got a job working for the man, and become domesticated.
We shed our capes in favor of business suits.
We took off our Lone Ranger masks and put on listless, polite faces.
We put down our pretend weapons and picked up pocket protectors.
We suppressed the wildness and ferocity of the warrior in our hearts and tried to follow the expected path – college, corporate job, marriage, family, retirement, death. One more masculine casualty – a would be warrior turned tame and toothless, a tiger no more, really just an aging house cat.
But is that really all there is?
Doesn’t the wildness remain?
Yes. I assure you it most certainly does. For as I stated earlier, inside the heart of a man – every man, no matter who you are – lies a warrior.
Being a warrior is not confined to myths and legends or historical anachronisms. Nor is it merely the province of those in uniform who stand on the front lines and protect us with their own (though they truly embody the warrior spirit).
No, warriorship, at its essence is the birthright of every man. For all of us are made with a warrior’s heart, strong and dangerous.
Yes, dangerous. The most dangerous men I have ever met have also been among the kindest and friendliest. Is this a contradiction? No, not at all. Only the truly powerful can choose to be truly gentle. Those who lack strength and courage have no choice.
A warrior must have the strength, skill, and ability to wield violence. Notice that I did not say, “be a violent man”. There is a vast difference. The warrior’s capacity for violence is tempered by discipline, a sense of justice, and a strong moral code.
Moreover, the warrior’s role in society is that of a protector and defender of life. His strength must never be used to intimidate, but only to motivate, to inspire, and to protect.
Méthode Naturelle creator Georges Hébert wrote at the beginning of the 20th century, “Être fort pour être utile” – Be strong to be useful
Those of us who walk this path of strength have a duty to use our strength to help others and to defend and protect those who are not as strong.
As Spiderman once said – “With great power come great responsibility.” 🙂
Strength must have a higher purpose.
The Warrior’s Creed
This might be my own personal bias, but I believe a warrior has a greater responsibility, one of both self and others. My perception has been colored, for the better, I think, by my teacher, Jack Hoban, author of The Ethical Warrior: Values, Morals and Ethics – For Life, Work and Service, and his mentor, Dr. Robert L. Humphrey.
These 2 men are both true warriors whom I admire greatly. Jack served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer and is a master level instructor in the Bujinkan martial arts. Dr. Humphrey was a boxer and Marine Corps officer who survived the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.
There is much, much more to both of their stories, but for now, we can sum up the essence of what it means to be a warrior like so:
“The Warrior Creed”
Wherever I go,
Everyone is a little bit safer because I am there.
Wherever I am,
Anyone in need has a friend.
When I return home,
Everyone is happy I am there.
It’s a better life!-Dr. Robert L. Humphrey
Everyone who calls themselves a warrior believes that they should possess greater strength, greater power, and greater skill; should they not also possess greater compassion for others and a greater sense of responsibility for helping others as well?
For those who have the strength and the skill, but no accountability, they cannot be called warriors – they are merely thugs.
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