Budo
Budo
– The Way of the Warrior
Budo
translates as “the way of the warrior” but a more accurate
definition may be “the way of stopping conflict”. A warrior’s
strategy is called “senryaku”, which translates as war -
shorten. There is no greater strategy for a warrior than
to shorten or even eliminate a war. The same tactics that
allows us to succeed in combat, allow us in peace times
to reach our goals and objectives in the shortest and most
efficient manner.
In
a life and death situation like mortal combat, there are
four possible outcomes – you kill him, he kills you, you
both die, or you both live. The best solution is to try
and always develop tactics that will allow both of you to
live, usually known as a win-win situation.
The
modern martial artist is a warrior that seeks peace and
is a master of resolving conflict. He strives for peace
while at the same time never allowing him self to become
a victim. He has learned the ways of the world by observing
nature, and adopting the successful strategies and principles
of his mentors. Knowing that he can’t do any good for his
family or his community if he is victimized or dead, he
defends his place in the universe with dignity and an indomitable
spirit. There are several strategies and tactics used in
defense against conflict and one of the most powerful is
simply not to be there. This is the art of awareness and
movement, mentally and physically, which allows one to avoiding
dangerous situations and to reside in positions of relative
safety. When you find yourself in a crisis situation, then
avoidance is usually the best solution. This strategy
requires the psychological ability to give or yield a position,
as well as the physical traits of balance and agility. The
modern warrior uses timing as well, to know when to yield
to aggression until the time is right for an offensive counter-action.
A person not understanding these concepts may stands strong
and hardens his or her position, which could lead to their
defeat in the long run. A classical example of this principle
is the bamboo tree, which bends to the winds of a great
storm, while the mighty oak tree snaps and dies during the
same winds.
Whenever
possible, a true warrior looks for the win-win situation
in every encounter because he sees this is the best methodology
to attain the ultimate victory. The non-martial mindset,
on the other hand, sees this tactic as weak and ineffective.
A key principle in obtaining the win-win is to truly know
your end objectives and those of the other person.
Another
fallacy to successful win-win solutions is to know what
is a real threat and what is not. Many times what people
sees as an attack, in reality is only a posture, and the
true intent and attack is hidden. The modern martial artist,
on the other hand sees things as they really are, and therefore
has a better chance of success before the action ever begins.
The
modern business professional must equally know himself,
his product, his customers and even who his competitors
really are, in order to be successful. For example, the
modern martial arts instructor may mistakenly see the instructor
down the road as a competitor in creating his plan of action,
when in reality the real competition may be an internal
or an external factor he never even considered. The proactive
strategy for success is to decide exactly what it is one
wants when creating a strategic action plan. Then, using
his warrior mind, he identifies all the possible obstacles
or threats that could prevent him from reaching his desired
goals, and puts actions into place to insure these obstacles
are minimized or eliminated altogether. One of the best
defensive tactics is to identify what is the worst-case
scenario, and then create plans to ensure this will never
happen. He also understands that he could learn everything
the hard way through trial and error, or could seek help
through quality mentors with a proven success record. Knowing
this he successfully identifies which people and organizations
to align himself with to ensure his future success.
Knowing where you and
your company are headed and how you are going to get there
is the hallmark of the modern successful warrior.
