When Force Has No Place

“Force has no place where there is need of skill”

– Herodotus

Think about this quote from Herodotus of Halicarnassus (c. 484 BC – c. 425 BC) the historian known for his writings on the conflict between Greece and Persia, as well as the descriptions he wrote of different places and people he met on his travels.

Both my father and grandfather fixed clocks and watches. You know, the old kind that had the intricate working pieces that caused hands of the clock to rotate to tell time. Not the newer digital clocks and watches so many use today. It’s obvious when thinking about repairing these fine instruments of time that force would not be necessary, and that only skilled craftsmanship, like used to create such time pieces, would be needed to repair them.

But how does this quote relate to martial arts? Why not just bash ’em on the head with force and be done with the altercation? And I’ll admit, there were many fights in my younger days that I prevailed in because of force and conditioning, not skill or technique. I wrote about that in my first book for Paladin Press over twenty years ago. Strength and conditioning go a long way in defending yourself. Did then, and still do today.

So is this quote even relevant for martial arts? Yes, I think it is. As martial artists, we learn how to defend ourselves when we don’t posses greater force. We also learn options so we don’t have to just bash ’em on the head. I found this very important when working bodyguard and security work. I was in numerous situations where I had to be physical with people, but I couldn’t just bash them and hurt them. I had to control them, and sometimes they were bigger and stronger than I was. It was skill and technique that allowed me to prevail. And it wasn’t always physical skill. There were times with verbal and people skills allowed me to handle situations without resorting to physical techniques or force.

Becoming skillful in technique allows the martial artist to accomplish defense of oneself without force at times. And isn’t that the ideal? I’m not saying force isn’t useful or necessary at times. It certainly is. But there are times when the skillful can accomplish much without it, and in those times it has no place.