Originally posted by StSanta:
Maverick:
What I guess confuses me is that there are so many differet kinds of martial art, and all have variations in their philosophy. Some are extremely peaceful and advocate never fighting unless absolutely forced to, while others advocate striking hard when it seems avoiding confrontation is impossible, and striking before the opponent if possible.
It comes down to personal preference, I gather. I'm just a little at a loss ? 
StSanta,
I think all advocate avoiding the confrontation when possible. There are always at least 2 involved in any fight. You may not be able to avoid it with some people no matter what you do. If you need to, then you have to defend yourself and stop the attack.
I studied Judo and picked up a little smattering of other arts in my training. It has come in handy but it was never my intention to use it until I was forced to. I had somewhat different circumstances as my job didn't allow me to avoid confrontations. I was sent to them!
Dial 911 and make a cop come!
I was taught that it is better to avoid it when possible but to finish it in my favor if I had to. I made a promise to myself and family when I started Law Enforcement. I was going to come home after work every day. It got close a few times, but I did it. The converse of that was, I was prepared for the reality that I might not come home every time I went to work. Frankly, I don't miss that part of the job!
Mav
