As we speed into this new millennium. We as teachers have a critical part in the future of combat martial arts and humanity. We must never forget why we ultimately train.. To Make Us Better People. This means many things to many people. To myself and the students of Ningbulam, it means to train the mind as well as training the body but also remembering that we are all one in the same. Meaning that we are all, good and bad and that we all just want to be truly happy and free from suffering. When one comes at us with anger; and this just doesn’t mean physical anger but also verbal and even mental anger. First we must realise that these are actions brought on by an untrained mind & body and aren’t truly the action or the thoughts of this individual. But at the same time also remembering that this individual also wants to be truly happy and free from suffering. I have taken and also taught classes on anger and the levels and forms of it. We know that anger generates and creates more anger. We know that if an individual comes at us in anger, verbally. Giving verbal anger back just generates more anger in the given situation. We also know that physical anger works this way as well.

So we now take this premise and apply it to the combat martial arts and its philosophy. Now when you are confronted with anger, physical anger. We evaluate the situation with our mind as well as our hearts. We then use the most proficient and most humane techniques need to stop our confronters’ anger. This may be as simple as talking and reasoning to the person. Escaping a grasp and moving away from a situation, before it can escalade. Or at the extreme, be force to use physical and lasting harm to stop our confronters’ anger and aggression.


So you quickly start to see that there are levels to aggression. With these levels come levels of defence. In seminars as well as in Nyingbulam it is taught in 5 levels.

The 5 level of Aggression:
Verbal Attack
Touching and Pushing
Pushing and Grabbing
Grabbing and Physical Attack or Knocked down but left to re-stand
Physical Multiple Attackers or Weapons or Knocked down and attacked on ground

The 5 Levels of Defence:
Talking and Reasoning
Blocking and Evading
Controlling Joint Locking and Pressure Point Manipulation
Throwing and Striking
Breaks/Dislocations and Chokes

But one must always remember that the levels don’t always follow in order. They can jump from level one to level five in a second so one must always keep a focused mind and heart on their whole surrounds and situation.

So when you train...train to stop your attacker, but also train to be compassionate to your attacker. You and them are one in the same. You both want to be truly happy and free from suffering.

Shihan Nyingje Norbu
(Jason Carter)

President - K&D Martial Arts Centres ~ BrotherHood
CEO/Founder - International Mixed Martial Arts Association
Head Master - Buddhist International Martial Arts Sangha
Founder - Nyingbulam Karatedo-Jujitsu


COMBAT WARRIOR E-MAGAZINE January 2006 / CombatWarriorMag.net