Many times in this day see events like the Terrorists acts of the Boston Marathon Bombers and hear the use of pyrotechnics and explosives. More so we see arguments for & against gun control heat up. People demanding to feel safe. The fact remains our society lives in fear of what it doesn't understand. Terrorists have become the Witches & Warlocks of the 21st Century. So what are we to do...?
Ninjutsu (Yes I know I spelled it "Ninjitsu" in the title) & Bujutsu are two distinct art forms; the former espionage and clandestine operations and the latter military strategy and combat arts. They go hand in hand and in fact a Omoto Ryu Ninjutsu teaches us we must embody three basic principles, three roles as it were; The Warrior, The Hunter & The Healer. The warrior maintains keeping personal responsibility with himself and for himself. A warrior must ensure and maintain his skills, weapons and armor. A hunter must know the ways of his prey even i his prey hunts him. A Healer must be willing to mend wounds injuries and heal old wounds.
This is the archetype of the preparation and survival sub-culture of America. The same skills these "lone wolves" learned was readily available the Internet. Does this some how mean we should censor the Internet? God no. It means the people who fear bombs, who fear poisoning and who fear guns must realize the difference in fearing it and respecting it. If the terrorists are scary because they have such knowledge then what is stopping any other person from learning these skills? Whats to stop a person from buying a gun to protect themselves from criminals who have guns? So misguided notion the Police will come save us all. Did the Police save the people in Boston? Sure, after the bomb went off. Did the police save the children at Sandyhook? Not even after the shooter killed 20 children, they showed up after Adam Lanza shot himself.
Truth is the best person to save you is YOU and, that's just like the best person to contain and put out a grease fire on your stove is you; don't call the fire department and wait for the house to burn down. That whole component of personal responsibility is lacking in the minds of many people in the US. Its a weakness we cannot afford to have and in fact do. The skills to wire a simple circuit and a few chemical formulas from the Anarchist Cookbook can build anything from cell phone wired "call from a world away" bombs to simple light and throw pipe bombs. Anyone can read information in poisonous plants and animals or find out how to make Potassium Nitrate to make gun powder from scratch. The STEN sub-machine gun was designed so that it could be built with hand tools by guerrillas in WWII. Anyone can learn combat tactics off the Internet or old movies; not the crappy 80s movies like Commando but Rambo First Blood and Micheal Collins give good examples of some combat principles. Modern movies like Zero-Dark Thirty show case better information on tactics. While videos of tactical training show how to employ and handle weapons in the present on YouTube.
The age of information has in dead made criminals more dangerous but it can also be used by everyday people to become more knowledgeable. Beyond IEDs, Combat Tactics, Hand-to-hand Combat, Sentry Removal & Knife Fighting, one can acquire the knowledge of first aid, herbs, de-escalation, electronics, pluming, mechanics, sailing, skiing and other skills that one need only test, train and develop as an individual. Why is it that self-improvement is use and abused by those who would do us harm but not by us make our lives safer, fuller, funner and learn through experiment and self-education. Why is we cling to fear... dwell on disadvantage and hardship... why is it we do not (as my good friend Ashida Kim has said many times) "Enjoy the Great Game of Life..."
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