Having a black belt in karate doesn’t make you Bruce Lee, or Jackie Chan, or Jet Li. For one thing, scenes in movies are staged, and often include hidden wires (though Bruce Lee was reportedly a genuine scrapper, and very dangerous when, and only when, he wanted to be).
When people hear I have a black belt, their reaction usually cause me to immediately inform them that modern karate training is about being peaceful. It’s self defence only. Never attacking first is drilled into us. So, there is no cause to fear someone trained in the modern way in Shotokan or similar styles of karate. Another point is that a black belt is only the beginning of serious training. You must master basic techniques to get a black belt. Yes, it requires years of diligent training, many tests and clinics, stress, and physical exertion. It’s not easy to get a black belt, and not everyone passes the first time. However, most people don’t realize that there are ten levels of black belt. If you see someone with a very black belt, it looks cool, but they’re probably not as experienced or high level as someone with a fraying belt that looks rather white because the black has been wearing off for years.
My character Sufra Shahar had a different kind of learning experience. She was forced by her parents to become an expert in a rough, backyard martial arts that emphasises proficiency, not peace. It was painful to the point of being traumatic, and after she got into deep space, away from her parents’ eyes, she made the realization that she didn’t have to keep training. The head of Chiron’s security force has another opinion, however. In this scene he has a victory in convincing Sufra to give another style of martial arts a chance – for everyone’s peace and security.
To see the relevant excerpt from this upcoming third installment of the series, visit my “Bookbubble” at: https://bubli.sh/S2WppTR Long Link: Combat Skills for Peace – Shoot for Earth: MedSci Missions 3 – Wendy E Gamble – Science Fiction & Fantasy – Bublish Book Bubble
You can see all my mini-blogs with excerpts at: https://www.bublish.com/author/wendygamble
Spaceship Chiron MedSci Missions 