On Hitting

Tracing the Circle – Weekly Meditations on the Practice
“On Hitting”

A comment on the importance about being clear about hitting someone:

The same level of gravity should be placed on hitting someone as one would put on shooting them. Fighting is not glorious or in any way nice. It is something that has to be done sometimes, and when entered into, it is not to be taken lightly. Never hit anyone that you do not intend to destroy; no “little” hit to discourage someone. If they could be discouraged by a “little” hit, then they could have been discouraged by a look on your face, the posture of your body, a gesture of your hand, or some words that you could have said.

What this means in practical terms is that your skill should be such that, unless your intent is to destroy, you *never* hit anyone. The physical alternatives to hitting are so abundant and the need to destroy other humans so infrequent (for most people) that hitting need not be over-emphasized.