THE IMAGE OF A PROVERB: “As Iron sharpens iron, so shall one man another” is traditionally attributed to King Solomon via the Book of Proverbs. The imagery reflects ancient blacksmithing practices where one iron tool was used to file, hone, or carve an edge on another. In traditional wisdom, it symbolizes mutual improvement, constructive challenge and character development throughout community.
LET THAT SINK IN: That introduction for this article got more than a minute. THINK ABOUT IT, we are here at RP; we are a community.....a community of former service men and women....a community of veterans. More than the VFW or American Legion, we are using this forum (intentionally or unintentionally) to stay active, relevant and engaged. We don't have to agree with everything expressed here, but most of us are truly interested in the discussions and thoughts expressed. In so doing we sharpen each other.
APPLYING THIS ARTICLE: When applied to self-defense, there are three such pieces of iron that can be used in developing your skills to survive a violent physical altercation. What are these three and how can you use them to both sharpen your skills and strengthen your resolve?
o The first piece of iron is discipline, where you challenge yourself.
o Next is being challenged by others. Placing yourself in a competitive environment will expose the gaps you didn’t know you had.
o The third piece of iron is adversity itself: the unexpected, the uncomfortable, and the uncontrollable.
READ THE ARTICLE: This article's focus was on self defense development (hand gun & martial arts), but once you read it I challenge you to apply its point to your lives. At 73 (soon to be 74) years of age I assure you I applied it first to my shooting and self-defence skills (no surprise right) but then I looked at the other areas of my life. Yes, I found big holes in my mental, physical, spiritual and religious aspects that made up "me".