The Center Axis Relock (CAR) system is a shooting system invented by Paul Castle. CAR typically features a bladed stance, a close-to-body firearm hold with both arms bent to almost 90 degrees and either point or sight fired. I have very little experience with the system, but it is typically suggested for use in extreme close quarters such as “tubular assaults” down the aisles of planes, trains, buses etc. and from the seat of an automobile for targets approaching from the sides. Like everything else, it has it’s share of critics. Some say that the sideways stance presents armor gaps to the opponent. Others say that the odds of self-inflicted shots is increased. Personally… I see this more as a “transitional” and special use technique. Special use in situations like tubular assaults and those described previously, and transitional in the sense that it isn’t necessarily going to be the ONLY stance that you will use in a confrontation. I can see going from retention, to CAR, to arms extended and back again all within one encounter. I also think it can be useful at “in your face ranges” where the bent arms present better retention leverage and defensive options. I keep saying that I will give it a try. Maybe next range session.
“One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”
- Joan of Arc
This quote made me think about the title of this blog, and what I thought of when I titled it so. When I consider Joan of Arc and what she believed, and what people thought of her because of it (crazy…witch… heretic?) it makes me recall a quote from Stephen Richey:
Voices or no voices, her achievements leave anyone who knows her story shaking his head in amazed wonder.
Deeds. It’s deeds that matter, and it was her belief that led her to those great deeds, and in a way…immortality.
One day there was an earthquake that shook the entire Zen temple. Parts of it even collapsed. Many of the monks were terrified. When the earthquake stopped the teacher said, “Now you have had the opportunity to see how a Zen man behaves in a crisis situation. You may have noticed that I did not panic. I was quite aware of what was happening and what to do. I led you all to the kitchen, the strongest part of the temple. It was a good decision, because you see we have all survived without any injuries. However, despite my self-control and composure, I did feel a little bit tense – which you may have deduced from the fact that I drank a large glass of water, something I never do under ordinary circumstances.”
One of the monks smiled, but didn’t say anything.
“What are you laughing at?” asked the teacher.
“That wasn’t water,” the monk replied, “it was a large glass of soy sauce.”
Naganuma Muneyoshi (1635-1690), was a Japanese neo-Confucian and military scientist of the Koshu or Takeda school. He had this to say about faith and service.
Faith is critical to both culture and warfare. Without faith, humaneness is a mere expedient, courtesy degenerates into flattery, intelligence is decorated with deception, duty serves adventurism, and bravery deteriorates into violence and depredation. None of these are virtues.
If a knight has faith, then in times of peace he can assist the process of civilization, while in times of disturbance he can eliminate what injures the people. Then he is able to be a protector of the nation.
Knights keep their discipline to the death. Those whose aim is justice are best; those whose aim is honor is lesser. The custom of knights in Japan is to be extremely desirous of honor, so there are those who mistakenly think the desire for honor is itself justice. All in all, to carry out justice and thus achieve honor is good, while to perform exploits hoping to get honored is lowly. Even more so is aspiring only to get paid-even if you perform feats in battle, you are not worthy of being considered a knight.
-Naganuma Muneyoshi
The section on faith seems to echo my previous post on fact and faith. A Tokugawa Japanese man’s definition of “faith” is most likely different from any Christian or other Western flavoring of the word, and that kind of supports what I was trying to say in my own post. “Faith”…as much as the atheist may like to pigeonhole it…doesn’t necessarily have to come with a denomination or a fundamentalist worldview. Faith has to do with believing in the things worth believing in. If you want to believe in a world where honor, courage, justice and love are nothing but chemical reactions in the brain…have at it. I choose to believe otherwise and would rather live out my time on this earth in that sort of world. That doesn’t mean that I reject science by any means. That is the typical rebuttal…”you are a Luddite who still believes in a geocentric universe”…uhhh. No. Just as science is constantly discovering that there is more to existence than we previously thought, I believe that there is more to life and it’s meaning than science can prove. If the knight chooses to believe in expediency, flattery and deception in order to serve his own self interest, because that is how he thinks the world works, that is due to how he CHOOSES to see the world. What sort of knight would you aspire to be?
The last part, the part about aspiring only to get paid, that sort of spoke to me. It made me think of the reasons people serve, in particular within my chosen profession of law enforcement. I have to be honest, I have a family and I couldn’t do this job for minimum wage. The money and the benefits were a major factor as was the status and “honor” of the profession. However, Muneyoshi said “aspiring ONLY to get paid” and I think that is the key. Money and honor are far from the ONLY reason that I love my work, but there are, unfortunately, some people within the ranks who seem to look at the job as ONLY that…a job. I, like Muneyoshi, believe that they are not worthy of being considered “Knights”.
"Desforges" Five rounds for time of: 225 pound Deadlift, 12 reps 20 Pull-ups 135 pound Clean and jerk, 12 reps 20 Knees to elbows Keith Nelson 36:59. Post time to comments. Enlarge image U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Joshua Desforges, 23, of Ludlow, Massachusetts, assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditio […]
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