Personally, I think chess might be considered a more civilised version of combat systems such as Krav Maga, which I did some training in a long time ago: Work out what your opponent is going to do, preferably well before they do it, counter it, and deliver a devastating attack that allows you to escape unharmed, leave them disabled, or even kill them (in extreme circumstances).
At my age, I’d much rather have a nice peaceful game of chess than do any of that aggression stuff 🤘
Happy and peaceful new year to all!
Self defense comprises three key components.
1.A pure Conscience
2.zero Emotion
3.Never fight friends
1.Pure conscience:
have I don't the other guy wrong? If I have I cannot fight his blows with riteous indignation. If I am in the wrong, my conscience, my most powerful weapon, goes against me. Therefore always be in the right.
Emotion:
Bad for fighting: ego, anger, fury, basically any emotion at all is hampering to good judgement.
Fight like you are playing a chess position, cooly and calculatingly.
In chess, never attack if you are under pressure or scared to play a risky combination. If you are afraid it's a psychological block. Don't fight your own self by fighting your fear. Listen to your fear. Obey it. It is a guiding tool. Unless like Michael, you never feel fear.
Never fight ones friends:
it is better to be beaten up by a friend who hurts you than to hit back blow for blow. Jesus was a master of that self defense type. He forgave his countrymen. Because if we are hurt we love the source of that hurt. By fighting that which we love we fight out own selves.
Who we fight is people we don't know. People we don't care about. People we see as mere impersonal objects.
Chess translation: only attack peices that are not important to your own position. Is the hanging enemy pawn actually a doubled pawn? Then it is your friend. It is hampering its own side. Don't take that pawn.