Stuck on a difficult question

[Serpico]

This is a scenario that I came up with the other day (during a long car drive), and every conclusion that I come up with doesn't seem to satisfy me. So... what are your thoughts on this...

Pick a time in history, present, or future, it doesn't matter. Now imagine that in that time you have become a very skilled martial artist, and are well respected by many people. In this same time your country/community, whatever is being invaded by your enemy. During this invasion you are captured. Your enemy leader, who, just to make matters worse, is very charismatic, gentle, and kind, gives you this option: "Train my armies in self-defense, or become my prisoner". You ask for a week to come to a decision, when that week is up what do you anwer?

Here are some answers that I came up with, and why I didn't like them:

1)Try to escape, and continue to teach your students to prepare them for war~~Too risky, could die, that what good are you to anyone.
2)Accept his offer and teach as many as you can in hopes that through the MA you can bring peace to the two armies~~Not likely to work, and is it traiteorous??
3)Refuse, and rot away in prison, face possible torture, risk losing your art, and death~~Again your not good to anyone dead.
4)Embrace him as your new leader and use your political powers to try to bring a peaceful resolution to the war, change is good right??~~Too many possibilities for unsatisfactory outcomes, but if it can save many lives then maybe it's not so bad, but is change always good?

*I did actually have quite a few more "answers", and a lot more detail to them all, however as this is already long enough I will leave it as it is for the moment. I'm very excited to see some of your answers.

[snailfist]

Hmm. I think you need to accept that there is no ideal outcome to this situation. You need to decide between the conflicting schools of thought- "what good am i to anyone if..." and "my loyalty to my country necessitates my doing..."

Personally, the former option i would say comes with a suffix- "what ill do i do to someone if i do this?" if that is to betray your cause, then morally speaking that would be wrong. (unless, of course, you protested against a moral outrage of theirs, but i find that improbable given this scenario). so i would say go to prison, maybe escape if the oppurtunity presents itself.

[Kenshi]

if it where me i'd try and train his army but in doing so show them the true way of the martial arts and revolt.

or death

[zun]

Imagine what would happen if the enemy was defeated and it was discovered you were caught training the army.

[Reiki]

5) become a monk

[Capt Ann]

Hmmmm.... very interesting question.

Believe-it-or-not, I think a lot (most?) of our POWs have had to answer this question in a slightly different form. "Give us information, and get some extra food." "What are your battalion's plans? I can get you some blankets." "Sign this confession and we'll release you. What good are you to your country if you die?" In the military, we have a Code of Conduct for what happens if we're captured. It includes "I will accept no parole or favor from the enemy," among other things. While the MA's might not have a formal "code of conduct" for such situation, I think it's good to have an understanding of what you would do. Would you be willing to die for your country to keep from helping an enemy to defeat it? LOTS of others have already answered this question with their lives.

Wow, that was heavy!

On a slightly different note: Your question seems to assume that dying would be the worst possible thing to have happen to you. I don't think it would be. Anyone else have thoughts on that one?

[Jim]

3 and then 1. It's your duty.

[morphus]

There is only what we do my friend.;)

This is what defines us.:cool:

[zun]

A traitor once, always a traitor. The enemy will likely kill you after you have proved your use.

Slighty off topic:

With regards to Capt Ann's post. This is the way the chinese brain washing system works.

Get the POW to agree to a small thing in return for something they want. This commitment means that next time, the POW will agree to something bigger - eg. write about the bad things in your country.... slowly the small steps are used to persuade the POW to exchange information. Before they realise it, the POW is persuaded and is fighting for the other side.

[judojedi]

escape and become an assassin. i'd plauge the invading army killing their top officers and regular soldiers.
of course i'd dress all in black and carry an assortment of deadly weapons.
they'd never expect it since no-one in history has ever done anything like it.........:D

[Matt_Bernius]

<flame retardent gear on>

Hmmm... not unlike what happened to the Japanese after WWII huh? Does anyone think that most of the original American students of Karate in Japan got complete systems or explanations?

</flame retardent gear off>

[KenpoDavid]

Train them wrong on purpose.

-thank you, Mr Odenkerke!

[Serpico]

These are some great answers. Now to make the question even deeper, consider this... You've dedicated most, if not all of your life to your art. If your enemy wins, your art may be lost forever (not likely, but I'm being hypothetical), but by training the enemy you can save your art. Also keep in mind that the enemy isn't always the same as the bad guy.

[Kwajman]

Matt, you've touched on what I was going to say, go ahead and sacrifice your reputation and train the enemy forces, but leave out the most important and key points of training. True, you will be remembered as a traitor who failed, but in your own heart and soul, you will ultimately succeed in defeating the enemy.

[Razor_EX]

ok, this'll be a little long...

I'd wait the week and I'd make a few make-shift one-point shuriken out of rocks and bones from dead people, I'd wait til' his guards come through and after he enters the room I'd throw them at his guards (using my toes, because my arms would most likely be chained to the wall) then I'd put one through his throat, then I'd break the chains and make my escape by taking his guards equipment and tearing my way through( well, stealthfully actually I'd make sure to grind up some bones to make a dust to throw in people's eyes and I'd get back to my country and start training my army... if I did die escaping, atleast it was with honor and that is all that matters, who cares if I'm no good dead...

---------------------------------or------------------------------------------------

I'd accept and I'd try to make a long-winded discussion with him and tell him I had something too important to be talked about in front of guards aand 'd kill him and fleeout the window

--------------------------------or-------------------------------------------------

accept and train them really slow and escape out the window in my personal quarters before they've learned anything useful

[Anomandaris]

I think we are missing something far more important.

why is this 'enemy' invading in the first place?

is the government in your country corrupt and evil? is it oppressive? DO YOU LIKE YOUR OWN COUNTRY?

if I hated my current country for whatever reason(oppressive regime, hostile to foreign powers etc) then I can se no problem in helping this invader simply because of the chance(even a small chance is better than none) that they will institute a regime change.

[aikiwolfie]

Sometimes invasions are good things and sometimes they aren't. Will the invading power bring a better life for you, you're friends and family? If not I'd fight with my last breath and then some. If trying to escape capture meant dieing then it's worth the risk.

[ImperialDragon]

Pick a time in history, present, or future, it doesn't matter. Now imagine that in that time you have become a very skilled martial artist, and are well respected by many people. In this same time your country/community, whatever is being invaded by your enemy. During this invasion you are captured. Your enemy leader, who, just to make matters worse, is very charismatic, gentle, and kind, gives you this option: "Train my armies in self-defense, or become my prisoner". You ask for a week to come to a decision, when that week is up what do you anwer?


Tell him to stuff it. Then smile and walk away.

[Infrazael]

Train them to chamber their hands in their armpits!!!

And hold them there!!!

Do nothing but stances!!!

Train LOTS of forms and wierd spiritual stuff!!!