Fighting - Not All Bad?

There are a number of reasons why I don't like fighting:

• I could get hurt
• Someone else could get hurt
• I've been taught since childhood that's it's wrong 
• There are more constructive ways to resolve differences
• I'm not any good at it and have no expectations of ever being so

However, there is a time an a place for fighting. If not, then why all the expenditure on defense? Why are we proud of our Armed Forces? Essentially if someone, usually a man, is prepared to put themselves at risk to protect me and my family, I'm grateful. On reflection, it is only indiscriminate, abusive or disproportional use of violence that is wrong. By extension, it cannot be wrong to prepare for combat under appropriate circumstances. 

If I set aside the comedy image of a middle aged, slightly overweight, very unfit woman 'preparing for combat' - since this is ridiculous - and consider a more plausible example, then I can begin to see the that fighting is an art. To fight someone involves the automatic, rapid, physical recollection of complex skills - a far greater variety than for a game of tennis. For most people, this knowledge in itself will take years to acquire. However, it's application needs to be instinctive and this will involve predicting the opponents behavior while being several moves ahead yourself and continuously adjusting for change. This is also true for sports like tennis, except the speed, close quarters and stakes are greater in combat.

It's this second part of fighting that deserves admiration, since this is what makes fighting an art. We can all learn skills, physical or mental, given enough practice. 10,000 hours is generally the time it takes most people to become an expert in something - that's about five years of working a 40-hour week. However, the application of the skill is a different matter. In most areas; teaching, plumbing, nursing, playing the piano etc., 10,000 hours will do it. You may not be fantastic, but you will be competent. Unfortunately, being an average fighter would mean that you would be injured or killed by half of your opponents. In this situation being competent is not good enough. 

On he other hand, something is better than nothing. If I were ever attacked, any fighting skills might give me a chance to get away. If fighting is as hard to master as I suspect it may be, then the best someone like me can hope for is a head start.