Non-Resistance & Perfect Timing

Non-Resistance & Perfect Timing Tales & Traditions

The Great Master Tohei was renowned for his skills of self-defense.Although he was only five feet tall and one hundred and twenty pounds,he could easily defend himself against attackers that were twice his size. He welcomed all who doubted his skill and came to his school to challenge him, and he was never defeated.

One day while teaching a class, Master Tohei was asked an age-old question by one of his students.

“Master Tohei, what special technique should I use if I’m attacked by a man who is as big as an ox, as strong as a tiger, as quick as a snake, and as ferocious as a lion?”

“Let him attack without any resistance to his techniques.”

The students all looked at one another in disbelief.Then the student said, “Sir, did you understand my question?”

The Master smiled and said, “You can’t change the nature of the ox, tiger, snake, or lion but you can tame them as people have done for centuries. In this case, it requires non-resistance and perfect timing.

While the students were still doubting, a loud voice shouted, “Tohei, I have come to teach you a lesson.”

The doors of the school swung open and a man about six feet tall weighing two hundred and thirty pounds walked in to challenge Master Tohei.Without any more words, they bowed to each other and then the man aggressively attacked the Master. Tohei dodged and yielded to every attack thrown at him with perfect timing.

When the man became winded,Tohei took the man’s final movement, a roundhouse kick, and with perfect timing spun in a direction that followed the kick and effortlessly threw the man to the floor. Embarrassed, the man crawled out of the school, defeated more mentally than physically.

Then Tohei turned back to his class and said, “Do you understand now?”

hen they all bowed to him and resumed practice.