Can a martial artist ever consider suicide?

[Magicyogi]

suicide

dude forget suicide. in ancient yoga the rishis and masters say suicide is no escape. the karma of commtting suicide is very serious and resutls in a person repeating 7 lifetimes which end by suicide. dont **** around with stupid ideas like this. many people in the world r worse off than you and have been through more hell. u will not escape anything...u kid yourself.

[chalambok]

A personal note

Okay, I am NOT considering suicide, for many reasons. I know too many people who died too young to ever not live my life for them. Although I will be the first to admit I am living it for myself. Secondly, I am a Buddhist. The particular brand of Buddhism I practice believes that when you commit suicide you will not reincarnate. Also, we believe that if you behead someone they will not reincarnate. That is why many Buddhists wear a small Buddha on a necklace, to protect their head from knife or sword attack. There are specific sword strikes where that necklace is grabbed and pulled off the other person so it is then possible to cut their head off, specifically to prevent them from reincarnating and causing you problems in your next life. It is endlessly complicated. But, as a long-time teacher I have had to deal with many emotionally distraught friends, relatives, and students. Sometimes I could bring them back from the edge, sometimes I couldn't. If only 1 person reads this thread and stops themself from committing suicide, or can help to prevent another's suicide, then it is worth all of our efforts. Martial arts is all about self-respect and dignity, and respect for the dignity of others. Every person is unique and valuable. A long time ago I submitted a poem here called Respect. I think it is time to repeat it. I dedicated it then to Surachai Sirisute's father, Suchat; to Ajarn Pakroo Masamarn; to my father, Clarence Wilson; and to my friend Cyril Madison who was killed in Vietnam. They all taught me about dignity and respect in one way or another. I hope this is not a thread-killer

RESPECT
I have never risen high
And many times have I fallen
I have never succeeded with any dream
But none have I ever forgotten
The me that is inside
Will always remain free
Driven to do the one thing
I know only I can
For know no other way to be
A part of nature's plan
So when the skies are darkest
And my heart is full of tears
I reach so deep to find inside
The strength to face my fears
And carry on; and do; and try
For those sleepers of the forever dark
Who died for me so I might fly
Ever true and pure of heart

Peace - Stephen M Wilson

[chalambok]

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Mailed to me by the Agent Orange self-help group I belong to

THE OFFICIAL DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR PTSD OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION

Of the five official criteria that make the diagnosis of PTSD, all but the first (criterion A, which I shall discuss below) are straightforward clinical description, broadly stated to apply to all PTSD, not only to combat PTSD. I believe at this point the reader will be interested in seeing them exactly as they stand in the official diagnostic manual (known as the DSM-III-R). The dry criteria may come to life if the reader tests them against Shakespeare's portrait and decides whether Harry Hotspur, the most formicable fighter among the rebels against King Henry IV, has it:
A. The person has experienced an event that is 'outside the range of human experience' and that would be markedly distressing to almost anyone, e.g., serious threat to one's life or physical integrity; serious threat or harm to one's children, spouse, or other close relatives and friends; sudden destruction of one's home or community; or seeing another person who has recently been, or is being, seriously injured or killed as the result of an accident or physical violence.
B. The traumatic event is persistently reesperienced in at least one of the following ways:
1) recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event (in young children, repetitive play in which themes or aspects fo the trauma are expressed)
2) recurrent distressing dreams of the event
3) sudden acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring (includes a sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative [flashback] episodes, even those that occur upon awakening or when intoxicated)
4) intense psychological distresws at exposure to events that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event, including anniversaries of the trauma
C. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma or numbing of general responsiveness (not present before the trauma), as indicated by at least three of the following:
1) efforts to avoid thoughts or feelings associated with the trauma
2) efforts to avoid activities or situations that arouse recollections of the trauma
3) inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma (psychogenic amnesia)
4) markedly diminished interest in significant activities (in young children, loss of recently acquired developmental skills such as toilet training or language skills)
5) feeling of detachment or estrangement from others
6) restricted range of affect, e.g., unable to have loving feelings
7) sense of foreshortened future, e.g., does not expect to have a career, marriage, or children, or a long life
D. Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (not present before the trauma), as indicated by at least two of the following:
1) difficulty falling or staying asleep
2) irritability or outbursts of anger
3) difficulty concentrating
4) hypervigilance
5) exaggerated startle response
6) physiologic reactivity upon exposure to events that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event (e.g., a woman who was raped in an elevator breaks out in a sweat when entering any elevator)
E. Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in B, C, and D) of at least one month

Criterion A is not at all as straightforward as the others.

Well, that is easy to understand now, isn't it?

[Xebsball]

yes of course a martial artist can consider suicide
ive considered it countless times
whoever said "a real martial artist would never consider it" or something like that is completely wrong

at a certain point in my life MA was all i had, i travelled REAL LONG distance to be able to train
so dont come and tell me i felt suicidal becouse i wasnt a "real martial artist"
you dont even know me!!

being successful at throwing punches does nto translate to being happy

[Tom Yum]

being successful at throwing punches does nto translate to being happy

but throwing pies does!!!

mmmmm....pie.