Shoot, Fight, Fast, and Pray

A man must be both dangerous and devout.

By Matt H. of The Tippecanoe Society.

I was blessed to attend the OGC Conference this year. It was a breath of fresh air. It struck me that in a sane world, the men in attendance would all be in positions of recognized dignity and authority. Sadly, we do not live in a sane world. We live in a fake and gay world.

Regardless of how evil manifests itself over time and space, the tenets by which a man must live remain the same. A man must be dangerous, and he must be devout. If you frame your life in between being dangerous and devout, everything else will fall into place; these things are the bread for the sandwich, so to speak.

The ideas of comfort and security are illusions; constant vigilance, both against external foes and your own weakness, must be practiced and built upon. The Enemy has placed comfort and security on a false altar, to which the masses bow down and will sacrifice anything, even their dignity and their children. The secular, modern world wants nothing more than to feel good about itself; never to question, never to strive and fail, and ultimately to rot away slowly into nothingness. We must resist this by fighting in the world and fighting the temptations within ourselves.

It is good to be physically dangerous, not only because of the utility of violence in the real world, but because of the character and strength that it builds in one’s soul.

I find Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to be a good way to train. It is less damaging to the body than other arts such as Judo and Muay Thai, allowing you to train consistently into old age without sustaining major injuries. You will build not only your physical strength and stamina, but a mental fortitude that will come in handy in all facets of life. You will learn to be calm under duress. You will learn to observe your failures objectively and work to overcome them. You will find humility. You will find mentors and teachers, something severely lacking in the modern world, who will help you with your struggle and congratulate you in your successes.

Depending on where you live and your daily routine, there are various kinds of firearms training that will benefit you. If you live in an urban environment, learning to use a handgun may be your best option; if you are a rural dweller, you may find that a rifle is a better tool for you. Regardless, spend your time and money on training instead of on expensive gear. Learn to shoot in the dark, with one hand, while moving, and to clear malfunctions. Practice draw, dry fire, and movement techniques in your home with an unloaded pistol.

Train with an airsoft gun. I go to the range twice a month and still practice several times a week in the backyard with an airsoft gun. Tatsuya Sakai, unable to train with an actual firearm in his native Japan, trained with an airsoft gun and went on to win the 2004 Steel World Championship.

Check out the Active Self Protection YouTube channel, an invaluable resource, where the hosts break down videos of violent encounters from a defender’s perspective.

Take classes and find mentors. Boomers are actually great shooting mentors; their myopic view of the world makes them experts on technique. Learn the laws in your state and jurisdiction. If possible, take a class on gun law. Consider coverage through the Concealed Carry Association or something similar.

I am by no means a great fighter or shooter, nor do I aspire to be the best. I encourage you, dear reader, to train in these martial arts in order to build not only your physical skill but also your inner fortitude.

On the other end of the spectrum from the man of action is the ascetic. Fasting and prayer are two things that the disciplined have practiced throughout the ages and throughout the world.

I’m an Orthodox Christian. Before I converted, I always had difficulty with fasting and prayer. I’ve learned to approach these practices as I have with fighting and shooting. It will take time, sustained effort, and discipline in order for you to ingrain them in your life. Accept failure and struggle. That is how you know you are doing it right.

Since I am discussing these practices as a spiritual discipline, I will not go into any alleged health benefits of fasting or so-called “meditation.” The goal here is to build up the strength and endurance of the spirit. I have found the Orthodox way of fasting and praying approachable, so this is what I will share here.

I fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as specially observed days and weeks such as Lent. I eat vegan on these days. If this sounds simple, it is not, at least at first. I have to rethink my meal prep, and accept the fact that no matter what I eat, I won’t feel quite satiated. This self-deprivation is the point. Rather than going without food, which would make my life unmanageable, I eat enough to sustain myself but not really enjoy it.

I pray using the Orthodox Prayer Book and the Psalms. I always found praying difficult and awkward. I felt foolish talking to God using my ineloquent and inadequate language. By praying the Psalms, and especially by memorizing them, I am able to praise God in a way that feels honorable. I enjoy the discipline in the memorization, and find that by being able to call the Psalms up from memory, I can turn over the phrases and find new insight in them.

It is more difficult to write about prayer and fasting than it is to write about fighting and shooting; this is just the nature of the personal and spiritual practices. I hope that even the non-Orthodox are able to find some use for what I have described above.

Remember that the Enemy wants you to be weak, indulgent, dependent, and complacent. Reject him entirely, and embrace the nature in which God created you: dangerous and devout. A leader of yourself, your family, and your people.