By Kelly S. Worden
A hometown street kid from the inner city streets of Tacoma Washington, Kelly S. Worden found his path in life through fighting. Once introduced to the martial arts, training became a way of life for him. Martial art styles were only a vehicle used to seek freedom in self-expression and personal fighting development.
Within martial arts training several men were inspirational in guiding Mr. Worden’s visions into reality, especially Edward Lewis, Jesse Glover and Professor Remy A. Presas. The list of teachers and associates is much longer but those men provided key elements in Mr. Worden’s development. It was truly Remy A. Presas who set Datu Worden on the path of being an educator of the martial arts, an effort that earned him the coveted title “Datu Of Modern Arnis” in 1988. He was the first American to receive the coveted title from Remy A. Presas.
Mr. Worden is currently contracted to develop and instruct the U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Combative Hand-to-Hand Training Program at Ft. Lewis Washington.
Additionally Datu Worden is a world recognized seminar instructor, instructional video author, knife maker and designer, developer of the Impact Kerambit Travel Wrench self-protection tool and instructional book/DVD, radio talk show host, and gym owner of Natural Spirit Int’l.
Contact Kelly S. Worden at www.kellyworden.com or by e-mail at kellysworden@comcast.net
As a martial artist and teacher, I am approached by a multitude of diverse people from all lifestyles intrigued by the path I have chosen to live. In retrospect, I’m not sure if I had much to do with my current state of being. After years of endless pondering, I honestly feel that the fighting arts somehow chose me. Surely, the raw essence of the martial arts can be defined as a developmental path to self-defense. I have always believed, without indecisiveness, that that meant protecting me, and those around me, from the devastating harm that can result from acts of raw violence. Strangely though, in all its challenges, confusion, and brief moments of glory, my study of the martial arts has evolved into a way of life. This path of unlimited potential has been driven by an inner consciousness to seek self-acceptance and a sense of perfection through physical challenges. Without question, the challenges in the physical realm are a path to becoming a warrior. I am sure that I am not alone in those universal experiences of adolescence through adulthood of not wanting to be intimidated or abused, physically or mentally.
When infancy ceases to be acknowledged by the individual and we begin our unconscious efforts to rebel and resist domination, our warrior blood is born and the transformation of self-preservation begins. Truly, this realization is imperative for personal growth as a warrior and individually transcends the limitations set forth by social guidelines of education. Survival instincts are cultivated by fear and emotional disparity. Formal education has little to do with facing the reality of pain or the mental anguish associated with violently implemented pain. The powerful urge to question or confront uncontrollable circumstances that are unacceptable or even detrimental to one’s existence is a distinction known only by the natural born warrior, while others succumb to domination and compliance.
Labels can be attached to children with unacceptable attitudes, at least those who question authority or adults. Terms such as bad boys, misfits, delinquents, troublemakers, and punks all fit the bill when describing young people who disagree or confront ideals accepted by a broad spectrum of society. I could be wrong, but it has been my observation that many of my colleagues who walk the path of the warrior were also labeled and categorized in this derogatory manner. Possibly, this paradox of behavior is nothing more than an effort to demonstrate individuality and uniqueness through blind spontaneity. Although the evolution of such attitudes leads to walking a fine line between right and wrong, knowing some aspects of both offers insight into making critical choices that affect the ba lance of life. Rebellion is one of the many components that establish the path into warrior hood. I do not think there is a distinct method to describe or define the question, “what is a warrior?” To many, the answer is in the warrior’s very presence and energy. Expressions such as “he walks the walk” is one to which many can relate and attest in describing the warrior when the excrement hits the fan!
One thought that does pass by my bruise-riddled brain cells is the fact that few can be self-appointed into the warrior society. Chances are if an individual pounds on his chest and proclaims his status as a warrior, he is probably just a wannabe with an exaggerated sense of self-worth. In many ways the brotherhood of warriors is an elite class of men and the path to acknowledgement, as such, is the acceptance awarded by those who really do walk the walk and not just talk the talk. Those are men who have sacrificed a life of socially perceived stability and sought a life of inner consciousness, address ing life’s issues with an intuitive recognition of values, moral justice, and equality for the weak. Surely this higher value of life and honor did not come without great sacrifice. Acknowledging men of action and those who sacrificed so we could live is an aspect of the path that burns, yet breathes like a living entity within every warrior’s soul. At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I believe it is safe to say that “those who have passed on before us become spiritual guides and integral shadows in the reflections of our souls” sharing in our very existence. In the physical realm of life the warrior may appear to be standing alone, but within the essence of spirit and brotherhood a warrior is never alone.
Spiritual awareness is the final stage of the warrior life force, the path of which undoubtedly begins within the parameters of physical challenge, although this is not a material personification. It is a path of self-realization, a path that distinctly demonstrates superiority of character. An ability to persevere and temper the spirit to refinement is much like the tempering of Damascus steel: It is layered, hammered and forged from the very core elements that form the earth and have sustained man from the beginning of time.
The “Five Elements” of the Chinese offers a lens through which the Warrior can view and apply the physics of existence to his life: earth, wind, fire, water, and wood. In a purely martial arts perspective, the practitioner seeks to embrace physical, mental, and spiritual growth as developmental phases in the search of his own soul. He adheres to the premise “no limits or boundaries” while leaving no stones unturned. A warrior is raw in the most primal state of being, yet beyond the physical challenges set before him, he is a cultured human being who emerges and faces a quagmire of paradoxes. He is aware of all life’s layers: hunger, pain, disparity, happiness, compassion, resentment, achievements, failure, obsession, defiance, love, hate, and war. Through the rigors of challenge and conquest, this understanding of the nature of the beast and the distinction that separates man is imperative for growth into the society of the warrior. Stead forth a warrior confronts the anguish of physical battle through a personal and internal conflict. He justly seeks an eye for an eye, but does so from the deepest part of his soul, only finding consolation in values and ethics that have spanned centuries. Humbly, the warrior becomes self-realized through an inspired sense to cherish all living things, and he only judges another man if he has walked in his shoes. The naked truth, do unto others before they do unto you, your family, or your country, is his axiom of life. He does not grapple with it through his emotions. Rather, his sense of it is cultivated by his primal instinct of right or wrong. He stares fiercely into the eye of the tiger during that epigrammatic moment of truth. Few men control or manifest their own destiny without walking this path of moral conviction. Through the rigors of challenge and conquest, understanding what separates man from the nature of his inner beast is imperative for growth into the societ y of the warrior.
My introduction to the warrior path may have been nothing more than the multiple ass-whoopings I received after school, in the alley behind the Dairy Queen drive- in. The alley was a frequent hangout for all the local thugs and it was just a spit spray from Stewart Junior High School, my Alma Mater. A simple stroll down the alley was the equivalent of a challenge for those seeking change or recognition as being a cut above the rest. Yeah, I thought I was a tough little S.O.B. I started boxing when I was eight years old and for the most part, I survived scuffles and confrontations with little effort.
Things changed after hitting junior high school. I venture to say that life was seldom if ever “really good”. It’s the often heard “poor white boy story.” I fought constantly. I was poor, relatively small for my age, and because I did not have many clothes, I was the target of humiliatio n. In countering verbal attacks, I would physically strike out in retaliation and became withdrawn from the same social scene of which many others aspired to be part. I didn’t really understand my situation. It was just my way of life as I knew it. Thus, fighting and rebellion became a simpler solution and much easier to personally control than interaction or social compliance.
I am often asked as to who inspired me to the path of survival and later into the realm of warrior-hood. Looking back, there were many men who stood out in the crowd and paved the way. First and foremost was my dad (the old man) and later my older brother who through great pain and undaunted spirit, tempered the ground on which I walked. My old man was a disabled veteran from WWII with six kids and no real way to improve a life that was swept away in the turmoil and sacrifices of war. He was leathered and scarred by a life that was no doubt filled with more anguish and disparity than anything I or my generation of street urchins may have experienced. I reflect and wonder why he never shared his shadowed life, love, or compassion with me. What he did share nonetheless was an ass whooping every time I stepped out of line…a very thin line, one I couldn’t even see. Without question, it was his way and his gift of preparing me for a destiny of self-realization; the realization that a man can only depend on himself, and that he must face his own path, head on. These were hard lessons from a hard man, indeed. He taught me to fight for every grain of rice, every grain of respect, and every moment of tranquility in a life filled with violence and confusion. Bittersweet was the taste of intimidation, pain, humiliation, defeat, and my own blood. Yes, even more so was the essence of vanquishing in a back alley street fight. What he instilled was warrior spirit; things he himself learned through blood, sweat and tears. No matter the logic or reasoning, every day was a new lesson in survival. In reality, survival of the street culture was something I lived to exploit and endure.
Today, lessons of life experienced in my past still balance on a fine line between social consciousness and the darkness of street survival. I like the saying, “You can take the kid off the street, but you can’t take the street out of the kid.” Without a second’s thought, I attest this to be true. In reality, one slip in judgment, even today as an adult, could sever my spirit like a double-edged sword. Life is about fine lines and those lines are borders that separate success and failure in all endeavors. One trip in either direction creates change, good, bad or indifferent; it is all a form of evolution. 8 years old to 51 years old, my years of training in a multitude of comprehensive martial arts systems have culminated and refined my determination and rebellion into a finely functional approach to “hand-to-hand” tactical technology. Years ago, I named this system, the “Natural Spirit Way”.
Presently, I train mature civilian, police, and military operatives in a collaboration of personal protection options. Sophisticated simplicity describes the control tactics, lethal empty-hand striking, threat response imp act weapons, and down and dirty street fighting, which are based in raw and primal survival concepts. Additionally, the underlining edge of the system is balanced by man’s oldest weapon, the knife! Centering on the “art of the knife” constitutes a moral challenge that transcends the physical realm of what is generally accepted as mainstream martial arts in today’s society. In refining the inordinate power of the blade, one cultivates the warrior mindset while stimulating growth through confronting one’s own fears. This includes facing the brutal realities and sobering impressions that develop a sophisticated consciousness through technical methodology in deceptive strategies, facilitating the lethal power of the blade. In facing this challenge of self-realization, one grows in the understanding of supreme accountability that can be instilled by training in edged steel. Discipline, self-control, confidence, as well as unsurpassed technical skill can be cultivated. These are serious attributes that create emotional balance and symmetry while imparting the warrior spirit.
Without question, in my view a prepared society is a polite society! Rarely does the brandishing of edged steel not distress a man. This is a key factor any man must face when aspiring to manifest his destiny with edged weaponry. Indigenous to many cultures, knife-craft is customarily refined and spiritually tempered. Sadly, few truly comprehend the art, science, or principles of edged weapons as a way of life. Thus, developing knife skill for combative application is a life-long study of tempered sophistication, geared to challenge the very core of each individual’s physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional balance. Studying blade-craft can literally dominate one’s existence, through the science of primal instincts, physical movement, and human response. All preconceptions are dissected and become realized strategies, executed without fear or hesitation. Knife science is addressed in an intellectual perspective within the Natural Spirit, and it is truly a privilege to have been accepted and trained by a master instructor in the lethal “Art of the Blade”.
Gross motor movements are introduced to hone specific patterns of offensive and defensive entry lines. Warrior-knowledge incorporates a collaboration of personal protection options. Direct and evasive physical maneuvers, including explosive striking techniques, are driven by psychological strategies and are cultivated components essential to the business of recognizing and dealing with the threat of imminent danger. Tactical expertise in impact and edged-weapons such as staff, baton and knife covers the spectrum from defensive civilian concepts, such disarms and controlling techniques, to high-level security missions utilizing vital killing point tactics for sentry or threat abolition.
Although I am not a firearm-qualified instructor, I insist that my civilian students study and refine firearm skills to further balance all potential threats of conflict engagement. Of course, law enforcement officers and military personnel rely on f irearms as the foundation of their tactical defense skills. Therefore, their spectrum of balance within the warrior arts is accentuated through impact and edged weapon skill development. This is not a methodology of engagement that I instruct or entrust to anyone who is not socially balanced, serves the people as a law enforcement officer, is militarily qualified, and already breathes life as a Natural Spirit warrior. Simplified and direct, my goal is to increase each individual’s intestinal fortitude while honing attributes through instinctual or neuromuscular response training. Efficiency of movement predicates and maximizes the Natural Spirit warrior’s functional skills. Weapon acquisition techniques, deployment, angle of entry, comprehension of anatomical targets, and knowledge of improvisational alternative weapons are all conducive of a trained fighter, who is compelled to conquer at all costs. Few martial training methods tap primal killer instincts as does the power of the blade. The knife cultivates the warrior mind set with a progression of lethal force skills both offensively and defensively. What is evident immediately when training in the Natural Spirit Way, is the true fact that a good offense is the best defense. There is little room for error in knife combative training, mentally or physically.
Today, many practitioners place a majority of their training in grappling due to the success of NHB, “no holds barred,” events viewed on television. Sadly, even military men have been drawn into this fallacy. In reality it takes nothing more than a traditional boot knife used in military training and theatres throughout WWI, WWII, Korea, as well as in the jungles of Vietnam, to kill or maim a grappling strategist during a physical engagement. This is not only true in military combat, but also in the rough and tumble streets during inner city conflicts. The knife is man’s oldest and most reliable weapon of personal defense. Warriors are survivalists and rarely depend on one strategy or martial arts system to save their lives. Common sense needs to be cultivated and is as important as technical skill. A word to the wise…do not be fooled into believing life and survival is about fair fighting or glorified cultural styles that claim to be “reality-based” yet create deception. I openly tell the men I train “We are American, and we are not bound by cultural glorification of martial art styles.” Simply put, use what works. Additionally, only foolish men would believe a fight for ideals, religion, life, freedom, or country is going to be fought without weapons that produce injury. Prepare for the worst and pray for quick resolution with minimal loss.
As it can be seen in all martial concepts, terminology is a distinct factor of the cultural relationship relative to style and strategic methodology. In reality, there is little value in being force fed the cultural ritualistic ideals when our only real goal is to become tactically proficient. Spanish, European, and Asian martial defense forms have survived for centuries and are now practiced worldwide. In many ways those defensive methods have integrated or blended into hybrid systems with little or no cultural boundaries.
This is a distinct factor with the U.S. Special Forces Edged and Impact Weapon Combative Skills, which I instruct. My professional opinion dictates that U.S. Special Forces soldiers have earned the right to be called Warriors. It is my duty as a combatives instructor to share every aspect of tactical skill that I have learned, absorbed, or developed, specifically for neutralizing a multitude of threat levels.
There is an old motto that historically speaks the inevitable truth about steel: live by the sword, die by the sword! Blade warriors eventually accept this axiom as a verity of life on the path they have chosen to walk. Although it is not necessary that one die in a “lethal encounter”, it is crucial to face that prospect within the combat itself. Another axiom in a knife fight is this: Expect one man to depart this life and the other to bleed; both will be cut. This is ano ther verity that many not “cut from the cloth” of the warrior choose to ignore. Though it is said ignorance is bliss, one cannot hide behind the shimmer of steel. Only a mediocre practitioner or fool would try to deceive the honorable brotherhood of warriors through false proficiency in edged steel. Honestly, with one look into a deceptive eye by a serious blade-player, the game would be up. The high art of steel is not an arena for those in blind pursuit of glory.
All too often, I hear the vocal pomposity of judgment coming from some silver-spoon fed piss ant, whose only connection to street survival is an old Starsky and Hutch rerun. With a great air of authority, men dependent only on the ability to protect themselves or family members by a 911 call to authorities actually question the lucid study or need for any adept technical skills of physical defense. Facing the mystical image of knife-reality and the development of efficient skills requires a deep examination of our own mortality, which is a challenge few wi llingly accept. Even those refined in firearm deployment chatter off, “If I see a knife, I’ll just shoot the guy!” Reality illustrates all too often that a warrior’s covert, silent draw of a concealed fixed blade at close range will dominate the engagement with little or no admonition, nearly every time. Edged steel equalizes physical stature, age and even gender.
A friend and great man of military status once told me, “If you love your family, teach them knife, and no one can touch them.” Of course, there are exceptions to all situations, as anyone can covertly assault and dominate even the best-prepared warrior. However, the remaining fact is that training in edged steel can cultivate an indomitable spirit. Additionally, that knowledge and skill transforms a simple # 2 pencil into a lethal tool of self-preservation. Knife tactics offer the potential to create a transformation of almost any object, such as a screwdriver, dinner fork, or a sliver of wood, into a tool of tactical efficiency. This is an accurate description of the power in man’s oldest weapon; an inevitable truth in steel and the high art of the blade. A simple tool for primitive survival, the knife’s capability has developed over centuries by countless cultural influences in order to “feed, clothe and protect” man -- the warrior -- from harm’s way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A hometown street kid from the inner city streets of Tacoma Washington, Kelly S. Worden found his path in life through fighting. Once introduced to the martial arts his life evolved completely around martial arts training as a way of life. Martial art styles were only a vehicle used to seek freedom in self expression and personal fighting development.
Within martial arts training several men were inspirational in guiding Kelly S. Worden’s visions into reality, Edward Lewis, Jesse Glover, and Professor Remy A. Presas. The list of teachers and associates is extremely longer but those men listed provided key elements in Kelly S. Worden’ development. It was truly Remy A. Presas that set Worden on the path of being an educator of the martial arts, that effort earned Kelly S. Worden the coveted title “Datu Of Modern Arnis.” Kelly S. Worden was the first American to receive the coveted title from Remy A. Presas in 1988.
Kelly S. Worden is currently contracted to develop and instruct the U.S. Army 1st. Special Forces Combative Hand to Hand Training Program at Ft. Lewis Washington.
Additionally Kelly S. Worden is a world recognized seminar instructor, instructional video author, knife maker and designer, developer of the Impact Kerambit Travel Wrench self protection tool and instructional book/DVD, Radio Talk Show Host, and Gym Owner of Natural Spirit Int’l.
