Near the end of "Karate Kid--Part 2", Mr Miyagi warns Daniel before a fight that this is not a tournament. There are no rules, no judges.
As I continue with #TheResistance to President Trump, I continue to realize that I have a lot to learn, and that a lot of what I know may not work so well.
For example, I still far too often use Facebook Messenger to convey information better left to services like Signal. One fellow activist often has to remind me to use Signal. Of course, such missteps could be an example of something else I need to do, control my enthusiasm. When I saw an ad for a retractable staff, I thought it may be useful as part of "community defense". A few of my fellow activists with more knowledge of self-defense and weapons informed me that the staff was likely to flimsy to be used for anything more than performances or cosplaying the X-Men member Gambit.
That incident brings up two other issues. The need to realize that we are living in even more hostile times for activists and that knowledge needs to be changed or modified to suit this "new normal".
On December 2, 2018, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, activist group is holding their second Anti-Racism rally. Alas, it looks like we may have company as some alt-right or fascist types look to be plotting to infiltrate and disrupt the event. I am really wondering if they may not show up, and their goal is to either diminish turnout or create a climate that the police may come out in force. I have been working tirelessly to try and get fellow activists to attend, and reached out to some activists who have provided the organizers with photos and other information about potential disruptors.
But if folks do come to cause trouble, I plan to be ready; at least as ready as I can be. I spent part of the morning of the 25th giving myself a refresher class in the Kubaton. I realized that neither the e-book nor the video had much in the way of useful techniques to deal with what I could see myself facing at the rally. Alt-right are often armed, and frequently attack in packs. I saw very little on dealing with these situations in what I read or watched.
Am I looking for a fight? No, I am not, but, as I often say, "It's better to have, and not need, than to need, and not have."