The Martial Art of Recovery: Self-Mastery Practices to Subdue Addiction and Achieve Mental Wellness

By Eric Fisher

Addiction has been given various explanations - some regard it as a choice, a habit, a disease, a moral failure, brought on by traumatic experiences, or a combination. The Martial Art of Recovery offers a unique metaphorical approach to treating addiction, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Techniques and concepts from American Kenpo, a martial arts style, intersect holistically with mental health and addiction treatment.

Striking self-sabotage begins with a single move.

 

The following is a summary of the book's contents:

 

1. Sixty-six American Kenpo martial arts techniques translated for addiction treatment.

2. Ninety-eight martial arts terms have been translated and presented with practical examples to aid addiction recovery.

3. Techniques from the American Kenpo martial arts style are translated into coping skills and strategies for anxiety, depression, and trauma.

4. A section that provides information, examples, and techniques related to the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual domains that play a role in the recovery process.

5. The "Five Swords" for addiction treatment and mental health.

6. How to view the addiction as "The Opponent."

7. How to practically apply martial arts techniques and concepts daily.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eric Fisher
• Release date: May 23, 2024
• ISBN: 9781738196203

Book preview

PREFACE

Don’t look for answers beyond your realm of understanding, for more often than not, many answers are before you that have been overlooked. Ed Parker, Zen of Kenpo

Nothing says ‘ceiling’ like getting your legs swept out by a martial arts instructor. Your body will be horizontally airborne in no time. Gazing up at the ceiling momentarily, you’ll wonder what happened right before your back abruptly hits the mat with a smack. True story. I know because I was there—a front-row seat. Leg sweeps are great unless you’re on the receiving end.

I was 16 years old when my dad and I first began our journey learning American Kenpo. At 18, I obtained my first-degree black belt. I had trained in Wadō-ryū karate prior, finishing when I was around twelve years old as a black belt. I was able to perform the side splits as a pre-teen. Trying those now would send me in an ambulance to the nearest hospital.

My time in the martial arts was a valuable experience. Learning the techniques and sparring was fun. Memorizing a kata, similar to a dance routine, proved challenging. An active imagination was necessary when undertaking a kata. Remembering the sequence of punches, kicks, blocks, locks, and stances was difficult at times. My time in the martial arts helped me learn self-discipline, balance, and self-control with my body movements. These disciplines continue to influence other areas of my life today, especially with relationships where feelings quickly run amuck.

I want to take a moment to reach out to the readers who may feel unsure about the martial arts themes in the text. You may not be able to relate to martial arts when it comes to recovery from addiction or mental health wellness. The themes, techniques, and terms may seem overwhelming or not click with you. My intention is not to cause confusion or perplex anyone. You may find taking your time with each chapter will be best so you can digest the content.

For reference, chapters 5 through 12 and the final chapter are the least martial arts-based. Martial arts concepts aren’t the only path to recovery. There are traditional and not-so-traditional paths you can seek out.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Currently, I hold the Canadian Certified Counsellor designation. I have served in outpatient and inpatient addiction treatment settings both in the USA and Canada. I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and a master practitioner of ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy). ART and EMDR are psychotherapies often used for trauma. I’m an MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) certified practitioner. I hold more than thirteen years of work experience in the mental health field. During that time, I have held several roles: consultant, supervisor, mobile therapist, group therapy facilitator, and clinical counsellor. Everyone must start somewhere in their careers. For me, that place was Elvis Presley’s birth state.

I began my work as a mental health counsellor in North Mississippi. The mobile therapist position came into play here. Three days a week, I’d drive to people's homes in the community to perform counselling services. During one incident, I was followed by the police because I was driving in a circle looking for a particular residence in a rough part of town. I stopped, left my car, and approached the police officer’s driver-side window. He rolled down his window with suspicion. I showed him who I worked for with an ID card showcasing my credentials. He told me to carry on basically. Many stories about the community work could be said over an open fire. I’ll leave those on the cutting room floor.

I remember the Mississippian town having stop signs on what felt like every street. Stop and go on repeat. Sheila, my supportive supervisor at the time, advocated for me to take a position at the local inpatient drug treatment center called the Chemical Dependency Complex. A large portion of the treatment center’s population struggled with alcohol, methamphetamine, and heroin use.

On my first day working at the CDC, I was given intakes to complete, individual sessions, and a psychoeducational group to facilitate. Yikes. I can’t remember the exact number of sessions, but you get the idea. Sink or swim. My head was spinning. I felt anxious and uncertain if I could perform my job competently. Within the first month, two colleagues were fired on the same day. I nervously wondered if I was next on the chopping block. Thankfully, they never sharpened the blade for my neck.

At the time, the idea there was more to addiction than mood-altering was far-fetched. My knowledge about substances and their effects felt way below par. During my master's degree, I did not take a single course solely on addiction, and, as a result, I lacked the critical knowledge I needed for my new position. Before beginning my position as a mobile therapist at the outpatient clinic, I agreed to a quasi-interview with the inpatient treatment center’s director. She asked how much I knew about addiction. I told her the honest and embarrassing truth. Zero. Almost three years elapsed before I began a ten-month stint working at the same inpatient treatment center.

Manipulation came from inpatient clients, and I was tricked more times than I cared to count. I tried to act as if I wasn’t manipulated. I did not want them to know they succeeded. I also did not understand how psychotic signs and symptoms could co-occur with addiction or manifest as drug-induced, such as with alcohol, cocaine, or methamphetamine.

One client assumed I was Satan. The main reason the client believed I was the devil incarnate would make you smile. I introduced myself when we first met, and then allegedly, the person heard me later call myself by a different name. The alleged contradiction gave credence to delusion. At the client’s discharge, I was informed they no longer believed I was Satan. I was relieved the client came to that conclusion.

Another difficulty with working with those in addiction early in my career was knowing their world. I was an outsider. At the time, I felt baffled by a man in his seventh treatment stay. Why couldn’t he understand? What was he missing? Never having done heroin, I was fired by a client who wanted to work with another counsellor who had personal experience with addiction.

I underestimated the effort it takes for people to persevere in recovery. I minimized the struggles people were going through. Hey, thirty days in treatment, and you should be good to go! In and out like a touchless car wash. How wrong I was. Through walking with people in recovery, I have realized how much determination must be present. This brings me back to three values I learned in martial arts: self-discipline, balance, and self-control.

Self-discipline in my professional work came in many forms: time management, emotional regulation, and active listening. Not taking things personally is a huge factor. Establishing and maintaining proper boundaries during my inpatient work was crucial. They might have a social circle of family and friends, but how many professional counsellors are in their corner? A family member or friend may enable addictive behaviours. So could a mental health professional, but hopefully not as likely. I realized I could not afford to play a biased cheerleader role for them. I had to remain objective and not minimize destructive behaviours or blow them out of proportion.

Therefore, a balance was set for displaying warm, empathic understanding and staying objective during interactions. Self-control included learning to regulate my emotions. I remember speaking with one man about a religious topic he brought up. He accidentally spilled coffee all over my desk, wetting several work papers. Looking back, I am surprised by how successfully I kept my calm. A brief inner explosion with quick abatement. Does a healthy response always occur? I’ve flipped my lid several times. I’m only human. Hoarding passive-aggressive juice tends to be my jam when I am not at my best.

On another occasion, a woman experienced a seizure during a group we were having outside. I matter-of-factly used the walkie-talkie, and the ambulance arrived. Self-control also entails learning not to beat myself up for the mistakes I make during the work. Feel what I need to feel and march onward. As the years have gone by, so has my education and insight concerning addiction.

The central epiphany from working in the addiction field resembles a metaphor - addiction resembles a unique slice of hell. A person in an active recovery program will share their life’s salvage operation with you. The addiction rears its ugly head in many ways, some of which may surprise you. A few words are used to describe addiction: cunning, baffling, powerful, progressive, chronic, self-sabotaging, self-absorbing, and all-around destructive.

No one wakes up one day and decides to become someone with an addiction. From my observation, it tends to play out as a gradual descent into internal and external chaos. The addict’s journey into perdition is fraught with peril, confusion, and self-destruction.

I use the term addiction, not addictions.⁠ ¹ This is something I learned when I began working in the mental health and addiction field in Calgary, AB, Canada, at a local outpatient clinic. Addiction manifests with different symptoms, be it alcohol, cocaine, gambling, sex, relationships, and so on. The DSM-5 TR (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision), frequently likened to the holy grail for classifying and diagnosing psychiatric disorders, serves up the term substance use disorder in a plethora of individual diagnoses.⁠ ²

I wouldn’t say I like diagnosing people with texts such as the DSM-5 TR. The labels seem to isolate. There’s a strong likelihood of pigeonholing someone’s treatment. A diagnosis may detract from treating the entire person. Culture, environment, and family systems are often overlooked or discounted. However, I appreciate the ability to facilitate someone’s treatment with an available diagnosis. Diagnosing co-occurring disorders will help with what direction to go with an integrative treatment strategy.

Suppose someone is diagnosed with addiction and also has post-traumatic stress disorder. In that case, a plan can be formulated for professional referrals, psychotherapy modalities, therapy goals, and community resources. I must balance diagnosing with treating the entire person from a holistic, community-based perspective while considering culture and even subcultures.

Gary Greenberg’s The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmaking of Psychiatry is an excellent book on the enigma known as psychiatric diagnostics. The history of psychiatric diagnosis will leave you baffled. One only has to look up the term drapetomania to understand my dislike for diagnostic labels.⁠ ³ The term refers to a slave in pre-Civil War America who possessed pathological traits for desiring to flee captivity.

I feel slapping the disorder label on someone sticks them in a tight little box with no room to breathe. Others may hold an opposite view, citing a diagnosis as affirming and a welcomed validation. Neither perspective dominates. Let whatever helps a person take precedence in each case.

I suggest practitioners assess with the context in mind, not using criteria for symptoms/signs as only a checklist. There are different contexts, such as spiritual, cultural, and life circumstances. Major depressive disorder may look to fit nicely as a diagnosis until learning a person just lost two parents to death; grief may need additional focus. Therefore, a proper bio-psycho-social-spiritual assessment, attention to context, weighing differential diagnoses, checking motivation for establishing a diagnosis, and not making a diagnosis for insurance purposes unless valid.

The goal of this book is not to produce a scientific text since much has already been written regarding addiction and its underlying neurobiological aspects. There are neurobiological parts embedded but not exhaustively. I’m not an astute neurobiologist, glorified scholar, or dedicated researcher. Instead, this book contains my personal experiences while working in the addiction and mental health fields.

Observing the struggles of people with addiction, I was reminded of what I learned through martial arts. I began to compile patterns, themes, and concepts within martial arts linked to addiction treatment. I aim to provide an adequate intersection between practical martial arts concepts corresponding with addiction recovery and mental health.

I begin the first chapter by discussing the opponent. You may already have a clue about what this opponent represents. This chapter will explore how my martial arts experiences connect to recovery-based concepts and themes.

Chapter two, Practical Recovery Concepts, is the book’s foundational material. The material in the following two chapters is probably why you gave this book a shot. The section briefly describes the terms of American Kenpo martial arts. These terms will describe real-life practical applications to recovery.

Chapter three, Recovery Techniques, will build on the abovementioned terms. Sixty-six defensive techniques are translated into recovery-based techniques. These techniques are the building blocks for a renewed lifestyle.

The fourth chapter delves into what I call the Five Swords recovery principles: Self-Love Vitality, Emotional Flexibility, Problem-Solving Agility, Spirituality Pursuer, and Resilience Gainer. I’ll detail what these mean and ways to practice each daily. The Five Swords principles correlate with chapters five through seven regarding application.

Chapter five, Darkness, will explore depression and how this mental health concern relates to addiction. The chapter also gives coping strategies. Translated martial arts terms and techniques are included in the section.

Chapter six, Disquiet, will discuss anxiety and how this mental health concern is associated with addiction. Coping strategies are laid out. Translated martial arts terms and techniques are included.

Chapter seven, Distress, will give information on trauma and the connections of this concern with addiction. Coping strategies are provided. Translated martial arts terms and techniques are shared.

The eighth chapter, Carpe Connection, describes how to seize a connection with the self and others successfully. Returning to work after addiction treatment is addressed. Dealing with family relationships after entering recovery is explored. Connection, for many, represents the opposite of addiction.

Chapter nine of The Internal World deep dives into thoughts and feelings. I’ve also added information on stress and specific masks we wear as deflections.

Chapter ten, Bio-Dome, details how to self-care with diet, exercise, and sleep, a vital trifecta. When one crumbles, the other two portions will struggle to pick up the slack. We’ll investigate how to incorporate the three healthily.

Chapter eleven, Spirituality Unmasked, will hopefully break through the fourth wall concerning this heavily debated and heated topic. I believe you will come out the other side with a renewed perspective. Compare the information on spirituality pursuer from chapter four and the reframed yellow belt recovery technique Circling Spirituality from chapter three.

Chapter twelve, Nuggets in the Rough, contains my notes on addiction and recovery, not in any order. Just as in martial arts, sometimes a seemingly random punch, well-timed, strikes home.

Chapter thirteen, Practical Assimilation, will dive deeper into the martial arts techniques with a practical guide on integrating knowledge learned in chapter three and previous chapters into the healing journey. My perspective on AA’s 12 Steps from a martial arts perspective, with brief descriptions, is included at the chapter’s end.

Chapter fourteen, Concluding Thoughts, is the book’s swan song.

I don’t intend to patronize with the following disclaimer: Please do not attempt to practice the martial arts techniques herein. Only train with certified martial arts instructors in a dojo. Refrain from training or teaching others American Kenpo through this book. You are strictly prohibited for your and others’ safety! You are welcome to apply what you learn in the text here when you start your martial arts training, but only in that context. Purchasing a black belt, karate outfit, and wooden nunchucks from an online store sounds fun but isn’t recommended. Fantasy abounds. Halloween may be the only exception, minus the nunchucks.

The suggestions aren't rare unicorns, silver bullets, or gimmicks. I advise you to treat the content seriously as if you are working on a meaningful course. Recovery isn’t an easy affair. It would be best if you put the clothes out to dry. Nobody will perform the chore for you.

Many believe in quick fixes like magical medications, geographical cures, and charismatic self-help gurus. With recovery, a life change must happen. This treatment inventory aims to help begin facilitating that change—an indescribable transformation beyond words. A quick fix leads to even faster disdain. Put in the effort, and the results will repay you in mass dividends.

Do the work.

This text isn’t a substitute for any support groups, such as AA, NA, GA, etc. The content isn’t a replacement for a supportive, competent, knowledgeable psychologist, counsellor, and social worker. What you’re reading is a supplement to your healing journey. I hope you can combine all the recovery resources at your disposal.

I aim to translate martial arts concepts into practical recovery-based principles, tools, and strategies for everyone struggling with addiction and mental health. I sincerely hope what follows will benefit you.

1

KENPO AND ADDICTION

I come to you with only Karate, empty hands; I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles of honour, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong, then here are my weapons, Karate, my empty hands. Ed Parker, 1957.

I learned to exercise self-control during martial arts practice and avoid injuring my training partner. My movement, speed, focus, and form all factored into the equation. Over time, we developed a certain level of trust. We trusted each other not to cross the line of self-control, ensuring physical and emotional safety.

Were there times I violated these self-control principles? I would not be telling the truth if I said no. Self-control was about composure during sparring and not allowing our feelings to supersede. Becoming angry may give a burst of speed, but the ability to think significantly diminishes. At least, that is what I found. During a sparring match at a karate tournament, I turned into full rage against my opponent, who happened to attend the same martial arts school. We punched one another even after the match was over and had to separate, albeit with much effort on both our parts. It is not my fondest memory, but it showed I needed to watch myself regarding respect towards my opponent, self-respect, and self-control.

While participating in sparring, I struggled to distinguish between overly placid and full-on aggression. Finding the midpoint for me was difficult as I often felt passive. I remember bypassing the passivity and kicking out my dad’s knee during a sparring match, which I feel spurts of guilt about to this day—a cheap shot. I was fighting aggressively with an intent to harm. The same goes for communication in our daily lives. Acting passively does not help us communicate to the best of our ability, nor does aggression.

Cheap shots could mean taking someone hostage during a conversation, sarcasm, scoffing, rudeness, and stonewalling. For the record, taking someone hostage in communication denotes manipulation, so the person feels blindsided by the interaction. A person manipulates the environment and the conversation topic.

A great example from an adult/child perspective is a parent driving while a child sits as a captive passenger. First, their parent, already viewed as an authority figure, helms the wheel and directs the conversation, adding to the child’s feeling of lack of control. Does this mean parents cannot have frank discussions with their children? Of course not. The motivation and method are essential, though.

Martial Arts is for Defense

A martial artist does not strut around seeking to start a fight. Those jerks are called bullies. A martial artist adheres to protecting the self while issuing the most minor damage to the opponent to survive. Self-control springs into play here yet again. Offense follows defense when required.

When I reach the point where I may need to defend myself, three levels of damage are involved: mild, moderate, and severe. With each level up, my opponent becomes more damaged. When an offensive move causes severe damage, the result could be prolonged unconsciousness (coma) or death. Motivation for what level I use is critical. I may only need to use a move to inflict mild to moderate damage. The reason to injure someone with a move that could kill must match the situation and personal values. Use the least amount of offense to retreat to a safe distance away from harm.

Recovery strategies imitate a similar pattern. I don’t need to enact a multi-layered therapeutic intervention from, say, DBT when simply telling a person, No. I can’t attend the party tonight, suffices. Martial arts demand respect for applied concepts, techniques, and principles, whether American Kenpo, Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, or others.

Balance

Martial arts involve locating and honing my sense of balance. There is a ton of movement in martial arts, and maintaining balance is essential so I do not end up on the floor due to an opponent. Balance shows you’re performing the technique adequately. Body weight is an important concept to understand. Fate doesn’t always favor the largest person in the room but more so the most agile, maneuverable, and strategic. As Yoda wisely states, Size matters not.

Balance in recovery involves awareness and action. I’ll pick on lawyers for a moment because everyone does. A lawyer with workaholism tendencies may find a challenge in life balance between work, family, and recovery. Trouble comes knocking if recovery reflects a minor footnote. Turn off the cell phone. The voicemail and text messages aren’t going anywhere. They await your attention at another time. Some people have expectations about how we are supposed to respond to electronic devices. Thankfully, we don’t have to abide by another’s cell phone philosophy. Balance prevails.

Gary Steele, a master martial artist from whom I learned the Wadō-ryū karate style, 6th dan in Japanese Karate, 1976 Tennessee state champion as a kumite (sparring) team captain, and martial arts school owner for 45 years, stated the following via email correspondence:

Martial Arts training can help with the treatment of some mental health issues. The idea in treating addiction is to exchange the unhealthy addiction to the healthy addiction of Martial Arts training. Exchange one for the other - totally. Mind, body, and Spirit. The addict should travel from one school to another to watch classes to help decide which one to choose. Then it’s total immersion into the training - 2 or 3 classes per week at first. Leaving each class sweaty & happy with the mindset that he’s building mental discipline & strength to defeat the addiction as he would any other enemy that was out to destroy his life. Class by class, step by step - developing focus & mental toughness along the way - the progress can be measured. This takes a total commitment from the addict to submit to the training 100% and set a goal to become a Black Belt. And in that process - Kick the unhealthy habit out of his life - totally."

My interpretation when he says to turn an unhealthy addiction into a healthy addiction concerns focus and intention. What do I intend to focus on with life? Addiction manipulates someone to intently focus on the pursuit of a substance, relationship, or behaviour for mood-altering. With intent on something healthy, such as martial arts, my focus and intentions attach to self-growth rather than degradation.

I find it interesting that Gary spoke about seeking a martial arts school that suits a person’s preference. This is similar to visiting different community support group meetings before settling on a home group. Attending Alcoholics Anonymous groups two to three times per week at first may fit the plan, just as it may with starting martial arts training! I also believe progress can be measured in martial arts and recovery.

The Opponent

Addiction roams about in constant search of a fight. This cunning opponent will use every method, technique, defense, and offense necessary to bypass your protection zones and win the battle. I’ve seen where losing the fight has led people—friends and family members who witness a casket lower into the ground.

Yes, addiction has its defenses that manifest in various ways. One defense for addiction is denial. With denial, we lie to ourselves and the people around us. By denying, we destroy any avenue for change. Minimizing and rationalizing are two addiction defenses linked to denial. A person minimizes the damage done by addiction and justifies behaviours through addictive thinking.

Addiction will not stop its fight until it wins, and winning for addiction means chaos and death. Addiction, like a virus, attacks a person at every turn. And like viruses, it dies when the host dies. Unless a person becomes well and the virus vanishes. That is the one difference between the two since addiction does not simply depart. Like a prowling lion seeking whom to devour, addiction keeps on guard.

Addiction acts as a thief in this regard since it steals away the availability of reasoning—a defensive technique utilized by addiction. Additional techniques addiction employs are minimization, rationalization, stonewalling, projecting, blaming, creating drama, intellectualizing, jesting, and justifying a person’s use. I’ll focus on a single defensive technique seemingly meta to virgin ears.

Defensiveness

A person said to you something about your frequency of alcohol usage. The defensiveness barrier in your head would raise helter-skelter as the disease protects itself, lashing out at the person for their faults (scorekeeping), projecting your feelings onto them, or turning the cold shoulder.

At first, someone thinks they are doing others a service by acting this way. I am standing up for myself, after all! Protecting number one! But the illusion stands right in front of you. The addiction defends itself. As with a virus or infection that wants to thrive, it protects itself selfishly. Signs and symptoms of addiction will flare up into the spotlight. Family members, co-workers, friends, and neighbours notice something isn’t right.

Defensiveness protects addiction.

The person with addiction often is the last person to know what’s happening entirely. At a certain point, deep down for many, there’s a sense something is amiss. Addiction may be one of the only diseases that tell someone they don’t have anything wrong with them. Sure, for other diseases, such as cancer, a person may be in denial for a certain amount of time, but then reality sinks in. For addiction, you might slip in and out of denial several times and stay in denial even after a critical incident occurs.

In martial arts, different belt colors signify where a student is in their development. The techniques become more complex as the belt color levels rise. A belt color shows how far I’ve gone outwardly, but it can be another story inwardly. Many people in community support groups have been sober for a long time. Some have been sober for over 40 years. Outwardly, their lives look great on paper. Inwardly, there may or may not be a struggle.

The term often used, dry addict or dry alcoholic, means they have been sober but continue showing issues with hostility, defiance, and additional addictive thinking and behaviours. In a Hollywood-style story, we see the same where a martial artist shows off his black belt but does not maturely act the part. The Karate Kid films were onto something. Emotional sobriety, worked on after chemical sobriety, lays lifeless at the gate.

A martial artist shows respect for their current belt level. The martial artist also considers those with higher and lower belt levels. Similarly, a person in recovery respects someone recently entering recovery and those who have been in a program longer. It is not the quantity of time but the quality that counts. Please make no mistake, as I don’t condone a get-out-of-jail-free pass to commit to ongoing relapse. Pursue recovery with quality.

When sparring in martial arts, we would wear gloves on our hands and a head protector made from a foamy material. We wouldn’t often wear any protective gear around our feet when I was sparring in Kenpo, although we did utilize specialized footwear. While in Wadō-ryū karate, I remember wearing gear for the feet. Addiction doesn’t wear gloves and will laugh when its opponent pleads for it to pull back. Not that I asked my sparring opponents to take it easier on me, but you get the gist of what I’m arguing.

Addiction will circle someone in the sparring ring, punching, kicking, kneeing, and head-locking here and there. One minor skirmish followed by another, grinding an opponent to the bone until leaping in for the kill. The only way for the addiction not to claim victory is to find the blocks, maneuvers, angles of deflection, and offensive moves to succeed until time runs out for the sparring match.

By the way, the sparring match happens to be life. Beating addiction like you’d win against a human opponent isn’t possible. Addiction never tires. The opponent may retreat to a corner to gather his bearings, but he speedily heads back into the fight. Addiction is deadlier than the sharpest two-edged sword, piercing into the deepest parts of a human being’s soul, mind, and body. Beating addiction is like attempting to overcome a monster you cannot see, smell, or touch. A single victory over this opponent won’t cause him to remove the sparring gloves.

It isn’t going to happen. Although you may be disappointed to hear this decree, don’t get rattled.

Can you learn a strategy on the sparring mat to defend yourself against this formidable opponent? Can you figure out a way to survive without tapping into self-destruction? Yes. The possibility exists. People heal from addiction. You can bet your life on it. And you can bet your life on it because that’s what you wager when you wear the sparring gloves.

Once you put on those sparring gloves, pulling them off isn’t a choice anymore. You are wearing those gloves for good. Even if someone decides to resubmit to the addiction’s grasp, the memories of recovery and what the time offered them simmer like a tasty stew. A person ruins their mood-altering résumé by engaging in recovery. The only incidents erasing the memories are an organic brain disorder or an environmental incident.

If you view addiction as a choice, then fighting the opponent means making healthy, productive, and life-sustaining choices consistently. If you view addiction as a habit with neuroscience underpinnings, then dealing with addiction means changing the habit cycle with cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioural interventions. This approach states something learned can be unlearned. If you view addiction as a disease, then confronting the opponent entails repairing and empowering holistic health domains, commonly identified as bio-psycho-social-spiritual. You may believe addiction stems from a mental health concern like depression or ADHD. If so, intervention for co-occurring disorders is vital while also developing a plan for addiction recovery.

If you consider the opponent as solely arising from trauma, then work on finding coping skills for trauma along with utilizing trauma-informed psychotherapy. This approach also involves learning strategies for addiction recovery. Before diving into trauma treatment, you preferably learn skills and tools for recovery first. Please be advised that I have already used and will continue to use one of the above, the disease model, throughout the book.

The addiction models are overly simplified as to how to approach them. I’m not here to coerce you to subscribe to one perspective. I’m more interested in you being able to apply the translated martial arts concepts to whatever you believe as far as an addiction model. My only important request is to confirm that the model works for you. That you’re not working against yourself with whatever’s chosen.

The Four Weapons

Martial arts may or may not involve weapon training. I trained with Escrima sticks and nunchucks. I once watched a man get hit right above the eye with an Escrima stick by another student during my time learning Kenpo. The man had to be taken to the hospital to have his eyebrow treated. The weapon isn’t one to joke about. Neither is addiction, which possesses a large variety of weapons for you to grapple against.

The three weapons most cited in support groups, treatment centers, and private talks are people, places, and things detrimental to a person’s recovery. I would include ‘ideas’ along with the big three. When inserted into the brain, ideas can wreak havoc on relationships, finances, occupational pursuits, spirituality, and lifestyle choices. A large weapons cache awaits the opponent’s usage, and part of sparring successfully means learning the weapons and how to defend against them.

A martial arts student will execute a bow of respect when entering or leaving the training area. The bow would come from an attention stance. Interestingly, a bow is only done to objects in the environment, not individuals. To salute shows respect for the martial arts and the location where others have trained.⁠ ¹ Saluting with a hand gesture transfers to the real world outside the dojo. Can we show respect to ourselves and fellow human beings we encounter? Co-workers, managers, teachers, bosses, friends, family members, spouses, and children. They all could be given a salute.

The following, and many concepts in the material, are derived from Eric and Kevin Lamkin, experts in Kenpo martial arts. Without them, this book would not have been possible.

The creed has become an accepted Code for many Martial Artists. It denotes the Martial Artist’s way of life in today’s environment. Equally as important, the Creed acts as a guide to the Martial Artist in developing a keen sense of justice. The use of the words right or wrong leaves no margin for clemency but to defend one’s self. A matter of life and death means strict adherence to survival in protecting loved ones or self even if it means death to the adversary should no alternative be left. Principles must be upheld and protected, for without them, the very core and soul of man is valueless. Honour motivates a Martial Artist to action because it gives integrity. Empty hands (as well as other body weapons) are the substitutes that a Martial Artist uses in place of man-made weapons to sustain his honour. Discipline developed through training without weapons implants justice and discretion when applying the Martial Arts. The PLEDGES are extensions of the CREED, composed and designed to further promulgate character among the lower ranks.⁠ ²

I intend to incorporate the previous information of the creed and pledges into an addiction recovery conceptualization. As much as I despise black-and-white thinking, there are situations where the absolute reigns supreme. One primary concern where thinking in absolutes proves essential is with addiction’s consequences. Recovery from addiction represents a matter of life and death.

Death doesn’t mean only departing the physical realm. Spiritual death (e.g., betraying values) could be included here. Either I am progressing in recovery, or I am moving towards a relapse—no neutral ground.

The orange belt pledge states, I understand that I am but a beginner in a new and fascinating art which will direct me to greater obligations and responsibilities. To honor my obligations and responsibilities, I pledge myself to serve my instructor, fellow students, and fellow men.⁠ ³ In regards to your healing, this includes having a pledge of service to like-minded people in recovery, a coach or mentor, a mental health professional, and additional support. How does one be of service? Actively listen. Help out practically when appropriate to the relationship. Honor your responsibilities in a relationship. Respect other people’s time when you schedule with them.

Another factor to process is asking what is suitable or beneficial for my recovery. Either I am doing right for my recovery or wrong, as there isn’t much wiggle room here. It is not like some activities are a little suitable or a little amiss. I’m either serving the addiction or my recovery. Sure, many make mistakes and slip into old patterns, but what they do afterward remains the most significant. Proceed with the fruit of mistakes or intervene with recovery-based approaches.

The addiction will use whatever small pieces are active and amplify them to manipulate. I am hanging out with a friend who heavily uses substances once a week; this turns to two times a week. Sooner or later, I associate all the time, trying harm reduction, which didn’t work in the past. I have returned to full-time substance use despite field research.

Principles, honor, and empty hands

Principles are reflected in our actions and words and how we relate to people in our circle. Without principles, we are without a soul and an empty vessel. What enjoys jumping into empty vessels? A priest may say demons. A psychiatrist may say schizophrenia. An addiction counsellor, probably not surprising, would say addiction. Principles help to prevent addiction from taking precedence. Four principles are accountability, congruence, genuineness, and compassion. Dignity slips away during active addiction. Regaining dignity helps build self-respect and self-love.

Maintaining honor in recovery results in an increase in dignity. A person honors those who have died at the hands of this disease by holding fast to principles. We honor ourselves by holding onto our hearts and minds through unforeseen circumstances, not placing conditions upon us to reach an impossible standard. Honoring what we feel, need, and aspire to accomplish.

Empty hands include all the tools, skills, perspectives, insight, and strategies. We entered this world with bare hands and will leave with the same. Between those two events, we grow in different ways (hopefully), acquiring the skills we need to shield ourselves from toxicity and limit the effect of stress on us.

Uncomfortable Feelings and Motivation

The opponent uses different ploys to divert you off the path. During my time training in Kenpo, there were two instances where two potential students left prematurely. During an ordinary martial arts class, we were practicing with parrying and blocking club attacks. The club we used was a long baseball bat-type object with a soft plush material. The sensei’s daughter, a teenager, was on offense with the club, and a man who had recently started with us on defense. The sensei’s daughter beat the guy with the club without him having the tiniest chance of defending himself. She hammered him over and over. Quite frankly, it was embarrassing to watch. A 99% chance he felt unwelcome emotions. Embarrassment. Humiliation. Something similar.

The man disappeared, never to return.

The same transpires in recovery when embarrassment, shame, and guilt crop up for past behaviours. When faced with uncomfortable feelings, someone’s mind falls back on what they know to do: eat them away, drink them away, snort them away, relationship them away, gamble them out, etc.

Another example always brings up a smile when reminiscing. We had a man enter the dojo for a single martial arts class. He confessed that he wanted to buy a karate outfit so he and his wife could roleplay at home. His wife was a nurse. Why he told us his wife was a nurse was beyond me. Now I wonder if she was only roleplaying a nurse. We all laughed with him and thought he was kidding around. Turns out he wasn’t. He was compliant during a single session, and we never saw him again.

The same happens in recovery.

Someone may possess a lot of extrinsic motivation, but there is a lack of intrinsic motivation in recovery. The addiction enjoys watching someone focus on only external stimuli and not building on internal factors. The loss of a job. The loss of family. Wanting to break out of financial ruin. The possibility of heading to jail. All these are important and may jump-start someone on their recovery journey. However, external factors will not sustain someone long-term. Intrinsic motivational factors must activate and remain present for sustainable recovery. A desire to improve physical and mental health. A strong willingness to find fulfillment outside the realm of active addiction.

Boredom

We would have a routine during our training sessions for Kenpo. This involved a cardio exercise warm-up and ended with a formal stance using our two hands to create what I’ll term the Kenpo fist. An open left palm covering over a closed right fist. In recovery, it is advantageous to have a routine to follow.

A strategy the opponent will use manifests as manipulation through disarray and boredom. Another way to explain chaos would be a lack of structure followed by listlessness and ending with a desire to escape into substances or behaviours for relief. However, it’s not always clear-cut regarding a linear progression.

Boredom manifests as a surreptitious weapon in addiction’s arsenal. Those in early recovery need to be scouting for the boredom beaver who might crawl into their living space and start plugging up areas where boredom could be dealt with, such as creative activities, passion projects, and social interactions with those in recovery.

The opponent will use boredom to instill a lack of confidence in a recovering person’s brain. The draining of confidence will bring in hesitation and doubt that anything can be done to lift the boredom. Seeing boredom as simply a lack of attention to detail will jumpstart someone to start making changes. Instead of sitting on my hands during a specific time slot, I’ll fill that with exercise, reading a book, taking a walk, talking with someone in an online meeting, and so on. The addiction does not want someone to believe little changes are possible. The changes do not have to be significant.

Two Pathways

Two perspectives monopolize the recovery landscape: complete abstinence or harm reduction. I am not going to guide you to a decision. There are a few things to consider, though. Have you tried limiting your intake of substances or behaviours (i.e., gambling)? If so, were you successful in the long run, or did you bounce back to mood-altering at the prior frequency? Another factor involves health factors. Will abstinence or harm reduction act in your best interests based on your medical status? Having a fatty liver may influence a person to answer a certain way.

Another part to consider is what choice will be the most suitable. Can you live with the choice? Does denial play a role in choosing either abstinence or harm reduction? Rationalizing the desire to drink because you can’t imagine life without the bottle. Does that feel like an authentic way to live? Are you being true to yourself with what’s chosen? Are you adhering to your values with whatever choice? Not choosing based on what family, friends, or society wants.

A final portion to reflect upon with this heavily charged debate is thinking of addiction