What, Exactly, Are You Trying To Achieve?
Objectives are the top-level component of the Strategic Element.
The purpose of an objective is to define what you are trying to achieve in any given situation. Any good coach, manager, team leader, parent, or teacher knows that without keeping an ultimate objective in mind, there is always a lack of direction, and always a tendency to get sidetracked, diverted, or misled.
In sports this is always simple: You try to win the game within the rules. Sadly in real life this simplicity and arbitrary rule-set does not exist – a major reason why sports are so popular. It’s always great to escape from the pressures of reality for a while.
In a physical encounter against a bigger, stronger opponent, if you’ve not trained to keep an objective in mind, you’ll miss all the opportunities to achieve it, and get stuck trading blows until one of you – probably you – goes down.
See The Big Picture
Objectives contain the lowest level of detail and the broadest scope. They are the "big picture" in combat, and the place where your strategic thought process should always begin.
There are three Objectives in the Federation Wing Tsun System. The many different ways to achieve the first objective are all fully explored within the Apprentice Level of the training programme. Once you can do that, the ways to achieve the second objective are then added and explored within the Journeyman Level.
| Objective Defining your ultimate goal |
Location In Training Programme When you’ll focus upon it |
| 1. Remove yourself from danger | Apprentice Level |
| 2. Remove the danger from yourself | Journeyman Level |
| 3. Prevent the danger from occuring | Master Level |
Be Ready, Never Eager
Study the martial arts long enough, and you’ll understand that to subdue/overcome an opponent without fighting is the ultimate goal. But this should not be confused with weak pacifism and an abject refusal to enter combat at all costs.
One should possess the ability to fight & win, but choose not to for higher reasons of morality, personal responsibility and for the greater good – if at all possible.
So although by far the most desirable, the ability to achieve the third & final objective is something that only develops with long experience, multiple skill-sets, and a high level of awareness concerning oneself and ones surroundings. These abilities develop organically over time, reaching maturity within the Master Level – or not at all. Despite everything, some people never seem able to avoid conflict.
However despite everything, there are times when fighting remains the only other choice besides meekly accepting your fate, especially if mistakes have already been made.
You should know when, why and how to fight, or not. You should accept adult responsibility for your own choices & actions. Above all, you should possess a sense of consequence.
This is the essence of understanding violence.
Where Next?
| Level | Contents | ||||
| 4 | Strategic Element | ||||
| 5 | Objectives (you are here) |
Plans | Strategies | Tactics | |
| 6 | Remove Yourself Remove The Danger Prevent The Danger |
Pre-Fight Initial Response In-Fight Meta |
– | – | |