The Human Condition: White belt syndrome

By Daniel Schnee on November 10, 2021.

Tomorrow on Remembrance Day we remember our veterans and the wars in which they fought, and express extreme gratitude for their service which still resonates in our current laws and freedoms.

I am extremely proud of my family on such a day: both my German ancestors and their Canadian descents. My 19th century relatives won medals of valor in the Napoleonic wars defending their village. My German-Canadian ancestors fought with honour and valor against the wave of sickness that was the Nazi regime, spreading across Europe with its evil eyes set on our shores.

Those who served in the most combative roles barely whispered of what they saw and did. It was not to be discussed, as it was too graphic to mention. My great uncle Heinrich was a quiet man, even quieter when the subject of warfare arose. The mixed look of sorrow and rage that would cross his face as he sat silently in the corner, his mind scanning his memories? Unforgettable. He often had to clean out the tail gun turret of his Allied bomber. What he had to clean out of it haunted him forever.

The frontline heroes never spoke of heroism, nor did they seek medals of valor. They fought for justice, not the supposed “thrill” of combat. To do so would reveal inexperience and marked arrogance. In the martial arts this is known as “white belt syndrome.”

Occasionally, when a student finishes their first few karate classes, they are so enthusiastic about what they have learned they practically pray someone will try and mug them on the way home. Their love of kicking and punching is such that it blinds them to the fact that three weeks of training means nothing, especially against a street-wise thug who doesn’t play by the rules. It is dangerous and stupid to suffer from white belt syndrome, so a good teacher deals with it right from the start.

Those of us who do go on earn one or more black belts and inevitably end up understanding that violence is inefficient and unrighteous, and peaceful solutions are the best “martial” art of all. So it is understood with our veterans and current military, yet they still choose military service anyways, for the sake of the innocent and defenseless. If they hadn’t, we would all be speaking German now, for all the worst reasons.

As the friend of a vintage gun owner, I have had the chance to feel the violent power and extreme volume of an old Soviet sniper rifle. I have practically choked on the gun smoke and felt the concussive air pressure and heat of a Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle as it unleashed a brutal volley of bullets. Our veterans have sacrificed their hearing, arms, legs and neurological health to such weapons. No one would want to brag about that.

So on Remembrance Day, let us look upon our vets and see their pride and their pain. Let us also remember who they were fighting and why, and thank them deeply for their service. Having done that, let us also make sure we continue donating what we can so they can live in health, and peace. Let us stand up for them to honour how they stood up for us.

Dr. Daniel Schnee is an anthropologist who studies Japanese creative culture.

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