One of Freud’s earlier theories included the idea of a death drive, as opposed to eros. While everyone seems to have moved on from Freud a long time ago, the death drive remains my favourite Freudian theory.
I enjoy taking hits during my Wing Chun Kung Fu practice, just as much as I enjoy throwing punches. In fact, I find myself routinely picking sparring partners who are bigger and stronger than myself (and male), and specifically tell them not to hold back when they punch. Today, as I watched junior and other kids practice martial art, they went berserk when the instructor invited them to defend themselves against her by any means possible. One of the vicious little ones kicked her butt – literally!
I wonder if we need more channels where violence is not only permitted, but channeled safely and distilled, as it were, into something beautiful. I wonder if this might reduce the intensity of rage on the streets, lurking beneath the veneer of civilised smiles and polite indifference.
The Uncultured Anthropologist 