We Get Letters:

This past Wednesday we offered the story of the young Georgia hiker who was mercilessly beaten and murdered by a transient. At the time, I was aghast at the references regarding her proficiency in the martial arts, with the media generating tales from her friends and trainers to the effect that she was capable of handling herself in any situation, and could "take down men twice her size."

Mr. Ken Blumreich was kind enough to take the time to correct what the Yellowstreamers hath wrought, and anyone generating intelligent discourse is welcome in these pages.

In its entirety, Mr. Blumreich's post:

"Ken Blumreich here. I just wanted to take a moment to set the record straight regarding the quote that was attributed to me. I did not claim that I had seen Ms. Emerson take down men twice her size. What I actually said (in response to being asked about her level of skill) was that I had seen her fight to a standstill guys half again her size (with the implication being, of course, that I have seen this in the context of a carefully controlled environment in the dojang).

Even as a martial arts instructor in a school and art that stresses practical application and legitimate self defense, I harbor no illusions about the efficacy of traditional martial arts in a situation where the attacker is substantially larger, stronger or better armed than the defender. Martial arts and self defense training are valuable tools that add to your likelihood of success in such situations, but they are hardly a guarantee of safety. And of course, no amount of training or skill will protect you if you are caught unawares (which, sadly, is what appears to have been the case in Ms. Emerson's abduction).

In any event, I stand by my initial statement; Ms. Emerson was tough as nails. She was far stronger and far more proficient of a fighter than one would expect from someone of her size and build. Saying that, however, is not the same as saying that her martial arts training qualified her to defend herself against any attacker in any circumstances."

I've never been particularly enamored of strip-mall -ninja's that teach self defense courses, and I'm sure Mr. Blumreich knows what I mean. Theres certainly not a damn thing wrong with anyone learning the manly arts of self defense but some teachers instill a false sense of invulnerability into their students and throughout my long and hallowed life (hic) I've happened across more than one dolt believing he was bullet proof because someone taught him how to scream and kick at the same time. It doesn't appear to be fair to pigeon hole Mr. Blumreich into that category, and I'm glad he stopped by to set the record straight.

So sue me; I'm a sucker for courtesy.