I’ve learned this firsthand, both in my years of Wing Tsun and in my work as a public defender. The discipline and mental fortitude that you learn in martial arts are more than just something to fall back on in the heat of a sparring match, and it’s more than just a good thing to put on your resume to impress a potential employer. In fact, there are so many parallels between the training of a martial artist and the career path of a public defender that I’m noticing a trend. What are the essential criteria for public defenders, and how can martial arts help build a better hero in the minds of those individuals who think that they’re “too good” to be defenders of the indigent? The disciplines and strengths that you learn as a martial artist can form a solid foundation to meet these challenges and more. Below are some ideas to illustrate those parallels.
The discipline required of students learning Wing Tsun means that they will not quit simply because things get tough. To succeed in the field, you need that discipline to be successful in front of the courtroom time and time again. Public defender requirements mean that you cannot shy away from hard work, and you must be willing to put in the hours in front of the laptop and the books, again and again, to be the best defender you can be.
A public defender’s work is mentally as well as physically demanding. It requires physical stamina at all hours to be ready to meet your clients, and you need to put mental fortitude to the test regularly to get through the grueling conversations and work that the job entails. To ensure that you don’t recently-through elbows make them come up with an excuse not to fight, you need to find ways to develop your stamina and give yourself that additional source of energy to pull from when things get tough.
Wing Tsun Kung Fu teaches students to focus their energy on a single target to create maximum impact. That’s a skill that’s invaluable to anyone fighting against an opponent – but it’s also invaluable to those battling in the courtroom. Gaining the trust of your clients and your fellow defenders is a balance of finding a suitable target and gaining that impact.
Many study sessions and classes can be extremely frustrating, particularly in martial arts. Sometimes a student will find things hard to remember, to visualize, or even to imagine, and they feel as if they cannot achieve the success they want to have. They keep coming back time and time again, however, and that’s a lesson we all need to learn: if you’re frustrated, take a break, and come back to it later. Sometimes, learning just takes time.
To develop the physical skills and core values necessary to be a successful public defender, you must hone your skills through rigorous training. This involves any number of hours of instruction, followed by even more hours of practice with a partner. You typically only get out what you put into your class, which is similar in many ways to how you get out of your work what you put into it.
There has to be a commitment to keeping things fresh for everyone. The legal system evolves over time, and that’s true in martial arts as well. Significant practitioners are under a constant obligation to continue their training, to learn new techniques, and to keep things fresh instead of allowing themselves to grow stale.
Any good martial arts instructor knows that Wing Tsun Kung Fu can both be a competitive sport and a meditative practice. Those seeking to succeed as public defenders, particularly in a fast-paced litigation branch of the law, need to find the same balance, and implement those stress-reduction techniques when they are feeling overwhelmed. Reaching out to family members, friends, or mental health professionals is vital for those simply feeling overworked and perturbed.
Practicing your martial arts in a way that honors the traditions you are learning is essential. Likewise, practicing law requires you to honor legal traditions, such as the ethics of the profession. That means being familiar with the ABA Model Rules, state disciplinary codes, and more, as well as the legal and procedural guidelines that must be observed.
Students of Wing Tsun Kung Fu aren’t the only individuals who have done great things because they have mastered their skills and kept calm. You would certainly want to have a martial artist as your attorney or public defender, with the skills and attributes they possess. From helping out with victims with the rise of domestic abuse to doing pro bono work, martial artists care about the world around them and are proud to be defenders for those who need justice.
Mastering the associated martial arts skills of Wing Tsun Kung Fu can also enhance performance in a wide range of other occupations, from law enforcement to music production. You don’t even have to apply the martial arts to your regular job to see the benefits: even a “regular Joe” has a wide range of martial arts skills that can improve their mind, body, and spirit. Through martial arts, the body becomes stronger and the mind becomes sharper. Your training translates into all sorts of ways to become a better version of yourself.