Understanding Consent in Martial Arts

Martial arts disciplines such as Wing Tsun Kung Fu, or WT for short, are about more than just punches and kicks. Wing Tsun is about understanding your own strengths and weaknesses and those of others, so that you can navigate the world more easily and peacefully – on your feet and on the ground. Within the self-protective practices of Wing Tsun, practitioners are empowered to use techniques to protect themselves if they are attacked, but they are also given tools to teach them how to stay out of the way of trouble too.

Many people don’t realize that there are in fact a number of legal areas that can be described by the martial arts principle of “staying away from trouble.” One of the most important to understand is the laws around consent and age of consent, or the minimum age below which an individual will be unable to consent to sexual acts of any type. According to the in-depth guide on what is the legal age of consent in Colorado, the legal age of consent in Colorado is 17 years old. Essentially if you are over the age of 17 it’s going to be difficult here to prosecute someone who has engaged with you in a sexual act. In fact, if you lie about your age and do not give your real age, there may be some chance that you could still pursue legal actions. If you take actions to make someone believe you are older and a minor can be found culpable.

While consent is a legal issue, it is also a moral issue. Legally, both parties can be found guilty if it turns out that one of the individuals did not in fact consent or even was too underage to consent at all. Often times people hear “under 18” and they assume that it’s wrong because they are not 18, right? While the law does require that individuals be over the age of 17 in order to consent, the issue is a much more complex and nuanced one. In fact, when we look into the intricate web of consent, we see that it is something that has to be respected in every situation. From holding a door for someone else to getting someone’s permission to go down the street and borrow their car.

The reality is that in relationships we only have as much power as someone is willing to give us, and as long as we are respecting the limits that people set on us for themselves we are acting in accordance with society and our own ethics. Although many gigs come to us through advertisements like Kijiji and Craigslist, we are still working under the premise that no one is going to steal from us – and if they do we will generally have recourse in the law if we need to pursue it. However, the law is much less forgiving in situations like suicide where the victim has taken their life. These situations are often complicated by evidence that develops after the fact that leads people to believe that they wish they had changed their actions while they were still alive.

Fortunately, caution, self-discipline and respect for self and others can help us to avoid many of the problems that people face when they are being careless. So if someone feels sad or angry, it’s important for them to talk about it. And if they don’t feel like sharing it, it’s often not a good idea to be alone, as this can lead to a spiral of emotions that put them at risk. But if they are alone, there are still things that they can do to calm down and stay out of trouble. After all, in Wing Tsun Kung Fu (WT) we believe in being prepared for the unexpected so that we face the future fearlessly.

For example, going for a run and getting then running until you are out of breath is a great way to stave off more painful feelings. When your heart is racing and your breathing is fast, you can often get a positive “high-like” boost created from learning to move through the moment, allowing for space to consider options and preventing sticking points from occurring. Just like martial arts practice, going for a run allows you to work through how you are feeling in a productive way. And when it is safe to do so, stopping, thinking and considering what all is at stake will also allow for some better and more reasoned decision making.

Our power is only in our consent – and if you don’t want to engage, you don’t have to. And what’s more, there are systems in place to support you. After all, it is not free will to dictate someone else’s actions, and that is why the law and society will rarely prosecute a sexual act since at the core it is not about power. If one person is saying “yes”, it’s difficult to argue that someone was somehow forced into a situation that was undesirable. Respect for our own and other’s decisions is crucial to preventing us from engaging in something that hurts us or others.

This is why in WT we discuss the importance of consent, within the context of self-protection. If someone comes up to you and you do not wish to have contact with them, just stay away. If they insist on coming towards you, back away to a line they will not cross. If they step over the line, they are consent-free for you to engage in a protective manner. At that point they are potentially threatening you. Whereas in the case of ambiguous situations, you must be careful not to engage. Basically, WT is about personal power and being aware of your own power to make decisions, and the power that others have over you, too. And because we are all human, we each must learn to respect that.