In chemical reactions a catalyst is something that speeds up a reaction that could theoretically happen in the first place; the catalyst merely provides a favourable environment for it to happen.  But without the catalyst the reaction cannot go; or at best it may be very slow.

The other day I was in a situation in which I could have put some skills into practise.  A couple of my friends were assaulted (they're ok!) by some drunk muppets and despite me having taken Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes for some months last year I didn’t even have the guts to move forward and try and stop what was happening.

So what good did my BJJ lessons do for me?  At the end of the day martial arts and self-defence classes are for a purpose.  Yes, they provide general fitness and strength, but frankly you can get that through many other avenues.  My mistake was that, although I superficially knew that such classes could (theoretically) help me take care of myself if an altercation was inevitable, I did not visualise that or imagine that it could actually happen to me.

Well, of course this experience will put any future training into perspective a little.

I can’t really regret the past; what’s done is done and there’s always a reason behind these things.  But what I can do is analyse my actions and judge them in the light of how I would have expected myself to have reacted.

But it really led me to question myself and my principles.  I have on occasion been pushed to take a really difficult stand for my principles, and - alhamdulillah – I have emerged successful and contented in those times.  One of my principles is that of having complete reliance upon our Creator:  the quality that known as tawakkul in Islam.  According to this one fears none among the created beings when something of value is at stake to uphold.  Tawakkul is indispensable in upholding certain values and speaking a true and just word, in the face of opposition by the majority.  The majority is never a criterion for truth and justice.  If it were, humanity would never progress in any field, whether moral, ethical or scientific.

There is not much more of greater value than human life and dignity; and when your friends are being outnumbered and beaten by a bunch of cowards who are too scared to attack in a less than two-to-one ratio, I shouldn’t have a choice between standing and doing nothing and going to help them.  Such a failure is surely a defect in tawakkul.

Such a similitude can be given for many a scenario in life; certainly in mine.  It’s all about acting out what you believe in theory.  We may all believe that we are good and decent people, yet are we of those who turn a blind eye to injustice, simply because we don’t see it happening to others, even when we know it happens?

Seeing is believing, as they say.  Those with perception, with insight, can see ahead, visualise and predict scenarios before they can potentially happen.  Unfortunately people like me need to see something firsthand before doing something about it for real.

I just pray that I don’t need to see things twice before I decide to make my move!

Has the catalyst been activated?

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