Strike First and the Loop

Karate ni sente nashi or "there is no first strike in karate." A philosophical principle of Okinawan karate. A principle expressed most famously by Funakoshi Ginchin Sensei. 

This has lead to discussions such as having a "reactive defense" or to apply "preemptive striking." What does this actually mean? Many often mistake this to mean the use of a physical strike before the adversary can strike you but I theorize that it means this and a whole lot more than merely a physical reactive defense, i.e. preemptive striking with a fist, foot, etc.

The first strike maxim and the OODA loop, what if it was the intent of our founding martial arts masters that the first strike rule was their way of teaching about the OODA loop? The loop actually teaches us to make any appropriate tactical step necessary to avoid, deescalate or to physically strike first. Each and every one os about disrupting the adversaries own loop giving us the advantage.

To take advantage of an adversary we as martial artists must use the full spectrum of tactical and strategic choices. We still tend to think that to take a more strategic and tactical advantage we must take some more physical one. The OODA loop is not just about the disruption of the loop with some actual physical reactive or preemptive strike with a fist, knife hand, fingers, feet, elbows, knees, etc. but other means to disrupt the OODA loop to keep an adversary off balance so that you maintain a tactical superior position in a conflict all the way to its final resolution be it walking away, avoiding physical conflict or as a last resort taking some physical action necessary to stop the damage and run to safety. 

When I think of some reactive defense I tend to thing of how to avoid a dangerous and volatile situation by avoidance. If my senses detect some danger causing increased awareness then I should be able to avoid it by simply leaving the area toward a more safe place. It might also involve my sense of hearing when someone says some inflammatory statement by simply saying something appropriate to allow me to quietly leave the area, etc. It might be a reactive defense of how I respond verbally, i.e. as in a verbal self-defense, deescalation and avoidance tactic, so as to reduce the adversaries chemical dump toward a more peaceful state. 

Preemptive striking is more in line with using the many tools to take a tactical advantage causing s disruption of the adversaries OODA loop by keeping them in the observe and orient state and that can be accomplished by the words we use, the body language we project and the manner in which we receive and react to the many social and sometimes asocial attacks we encounter. 

Actually, there is no first strike in karate can be more about the physical because it alludes to the many other steps one can take to avoid and deescalate a conflict over simply taking a first and preemptive physical strike. Strike does not have to strictly mean how one hits, strikes, kicks, etc. another human in a conflict of any kind. 

It comes down to a matter of what is considered an appropriate response to any given situation at any given time and according to any given cultural belief system of that person or society, etc.