One of the fundamentals of Tekkenryu Jujutsu is to always keep advancing on an attacker. Every technique is meant to take ground and keep the attacker off balance. Because once you make the decision to fight, retreat only means pain and loss and if you want to survive you cannot relent in your attacks. History proves that most casualties occur when the enemy is routed and on the retreat. This principle is the same no matter if it's two or two million.

The principals of Tekkenryu Jujutsu can be applied to the war in Iraq where many think the only answer is to pull out and redeploy. This sounds a lot like retreating and giving up ground to the enemy. The majority of the fighters in Iraq currently belong to groups like Al Qaeda. If these groups were allowed to take control of Iraq after an American pull out the situation would be dramatically worse.

The people could end up like those in Afghanistan under the Taliban. That is of course is if one of the many factions actually establishes a central government and Iraq doesn't end up like Lebanon. Either way our enemies could end up controlling Iraq's massive petroleum reserves which could easily be traded for nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. The fight has started and maybe it can be argued that the war should not have begun, but like any fight once it starts, there's no turning back.

One could argue that this is all just speculation and that a principal like constant attacks has no place in the modern world. The problem is there is overwhelming evidence which continues to support such principals. One good example is Somalia where the United States retreated and abandoned humanitarian aid, leaving people to the warlords of that nation who did nothing to remedy the famine and disease which infest their country. Army Rangers fought a heroic battle in the streets of Mogadishu, but needed support was denied to them.

When the soldiers did fight their way past the warlord's forces the next move was to pull out of the country. In the end a warlord got to claim he defeated the mighty United States in close combat and people continued to suffer. Even Sadam enjoyed frequent screening of "Black Hawk Down" in his anticipation of an American withdrawal at the first sign of bloodshed. After the United States pulled out and leaders like Osama bin Laden were able to rally support because fighters like themselves had stood up and defeated forces of the United States.

Throughout the world enemies of the United States felt they could achieve victory if they made their fight bloody enough.

The invasion of Iraq is shrewdly camouflaged as a terrorist insurgence and by no means should be considered an internal conflict. Recognizing an enemy for what they are and fighting them the right way is key to achieving victory. The enemy in Iraq is part of a global conspiracy with plans to take over the world and place it under the banner of Islam.

The real fight is in the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. American forces need to have a good relationship with the Iraqi people. That will eliminate any support base they have in Iraq. Getting the people on our side is like getting in a street fight in neighborhood where you have friends; you won't be alone in that fight for long.

No conflict should be taken lightly and you need to seriously asses your capabilities and understand that it may take everything you have to keep fighting and keep taking ground. If asked how long it will take the answer is it will take as long as it takes. This not a Judo match with rules and a time limit, this is a street fight where the first person to get hurt or die loses. The sooner people realize this, the better because those who pull the strings of Al Qaeda know if they can just keep fighting we will tire and go home. The problem is that these killers will follow us home. They see winning in Iraq as another step closer to achieving victory and we should think the same terms.

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