Masakatsu agatsu, true victory is victory over oneself, is commonly interpreted as being in control of oneself. It is said that one must have control over oneself before one can control others. While this interpretation appeals to common sense, closer analysis seems to raise more questions than it answers. Is there a battle between a “self in control” and a “self out of control”? If the “self in control” is victorious, by what process and strategy was the victory achieved? What happens to the “out of control” self? And most importantly, what is the nature of the “self”? Because of the vagueness surrounding the concept of self, it may have limited value as an explanatory principle for optimal functioning in a situation of self defense and, by extension, in all of life.
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