From an entry in the interesting blog of Mr. Myke Obenieta:
"Running away is the best form of self-defense," stresses Mr. Chomsai after he demonstrated a move to escape from several aggressors and exited as if nothing happened. “The Aikido philosophy is of peace, harmony and unit,” Mr. Somchai explained. “If you are trapped, defend yourself but if you can still run, then run.” Weaseling away from a fight is not a cowardly act, agrees Giovanni Capannelli, an Italian fouth dan aikikai and senior economist of the Asian Development Bank.
So true, as is manifest in a cat, most especially. If anyone has cared to notice, a cat will always be on its feet in the face of danger and will fight back only when cornered. And of all animals, cats are among the best survivors. Wild, domesticated, or feral, they will survive almost anywhere you leave them (except of course under the wheels of a fourteen-wheeler).
I picked up a black, feline-immunodefficiency-virus victim of a kitten two years ago at Ayala Center. After six months of cleaning up her poop with umpty issues of SunStar, feeding her Whiskas and forgetting to expose her to others of her kind all through that time, i managed to raise her to cranky adulthood. I brought her home to Cagayan de Oro and despite being the newbie in the household, (and despite her cranky disposition) she managed to charm everyone and bring my dog to her knees. And always, if you're keen enough, you can read the words on her thought bubbles every time she looks at you. I should have named her Jessica, haha.
