The 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal observed that "Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyrannical." Likewise there have been many who say that only someone who is secure in their ability to defend themself can truly be a pacifist.
This piece of wisdom is certainly universal. There is a Buddhist proverb that states every temple has Vaisravana guarding it. Martial virtue is an extremely important concept.
I was always under the impression that teachers consider martial virtue to be the most important aspect for judging students. Only students who cultivate a high standard of morality were considered worthy of training in traditional Chinese society.
I understood that those who are not moral in their deed are not worthy of being taught. Since someone cannot be trusted without a high sense of morality it would not be right to train him or her. Someone who achieves a high level of training and actually understands the disciplines they were taught would not need to harm anyone. Peace comes with security, and a secure confident person would never hurt another human being.
I apologize for bumping the thread, but I felt this was an important concept.
Poll
