A punch to the face is a crash course in life on hard-mode, and it would be an awful waste if all you got from the experience were head trauma.

By Sam Yang - Get similar updates here

Getting punched in the face is rather unpleasant. You should avoid it if at all possible. If you, however, HAVE gotten punched in the face or have wondered why it's such a common story element, or why so many people seem fascinated by it, or why it's more shocking than it is painful, you have accidentally stumbled your way onto semiotics. The study of signs and metaphors.

And fortunately for you, you don't actually have to get hit in the face to understand the most important lessons from fighting, and really, the most important lessons of martial arts. So I'm about to save you a lot of money, in training fees and hospital bills.