THE FIGHTING MIND
LINKS | FIRST AID | HEALTH AND FITNESS | PHILOSOPHIES
I HAVE LEARNED SOME THINGS ABOUT MARTIAL ARTS AND FIGHTING. SOME PRINCIPLES OF WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ARE ON THIS PAGE AND MAY BE OF HELP.
FIGHTING MENU
Get
past the term self-defense, most people envision a potential victim under attack
from a vicious assailant who is defeated by the defender, who applies a few
martial arts techniques to save themselves.
Those
of us who have been in a combat situation know this is an oversimplified
way of approaching violent encounters. This
outlook instills a mystique and false almost magical sense of
security.
A
more practical stronger and therefore realistic outlook needs to be taken.
Firstly the name, "Self-defense" is widely recognized and has become the
status quo but in the minds of both instructors and students phrases such as
fighting, street-fighting, combat or even fighting for your life at all cost
should be used. They create the
true attitude, which is not expected from a potential victim.
Self-defense
implies a reaction to an assailant who has taken the liberty of preying on poor
helpless you. This prospective will
curtail your Self-image, seducing your ability to fight successfully.
Only
if the aggressor is not serious about hurting you will “Self-defense”
techniques as well as all too many classical martial arts methods be of any use.
The
level and frequency of training that would enable you to successfully defend
yourself under most situations is too extreme for most of us in modern life,
many arts apply techniques of this sort traditional and rooted in cultures which
had the time and conditions for endless training.
Technique alone is only part of the solution. See yourself as the predator and the fool who dares to dream of assaulting you, crossing your “personal circle/sphere” aggressively, is your prey and has fallen victim to you.
Once
you have good personal attributes, efficient, realistic
and aggressive methodology, you will be able to apply appropriate techniques successfully.
This
is where too many martial arts fail, getting absorbed in techniques,
katas, ranking and the hype that permeates the martial arts.
First, the untrained mentally unprepared: a born living definition of a victim.
Second, the student who has learned techniques but are woefully uncertain as to their effectiveness. Time and or encounters may help, if defeats or death do not crush his spirits or life.
Thirdly, the student who has all confidence in his techniques and trains frequently, but his fighting ends at style and basic applicators. The weak predator can be overcome but an opponents with full and focused intention to do harm at any cost may overcome the defenses.
Fourthly, the one with the important characteristic, that single set of things which may save even the untrained, the things which have caused many great warriors in history to overcome lack of training and war level adds to become conquerors an aggressive iron will with good personal fighting attitudes and methodology. Combined with skills and training his opponents may as well be facing a tiger with empty hands.
Fifthly, when you become the fourth type continuous training and deep contemplation will open several levels of this fifth type.
WHAT THE SUCCESSFUL FIGHTER KNOWS
Do everything to win
Expect the unexpected
Do everything quickly and properly
Be
perfectly fierce; never angry, fierce
Keep
a killer instinct
Use
your strengths and your weakness
Move
like fire but root yourself like an oak tree
Be
absolutely explosive
Breathe
properly
Understand
range and dimensional fighting
Control
the fight
Forget rules, forget limitations
The prize for second place is death or worse
The good fighter knows that he has already won and that his aggression, training and intelligent will, will his the body to the victory which awaits.
Do not underestimate the killer instinct, we are predators with eyes facing front and canine teeth.
“Civilization has trained this knowledge down in many of us, but not all, those who feel their true nature see us as potential prey. Fortunately some of those with killer instincts use their nature to protect the weak.
Many will learn fighting because they do not wish to kill to survive. Seeking control and technique. These already have a healthy killer instinct and need no help in this arena but those who do not have the killer instinct need to develop it unless you are learning to fight for exercise or because it is vogue. The killer instinct will allow you to go as far as is necessary to win.
With an iron will and the killer instinct you will be able to use your fear, train fear out of your mind. When you are in class or walking down the street. Envision the worst case scenario, the worst nightmare, every time you train, get your expressions out, restraining just enough not to injure your partners. Fuel your resolve to fight, endlessly train through your pain, pain can be a friend, warning you of danger and strengthen your mind.
The only way to learn fighting is to fight, you must practice with full ferocity, with true respect for your partners but still envisioning your danger, facing your fears and striving to put your best effort to crystallize your speed strengths, balance, timing and will. You are after all training your entire mind and body to be a weapon at will. Rid yourself of your fears and strive to know the true spirit of combat.
Do we train the body to develop the mind or visa-versa? The mind is touched by the divine, by nature it can create and inspire, in its natural state it is like a lake with no turmoil, it's water reflects perfectly and clearly. The body IS IMPERFECT and is affected primarily by the five senses and subsequent emotions, it is like a lake in a storm, still reflecting but fragmented and disordered. Use the mind to train the body.
Nothing we do can oppose the truths of nature, whether we like it or not. When training if we fall go with it, if you get pushed first roll with it, if you are at work and something does not go your way bend, and then adjust. Otherwise sooner or later you will surely break.
Even the most physical fighters have a vague impression that at some point in a violent encounter there is a moment where conscious thought, apprehension and even aggression as we know it disappears and then the fight is over.
Whether this is as a result of a practiced reflex or something more, is of little consequence. Some say that more vital to fighting than technique or strength is the spiritual element that lets you move and act with true power and freedom. It would seem that striving to attain the proper frame of mind for either neural responses to flow, uninhabited or uncluttered or for the spirit to work through you is of optimal importance. This can be attained by continuous earnest training and thought or by meditation, which may be practiced in several ways - in some cases a state of impassivity and complete lack of thought or active focused thought. Through meditation we can overcome daily stress, emotions and trials which can pull our MINDS into giving a freer reign to our innate abilities than ever before. The Zen state of self-lessness is the condition of disregard for selfish thoughts and fears and concern for the welfare of all that the artists experiences in the warmth of creation.
Understand the effects of circles in your striking, point manipulations, defenses and weapon uses. Most techniques, except maybe jabs and thrusts are parts of a circle or arch, in fact even thrusts and jabs executed in a particular fashion is a part of a circle or wave. Some techniques and styles require large circular movements and many will work best with sharp tight movement, directed towards, parallel to or away from your opponent. Understand the principle of circles meditate and practice them often, keeping in mind elements of mobility, stability, avoidance, resistance, distribution, focus and energy transfer.