sponsors

 

 

sponsors

 

 

 

 

Most martial artists would not survive a real-life street encounter. In their arrogant overconfidence gained from training in strictly controlled one-step and free sparring, their survival instinct has been dampened. They have become Taekwondo athletes, similar to dancers. They know the techniques, but they lack the "killer instinct" necessary for survival.

Do not think think this "killer instinct" is unnecessary or that you could never develop that kind of instinctive, animal-like focus. When a mother is forced to protect her child from harm, she instinctively enters this mindset. When you are so anger and indignant that you no longer care about the consequences, you are also in this frame of mind. You can, and you must, learn to consciously cultivate this mindset. You must be prepared to fight as if you were about to die at any moment. This overpowering desire to survive at any cost is what self-defense is really about.

Self-defense has nothing to do with breaking boards or kicking and punching while making loud yells. It is a state of mind, a type of consciousness, a peculiar awareness that keeps you alert and able to respond to any possible danger. The actions are merely physical movements, which are totally useless without a survival mindset.

In combat, you cannot worry about the educational background, religious background, economic background, race, nationality, etc. of your attacker. You must have a combat mentality that can channel destructive forces that exceed those of an aggressor. You must be a cold, vicious animal; free of sympathy, fear, anger, apprehension, and ego. You must possess killer instinct.

Some martial arts do not stress, or even discourage, a combat mentality. It is concerned uncivilized and barbaric. For some, it violates their religious and philosophical beliefs. Others replace it with a competitive, sport-oriented mentality that lacks the brutal and aggressive characteristics necessary to neutralize a crazed criminal attacker.

Everyone has a killer instinct. This is how humans have survived to this day. It is stronger in some than in others. In less civilized times, those without it did not survive. Now, we protect them and they try to justify their inaction as being the "right" thing to do, at least until they need protection, then they want the ones with the killer instinct, the warriors, to protect them. Some manifest the killer instinct inappropriately in blind rage or haphazard fury. They are driven by a raw killer instinct that is inferior and undisciplined. Their energies are poisoned by emotion, resulting in poor techniques and tactical errors.

On the other hand, warriors tap into the emotional calm and mental clarity of the killer instinct, and, by using virtue and courage can disperse deadly destructiveness appropriately, without the constraints of emotions. This may sound paradoxical or extreme, but a warrior must be virtuous, and yet capable of unleashing controlled viciousness and brutality. Napoleon once said, "The moral are to the physical forces as three are to one."

Page 1 of 2:  NEXT  Back  First  Last | Share | Errors | Last Modified:

Subtopics:  NEXT | None 

Topic:  Comments: Add View | Sources | Related: None