What's in a mind?

[Falcor]

As we've all been taught, the mind set of a fighter is what's most important in a fight - this should apply to all types of fights, but most certainly in a life-death type of struggle. But there are two ends of the spectrum here: one is where the mindset is of total, unadulterated aggression and fierceness, and the other is a centered, calm, almost detached awareness. WHat's your opinion on this subject - do you guys train for, what have you been taught/learned from experience regarding this?

[Starchaser107]

Use the Force young SkyWalker CHI POWER

[Xdr4g0nx]

i haven;t been taught this but through my training i find that if i do not concetrate on my techniques it usually come out better.

[Kristoffer]

Anger is bad, but aggressivness is good

[Repulsive Monkey]

Calmness is tops, nothing beats it as if it is true calmness then nothing can rank above it and everything else is below it.

[Kristoffer]

Calm is a bad word I think. Aggressivness might also be a bad word for it, 'fighting intent' might describe it better

[Repulsive Monkey]

Calmness is the ultimate fighting tool as then your perception isn't unbalanced by anger. Anger raises the bodies centre of gravity so you are totally uprooted, which from a strategic point of view is lethal to your own welfare in a fight.

Calmness allows you to be focused where anger doesn't it in fact blinkers your judgement.
You don't have to be aggressive to be commanding. If you feel that aggressiveness gives you the physical might to totally pole-axe your opponent then you're missing something in your training.
In fact your mindset is relatively narrow and inflexible.

Calmness gives you a totally open range of judgement and decision and weighing up your options especially if aggressiveness gets out of control and you can't in a balanced way determine when it is best to carry on a fight or when to split. Clarity and calmness will afford you the opportunity to save your skin and not get bludgeoned to death.

There's nothing to fear from an opponent who is obviously angered or aggressive, because his/her intentions are written all over their face, whereas someone who is calm and undisturbed poses as a greater threat as you have no idea what they are going to do or what they are capable of.

So far in my experience I have first handly dealt with aggressive people more easier than with calm quiet people.

You're right maybe these aren't the right words to use, I feel better words to use would be having a mindset that is either balanced or unbalanced maybe!!

[Tak]

Why do aggressiveness and calmness have to be mutually exclusive?

[Suntzu]

Calmness as far as not panicking is a good thing.... calmness af far as not really in the moment will get you killed..... my best work has come from me either being in a relaxed state where winning or loosing is not really an issue... such as some sparring sessions when its more 'playful' than tring to kill each other... or when i really really wanted to kill the guy in front of me.... my worst perfomances involved me being too cautios about one thing or another... for example i was worried about the other guys roundhouse.... another bad performance... i just panicked because i was getting my ass whopped and couldn't find an 'answer'..... that's a baaaad feeling right there....

[red5angel]

As we've all been taught, the mind set of a fighter is what's most important in a fight

Just one ingredient amongst many. You could have the fiercest most focused mindset ever but if your 90 lbs soaking wet, someone twice your size is probably going to kick your ass. I don't think it's the most important, but I think it is an essential ingredient.
If I think you mean what I think you mean, unadulterated fierceness and aggression is the worst of the two choices. You lose control, and essentially it falls to luck on if you win or not.

[Black Jack]

Controlled aggression.

Its about attempting to achieve a decision with all you got. An indecisive fight wastes energy and could cost you. Whether the intent is to control an opponent through restraint or use lethal means to end a confrontation. Calmness is a byproduct of training hours spent in the gym but that is only a factor when you consider that those hours are spent in a safe enviroment.

Calmness often goes out the window when adrenal hits the body caused by a violent conflict characterized by friction, uncertainty, disorder and rapid change of emotion. Controlled aggression and simple to use techniques and principles practiced over and over again in a resisting training manner beat the search for perfect calmness and relaxation IMO then through other means.

Just thoughts.

[Starchaser107]

Calmness to an extent is good. One does not necessarily want to go into something blindly, however there is a downside to calmness , too much of it and the mind is not as alert as it could be, i think blackjack is correct in labelling it "Controlled aggression."

also as Tak said :"Why do aggressiveness and calmness have to be mutually exclusive?"

imho there should always be a good mixture of the 2, not necessarily half and half.. sometimes in a tight situation it might be better to use more brawn and agressive means to survive, at other times calmness and calculation might be more suitable. it all depends , but usually a mix of both..


did i mention CHI -POWEEEEERRRRR! ( ok ignore that)