FEAR!

[CH]

After 3 years training in Wing Chun (Wong Sheung Lung lineage), I have gained good self-defence skills, which I put into good practice when at classes and at home. However, if I am ever in the street and am approached by someone and I sense danger, I freeze. This is particularly the case when confronted by BIGGER people than myself. My sifu has always said “no matter the size of your opponent, he only has two hands and two feet”.

I ‘fear’ big, muscular looking blokes!!!

[dre_doggX]

It wont help you to be scared in a fight. Its kinda of like bringing a balarina outfit or wearing a tonic and pretending to be Ceasar. Not of these things will help. So dont do them.
Fear not only does it not help but it weakens ones natural ability to fight. cause fear block the mind. when you shadow boxing or just do forms. do you imagine you are fighting an opponent. even you you are doing something slow like sil lum all things should be done with
"Yi" or intent (something used i internal martial arts like TAichi and Xing-yi(both very in spelling). Now yi leads qi or chi. if you dont have the intent its not as easy to do. I did sil lum tao for about 20 minutes last night. each move I imagine my hands percing into a thick brick wall, Pak sao was pushing down a tree and the rotatating arm was moving someheavy object.
make up you own. you try.
and here are some tai chi skiils for fighting at
http://pressurepointfighting.com/public_html/art_fighting_rules.htm

Andre Lashley

[whippinghand]

Once you understand power, you will not have this fear...

[Bessho]

Sounds like you don't have confidence in what you learned. What's the point of learning it? Don't take your instructor's word for it. That "two hands too feet" spiel is pure ****e. Ask him to show you a way to develop your confidence.

Also, bad advice - "if you understand power..." you will not be afraid. Can you afford to gamble that you're powerful than everybody? Can you use power against someone more powerful? I don't think so.

After you talk to you instructor, I would love to hear what he says. Feel free to contact me privately. (My email is listed on my profile)

Ken

[Sharky]

you gotta be more agressive. you have to ask your sifu (or learn yourlself) to teach you how to develop a "there is no way i am losing" or "i'll keep scrapping like a b!tch even if i can't win".

I've lived in places where i've had to be in more fights than some people have had hot meals, so i've HAD to act hard n isht. Learn to act hard. Basically :rolleyes:

But you will always have fear. It's just an emotion, you just have to learn to CONTROL it. I'd be more worried if you DIDN'T have fear.

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[Sharky]

whippy finally shows his ignorance.

It's hard to say something stupid when you type so little, but you've managed it.

Good work.

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[Sharky]

And one more thing - it sound like your sifu isn't teaching you how to handle yourself on the street. He's just teaching you wing chun.

I'd start doing some realistic situations drills.

I recommend, as you're in the uk, to goto www.geoffthompson.com (http://www.geoffthompson.com) (sp?) - you've probably heard of him - he has a lot of stuff about fear.

Learn to conquer it.

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[Arod1972]

eVERYONE HAS FEAR.....there will always be someone out there bigger, stronger and better than you...Choose your battles

The 2 hands 2 feet saying is lame because those 2 hands and feet might twice as big.

One who has two roots becomes a stronger tree.

[Novox77]

The fear you feel is an instinctive, survivalist reaction that is hard to just "control" at will. Extremely high ranked martial artists are not immune to the adrenaline rush and numbing feeling when forced into a confrontation. Confidence in your technique can reduce the panic, but it will never remove it completely. Anyone who's ever had a race or had to perform a recital on stage can attest that the nerves act up involuntarily. Don't feel ashamed about it. Instead, understand that it is a normal reaction. And remember, if the fight is inevitable, let your defense be your offense. Let the chain punches fly :)

[HuangKaiVun]

You are SUPPOSED to be afraid, CH.

In the street, you might run into a little OR big guy who doesn't look ARMED but actually is.

No opponent should ever be underestimated, particularly with guns and knives out there. So it would be stupid to NOT be afraid of people on the street.

To me, it seems as though your WC training has taught you PROPERLY that the first thing to do in a confrontation is to try to GET AWAY.

[whippinghand]

It is not an issue of being more "powerful than everybody", it is a matter of UNDERSTANDING power. How to generate it when needed, where it comes from, where to put it (where to direct it), how much to put, the results that you want...

Bessho and Sharky, obviously, you're training is very technique oriented, as most Wing Chun is.

Confidence helps. But knowing, works.

[Bessho]

"Confidence helps. But knowing, works."

What does knowing mean without the confidence to use your knowledge? Even children understand the adage "knowing is half the battle". Waz the other half? Anyone?

WH - maybe you're missing something in your training. *shrug*

[CLOUD ONE]

Not knowing is the other half!

[whippinghand]

Confidence is a byproduct of knowledge.

[Sharky]

"Confidence is a byproduct of knowledge."

This is very true.

However, it is usually the case that most people THINK they have the knowledge, and thus are confident.

But you are correct.

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[whippinghand]

This IS the dilemma...

However, this is not really a question of your head knowing, but of your body knowing.

[vertical fist]

"I ‘fear’ big, muscular looking blokes!!!"

Something that has helped me; spar a big, strong dude. Especially one who's good in the arts.

[CanadianBadAss]

Fear makes it harder to get the job done, but
chances are you won’t get in over your head.

Being cocky will make it easier to get the job done, but you might get in over your head.

|) /- | | |
| / |_| |__

[Gluteus Maximus]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> However, if I am ever in the street and am approached by someone and I sense danger, I freeze. [/quote]

Try conditioning yourself to danger by pushing the envelope.

If working as a postman doesn't do the trick, then go to plan B - try placing yourself in increasingly more vulnerable situations, outside of your comfort zone.

That doesn't necessarily mean walking into the local bikie gang's headquarters and telling them they're all a mob of poofters. (Not to start with, anyway).

Basically, you need to remain relaxed when you would normally feel like tensing up.

You know how people with phobias are often cured by being gradually introduced to the thing that most scares them? Well, I'm not saying being afraid of big, mean-looking muscular guys is an unnatural phobia. Most people would be scared of them.

However, if you take something else that is really scary and condition yourself to that, then you probably wouldn't be scared of ANYTHING ever again!

For example, say you really hated Country and Western music (especially the type with nasal-sounding yodelling in it). If you could force yourself to listen to it for a few hours straight without tearing your hair out, while remaining relaxed and with a smile on your face, then any other conceivable danger that life could possibly throw at you would pale into insignificance.

Hope this helps...

Max

Yooby Yoody

[jameswebsteruk]

I also train the WSL way in the UK, and have got to say I feel the exact opposite. I no longer "fear" big muscley-looking blokes. I "respect" their strength, but the training has given me confidence to deal with that.

They may still be able to overwhelm me (got to be realistic, guys!), but I will put up a good fight first.

I agree with some of what has been said here. It is hard to do, but if you can get into the habit of chisaoing or sparring with the biggest, strongest guy at every lesson, that will really help your confidence. My instructor (32 years experience) prefers bigger, stronger people, as he finds them easier to deal with. That comes with relaxation and experience, of course.

It also depends how you chisao. We take the chisao up to the level where it is indistingishable from sparring, and train not to stop on the first hit. "Oh, you got me, lets start over."

Thats really important. WSL always said that in a fight, you will be hit, simple as that, anyone who thinks they wont is kidding themselves. Youve got to learn to deal with getting hit, falling over, bumping into other people, chairs, tables etc. and then to continue fighting without stopping.

A few cut lips a lesson is a price worth paying for the extra confidence you get.

Oh, and again I agree with Sharky, Geoff Thompson is the guy to read about fear. Even his earlier, violent books, (Watch my Back) are all about fear, and dealing with it. His point of view is that it is impossible to not be afraid, it is simply a natural part of our biological makeup.

What is important is learning to control the fear, not be telling yourself to ignore it, but to accept it, understand what it is doing to your body, and turn it into something useful.

Even at the height of his prowess, when he had won over 300 violent conflicts and streetfights, he freely admits to feeling the same fear every **** time he had to fight. What this guy doesnt know about fear hasnt been written. :D

The chalice from the palace has the pellet with the poison,
The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!

[This message was edited by Frank Exchange on 10-31-01 at 04:39 AM.]

[whippinghand]

"His point of view is that it is impossible to not be afraid"

Disagree.

[Sharky]

WH - one might not fear going into a situation - but when you start getting your ass kicked as punches rain down on you, nearly everyone feels fear, imo

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[CLOUD ONE]

Is confidence opposite to fear?
If you really think so W.H your ii an illusion!

[tnwingtsun]

http://www.diac.com/~dgordon/fear.html

[EmptyCup]

In all the fights I have ever been in, I've always been afraid before hand. It's during the fight that I start to get excited :D

Fear and excitment are sometimes mixed during dangerous activities such as sky diving, skiing, and fighting...not to mention roller coasters :)

[whippinghand]

Fear is a byproduct of insecurity(i.e. without confidence).

Excitement is a byproduct of insecurity.

Insecurity is a byproduct of NOT knowing.

[EmptyCup]

**** don't we all just love philosophy 101...syllogisms here we come!!!

WH:

fear is the byproduct of our biological makeup. Our biological impulse is survival. Fear is a behavioral necessity. It is a chemical reaction to a stressor such as danger. If you do not fear you are not living.

[whippinghand]

I understand what you're saying... And where that belief system comes from...

But I strongly disagree.

[EmptyCup]

how so? Isn't that scientific fact? or is David Suzuki yanking my chain???

[Nichiren]

There is a difference between big men; those who train MA, those who have no training and those who are training something else, e.g. hockey. I have a friend playing hockey that weighs about 110 kg (I weigh about 80 kg) and when he moves he is as fast as I am but twice as strong. I have sparred him and if he passes my guard I'm in big trouble. He is able to overmuscle me despite my MA training and then uses the advanced ground and pound technique to crush me.

Another fact is if there is alcohol involved. The thing with alcohol is that you get twice as cocky but half as good fighting. This is a advantage for the big man.

I agree with others that if you have to fight someone bigger you must not hold anything back. When the fight starts go all the way and do not back down until the big guy is laying flat on his back.

[Gluteus Maximus]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> When the fight starts go all the way and do not back down until the big guy is laying flat on his back. [/quote]

I agree, Nichiren. Often, bigger guys will have an inflated sense of their own invulnerability and will be taken aback and therefore at a disadvantage from the start if you fight them very aggressively and don't give an inch, (as Wing Chun teaches us to). Their self-confidence will wane exponentially as each attempt at retaliation on their part is frustrated. As you said, alcohol is a factor in many fights, and stopping the average aggressive drunk in his tracks is not usually a major problem.

Max

Yooby Yoody

[CLOUD ONE]

WH what is it that you really know?
The world is not flat? or what goes up must come down?
If you come across a big bloke you will not fear him so you will win the fight 100% of the time!!!
Nothing is for certain, execpt we are all going to die!!!
so you know Wing Chun, what is there to know?

[curtis]

Fear is a natural emotion, you do not want to get rid of it. You must learn to control the fear.
A quote comes to mind. Fear is of a weapon, it can be used by you, or it will be used by your opponent.
There are many quotes on this topic. The point is how do you handle fear. My best suggestion is to train as realistically as possible. For when you are in a confrontation (it does not necessarily mean, a fight ) you will do as you have been taught.
It really is amazing.(how the mind works)

(For me having served in combat, it at first was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. The preparation, and the mind games you play on yourself are worse than the real thing. When the SHIST hits the fan, it was as if there was no thought. I just reacted like a machine.)

Now in a fight it will be much the same.
I can think of two more quotes. And then you think about it.
The truth in combat is different for each individual. (SunTza )
Combat is comprised of, hours of pure boredom. And then seconds of sheer tear. (Pappy Boington)
no one came give you the answers, you must find them yourself. My advice is to train hard, and pray that you never need to use your hard earned skills.
Sincerely C.A.G.

[whippinghand]

I KNOW that you don't really KNOW what I'm talking about, nor what you're talking about.

[Sharky]

how do you KNOW that? :D :D

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[[Censored]]

"It's not my fault that I got scared, the biochemicals made me do it!" :)

Do you use the same excuse when your elbows drift out? They are also directed by biochemical interaction.

I control my chemicals, they do not control me.

[whippinghand]

Right, Censored.

[EmptyCup]

You can override physical movements but fear is an EMOTION that has a chemical basis. unless you can change the actions of you glands and neurotransmitters at will you have no control over certain reactons. An example would be an increase of adrenalin production. Can you stop that from happening at will? Unless you are a yoga master I highly doubt it...

[[Censored]]

You think "yoga masters" are the only people who can control their emotions?

I'll have to add that to my business card. :)

---
[Censored]
CEO
Deadly Sticking Hands Hero
International Playboy
Top Jerk
Certified Yoga Master

[CLOUD ONE]

Dear Wipping Hand please explain, Know-it-all :eek:

[whippinghand]

Explain what, Wanna-Be-Top-Jerk...

[Sharky]

get the names right

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[EmptyCup]

I thought you said top jerk was censored...stop being so fickle!!! :D

Being a yoga master is quite fun actually censored...not only can you be fearless but you can contort your body in various unique sexual positions too!!! and if ladies happen to be in short supply, it's no problem either!!! :D

[whippinghand]

Cloud One.... Censored... What's the difference?

[whippinghand]

You're not thinking for yourself... You've adopted someone else's views, not your own.