What are the components necessary to create / become an effective fighter?

[SAAMAG]

I'm going to be doing a presentation in one of my classes in a few days and because I'm being graded on my presentation skills moreso than the content, I decided to do it on something I know and can talk about easily.

I'm in the process of brainstorming for the format and content, and wanted to get some ideas from you all. That said--how would you answer the question:

"How do you become an effective fighter?"

[lkfmdc]

A strong house is built on a strong foundation, ie BASICS

The fastest racecar can't win a race without fuel, ie CONDITIONING

You can't reach a destination if you don't have the directions, ie STRATEGY

or, the Five P's

Proper Preparation Precludes Poor Performance

[TenTigers]

you must have focus. Not simply concentration, but the ability to be completely dispassionate. To see your opponent, not as another human being, with thoughts and feelings, but as an object to be destroyed.
-that, and snakeskin boots, which are always in fashion, no matter what the season.

[GLW]

I agree with lkfmdc's post. With one caveat.

There are some people that simply do not have the psychological makeup to be an effective fighter. They are the ones that either can't do it due to fear, lack of aggressiveness, whatever.

Usually these people are not drawn to this type of training but every so often...

[lkfmdc]

I agree with lkfmdc's post. With one caveat.

There are some people that simply do not have the psychological makeup to be an effective fighter. They are the ones that either can't do it due to fear, lack of aggressiveness, whatever.

Usually these people are not drawn to this type of training but every so often...

To me, that seems obvious, not everyone is a fighter. The one thing you can NOT teach is "heart".....

Recently we had a huge discussion about the lazy guy and/or the "wannabe" who wants to call themselves fighters but just don't have it in them

[1bad65]

The mental part is important.

One of my instructors has a guy making his debut on Saturday. He always says you never know how a guy will do in front of a crowd with a real opponent in front of him until he actually does it.

And heart is so important too. Is he the kind of guy whose body is saying 'no more', yet he just won't quit.

[Pork Chop]

ballz/heart
technique (timing, offense, defense)
athleticism (strength, speed, endurance)

too much of a disparity in any one area and you could be in for a bad night.

[Water Dragon]

A cool nickname is crucial.

[lkfmdc]

A cool nickname is crucial.

and tattoos, lots of tattoos, the guy with the best ink wins usually :p

[TenTigers]

thus answers the age-old question, "why aren't there any jews in the UFC?"

[Wood Dragon]

To paraphrase what has been said already:

Mastery of Basics.

Conditioning (this includes strength, flexibility, speed and endurance).

Intent.

[brucereiter]

some things that may be important to some people:

-not being afraid of being injured.
-not being afraid to injure another human.
-knowing when you can walk away from and when you must stop another persons aggression.

[David Jamieson]

1. the will to fight
2. the conditioning to strike and be struck
3. endurance, staying power
4. skill and martial ability developed through training

[Shaolin Wookie]

you must have focus. Not simply concentration, but the ability to be completely dispassionate. To see your opponent, not as another human being, with thoughts and feelings, but as an object to be destroyed.
-that, and snakeskin boots, which are always in fashion, no matter what the season.

LOL......


I'd say humility, because you have to learn to fight before you can fight and be open to suggestion. I'd say compassion as well, rather than being completely destructive, but then I have more of a compassionate ideology than your Skeletor tactics.:D You have to recognize when you are outclassed, and when you have the advantage.

Quick Wits are another vital component. Even when you are outclassed, you can still win if you play clever and smart. And, even when you have the advantage, you have to know what will make you lose that advantage in a second. Humility also helps you recognize your weaknesses, and quick wits will keep you from overstepping your boundaries. Plus, it helps you recognize that you can never control what another human being will do. You can only exercise self control. Luckily, your self control can shape how another will react to you.

If you're a tournament fighter, it's different, I know.

[SAAMAG]

A lot of you have the same broad catagories that I had in mind as well. Except that I've formatted mine a little differently.

In discussing the attributes necessary to be an effective fighter, I divided the attributes into 2-3 areas--Psychological traits, Emotional/character traits, and physical traits.

For the psychological; I have the ability to devise a strategy and set of tactics to accomplish the goal

For the emotional, I have all the things like preserverance, drive, aggressiveness, humility, and the like.

For the physical, I have the martial arts training--with a mastery of the basics in all the broad catagories areas of fighting. I also have of course the necessity to supplement the technique skills with conditioning and supplemental training.

Good formatting or no?

[TenTigers]

I was watching a show last night about UFC, one of those reality shows, I don't really know the name as I don't watch much TV, but they needed another fighter due to one dropping out fro injuries, or something.
They brought in some fighters who, for some reason didn't quite make the cut and asked them if they still wanted another chance. They figured that these guys would be really hungry for it as now they had a second chance. Two of the guys said that they no longer had the fight in them. They were quite shocked. But Frank Shamrock flatly said,"They're not fighters." They didn't have that mindset.
It's one thing for a person to get psyched up when he's training, and in the moment, but when a guy walks away, calms down, and the hype and energy isn't there to pump him up, and he can just turn and say, "Yes. I want to fight. Let's go" That is someone who has it inside him. It's always in there, not just when someone has to motivate him. Born fighters.
Fighters are born, not made. But, It takes a good coach to see that in someone and then awaken the giant.

[Shaolin Wookie]

I was watching a show last night about UFC, one of those reality shows, I don't really know the name as I don't watch much TV, but they needed another fighter due to one dropping out fro injuries, or something.
They brought in some fighters who, for some reason didn't quite make the cut and asked them if they still wanted another chance. They figured that these guys would be really hungry for it as now they had a second chance. Two of the guys said that they no longer had the fight in them. They were quite shocked. But Frank Shamrock flatly said,"They're not fighters." They didn't have that mindset.
It's one thing for a person to get psyched up when he's training, and in the moment, but when a guy walks away, calms down, and the hype and energy isn't there to pump him up, and he can just turn and say, "Yes. I want to fight. Let's go" That is someone who has it inside him. It's always in there, not just when someone has to motivate him. Born fighters.
Fighters are born, not made. But, It takes a good coach to see that in someone and then awaken the giant.

True. I saw that one a long time ago. It was an episode of the Ultimate Fighter from a couple of seasons ago, I think. That really was surprising. And the guy who stepped up wasn't the most impressive candidate, and wound up losing again. But he had that fighter's heart. You can't teach that, I agree. Just like when you take a licking at your school, heal up, and come right back for another licking. I've seen people come back, decline from sparring, let their skills deteriorate, and eventually drop out. Part of being a martial artist is being martial.

[David Jamieson]

I was watching a show last night about UFC, one of those reality shows, I don't really know the name as I don't watch much TV, but they needed another fighter due to one dropping out fro injuries, or something.
They brought in some fighters who, for some reason didn't quite make the cut and asked them if they still wanted another chance. They figured that these guys would be really hungry for it as now they had a second chance. Two of the guys said that they no longer had the fight in them. They were quite shocked. But Frank Shamrock flatly said,"They're not fighters." They didn't have that mindset.
It's one thing for a person to get psyched up when he's training, and in the moment, but when a guy walks away, calms down, and the hype and energy isn't there to pump him up, and he can just turn and say, "Yes. I want to fight. Let's go" That is someone who has it inside him. It's always in there, not just when someone has to motivate him. Born fighters.
Fighters are born, not made. But, It takes a good coach to see that in someone and then awaken the giant.

well, maybe a couple of those guys bumped hip to how greasy and sleazy the whole concept of whoring fighters out like the ufc and others do is.

it's about making dana money more than anything and has lost the spirit of the fight it was supposed to uphold and maintain. there's a couple of guys that still make the show, but, it's a sleazy world and I can see a lot of people not stomaching it for that reason alone.

boxing has the same problems, ie: greasy sleazy promoters making bank off the hard work and suffering of others without giving the fighters their proper dues for their work.

[Scott R. Brown]

You must be able to ignore pain, push yourself beyond your imagined limitations, and react to physical punishment and injury as if it does not exist.

[MightyB]

It's like walking into big waves. You lean back- you fall- but if you're chest forward and striding in like stallion- you plow through.

Once you're into it- you're into it- there's no changing that- so be IN it.

[cjurakpt]

looking from the outside in: a good coach and strong support team - the high level fighters are the ones who have someone else making a lot of the decisions and structuring the rhythm of training; that segues into the whole humility bit, meaning that if you trust your coach, you will take your ego out of the game and let him "use" you to the best of your ability - pushing harder and pulling back as needed (personally, I think James Earl Jones would be a great coach, although for the life of me I can't figure why...)

and a goatee - that's really important...

[Shaolin Wookie]

(personally, I think James Earl Jones would be a great coach, although for the life of me I can't figure why...)

Because he's the voice of Vader, man. He wasn't the wacky, fat, wrinkly old white dude in the plastic suit doing magic chi-shooting death grips.

He was the guy who said: "Who's your daddy, *****!"

[cjurakpt]

Because he's the voice of Vader, man. He wasn't the wacky, fat, wrinkly old white dude in the plastic suit doing magic chi-shooting death grips.

He was the guy who said: "Who's your daddy, *****!"

actually, he also had this to say (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdgK5d7Y5LQ&feature=related)

the cheese just does NOT get any riper than this!!!

[sanjuro_ronin]

Understanding the difference between training and practicing is crucial, and balancing the two.

Of course, like its been said - Basic and conditioning are a given.
Remember though, conditioning is activity specific and its also good to be an "all-around" athlete (as much as one can given the constraints of time).

[The Willow Sword]

Are we talking about the fighter for the cage match or the ring,or the tournament or the street?

Seems to me that the way you become an effective fighter is to shed all the mess and ego of doing things that waste ones time and energy and focus in on the main aspect of what i feel makes an effective fighter,and that is..........having a cool looking uniform and a black belt with gold inlays on it and babes by your side rubbing your midsection. :D

no but seriously, I tend to like the Japanese proverbial wisdom that tell us that to be a good fighter one must let go of inhibitions and sentiment and all those things that make us hesitate at the moment of confrontation. Because of this wisdom i feel that tourneys and UFC are a waste of time and energy. It then boils down to your ability to retain the knowledge you have learned, store it, practice it with your fellow brothers in the Dojo/Kwoon setting,have alot of personal reflection as to the nature of "WHY" and "How" this will benefit me and my community/Family/etc. True Warriors,in my opinion,are servants of the people/community. Fighting is only effective when it is put to a purpose that goes beyond the showing of ego at tourneys or UFC. Like our soldiers who fight for our freedom and to protect our country(at least that is what they were intended for,not what they are doing now,in my opinion).
I think to really demonstrate a true effective fighter is that fighter's ability to utilize the simplest of means and the simplest of "Intent" and show "Content" in the demonstrating of "Skill" or whatever. It should not be done with a mind to impress or to get others to follow him/her,join classes, but to simply state in the movements "this is what i know and this is how i utilize it". Everything else is subterfuge and garbage.
Peace,TWS