# Falling to the Level of Your Training



## Danjo (Jul 28, 2008)

When the chips are down, what do you think is the most important element in your survival: 1) Your training, 2) Your conditioning, 3) Your mindset, 4) Something else?

I separated training from conditioning for a reason. By _training_, I mean the skill-set that you have developed from your instructor, i.e., the techniques of your system whatever they may be. By _conditioning_, I am referring to being in shape in order to avoid respiratory or muscular fatigue. By _mindset_, I am referring to those qualities such as courage, rage, confidence, willingness, heart, etc.


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## jarrod (Jul 28, 2008)

"i saw lots of guys earn medals just by going ape **** and somehow not dieing."  

--Chopper, a very grizzled, very drunk vietnam vet from my hometown.

i'm going to go with mindset.


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## LawDog (Jul 28, 2008)

Number 1, 2 , 3. plus empty cup, ( lack of thought & emotion).


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## tshadowchaser (Jul 28, 2008)

Mind Set  without that the rest will be next to useless


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## stickarts (Jul 28, 2008)

I think mindset is key.


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## Xue Sheng (Jul 28, 2008)

Number 3 and Number 2 in that order


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## Kacey (Jul 28, 2008)

Mindset, definitely.  Too many people give up control before the altercation even begins, to the attacker; after that, nothing else matters, because the fight is over.


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## kenpofighter (Jul 28, 2008)

I don't care what the situation is if your mindset is not right you will never accomplish your goal. If you think you won't win before you get there you won't.


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## JTKenpo (Jul 28, 2008)

Without a doubt Mindset.  "watch out I've got a blackbelt in CRAZY" can go along way.  We are all told that our mental focus has alot to do with our training, so the discipline to condition yourself, get to class and better your skill set, take the beating and not be afraid to give it back all comes from your mindset.


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## KenpoDave (Jul 30, 2008)

Mindset, Conditioning, then Training, in my opinion.


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## Danjo (Jul 30, 2008)

I think that mindset is the most important also. You're either a fighter or you're not. That's in the mind. The rest are merely the tools that you need to be a _successful_ fighter. People have seen many clips on youtube where one medium sized guy was able to fight off multiple attackers using basic boxing moves, so the style you use is not the most important. Conditioning is a must because if you're gasping for air after a short time, you might not have the ability to deliver your techniques. Then again, many fights are over long before you would get out of breath (I'm not talking about sparring or a contest match like MMA, wrestling or boxing). So which of the other two are most important is hard for me to say.


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## Fiendlover (Jul 30, 2008)

Danjo said:


> When the chips are down, what do you think is the most important element in your survival: 1) Your training, 2) Your conditioning, 3) Your mindset, 4) Something else?
> 
> I separated training from conditioning for a reason. By _training_, I mean the skill-set that you have developed from your instructor, i.e., the techniques of your system whatever they may be. By _conditioning_, I am referring to being in shape in order to avoid respiratory or muscular fatigue. By _mindset_, I am referring to those qualities such as courage, rage, confidence, willingness, heart, etc.


 
If I were to put them in an order it would be like this:

1.  Mindset
I put mindest first because you can be the strongest or fastest man in the world with every technique down to perfection but if you are scared out of your mind when the time comes to use them then you are worthless.  If you have heart in anything it's amazing what can be accomplished out of nothing.  It can also allow you to be pushed passed your limits and into the unknown and discovering something about yourself.

2.  Training
Training I put second because it's what separates you between the big dumb brutes who talk the talk and _look like_ they can walk the walk.  You can be up against the biggest, strongest, fastest man in the world but you need to understand that those are the guys that don't always win.  Most of the time it's the smartest.  With your techniques down and keep being smart with and how and when to execute them, you'll be the last one standing.

3.  Conditioning
Conditioning I put third but, by no means, do I think it's not important.  It is very important.  Your perfectly conditioned body could allow you to take someone who's executing great and well rehersed techniques but aren't using them in smart ways could allow you to become the victor.  Or maybe they are succeeding in trying to take you down so you decide to run and your well developed body allows you to outrun your opponnt.

Every one of these are essential to survival and trying to decipher which ones are more important is extremely difficult.  It was hard for me to put them in this order and at times I may question myself.  Some of you may agree with me and others may not but that is for you to decided.  

"To each his own."  :uhyeah:


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## Pacificshore (Jul 30, 2008)

Ditto on mindset.....your willingness to survive a physical confrontation, and I don't think you necessarily have to be a "fighter" per say, as in a trained fighter.....just have a strong mind to know that you will/want to survive.  Not every person that has ever been attacked or will be attacked are trained fighers or even martial artists.  Just my 2 cents!


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## girlbug2 (Jul 30, 2008)

The mindset is #1. 

It is what determines one's willingness to put up a fight, and to do whatever it takes to prevail. Mindset is the difference between a victim and a fighter.


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## Fei Ze Min (Jul 30, 2008)

Definately mindset.  The brain controls everything else so if the mindset lacks so does everything else.  Everything else is the result of proper mindset.


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## marlon (Jul 30, 2008)

Danjo said:


> I think that mindset is the most important also. You're either a fighter or you're not. That's in the mind. The rest are merely the tools that you need to be a _successful_ fighter. People have seen many clips on youtube where one medium sized guy was able to fight off multiple attackers using basic boxing moves, so the style you use is not the most important. Conditioning is a must because if you're gasping for air after a short time, you might not have the ability to deliver your techniques. Then again, many fights are over long before you would get out of breath (I'm not talking about sparring or a contest match like MMA, wrestling or boxing). So which of the other two are most important is hard for me to say.


 
mindset then training...however, training should include developing the necessary mindset.

respectfully,
Marlon


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## KenpoDave (Aug 4, 2008)

marlon said:


> mindset then training...however, training should include developing the necessary mindset.
> 
> respectfully,
> Marlon


 
Thanks.  You clarified my thoughts for me.  I put training 3rd because I feel that mindset and conditioning are important, and that "other training" would be less important.  What I should have said, like your statement, is that proper training includes developing the necessary mindset and conditioning.


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## Hyper_Shadow (Aug 5, 2008)

I choose number 4

Luck is THE factor to EVERY combat situation. You can have all the training in the world and have the mindset skills and physical conditioning of a God. Then you get caught up in a bar room brawl, you take down ten guys then turn round and *.- you walk into a punch right on the chin. In that instant you've lost everything. All because of a lucky punch.


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## Danjo (Aug 5, 2008)

Hyper_Shadow said:


> I choose number 4
> 
> Luck is THE factor to EVERY combat situation. You can have all the training in the world and have the mindset skills and physical conditioning of a God. Then you get caught up in a bar room brawl, you take down ten guys then turn round and *.- you walk into a punch right on the chin. In that instant you've lost everything. All because of a lucky punch.


 
So, then you're saying we should all just start carrying rabbit's feet around?


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## kidswarrior (Aug 5, 2008)

So many have already made the case, I won't repeat it. 

But an anecdote to show where I really learned it: A GM I trained with for several years would say this all the time: _You have to go into *every *fight believing you're going to win. _Looking back at a couple of scraps I lost along the way, I can now see a clear lack of this winning mindset.


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## Brian King (Aug 5, 2008)

> "When the chips are down, what do you think is the most important element in your survival: 1) Your training, 2) Your conditioning, 3) Your mindset, 4) Something else?"


 

#4 Something else

Regards
Brian King


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