How do I get aggressive?

[ares]

You could try to imagine that your training partner is actually attacking you. What would you do? In an actual situation, would you let this would-be attacker smack you around? or would you dismantle him/her? Do some role playing and that might help. Ares

 

[loren]

I'm not sure about tkd but if you where to marry my ex I bet it would help out greatly.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Hi stop listening to wham (Last Christmas) and try something a little bit harder like Metallica. Start conditioning your body, hit the heavy bag hard and hand pads harder. Condtion your body and mind for impact, with the trusty medicine ball. Practice saying NO!!!, a harder body makes a harder Mind. get to the gym and push some heavy weights with a partner once a week ,run up stairs till you cant go another step. Push your mind thru the fear barrier and soar like the eagle that u are!!!!

If the account werent suspended I would negative rep this. The Nazzis listened to classical and they were pretty aggressive. Metalica is not an aggression key!!! sigh

 

[CuongNhuka]

I'm not sure about tkd but if you where to marry my ex I bet it would help out greatly.

:rofl:

 

[Infinite]

There is a lot of good advice here and some of it deals with agression vs anger.

So some background. I started life sparring against a 6'1 200+ solid block of muscle. He was VERY fast and very aggressive and I was a 5'10 120lbs of slightly quicker stocky kid.

I picked a goal I wouldn't even call it a goal I would call it a defined purpose. I would decide that this sparring practice I was at least going to do X.

At first X was not get hit he wasn't going to punch me. It wasn't going to happen I refuse to let it happen if it does happen I will try again and again and again and again until it doesn't happen.

That worked so well (against the same sparring partner day after day mind you) that he started calling me "The Wall". I then moved to my new goal in life / sparring. I think you will like this it was to touch him on the top of his head. I didn't want to hit him I just wanted to tap his head because it amused me. That he would be trying hard to hit me and I'd be responding with a light tap on the head.

I think if you haven't played sports this process of "psyching" up is harder to generate. You have to make it mean something to you I mean you really have to invest some self into it to get the type of reaction you are expecting.

The age old addage of, "Failure is not an option." is a powerful driving force. You just have to believe in it.

So too round out how I GET to that state of mind I follow this process.

First, start moving your body walk around move your arms back and forth.

Second, start to tell yourself even whisper if you have to, "I'm going to (insert personal goal here). There is no stopping me."

Third, start to get excited let it happen start to relize you WANT the challenge that is why you are there its to be tested and now you have the opportunity to prove to yourself what your made of.

Fourth, It may help to have a partner motivate you. Tell them your goal and have them stand by and tell you these things. Boxing has the addage, "Friend in your corner." this is what it comes from. The coach telling you, "You can do this you CAN do this I've seen you I believe in you."


Finally, keep it up keep telling yourself that your ready that this is what you want that you came here to do this and now its time to do it. Then picture it in your minds eye. Picture yourself being unblockable or moving so fast you can't be hit. This is a proven olympic strategy.

Hope that helps,
--Will

 

[CuongNhuka]

i gotta agree with you infinite. i'll try that tonight at my test.

 

[Hand Sword]

You've already started to help yourself. Noticing a weakness in yourself and accepting it is huge in the learning process. Now that you've done that, take the next step, and make the mind, body, and soul effort of applying it to the execution of your techniques. Start with the most basic movement, and go from there.

 

[shrek]

Take a public speaking course followed by a sales course...you'll believe that you are 6'tall, bulletproof and everyone in your class will suddenly have a Kirby Vaccuum cleaner...

Ok, to be more serious, Infinite's right on the money...YOU have to believe in yourself and your skills. Setting a goal and sticking to it are key. Believing in yourself is a requirement. You've aleady taken your first step by entering into Matial Arts classes...and it honesty wouldn't hurt to listen to some tapes/read some books like Zig Ziglar's for some positive mental outlook.

 

[Hand Sword]

Thinking about the question further, I will say-You don't. It's something you are born with, or prone to. Sure, you could "develop it" through training. However, when it comes down to it, and real pressure is on, people revert to who they are. If you're passive, you're passive. It's not a bad thing. We are all who we are, nothing wrong with it. Trying to be aggrssive facing one who is naturally (type A personalities) won't work. We all read who is what when we meet them.

 

[RITFencing]

Thinking about the question further, I will say-You don't. It's something you are born with, or prone to. Sure, you could "develop it" through training. However, when it comes down to it, and real pressure is on, people revert to who they are. If you're passive, you're passive. It's not a bad thing. We are all who we are, nothing wrong with it. Trying to be aggrssive facing one who is naturally (type A personalities) won't work. We all read who is what when we meet them.

I respectfully disagree. Who we are now is not necessarily who we will be tomorrow. People can change, and can change themselves.

I have seen very aggressive people become more cautious, and I have seen just the opposite as well. As an instructor, I have helped affect the same change in many people.

Everyone has different reasons for being more or less aggressive in class, in life, what have you, but examining those reasons and motivations can show ways to change them, which will eventually lead to changes in behavior.

Failing that, there is always brute willpower... just force yourself to be aggressive. Attack more often in sparring. Practice your attacks. Train your body to act how you want it to act, and you will build confidence in it. When it starts to get positive results, then it will be easier and easier. Trust me on this.

 

[Hand Sword]

O.k.

However, if dealing for real outside of the dojo and away from dojo experimentation, don't try to "front" too much-Trust ME on this!

 

[RITFencing]

O.k.

However, if dealing for real outside of the dojo and away from dojo experimentation, don't try to "front" too much-Trust ME on this!

Sure, it's a different world. But the outside skills, reactions and confidence have to start somewhere, and that's in training. If you want a real world example of what I'm talking about, look at any competent military. They turn normal people into killers. Not to get political or beat around the bush, but that's a job central to soldiering. It can certainly be necessary.

Is the first time in a fight (or a battle, or whatever) terrifying? Yup. Absolutely. I don't think it ever becomes something people are comfortable with. But that training can and will take over. You just have to work hard at changing the default reaction of someone from "shrink in terror" to "wristlock" or "pull trigger" or whatever. It's not easy, but it can be done, and it happens all the time.

 

[MBuzzy]

Sure, it's a different world. But the outside skills, reactions and confidence have to start somewhere, and that's in training. If you want a real world example of what I'm talking about, look at any competent military. They turn normal people into killers. Not to get political or beat around the bush, but that's a job central to soldiering. It can certainly be necessary.

Is the first time in a fight (or a battle, or whatever) terrifying? Yup. Absolutely. I don't think it ever becomes something people are comfortable with. But that training can and will take over. You just have to work hard at changing the default reaction of someone from "shrink in terror" to "wristlock" or "pull trigger" or whatever. It's not easy, but it can be done, and it happens all the time.

You're exactly right....You would be surprised how "comfortable" a combat simulation can make you toward the real thing. If you have enough Ground Burst Simulators go off near you, M50s fire over your head, and do enough training convoys (the more realistic the better)....the real thing becomes just another drill after a while. Even in fire fights, the first time is terrifying, correct, but after a while, you react instinctively.

Practise a wrist lock enough times and when you have to do it....you don't think about it.

 

[Hand Sword]

O.k.

 

[qi-tah]

Some great suggestions here, have to agree with all that's been said about visualisation techniques and extra conditioning in the basics etc... in addition, i would suggest just lightening up about the whole issue. No-one is in class to get killed, and hopefully it's an activity everyone finds fun, otherwise why do it? Treat it like the game it is. Chat to yr sparring partners and ask them to rev you up a bit maybe. Experiment with different sparring "games" - tagging different areas on the body, one person blocking only, footwork games etc. When you start to have fun, aggressiveness becomes a non-issue IMHO. Also, i tend to find that aggressiveness takes away from skill a little - and speaking personally, i find control and clear-mindedness more useful in a potentially violent situation than aggressive behaviour. Just my opinion.

 

[Hand Sword]

You're all correct. however, you've changed the argument. The last examples posted are actions taken in self defense. That is a response to aggressiveness. I never claimed anyone wouldn't take actions (what you are arguing as aggressive) to fight back against a perceived threat. However, aggressiveness is another argument. You might get mean if hit or grabbed. You'll attempt the wristlock, shoot, etc.. But, it's a whole nother thing to just shoot, or punch someone in the face. If it's not in you, then it's not you. You can't train for that. Sure, with training, people get confidence. But, how far does the "aggressively trained" person get when they are at odds in an aggressive match with one who is of that personality naturally? Not very far!

 

[RITFencing]

You're all correct. however, you've changed the argument. The last examples posted are actions taken in self defense. That is a response to aggressiveness. I never claimed anyone wouldn't take actions (what you are arguing as aggressive) to fight back against a perceived threat. However, aggressiveness is another argument. You might get mean if hit or grabbed. You'll attempt the wristlock, shoot, etc.. But, it's a whole nother thing to just shoot, or punch someone in the face. If it's not in you, then it's not you. You can't train for that. Sure, with training, people get confidence. But, how far does the "aggressively trained" person get when they are at odds in an aggressive match with one who is of that personality naturally? Not very far!

I think I see what you mean here, but I think that this, too, can be trained. It's not as pretty, but it can be done.

Personalities aren't set in stone. Surely you must know someone who has changed their personality, either because of very large events in their lives, or just gradually over time?

 

[Hand Sword]

I think I see what you mean here, but I think that this, too, can be trained. It's not as pretty, but it can be done.

Personalities aren't set in stone. Surely you must know someone who has changed their personality, either because of very large events in their lives, or just gradually over time?

Training it in means instilling it artificially. Anything "aggressive" on their part comes because a stimuli or perceived one prompted that response. That's not just doing it. Following a plan for business or something isn't the same. Talking passive's into something, isn't the same as aggressive's making you do something.

As for the last part, you're personality is formed by the time you're two. Type A's , INT's, etc.. are who they are. Sure I've known some that have "changed" due to traumatic life experiences, training, etc... At least in everyday life. However, In situations that come up, every so often, who they are comes out.

Being agrressive for aggressive sake is harder than most people, trained or otherwise might imagine. (especially if they've never done it for real)

 

[Hand Sword]

To prevent this bickering to continue I'll leave my view at this: Training for it, or trying to aquire it-is not it.

You don't train to be aggresseive, you hone what's there already.

 

[kaizasosei]

being aggressive can be great for power and motivation but for control and strategy it is very bad. when aggressive, your heartrate increases too much, get tired faster. one is physically impaired to the point of having tension in various areas of the body. one tends to focus too much on one goal as opposed to acting correctly.
although it is probably impossible for any mortal to escape becoming aggressive at some point, and it can be a very effective method of communicating, it shows that one is shocked. if one could act aggressive to a point would be better(if that's possible)-otherwise, i'm trying not to get aggressive.
there are also many types of aggression(hate,fear,desperation) and many ways how it is expressed.

j