Simply train well in the art you love. Eventually your body and mind synch with the art.
That’s do do do da da da.
Training mental resilience in self defence.
- Thread starter drop bear
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Prince_Alarming
2nd Black Belt
I am waging a one man war against chipboard and plywood. It's a form of violence inflicted on the proletariat
OP
OP
drop bear
Sr. Grandmaster
Even the training is kind of redundant. I mean how much time do you need to spend refining the finer arts of hitting someone you are on top of?
Honestly you want to be spending time under that onslaught learning to get out.
Yelling and screaming tires you out fast. So does continued emotional upheaval. Once you’re tired from either, you usually don’t even have the gas to run away any more.
If you’re holding down someone who’s going crazy trying to get out of your hold or going crazy trying to get up, if you really want to shake them up, as soon as they start to tire, whisper to them “Oh, you’re tired now?”
They’ll usually go nuts for twenty seconds in a last gasp. Then they’ll give up from exhaustion.
At least that’s been my experience.
There’s been some loud crazy guys who scared me. But it’s usually the quiet ones who watch from a well chosen seat that gave me the chills.
If you’re holding down someone who’s going crazy trying to get out of your hold or going crazy trying to get up, if you really want to shake them up, as soon as they start to tire, whisper to them “Oh, you’re tired now?”
They’ll usually go nuts for twenty seconds in a last gasp. Then they’ll give up from exhaustion.
At least that’s been my experience.
There’s been some loud crazy guys who scared me. But it’s usually the quiet ones who watch from a well chosen seat that gave me the chills.
isshinryuronin
Senior Master
Ideally, these ideas are the way to go as trained martial artists. But most people aren't. They haven't trained for years. They don't have the skills of "controlled aggression" or "scalpel-like application of technique" (as excellently illustrated in the Samurai video clip). Untrained people must substitute something else for skill. Going bat-sh*t crazy upon their attacker is one solution. I've seen it work. It's certainly better than just standing there like a lamb for slaughter. If one has just a few weeks to develop self-defense capability, this kind of "kamikaze" attack of pure aggression and raw violence practice has a chance to work. A poor chance is better than none. At least the defender will go out swinging and maybe a trip to Valhalla.
So true. If this is your strategy, it better work within a half-minute, max. If you're an untrained big guy, leaning on the opponent in various ways can cause him to tire out and take away some skill advantage. You see this in boxing. This is a factor that gives a good wrestler an edge - their muscle endurance is superior. If they can just stay in resistive contact with the attacker, they can gas him out.
Going back to the OP's basic premise of training one's mind for aggression - it's one I agree with - but may be difficult for some. We all have a bit of "killer animal" within us to some degree. Some were born with very little, and it's buried deep. It can be developed thru childhood sports or even roughhousing play. But some have not had this opportunity or have been overly conditioned to be non-violent. I believe aggressiveness is partly inborn and partly sociological. This kind of violence training can help them out, I think, if it's taught effectively. Better late than never.
Haruhiko
Blue Belt
Haruhiko
Blue Belt
Zanshin.
That's what I was thinking of. Now: is zanshin taught at all or is there some analogous frame of mind in MMA (which appears to be OP's context) that necessitates the complete opposite of having to ground and pound?
isshinryuronin
Senior Master
??? How do you define zanshin? I don't see the connection here.
Haruhiko
Blue Belt
Zanshin, as I understand it, is a state of relaxed but heightened awareness (lit. "remaining mind/heart"). It’s about staying mentally present and alert, both during and after an action. In traditional martial arts like kendo or kyudo, it’s about being aware of your surroundings and ready to respond, even after dealing with the immediate threat.
In self-defense and mental resilience, I think zanshin is relevant because it’s about avoiding complacency. Self-defense isn’t just about handling one attack, like you posted in another thread. It’s about staying aware of other threats, whether that’s another attacker, an escalation, or finding a safe exit.
I don’t think there’s a direct parallel in MMA that I’m aware of. MMA seems more focused on immediate action and overwhelming your opponent, rather than that broader sense of awareness and readiness for what’s next. That’s why I thought zanshin might be a useful mindset to bring up in this context.
isshinryuronin
Senior Master
Ah, I see. I thought you were equating zanshin with the video which seemed to be contradictory and was confused. To address your last point, you don't see zanshin in MMA as there is only one opponent, and as once the round/fight is over there is no need for remaining spirit since hostilities are over per the ruleset.
Haruhiko
Blue Belt
So I guess that's what I'm asking, is it trained at all or is there an analogy in MMA training that can instill this philosophy for the fighters? In some cases you see fighters get up after being hit pretty badly and they think that the referee or their coach who is assisting them is actually their opponent and they are locked in a mindset which could be offset by some sort of zanshin.
OP
OP
drop bear
Sr. Grandmaster
Haruhiko
Blue Belt
Zanshin is more than just being present; it’s a state of constant awareness and readiness, both during and outside combat. While sparring or rolling can foster presence, zanshin is a deliberate mindset, not just a by-product of practise. It’s part of martial arts as a holistic discipline.
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