Posted: 4/6/2009 11:45:36 AM EDT
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We do a lot of talking on here about mindset while training with firearms but not much for hand to hand. I thought it would be interesting to have a discussion on the mindset before a fight (when you see it coming, defensive). I dont mean in a match type setting like MMA, but in a real world setting.
The reason why i say before a fight is because i feel like there are a lot of things that can "change" or "flip" your mindset away from the defensive position you are in. One example that i think of is size. Im not a big guy, so if i was to get into a situation most likely i would be the smaller one. I feel like no matter who you are, if you saw someone walking to you that was a lot larger, it would change your mindset a bit. If you were trained it would be less so, but would still enter your mind that the guy has size on you. Another example i can think of is a high level of posturing, the yelling, screaming etc etc. They call it posturing for a reason but all these things would have a roll on your mindset going into a fight. Somebody trying to potray themselves as a phsyco may be able to also break that mindset. I dont do the whole "lets take it outside" thing but sometimes you have to defend yourself, and lately i have been thinking about what the right mindset is while defending yourself in a situation. So what do you think? How much of a role does size, posturing, etc. have on your mindframe going in? |
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Fighting and other physical altercations are as much or more mental than physical. Having the right mindset before a fight is the first step in winning. If your mind isn't right, you don't have a chance. I'm an average sized guy, 5' 10" and 185lbs. I've done a lot of wrestling and judo, so I am fairly trained I would think. When I get into a possible defensive scenario, my mind just starts working various possibilities on what I will do if attacked, etc. I look at my surroundings, search for escape routes, any possible "weapons", and evaluate my attacker.
I'm not normally threatened easily by people bigger than I, so backing down from someone due to size isn't an option. Posturing by your adversary can often be intimidating but, you have to see past it. If anything, do a little bit of it yourself, as it will definitely play into the mind of the attacker. Mentally unbalancing someone is helpful in getting the upper hand. My judo teachers often preach "spirit shouts" or other vocalizations to try and unbalance an attacker. I think overall the best thing to do is evaluate your surroundings, size up your adversary and their strengths/weaknesses if any, and prepare your defensive reaction if attacked. |
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There are some things that we can do in order to help ourselves to be prepared, and also to make others see you as too much trouble to deal with. A couple things that we can do, one is to train often, whether in some form of marital arts or even independently with your own equipment, so that you can have some things ready and fine tuned so if you do have to defend yourself it will be 2nd nature to react, such as some kicks, punches, elbows, and knees. Because when the adrenaline is pumping and a level of fear has you tense, it helps to have a plan that has been practiced with repetition. Plus it gives you a level of confidence that has a psychological effect on your opponent when they see you.
Another thing that has kept me out of many fights is looking strong. I have lifted weights for years and though I am not a bodybuilder I do try to maintain a level of muscle mass. A person may not be able to fight his way out of a wet paper bag but if he looks strong then most people assume that he is tough. Add that with some defense techniques to back it up and then you should not have to fight at all but could if you have to. Here is my site on self defense Here |
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if he looks strong then most people assume that he is tough
This is actually where this thread came from and what got me thinking about all this. Today i was in the gym and a group of guys came in, two of them you could tell were just "typical" and as long as they had thier cell phones they were good. The one guy was pretty big and you could tell he had an ego to match. Just his movement and look made him a spotlight. As i was looking down from the second story of the gym i ran through my head what i would do if i was confronted by him or someone like him. Big guy with a big ego usually has a lot to say, and you could tell he wouldnt have a problem trying to get into it with someone smaller then him. I do think that people like that have "holes" in their mind and they know somewhere in their brain that they are a lot of talk. But i do feel having that ego can give you a bit of an edge. Its like in the military, they train you to think that you are better then your enemy, which in turn makes you very confident in what you do. This is getting into the difference between a big ego and confidence but i feel like the spotlights like that guy do have a bit of an advantage when it comes to a certain mindset.....maybe. ?? |
| I will be passive and defensive until forced to fight back. At that point I will be a ruthless aggressor. Eye gouging, nose cracking, nut busting, throat slashing, bone breaking, plexus punching - all these will become my top priority. I will become an evil sadist. There will be no sense of fair play, mercy, or "uncle." I will not stop until my opponent is unable to defend himself any longer. |
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My mindset is that there is no such thing as a fair fight. I'm not huge or small (6'00 210) but I know that I do not like to get hurt so I will end it as fast as possible by all means neccesry and its gonna hurt you as much as possible.
Oh and just remember when picking your battles, the guy that is yelling, screaming, pulling his shirt off is usually not a real bad ass, he's usually trying the "crazy guy" routine. Its the guy who just stands there looking at you and quietly says "OK, lets go." He's they guy to watch out for. LOL J- |
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It depends on what sort of fight you're likely to get into.
Me, I don't hang out at bars much and don't ever go looking for trouble, so if I am forced to defend myself with my bare hands, it will only be because I feel my life or that of my family is at risk. Therefore, I will be fighting to stop my opponent, whatever that takes and working on the assumption that he is out to kill me. |
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Maybe or maybe not. I worked in a gym for 6 years as a personal trainer, and I saw different kinds of guys like that. Some guys like that are very insecure and they put up a front like that, but deep down they are that skinny guy before they put on all the size. Some guys like that may train in some sort of sport like boxing or martial arts and they could very well have a bite to their bark, but they usually don't look for the small guys to pick a fight with. I have never run into trouble with those kinds of guys. The only kind of guys that I ever had to clash with are those who have criminal records and come into a place and try to get attention by being obnoxious. People always thought that I looked like a cop so those guys usually would cooperate with me when I escorted them out of the building.
if he looks strong then most people assume that he is tough
This is actually where this thread came from and what got me thinking about all this. Today i was in the gym and a group of guys came in, two of them you could tell were just "typical" and as long as they had thier cell phones they were good. The one guy was pretty big and you could tell he had an ego to match. Just his movement and look made him a spotlight. As i was looking down from the second story of the gym i ran through my head what i would do if i was confronted by him or someone like him. Big guy with a big ego usually has a lot to say, and you could tell he wouldnt have a problem trying to get into it with someone smaller then him. I do think that people like that have "holes" in their mind and they know somewhere in their brain that they are a lot of talk. But i do feel having that ego can give you a bit of an edge. Its like in the military, they train you to think that you are better then your enemy, which in turn makes you very confident in what you do. This is getting into the difference between a big ego and confidence but i feel like the spotlights like that guy do have a bit of an advantage when it comes to a certain mindset.....maybe. ?? But the real dangerous guys are those who have been in and out of prison and jail and have been around the block a few times. Usually those kinds of guys are used to street fighting and even fighting more than one guy. They are the ones who will cut you or shoot your. And the best way to deal with that is to either stay away from places where people like that dwell, or if you find yourself in a place where you have to fight your way out then do whatever it takes to stop them, such as poke their eyes out, kick them in the balls, throat strikes, etc. |
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The enemy is not a person - it's a target (that is going to kill you)...
Shoot the target, before the target can injure/kill you. 'Hate', 'Anger', etc - have NO place in such an engagement - all they do is potentially motivate you to fire when you should not. Self defense (weather with a firearm, or something else) should be a clean, methodical process... The more you 'feel' about the situation, the worse your decision-making process will be. |
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If you're talking mindset while in the threatening situation, then many things can affect it such as size, numbers, location, exits, etc.
If during the fight, then it's really a question of how badly you need to hurt them to get away safely. Is it one drunk in a bar taking a pop at you or is it three guys in an alley with knives? Your mindset and hence response, assuming you can mount one, will be different. |
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just remember grabbing a guy by the balls is not gay if thats what it takes to win. if some one is bent on harming me im bent on coming out on top. bite scratch balls you name it. the strongest musclehead will cry like a bitch with his balls being crushed  wrong. You can fight through that, and any other pain. |
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just remember grabbing a guy by the balls is not gay if thats what it takes to win. if some one is bent on harming me im bent on coming out on top. bite scratch balls you name it. the strongest musclehead will cry like a bitch with his balls being crushed wrong. You can fight through that, and any other pain. Correct. He also might be high. Your training and plans should include more than one vital point. |
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Your training and plans should include more than one vital point
I took hand to hand for a little bit about a year ago and have done it off and on but to be honest, i just dont have the money to pay for classes right now. Currently after my workout (5 days a week) i go into the room with the bags and practice basic punches, kicks, elbows and open palms by myself while running back and forth to keep my heart rate up. What do you guys throw in your training when your not paying for classes? |
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Quoted:
I will be passive and defensive until forced to fight back. At that point I will be a ruthless aggressor. Eye gouging, nose cracking, nut busting, throat slashing, bone breaking, plexus punching - all these will become my top priority. I will become an evil sadist. There will be no sense of fair play, mercy, or "uncle." I will not stop until my opponent is unable to defend himself any longer. +1 B. |
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Always assume that the other person is 'straight-crazy' and that there may be no way out of the situation, this triggers increase in blood-pressure and your
neuro-transmitters are firing like MAD. You would be amazed how clear and focused you can be if you use this mindset to your advantage and remember to breathe in through the nose and out your mouth. I know this may sound stupid, but we are all capable of being EXTREMELY dangerous under the right situation; and it usually has something to do with fear. Once engaged in a confrontation, you have to consider the fact that you could die and with that said; you must FULLY engage until the threat is gone. I won't elaborate....... Take it from somebody who's trained / trained-with the following (patches) and has never been enlisted: Shield + Bolt Trident Airborne Non-patch: Korean ROK (not Katuzas) Mossad Suggestion: Find a Krav Maga class that trains in diversity......real life situations.........GOOD LUCK!!! |
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I am also a do it yourselfer.
Your training and plans should include more than one vital point
I took hand to hand for a little bit about a year ago and have done it off and on but to be honest, i just dont have the money to pay for classes right now. Currently after my workout (5 days a week) i go into the room with the bags and practice basic punches, kicks, elbows and open palms by myself while running back and forth to keep my heart rate up. What do you guys throw in your training when your not paying for classes? I have trained in different kinds of techniques, so now I practice what I know to be practical and I train hard at it. I don't spar the way I'd like to but my son does train some with me, and I tell him to try to knock me out when we spare around, and he is the equivlent of a black belt. But I have a punch bob, standing punching bag, 2 speed bags and some blockers. I work 5 to 7 five minute rounds of intense bag training. I also am always looking for practical techniques to add to my arsenal, and the internet is helpful at learning new things. So, I practice my strikes daily and I do some light sparing with my son in order to develop timing and also to practice ground techniques. Right now that's the best I can do for now. |
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I will be passive and defensive until forced to fight back. At that point I will be a ruthless aggressor. Eye gouging, nose cracking, nut busting, throat slashing, bone breaking, plexus punching - all these will become my top priority. I will become an evil sadist. There will be no sense of fair play, mercy, or "uncle." I will not stop until my opponent is unable to defend himself any longer. +1. I don't start fights, so if I get in one I have zero intention of fighting fair. |
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Quoted:
I will be passive and defensive until forced to fight back. At that point I will be a ruthless aggressor. Eye gouging, nose cracking, nut busting, throat slashing, bone breaking, plexus punching - all these will become my top priority. I will become an evil sadist. There will be no sense of fair play, mercy, or "uncle." I will not stop until my opponent is unable to defend himself any longer. +1. I don't start fights, so if I get in one I have zero intention of fighting fair. I don't mean to sound like a dick, but you say that like you think it will give you an advantage. Do you think your potential assailant WILL be fighting fair, or not also using those methods? A basic training course is not all the expensive. I suggest looking into a local krav maga, systema or bjj place... Dues are around $90/month here, and in addition to the self defense training you get, there is the stress reduction you get from exercise and the fun of learning new things... |
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just remember grabbing a guy by the balls is not gay if thats what it takes to win. if some one is bent on harming me im bent on coming out on top. bite scratch balls you name it. the strongest musclehead will cry like a bitch with his balls being crushed All it takes is a back hand slap . |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
just remember grabbing a guy by the balls is not gay if thats what it takes to win. if some one is bent on harming me im bent on coming out on top. bite scratch balls you name it. the strongest musclehead will cry like a bitch with his balls being crushed wrong. You can fight through that, and any other pain. A sharp back hand strike to the balls will give you that couple of seconds you might need. It takes the wind right out of your sails 
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I don't start fights, so if I get in one I have zero intention of fighting fair
That is also how i feel, becaue i will avoid confrontation if possible. I feel like awareness is the best weapon in anyones aresenal. It is so easy to avoid places or people that you think could be a problem. When i was in college i would not go downtown because i knew ego's and beer didnt mix well. There are a lot of situations i have avoided because of awareness, but obviously some you cant. Since i have most of the basics of Krav, i was thinking of getting a book to throw some more things in, ill have to check it out. |
| First thing I don't do is give the other guy a reason to think he is right the more the person rants the less secure they feel. Stay calm think very bad thoughts,become a cold blooded killer.If they don't get the vibe and go away ,then a guy has to do what a guy has to do ! |
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Your training and plans should include more than one vital point
I took hand to hand for a little bit about a year ago and have done it off and on but to be honest, i just dont have the money to pay for classes right now. Currently after my workout (5 days a week) i go into the room with the bags and practice basic punches, kicks, elbows and open palms by myself while running back and forth to keep my heart rate up. What do you guys throw in your training when your not paying for classes? Sparring. If nothing else, see if you can drop into a class or session where there's some sparring going on. The harder the better. Think of it as pressure testing for techniques. Personally, there's a kickboxing class near me that is fairly open with their sparring. I go occasionally to see how clean my striking technique is. If nothing else, get a friend to hit you or something. |