Well after 30 years of instruction, study and practice of martial arts and combat methods I thought I’d offer some insight into some core truths (but this is not to suggest I am the first or only person to make these observations) about personal combat.
Essentially these are the three main factors in order of priority:
- Combative Mindset - This is the most important thing to have and is usually the key difference between victory and defeat. Asian martial arts instructors call it ‘fighting spirit’ but unfortunately westerners most often associate the word ‘spirit’ with a religious context and completely misunderstand what they are saying. In correct context fighting or martial ‘spirit’ should be taken in more or less the same context as school ‘spirit’ but in relation to a much more serious topic.
It is many things. It is aggressiveness, courage, bravery and a willingness to fight. It is desire to win, confidence in yourself and your ability to win. It is the mental approach to combat and being able to shift to a alpha state when you engage in combat. It is the ability to adapt and improvise during combat.
And it is many more things than just that. It is all the related factors such as Zanshin, Mushin and a dozen other esoteric concepts. But essentially it comes down to a willingness (if not a desire) to fight and win. This combative mindset is primarily the result of experience and it is the most dangerous thing about most successful fighters.
To use an analogy, a uneducated gang banger with a crappy Lorcin and a ‘willingness’ to kill you is every bit as lethal as your most skilled Delta operator. Sadly that ‘combative mindset’ is all some lesser humans need to prevail in combat and that is why most martial artist attempt to attach a system of ethics and conduct to their instruction.
- Strength - This should be obvious but it isn’t to all. The problem is martial arts ‘allow’ a weaker man to prevail over a stronger man by virtue of technique and spirit. This is true but it will not always be the case. In reality a big, dumb guy can still clean your clock with one really hard punch. More importantly a weaker man will always improve his superior technique by adding strength. This does not necessarily always mean ‘muscle strength’ but more a greater capacity for power of application.
Often a technically skilled fighter will take refuge in technique alone and shun physical power. This may partially be in due to his disdain of ‘muscle heads’ who can’t fight but think muscle mass alone makes one formidable in combat. Both mindsets are limiting. In addition for capacity to deliver forceful strikes ‘strength’ and a strong body allow one to endure combat on a greater level. It has been suggested that the only difference between special forces and the standard military is the ability to carry 100 lbs. of extra gear. Obviously this is simplistic and not quite true but it is still a core truth. One of the things that separates special forces from the regular military is the ability to do the same thing, longer and harder. That is simply, strength.
- Technique - A few martial artists (especially those with fewer than 4 years) will be dismayed by the suggestion that ‘technique’ is the least important factor. But the bottom line is no matter how correct your technique may be, if you do not possess sufficient strength to apply it or a combative mindset that let’s you actually use the technique in real conflict then technique is useless.
But conversely technique is the road to strength and a combative mindset. This is why a black belt still does 1,000s of basic strikes daily and why special forces drill the fundamentals of combat constantly. Both the black belt and the special forces member learned the technique properly years ago. It is hardly going to improve noticably at this point no matter how many more hours are dedicated to training. But you are no longer ‘learning’ the technique. You are using the technique to acquire ‘strength’ and a ‘combative mindset.’ It is the continuous drilling that improves power in the movement and gives the practioneer absolute faith in his technique and overall ability which results in a combative mindset.
A beginner and expert may know the same movement (technique) but it is their capacity (strength) to apply that technique and the ability to use it in real world combat (combative mindset) that separates the two.
And this is why their is no ‘superior’ style or method when comparing genuine martial disciplines. Regardless of style and method, combative mindset and strength of technique will always be the deciding factors.