War Face

Something you acquire through the processes of life and the practices/training in martial arts. It is a compilation of attitude, demeanor, body language, confidence, proficiency, humility, wisdom, gentlemanly behavior, lethality, honor, dignity, etc. It projects an aura of, "I mean you no harm yet you don't want to test me."

Call it a type of military bearing if you want an example. This face is not that face depicted in movies such as "Full Metal Jacket: Boot camp scenes" but rather something that sets off the spidey sense in a person saying, this guy is something to be conscious of and to avoid conflict with, etc. It is that something that is inherent in the sheepdog.

It is that something that is not taught but learned and earned in time but it is something that can be taught to bring into awareness and to connect it to the more metaphorical teachings of martial arts as one would achieve in studies of culture, beliefs and the ken-po goku-i as it relates to ancient classics and other sources. 

It is not a caricature but rather an underlying aura that surrounds a person and tends to extend farther than normal. I believe this is the reason why the ancient Japanese samurai used masks with their helmets and armor. I also suspect that is why the "Noh plays" have the masks as well that convey certain feelings and attitudes of the players for the audiences.