Intuition (Hunches)

intuitive/intuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. A thing one knows is likely from some instinctive feeling over a conscious reasoning. It is a power, a sixth sense if you will allow some latitude, for attaining cognition  without the need for rational thought or inference. It is a hunch, a gut feeling. It is formed out of past experiences and knowledge. It is a perception of a truth, fact, etc. independent of any of the normal reasoning processes - thinking it through - that is faster. This is how it becomes a martial art term for instinct from training, practice, experience and knowledge is faster than thinking or deciding from the thinking processes. 

Using intuition does not always achieve optimal decisions, it still is not as iffy as to tactics and strategies as it may sound. It is an intricate part of our human survival instincts. Intuition is a pure, untaught, non-inferential knowledge. 

Our belief systems fall into intuition since often they cannot be justified or validated in many cases - faith. It is a subject of topic in supernatural research and is often associated with right brain processes such as aesthetic abilities. It is associated with innovation and a common subject of writings such as this post. 

Intuition is believed as the ability to know valid solutions to problems  and decision making. In various disciplines such as martial arts defense this is often how we respond to certain stimuli, i.e. the monkey dance and asocial violence, etc. and is another aspect of how one trains and practices to achieve proficiency in protection and defense. 

Look at it as training and practicing to achieve an ability under time pressures, high stakes like life and death, and constantly changing parameters in the fight or other scenario's, experts such as police, military and martial arts in protection mode use their foundation of experience to identify situations and intuitively choose the best solutions to achieve success. To achieve a level of intuitive analysis on the fly, so to speak. A pattern-matching process that quickly and through a subconscious intuitive process suggesting a course of action. 

Relying on intuitive ability depends a good deal on past knowledge and experiences in specific area's or area's that simulate the experiences for training and practice. 

Thus the question I ask myself, "Can intuitive processes be trained or enhanced through training?" The answer is yes and that warrants another topic of discussion outside of this one.