One of the special forces maxim refers to a soldier's greatest weapon, the mind. It would seem that in the MA world be it combatives for the military, police, etc. or as self-defense for the masses this mind thing would be critical. There is a phrase that describes this, i.e. Kokoro no Shugyo [心の修行] The characters/ideograms mean, “Training of the mind.”
What I perceive is one must train the mind to see those things and know those things that would provide the mind with the ability to choose the proper tools in getting the job done. I also believe that by fooling ourselves or being subjected to hero worship suggestibility and other such things clouds our minds toward the true goal we have told ourselves we sought when taking up such disciplines.
To train the mind is to train it to "see" and "hear" truth in all its reality. Hiding our heads in the sand in order to promote an easier and faster path toward self-gratification not only makes us miss our targets but subjects us to dangers beyond our minds imagination if we ever find ourselves facing a violent situation.
For instance, we are human and we apply violence every single day of our lives. Have you ever gotten into a heated discussion where voices got pretty loud, you know you trying to get your point across to someone who appears to be ignoring your viewpoint? If you said yes you were being violent.
Have you ever gotten into a shouting match with another person in a bar because they may have done or said something that jerked your chain? If you have, you were being violent.
Yea, I know, that doesn't seem violent but when you think about it it is violent because the only reason one shouts in anger is when they MUST have someone else agree with what it is that are arguing about, that is violence.
Another example, women commit violence all the time as well. It is often a psychological violence but it is still violence. Get this, as we become a more "equal rights" society women are resorting to the physical application of violence and the big issue here is societies view toward women and violence. They just don't see women in the same light as men in violence.
Consider this, more of our younger women are using the physical to get their gratifications, more and more than you might see, hear, etc. The greatest danger is that men tend to think that women don't have the capability but they are just as human as men and they also have to deal with those ancient survival instincts that all humans still have to deal with and if you doubt it read, Emotional Intelligence, it explains how the brain works in this instance, really, read it.
So, kokoro no shugyo, much like the military maxim, wars are won before the first shot is ever fired by how the military create the appropriate mind-set and mind-state. It is about their training, their understanding of the enemy, their history, the tactics and strategies and a whole bunch of other stuff that is critical before he very first move from said military. A general has to know, understand and create a mind-state that is a mirror of his enemy general much like Patton of WWII and MacArthur in the Pacific. Otherwise don't bother getting out of bed cause your gonna lose, big time.
If we don't open up our minds and know ourselves and our enemy or adversary, how they commit violence and the why of it then how can we possible defend against it and how can we possible prevent it and most of all how can we ever even think that we can stop it, it is in our nature and hiding from it will not get the job done.
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