I am writing this because I feel it is critical to proper mind-set when defending against conflict and violence. The article that prompted this effort was about the warrior mindset of police. I am gearing this toward martial arts self-defense training, practice and the all important applications. Like many tirades I have the mind-set seems to me as a driver toward how martial artists in self-defense approach, perceive and act when confronted by conflict and leading up to actual physical violence.
In a nutshell the article speaks to the basic concept of a warrior mindset, i.e., “In its most restrictive sense, it refers to the mental tenacity and attitude that self-defense proponents, like soldiers, are taught to adopt in the face of a grave bodily harm and/or life-threatening struggles.” What this mindset accomplishes in the reality of the instructors mind-set is a view that in order to survive a very dangerous situation you have to approach that situation with a “never give up even when it is mentally and physically easier to do so,” type attitude. What I get is a bypass of other options and goals for the type of goal that fosters violence and promotes the proponent to do things that will end up with repercussions that go way beyond the fight because in a lot of cases avoidance, i.e., walking away or circumventing situations that lead to a need for defense, etc., is better and easier than participating in the fight.
The articles author goes on to explain a mind-set that many self-defense programs end up in that makes a warrior mind-set a warrior-mentality. One of the professionals I know of wrote about warrior terminology is that to be a warrior requires that you have experienced combat and survived. To be a warrior and to claim a warrior title that seems logical and a requirement. Everyone else, even if they served on active duty in the military, are veterans but not combat vets or warriors.
Anyway, this warrior mentality leads to an approach in self-defense where the proponent takes on a hyper-vigilant attitude where every situation is a perception of physical danger. It teaches them to approach ever single situation with a mind-set saying that I MUST use my skills and I MUST destroy my enemy. Martial artists will remember the movie, “The Karate Kid,” where the Cobra Kai Sensei used this warrior mentality to teach aggressiveness and give no quarter and take no prisoner attitude. The attitude that most often leads to in inability to see other options long before it goes physical. To see the road signs that say, “Violence ahead, make a detour now,” option.
All to often, in the name of monetary gain, self-defense programs teach its students to live with an intense mental attitude that the world is hostile and that every one is a potential violent criminal whose goal is to attack you. They then assume that everyone who looks like the media driven false perception of a criminal, i.e., anyone wearing a hoodie, etc., is out to get them and they need to be ruthless if attacked.
They prepare to mentally react with violence, in other words they are so far outside the self-defense square that the square is the size of a pin head. They automatically assume any and all adversary’s are going to go violent so they have to get there first. With the warrior mentality hypervigilance is the key to “Winning!”
This type of mental conditioning results in an aggressive and violent prone proponent who uses the label of self-defense as their excuse to go all “Postal” or to do the “Monkey Dance,” to get the job done. There are no other options and the warrior never runs, never retreats and makes sure the enemy is completely and totally unable to dare to attack you ever. Ops, where did appropriate force levels go, why are the all labeled enemy over adversary or attacker or just about anything less “Othering.”
Self-defense teachers tend to foster this attitude by promoting their program as the ultimate warrior system and preach how everyone is out to harm you and they are armed and dangerous and that you should act as if deadly force in not just appropriate but your right to apply in, wait for it …. “Self-DEFENSE.”
It becomes apparent or it should begin to become apparent that, “A martial art self-defense culture that trains and encourages practitioners to adopt a “warrior mindset (actually mentality).” … how the warrior mindset (mentality), though adopted with the very best of intentions, leads to unnecessary violence (greater force levels than necessary or even prudent to the situation, etc.).”
Having a warrior mindset is only possible for a true warrior, one who has gone into harms way in far off places to combat enemies of our society as mandated by our countries appropriate authorities and has experienced the blood and death of combat situations. All others are NOT warriors and CANNOT fathom or understand a warrior mind, a warrior mindset or a warriors experiences. All others are NOT Warriors and cannot be a warrior or have a warrior mind-set by attending a martial training hall three times a week and participating in dojo kumite or any other competitive form of martial discipline.
The best anyone can do is create a “Self-Defense mind-set” that knows, understands, trains, practices and applies appropriate self-defense methods with a mindset that has complete and total commitment to achieving appropriate goals toward remaining within the self-defense square.” The warrior terms are sales gimmicks used to tickle your monkey brains ego pride driven emotional experiences set from exposure to movies, television and fictional stories of warriors, etc.
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