Agree with my definition of 'warrior spirit' or disagree....

[Cruentus]

We were having a bit of trouble trying to define warrior spirit in a different thread.

Here is my definition:

I believe that a "Warrior" spirit is the inner drive to preserve ourselves, our families, our morals/beliefs, and our way of life.

Agree or disagree!

:asian:

 

[Cruentus]

and if you disagree, please offer an alternative definition for us as a suggestion!

Thanks!

 

[loki09789]

"will to survive, thirst for challenge, or strength to stand for a cause."

Subtle difference, but it is different.

I am not into preservation because it connotes things staying the same. I am all for survival so progress can happen.

Thirst for challenge can be educational, experiential... anything that pushes us to some limit.

strength to stand for a cause is similar to the presented definition.

Paul M.

 

[Cruentus]

O.K.

What is the difference between survival and "self preservation"?

Also, with your modified definition, how does "family" "morals/belief" and "way of life" fir in, if at all?

 

[Black Bear]

I like PAUL's fine, except that I'd put something in there specifically about the willingness to use force or violence when these things are threatened. That seems to be a part of what we mean by warrior spirit.

I'm not sure how that definition would look like.

I kind of felt like I have no idea what ppl mean by "warrior spirit", like it's just some vague idea. But I like Paul's defn.

 

[Cruentus]

Originally posted by Black Bear

I'm not sure how that definition would look like.

Maybe add "by any means nessicary." at the end of the definition.

 

[Tgace]

To me "warriorship" involves so many things I have a hard time distilling it into a definition. This article in the NCO Journal (USArmy) is a good source and is what one of the modern "warrior socities" views as the "warrior spirit".

http://www.usarc.army.mil/100thdiv/xxi/spirit1.htm

 

[Makalakumu]

Originally posted by PAUL
We were having a bit of trouble trying to define warrior spirit in a different thread.

Here is my definition:

I believe that a "Warrior" spirit is the inner drive to preserve ourselves, our families, our morals/beliefs, and our way of life.

Agree or disagree!

:asian:

I think the root of this statement is "the ability to reject those not of our tribe."

The heart of humanity is xenophobia and I think this is imprinted into everysingle one of our cells. Time is changing this definition as homo sapians becomes a global organism. We are evolving. Hence the disagreement and general confusion regarding this concept.

 

[pesilat]

I believe that a "Warrior" spirit is the inner drive to preserve ourselves, our families, our morals/beliefs, and our way of life.

I agree - but think that's only part of it.

Not only the inner drive to preserve but also the inner drive to persevere. The willingness to fight and overcome any obstacle. The inability to quit - though a tactical retreat (to gain some sort of leverage) is sometimes warranted. And wisdom to know determine what is worth fighting for and what isn't.

My dad was the embodiment of what I consider the warrior spirit after his stroke a few years ago. The doctor told him, "You'll be in the hospital for 4 weeks going through rehab. When you leave, you'll probably still be in a wheelchair but might be on a walker. Keep up the rehab on your own and you'll probably get to a cane at some point - may even eventually not need the cane."

Dad said, "Nope. I'll walk out of the hospital without aid and I'll drive home."

Doctor said, "Sorry, Mr. Casto, that's not going to happen."

Dad said, "Hide and watch."

Four weeks later, they took him to the doors in a wheelchair - hospital policy - where he stood and walked unassisted to the car. It took him a couple of days to get to the point where he could drive - but the doctor was dumbfounded. Dad made front page of the local paper. He still walks with a pretty good limp, his left hand sometimes twitches oddly, and he's partially blind in his left eye - but he's considerably more functional than the doctor thought he would be.

Mike

 

[Rich Parsons]

Paul,

I did not vote. I disagree just ot disagree as you know me

Maybe I will change the Poll to include the other options mentioned here?

Nope then people who already voted could not revote.

:asian:

 

[7starmantis]

I didn't vote simply because I don't see what any of this has to do with martial arts. What does someone's definition of a word or two words have to do with anyone training?

I guess I'm mising the whole "bandwagon" of using the term "Warrior Spirit".

7sm

 

[pesilat]

Originally posted by 7starmantis
I didn't vote simply because I don't see what any of this has to do with martial arts. What does someone's definition of a word or two words have to do with anyone training?

I guess I'm mising the whole "bandwagon" of using the term "Warrior Spirit".

7sm

In my estimation, "warrior spirit" - no matter how it's phrased - is at the core of martial arts training. Without "warrior spirit" it's hard to be a "martial" anything.

Mike

 

[loki09789]

"What is the difference between survival and "self preservation"?"

A banker earning millions of dollars a year who starts cheating on taxes, ENRON ring a bell, is 'preserving his way of life'

survival is persistance and perseverance, putting up with sliding up and down the quality of life scale put pushing on.

"Also, with your modified definition,"

It is only a modified definition if yours is the source definition, my definition is MY definition. Different from yours, not a modification of yours.

"how does "family" "morals/belief" and "way of life" fir in, if at all?"

Those would fall under strength to stand for a cause.

The willingness to use force, in what ever form that fits, is implied to me because:

the will to survival may manifest as violence if you have to survive an attack, or hunting if you have to survive isolation/being stranded somewhere....

thirst for challenge might include entering a boxing match or getting a PhD, either case requires the willingness to use force - force of body or mind.

Strength to stand for a cause might include going to my son's school to argue on his behalf if he is wrongly treated by teacher/student. Or, enlisting in the service to defend the Constitution of the USA

Violence is a specific form of force employment, too limited for my view of warrior 'spirit'.

Paul Martin

 

[Yari]

Warrior spirit is to live by a code, and really live by it.
The code is something you choose, and stick to it, through thick and thin.

/Yari

 

[Black Bear]

Originally posted by 7starmantis
I didn't vote simply because I don't see what any of this has to do with martial arts. What does someone's definition of a word or two words have to do with anyone training?

I guess I'm mising the whole "bandwagon" of using the term "Warrior Spirit".

7sm

Just the idea of Warrior Spirit is often invoked by martial artists, so the idea is, what does it really mean?

Yari, that's WAY to inclusive. ANYONE who lives by ANY code of their choosing has warrior spirit, provided they stick to it? That sounds ridiculous.

 

[Yari]

Originally posted by Black Bear
Just the idea of Warrior Spirit is often invoked by martial artists, so the idea is, what does it really mean?

Yari, that's WAY to inclusive. ANYONE who lives by ANY code of their choosing has warrior spirit, provided they stick to it? That sounds ridiculous.

Why?

I think it's more difficult to 100% follow rules, than make your own. But if you change your code in the same direction as the wind blows, there's no warrior code. You choose a code, and live by it.

If you choose the code to follow your leader (president, or what ever), you do it no matter what. Even if he tells you to jump in the lake or shoot your wife.

Now you can choose to say your code is only to serve yourself. And that's ok, but I dont think that's a high value code. THat's a code for only self preservation. You can give a code a higher value by following a bigger meaning, and sticking by it no matter what. And that's my point, a warrior is a person is a person who will stand by his code, even if everybody else doesn't. He'll be the last person standing for the code.

But we dont' have to agree, but calling it ridiculous, and not stating why, triggers me.

/Yari

 

[loki09789]

Originally posted by Yari
Warrior spirit is to live by a code, and really live by it.
The code is something you choose, and stick to it, through thick and thin.

/Yari

Yari's definitions has some validity because it is acknowledging the selflessness of warriorship/warrior spirit (WS). Standing for a cause, preserving way of life/welfare, all require an element of selfless service.


Paul M

 

[Makalakumu]

Originally posted by loki09789
Yari's definitions has some validity because it is acknowledging the selflessness of warriorship/warrior spirit (WS). Standing for a cause, preserving way of life/welfare, all require an element of selfless service.


Paul M

In a way, the act of using violence to protect something is selfish to the extreme. Which is why buddhists advocate giving up all worldly connections.

 

[loki09789]

UpNorth,

Jump back up to my personal def. of WS and see that I agree with you about the WS not just fitting a 'violent' approach.

But even the Buddhist monks of Shaolin, when philosophy met reality, practiced/applied martial arts. They, like all philosophies, seem to have established a criteria for when it was just to use violence/force. As long as that criteria was met, the individual was physically/mentally/spiritually okay.

Now, even saying that, the selflessness for a Buddhist might be defined as one who commits violence, putting their personal path to enlightment second to the immediate needs of of their group.

I agree with your de-escalation/violence as a last approach view across the board, but there are times when violence/force is necessary, even at the expense of the individuals standing in society. I am not saying that it isn't horrible, but in the long view, look at the statistical comparisons during WWII if we had not dropped the atomic bomb. The lives taken was tragic, but 'less' in degree compared to the damage done in more conventional drawn out campaigns.

Paul M.

 

[Ty K. Doe]

To me, warrior spirit is simply the drive to never give up. To have the heart to go on even when things get difficult. Kinda like the old saying, "Quiters never win, and winners never quit."

It's not an overly complicated philosophy, but a simplistic attitude.