Feeding the predator within

[Eviscerate]

Hi all, sitting here trying to come up with a clever subject that hopefully will draw some attention. Its my belief that after a certain point a certain portion of men and women go from training martial arts to being predators. Which is a good thing! It is certainly the natural progression of things, fighters especially are built up then torn down over and over in the professional circuit. Well, we want to avoid being torn down, leave that to the professionals who get paid is what i say. Instead, how do you go about building yourself/your fighters without tearing them down while at the same time adding an acceptable amount of progressive learning to the mix. Many of us lie waiting with baited breath for an oppurtunity to use our skills in situations we can handle, the same lot arent necassarily conditioned for full contact fighting so how and where do we get our rocks off in the middle of it all? and are there tips, tricks or formulas for developing ourselves into the meateaters and not the meat?

 

[MA-Caver]

Hi all, sitting here trying to come up with a clever subject that hopefully will draw some attention. Its my belief that after a certain point a certain portion of men and women go from training martial arts to being predators. Which is a good thing! It is certainly the natural progression of things, fighters especially are built up then torn down over and over in the professional circuit. Well, we want to avoid being torn down, leave that to the professionals who get paid is what i say. Instead, how do you go about building yourself/your fighters without tearing them down while at the same time adding an acceptable amount of progressive learning to the mix. Many of us lie waiting with baited breath for an oppurtunity to use our skills in situations we can handle, the same lot arent necassarily conditioned for full contact fighting so how and where do we get our rocks off in the middle of it all? and are there tips, tricks or formulas for developing ourselves into the meateaters and not the meat?

If there is such a thing then it is at least a bare minimum of Martial Artists as a whole (in all arts) that have this predatory instinct "...waiting with baited breath to use their skills at the first opportunity..." At most probably 1% of all Martialists world wide would have this, and even then they don't last for very long.
In my experience with those who are seriously committed to their art(s) they develop a "warrior" instinct rather than predatory. Predator implies that they HUNT or go looking for trouble. IMO a true Martialist would never be in this state of mind. It was stated before on this forum that we (martialists) are more of the sheepdog than the sheep or the wolves.
A warrior is always prepared/aware but "at rest" until the need arises. Once the "trouble" has passed then they resume the "restful" mode once again. Martial Arts is a defensive mode of combat never on the offense. Yes, there are "offensive moves" utilized in the various arts, but they are used in the defensive frame of mind. Tactical maneuvers as taught by Sun Tsu and his renowned "Art Of War" states that sometimes one must go on the offensive to defend... (or something like that ... I'm paraphrasing).
The monks of the Shaolin eons ago taught this. They learned forms of unarmed combat to defend themselves from the bullying soldiers of the emperor but they didn't go rushing headlong to a fight if they saw a soldier walking casually down the streets or on patrol. This would make them predators instead of warriors.
As for myself I am always in some state of alertness depending upon where I am. I call myself a warrior instead of a predator. I am a man of peace but don't (seriously) screw with me, it's not a very good idea to do so. For I will take you down and keep you down until I can resume the period/frame of mind of rest again.
:asian:

 

[Eviscerate]

Does everyone feel like this? Or does this mindset mostly apply to eastern MA? I know there is an element that exists that realizes its predatory nature in itself, it might not necassarily be here on these boards but its out there.

 

[Kenpodoc]

Most people probably go through a predatory phase and fortunately most grow out of it. Studies on kids trained in boxing show them calmer and overall less predatory than similar untrained kids. (I can't find my source.)

It's good to learn how to not be an obvious mark for a predator. The other side of this is not to become a predator but to grow beyond the predator-prey dichotomy. True predators are scary dangerous people and fortunately rare.

Jeff