Social-Psychology and Fighting

[Peregrini]

This is a shorter version of a series of questions that went unanswered under the Muay Thai forum.

I ask that for the sake of what is to be discussed that you respond to the following post before reading what other people have to say.

Preamble: I have been a member of a Muay Thai club in the local area for a few months while attempting to be a full time student. Or rather, maybe a full time student attempting to be a member of a Muay Thai club. Anyway, for one of my projects in my Social Psychology class I am supposed to perform a research project that involves actual research. Naturally, I wished to explore the social-psychology of my newfound hobby, sport-fighting in general and Muay Thai in particular.

The purpose of this assignment is an attempt to understand what thought processes are going through a persons mind and what sort of feelings these thoughts incur throughout training for a fight, preparation immediately before a fight, thought processes during a fight, and thought processes after a fight. This is by no means to be a formal study and will attempt to discover a thematic connections rather than statistics. I ask that you please answer these questions as best you can in a clear and thoughtful manner that encapsulates your experience of fighting.

Also, just to make this point clear, please state your aggression levels in addition to mental states and feelings regarding the situations encapsulated by these questions.

Which martial arts have you trained in?

How long have you trained in each of them?

How do you tend to feel before an upcoming match?

Which states of mind do you attempt to attain before a match?

How do you tend to view your opponent before the match?

During a fight what sorts of thoughts and feelings do you have for yourself and your opponent? How do you feel or what are you thinking when you are loosing a fight, winning a fight, or evenly matched?

 

[bushidomartialarts]

keep in mind that i'm answering many of these questions about ten years out of date. i used to wrestle and kickbox, but of late i've stayed out of the ring.

Which martial arts have you trained in? How long have you trained in each of them?

wrestling 5 years. kickboxing 2 years. kenpo karate 12 years. aikido 1 year. goju shorei 3 years. various dinking about with others.

How do you tend to feel before an upcoming match?

prior to warming up, i feel like i have to pee. some butterflies. mostly kind of restless. i hate waiting.

Which states of mind do you attempt to attain before a match?

i try to get calm and relaxed first, then build up my aggression and energy.

How do you tend to view your opponent before the match?

mostly professionally. i spend more time considering technique, skills, strengths and weaknesses than anything else. an opponent is a challenge, not something to love or hate.

During a fight what sorts of thoughts and feelings do you have for yourself and your opponent? How do you feel or what are you thinking when you are loosing a fight, winning a fight, or evenly matched?

see above. i feel pretty detatched during a fight. unless i'm losing, in which case i start to get angry. which of course makes it harder for me to win....

 

[Cirdan]

Which martial arts have you trained in?
How long have you trained in each of them?

Wado Ryu Karate 2 1/2 years, Ju Jutsu 1 1/2 years, Kobudo six months.
I don`t really compete so my awnsers refer only to competition-style matches during training (which can get serious enough).

How do you tend to feel before an upcoming match?

Strangely relaxed and a bit giddy. If I am facing a tough opponent I will feel more aggressive.

Which states of mind do you attempt to attain before a match?

Calm but focused with my mind clear of distractions.

How do you tend to view your opponent before the match?

A challenge, an obstacle, a problem I will be able solve.

During a fight what sorts of thoughts and feelings do you have for yourself and your opponent? How do you feel or what are you thinking when you are loosing a fight, winning a fight, or evenly matched?

I don`t feel much until after.. it is just the fight. My thougts are just a continous analysis of the opponent`s moves. If I am loosing I will sometimes begin to think too much, losing my edge. As for my aggression, I will control it and use it at the proper level to best overcome my current opponent.

 

[zDom]

Which martial arts have you trained in?

Taekwondo and hapkido.

How long have you trained in each of them?

About 15 years of TKD; about 9 years of HKD (4.5 years, a break, another 4.5 years, roughly)

How do you tend to feel before an upcoming match?

NERVOUS. Always. Even if I am cognitively aware that I have a significant advantage in terms of skill and experience.

Which states of mind do you attempt to attain before a match?

Calmness.

How do you tend to view your opponent before the match?

As a moving target that has the potential to launch foot and fist attacks.

During a fight what sorts of thoughts and feelings do you have for yourself and your opponent?

Self:
"Don't walk into something that could hurt — if unable to block everything, choose what I leave open so that I can absorb the strike with no injury."

Opponent:
"Disrupt his attacks by attacking at inopportune times for him."

How do you feel or what are you thinking when you are loosing a fight, winning a fight, or evenly matched?

Loosing: "I'm running out of time! I need to score!!"

Winning: "DON'T RUSH things! Time ticking away means I win! Still: must disrupt his attacks so I don't walk into something bad!"

Evently matched: "I'm running out of time! I need to score!"

Other thoughts include: "OOH he hit me hard: gonna make him PAY for that one!"

or

"He is showing control: no need to blast him, just score!"

I guess that pretty much sums it up for me.

 

[Kacey]

Also, just to make this point clear, please state your aggression levels in addition to mental states and feelings regarding the situations encapsulated by these questions.

I generally feel competitive, but not aggressive in the sense I think you mean it. NOTE: I am female, if that matters to your project.

Which martial arts have you trained in?

Ch'ang H'on (ITF) TKD

How long have you trained in each of them?

20 years, this coming February.

How do you tend to feel before an upcoming match?

Nervous

Which states of mind do you attempt to attain before a match?

Calm, controlled, analytical

How do you tend to view your opponent before the match?

As a series of moving targets

During a fight what sorts of thoughts and feelings do you have for yourself and your opponent?

I don't have feelings, per se; as I said, I consider my opponent to be a series of moving targets, some open, some not; my thoughts are focused on the targets that are open or that I can cause to become open, and the techniques I can use to reach those targets successfully, along with making sure I am covering any potential targets on myself.

How do you feel or what are you thinking when you are loosing a fight, winning a fight, or evenly matched?

I don't think about winning or losing - just about the fight itself. I am rarely aware of who is winning unless there is an extreme mismatch, in which case I am either trying desparately to not get creamed or not overrun my opponent, depending on which side of the mismatch I'm on.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Most people will get the adrenline kick (butterflies), anytime you are in the ring.....NO one wants to lose! Even if the other guys is outstanding....you want to do WELL ALWAYS!!!

Learning to stay relax and forcus.....this is hard to learn...calming the mind before the battle...Mind..No mind.. .....Aloha

 

[CuongNhuka]

Cuong Nhu: a Veitnamese blend of Western Boxing, Tai Chi, Wing Chun, Judo, Aikido, Shotokan, and Veit Vo Do Vovinam. the name means hard soft. Some times to much info is better then too little. for about, 4 and half years.
I also did boxing for a number of years before hand. Though not to regularly. I also do a little Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, Ju Jutsu, Muay Thai, and Tai Chi. But that is from books and seminars, so I have no real rank.

calm. i could freakin out before (because say, i'm about the crap kicked out of me by a 7th dan in Tae Kwon Do who just beat the snot of my sensei), but when that match begins i'm zen. i do the same before any thing that freaks me out.

Before, I don't really. If it's some one I've sparred before, I'm trying to remember something that might help. Like something they haven't seen me do. But outside of that nothing really. I don't think of them as an enemy, some one who must be destroyed. If that is what you mean.

Thoughts during: Nothing. Goes back to that whole zen thing.
When Winning: Ahh, this is no fun. Come on donn't make it easy.
When losing: Thats it, don't make it easy.
When eavenly matched: GLORIESNESSISITY!!!!!! No, that is not a real word.