Fierce resolution and physical confrontation

If I use the term “fierce resolve”, am I referring to some kind of animal behavior? Why yes I am! It is the innate survival instinct that we all share. It is part of the winning mentality that you must develop in order to win an all-out battle against another human aggressor. A physical confrontation is a battle; a foray into chaos. These conflicts are often sudden, extremely violent, and can be unrelenting until one party is incapacitated or, to put it bluntly, DEAD! You don’t want to be the part that becomes the contents of a body bag; develop the sensitivity of fierce determination It is essential for their survival.

Let’s go deeper. What more can we say about the fierce determination? Well, creating a good definition is a bit tricky. Borrowing a term from NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), fierce resolve is a “state.” Marcus Wynne says that “a state is a combination of two things: your physiology, or your body’s chemistry and neurological functioning, and your internal representation.” Simply put, your state is everything that’s going on in your body and mind at any given time. Some examples of state can be happiness, fear, worry, boredom and alertness; each one is a way, if you will, of be, encompassing the physical and mental aspects of your existence. It is essential that you learn to properly manage your state before, during and after an assault. You need the ability to function in chaos. What will you fight for? You are the only one who can decide this answer, and it is best to consider it now, not while you are involved in a fight for your life. Here’s an awesome quote from the father of Combatives:

“When you’re caught, you’re down, and you’re lost if you don’t ATTACK… And remember, it’s ‘Gutterfighting’: any means, good or bad, to save your life.” — WE Fairbairn

Some people refer to fierce determination as the “Eye of the Tiger” or the “Steel Will”. I like to think of it as your ability to do whatever it takes to win, not just survive, but WIN! I’m all about winning. If you come face to face with an attacker, you should have the default mindset of going until your attacker is defeated and no longer poses a threat. Metamorphosis from prey to predator; it is this mindset or state, and the willingness to attack the attacker that will help you prevail. As my good friend Gary Klugiewicz says, “Be nice, until it’s time to be mean, and then be nice again.” These are wonderful words to live by. Once the threat is neutralized, calmly find a protection position, perform a medical self-assessment and call the authorities for assistance.

How exactly do you develop this mindset? For it takes will, determination, and practice: will to live, determination to do what must be done, and diligence to practice so that your mind is place! Unfortunately, this type of mindset is generally not taught in most martial arts training facilities. I highly recommend that you go out and find a competent self defense instructor. Ask him about the predator mentality and how to develop it. If they don’t have answers for you, then find someone else. The proper mindset and basic awareness skills are critical to your self-protection; look for a person who has knowledge in these areas. If you can’t find one locally, then the next best place to start is to read and study the book. no second chance by Mark Hatmaker. I can promise you that if you spend a few weeks delving into this gold mine of self defense information, you will certainly learn to develop and use a fierce resolve.

Some people already have a strong, active survival instinct, or will to live. However, it is latent in all of us, however deeply buried, and it can be developed through practice. By our very nature, we are predators; humans are the top predators in the landscape. I have an exercise for you. Start with an offensive maneuver that is familiar to you. For example, let’s focus on a frontal choke attack. With your eyes closed, imagine a strong adversary putting his hands around your throat. Feel the grip of him like a screw tightening and compressing. Feel that you get a little dizzy from lack of air. Does this infuriate you to the point of igniting explosive action? Ought! Smell it. Imagine their appearance and their facial expressions. What is he saying, or what sounds does he make? Notice the anger welling up within you. This is a deep anger that drives you to stop this senseless act of injustice and harm this person. He has no right to end your life. You are completely justified in your use of force because he obviously intends to hurt you; otherwise he would never have attacked you. Once you feel the state of anger (how it feels in your body and your mental representation), I want you to imagine yourself bursting into action. Imagine yourself releasing his hold on you. Look, if you can, and feel your body move from a first-person perspective. Imagine violently hitting it with a hammer fist, palm of your hand, or whatever you wish to use. Imagine him shrinking or falling from your powerful and ferocious attack. Remember that he brought you to this dance; he thought of you and made the conscious decision to attack you. Imagine feeling pity, if not justified anger until such time as you are no longer a threat. At that critical moment, when you are neutralized, imagine yourself falling back, finding a position of protection, looking for additional threats, performing a medical self-check, and calling the authorities. Allow yourself to feel good about being able to protect yourself. If you lean in, you can keep imagining the scenario until the point where the authorities arrive, you articulate the fact confidently and clearly, and you’re free. Imagine being back home, sipping an adult beverage and relaxing in your recliner!

The example above is just an exercise; An imaginative guided tour of problem solving and a great way to start developing the cutthroat solver mindset. The beauty of this scenario, or any one you think of, is that it can be practiced anywhere. Inform your imagination as much as possible with real life details. The late Charles Nelson, a fantastic self-defense instructor, made a habit of collecting news clippings on violent crime and used the details as teaching points for his students. Engage all your senses to paint the full picture of the state. The more senses you engage, the more real an experience will feel in your mind. Many people, including law enforcement officers, have won deadly encounters due to the options and scenarios they considered prior to the event. In fact, many people win at life events because they have rehearsed their performance beforehand. Never underestimate the power of your imagination to achieve anything. Too many of us rust; As children, we are often conditioned not to use the creative powers of the imagination. Start your practice now; hone and use these mental constructs toward developing your own fierce resolve. If you ever find yourself in a critical life-threatening situation, I want you to win, because your life really matters.