There you are, keen eyes watching the actors of the next multi-million dollar blockbuster movie repeating the same scene over and over until you are satisfied that their performance is perfect. You adjust yourself in the lauded director’s chair, squinting at the movie set and the position of the actors. The ambiance must be just right. At the end of filming, the movie will be just as you envisioned in your creative mind. The film isn’t actual combat. It is a pretend version.
How to succeed in actual combat or real self-defense situations is a common question. The answer doesn’t involve an ultimate technique or secret Dim Mak finger strikes. Instead, it is a state of mind, a warrior’s mindset: you must direct all the actors of the confrontation and make them do what you want. You are the director of your fight.
Clear the Mind of Indecision
If you are confused, you won’t make the proper decisions during the conflict. One of your priorities is this; you want the opponent to lose. Pick a decision and move towards that goal, be it “punch the face” or “lock the arm.” Combat is unpredictable, and so is your opponent. Things that are working now may stop working once your opponent adapts to your fighting style. You may need to pick a new decision—do it immediately and continue your fight.
Purpose Driven Control of Situation
Grab them and pull them to you. Make the opponent comply with how you want to fight. Bio-mechanical cause and effect are the principles of Kempo fighting. For a fight, think about goals like a pin to the ground, control the arm, slam the face into the wall, etc. It would be best if you drove your actions towards control of the confrontation. This idea links to the one above; all your efforts should move towards that goal once you decide.
Fulfill the Outcome You Envision
You will win, and now it is time to make that happen. Keep moving, keep control, ignore your mistakes, and move around the opponent’s attacks. Direct the fight and maintain pressure on your attacker. Sure, you may get hit or get locked up. These are just obstacles to the goal, as the surprise developments of an action movie. The hero always gets out of the trap, and you will escape too. Your mindset is to control the situation, even things that you didn’t expect.
Obstacles Are Just Tools To Improvise Your Movie
As you look around the combat field, you see pillars, a slippery surface, another opponent, lousy lighting, and a bowl of ramen on a table. These hazards should be reframed as tools for you to use in your fight. The famous actor Jackie Chan makes excellent use of objects and obstacles to defeat his movie opponents. You will do the same.
The Hero Never Looses
You won’t lose; you can’t lose. All of these ideas stem from the root concept—your warrior state of mind. A great warrior needs to have control over the body, mind, and spirit [links], which allows you to remain calm during a fight. It is easy for adrenalin to overwhelm your mind and tactics. By remaining thoughtful and aware, you can think through your combat. You must never give up, even if your opponent seems like a better warrior. You will prevail.
Time, Place, Method
At our school, we talk about how thugs and muggers use TPM. It is an acronym meaning the lousy guy picks the time, place, and method of their attack. Don’t let the aggressor dictate how the fight progresses. They already selected the time, place, and method of attack.
- If the thug wants to fight on the ground, stay up.
- If the mugger wants to engage in a kicking match, slip inside to punch and throw.
- If the bully wants a punching match, pull back and start kicking.
Or better yet, move the conflict to one of your strengths.
By being in charge, you gain confidence in the situation and retain your composure or calm. This composure will help you evaluate and overcome any problems that arrive during the fight. It would help if you had a calm mind to survive and sudden, surprise attack. Just like the US Marines, a Kempo warrior will improvise, adapt, and overcome all obstacles.
This directorship is your Warrior Mindset.
