Why the hell are we talking Judo!? There is a difference in being a sportsman and a fighter. Iv'e met countless of people practising martial arts and know that when the deal goes down, they wont act out of fear.
You seem to have a fighting instinct but somehow overlapped it so your argument doesnt exactly hold up.
Im telling you, its better knowing how one responds in a stressful event. There is no idea in building sandcastles. Some are tough some aren't. I once saw a boxer that had trained for years walk up to the ring and when the fight started he started shaking and ultimately lost the fight. That was the end of his career and this was pro-live.
I have a friend who is just like one of those bouncers! It really doesnt matter, if it's size or anything he just loses it and turns in to a raging pitbull. But I do think he has some screws lose because he beat up his wife once. The point is that there are not many people out there that can walk in to combat with nothing in mind. he doesn't even get scared.
Believe me, if there was a magic cure I would be the first to promote it but there isn't. Some people are born passive or their anxiety is far to great to make anything of them.
Your argument seeks to convince us that some people are stronger than other's and that is that. I think it's useless. Entirely. And not helpful in the slightest to people trying to build self confidence.
People can make something of themselves, they can get in touch with the survival instinct which leads to a sense of fighting urgency. Contrary to the stuff you are saying, I have seen people who have never fought a single time in their lives stand up one solitary day and kick someones ass because that inborn instinct just came out. Whatever inhibitions were stopping them from fighting were loosened.
Everyone has a fighting instinct, just because that individual does not drag their knuckles in other aspects of their lives does not mean they lack that instinct. It could be repressed and just needs to be accessed by sparring or the right set of variables. That is what is happening with me. Granted, some days I have it, some days I don't, but that is part of the process of re-discovering the fighter in me.
Judo: Is a full contact sport. And arguably can rouse a fighters instincts a lot more than most full contact sports. Again, Ronda Rousey was an olympic bronze medalist. She went on to become the UFC womens champion. A venue that emphasizes fight over flight.
Nobody is telling that Judo Player that it is "just a sport". No, in fact she uses that 'sport' to defeat most of her opponents.
The thing is that there is no reason in increasing aggression if the only thing you can do is be at home while being pissed, and as soon as you go out or meet someone you turn to old reflexes. So if you find anything, make sure it's not just in your head.
We need to increase the FIGHT response. That means that we need lower anxiety levels, higher aggression and being able to override old social responses.
Anyone can be pissed, even with the aid of stims, roids, or whatever. But it's when it matters that's important, I mean being able to deliver fully.
I don't like your approach, it seeks to convince people that they are useless unless they are "born with" a certain trait that you yourself cannot even successfully define. Stop discouraging people or trying to make aggression seem like something only an elite minority are in possession of. Anyone can have aggression, controlled aggression is something else. Muhammad Ali even said in an interview that too much uncontrolled aggression works against you in a fight.
Stop making it seem like we live in a monkey ruled world. Even though some people closely resemble them. They are not the ones who make the world go round...
Now
you are talking about inborn instincts. And I say that we do live in a monkey world and some are stronger. I do believe that some are born passive and can't fight even with the proper training. If you are such a type is up to you to decide, I am not calling people losers or making it personal, it's you who's putting these words in my mouth. Who you are and what you can do is up to you to decide, but try to be realistic though. I don't believe in building selfesteem confidence and do think it's total bs. What does that mean any way? If it was so attainable then we all would have it.
The closest thing to building esteem/confidence is traning to stay relaxed and focused while performing a task where these aspects are needed, but other than that I dont think there is a formula for such a thing which is mainly inherited. When I grew up there were a few guy's who started extreme sporting and always went for the adrenaline, got in to fights, chased girls etc, while other seemed to avoid such dreadful activities. Some are boen warriors, there is a gene that's even called a warrior gene. Although I don't think that we know how these genes actually work.
I have studied mental training in sports psychology for a semester and my professor said-- who also applies his traning to police officers and firefighters and not just athletes -- we talked about this very subject and he said that he had a firefighter that froze under a stressful event. He then continued saying that at that point, one has to switch careers.
Now I do believe that anyone that doesnt suffer from neurosis, phobias or has anxiety issues can build himself up if he receives some proper traning such as real full contact sparring, muay thai, BJJ, MMA can actually build p a good game and become an athlete. But for those emotionally vulnerable guy's I dont think it's possible. Also I don't think that if such a person who has trained to become a fighter, actually would manage well in a streetfight if he met a nutjob who has been fighting his whole life or is one of those people who just loses it. Iv'e seen a few of these guy's and they dont know how to quit. It's not a pretty picture!
Good luck with your traning! Also if anyone finds anything new to help guy's become real fighters and are able to prove me wrong then please keep this thread in mind:D
Edited by Brainfogged, 22 March 2013 - 10:54 PM.