Articles
Mental Preparation for Combat by Rick Samples
Every day, millions of people throughout the world drift through their normal routines in a state of inattention and are most often oblivious to the dangers, or potential dangers, about them. Occasionally they are awakened, albeit briefly, by a news story about some violent tragedy that befell some unsuspecting person. However, they do not dare place themselves in that victim’s shoes and within a few days they will be back to their former state of apathetic vulnerability. These individuals do not want to be drawn from their comfort zones by the disturbing thoughts brought about by introspection and circumspection. They believe, like children, that bad things will never happen to them.
There is no place for this type of thoughtlessness or carelessness in the life of a warrior. This person, whether he is a warrior by profession or just the possessor of the warrior spirit and martial mindset, must be prepared at all times to win in mortal combat by any means. He must maintain the attitude of a warrior at all times, not just during periods of training while surrounded by others of like mind. He must think of his surroundings and the potential for violence throughout the day. He must maintain Zanshin, a high level of alertness before, as well as after combat.
Several years ago, Colonel Jeff Cooper, founder of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and the recognized father of modern pistol techniques, developed a chart with various colors to depict the various stages of mental preparedness.
Cooper once said, “Any man who is a man may not, in honor, submit to threats or violence. But many men who are not cowards are simply unprepared for the fact of human savagery. They have not thought about it (incredible as this may appear to anyone who reads the paper or listens to the news) and they just don’t know what to do. When they look right into the face of depravity or violence they are astonished and confounded.” The modern warrior must not be astonished or confounded by depravity and violence. Since he is normally operating in the yellow zone, the warrior is not shocked when violence erupts. He is prepared for it. Panic is not an option.
To attain this level of confidence and preparedness, one must train realistically. A warrior views training and trainers with a cynical eye. He does not accept tradition or lore as a basis for his methods. He does not cling to one martial system to the exclusion of all others. He respectfully accepts the admonition of those who are farther along the warrior path and incorporates their wisdom into his. He trains intensely and consistently so that at the moment of truth he does not have to strategize, formulate a plan, and struggle with moral issues before executing a technique. At the moment of truth the warrior simply responds.
In this state, often referred to as Mushin, there is no conscious thought, only openness to stimuli. Since the warrior’s mind has been in similar battles and has been confronted by the specific attack during visualization training, it is not a surprise when it happens. It is simply another repetition to be completed.
With this thought in mind, if the required response was not lethal force, and the attacker is still alive, then the warrior must maintain his integrity and not resort to brutality for the sake of revenge. If the noble warriors of society resort to unauthorized and uncontrolled violence, then our society has nowhere to turn for protection. Warriors are revered and appreciated for their bravery and selflessness. It would be foolish to tarnish that image for a moment of shallow gratification.
In conclusion, the warrior must prepare himself physically for the violence and abuse that could befall him. More importantly, he must prepare his mind by maintaining calm awareness and by mentally placing himself into conflict beforehand through constant intense martial training and by visualization. As someone once said, “The body will not go where the mind has never been.”
The warrior must be mentally prepared to be more adept at violence and more ruthless than his attacker long enough to restore peace yet remain resolute in his pursuit of integrity and honor.
There is no place for this type of thoughtlessness or carelessness in the life of a warrior. This person, whether he is a warrior by profession or just the possessor of the warrior spirit and martial mindset, must be prepared at all times to win in mortal combat by any means. He must maintain the attitude of a warrior at all times, not just during periods of training while surrounded by others of like mind. He must think of his surroundings and the potential for violence throughout the day. He must maintain Zanshin, a high level of alertness before, as well as after combat. Several years ago, Colonel Jeff Cooper, founder of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and the recognized father of modern pistol techniques, developed a chart with various colors to depict the various stages of mental preparedness.
Cooper once said, “Any man who is a man may not, in honor, submit to threats or violence. But many men who are not cowards are simply unprepared for the fact of human savagery. They have not thought about it (incredible as this may appear to anyone who reads the paper or listens to the news) and they just don’t know what to do. When they look right into the face of depravity or violence they are astonished and confounded.” The modern warrior must not be astonished or confounded by depravity and violence. Since he is normally operating in the yellow zone, the warrior is not shocked when violence erupts. He is prepared for it. Panic is not an option.
To attain this level of confidence and preparedness, one must train realistically. A warrior views training and trainers with a cynical eye. He does not accept tradition or lore as a basis for his methods. He does not cling to one martial system to the exclusion of all others. He respectfully accepts the admonition of those who are farther along the warrior path and incorporates their wisdom into his. He trains intensely and consistently so that at the moment of truth he does not have to strategize, formulate a plan, and struggle with moral issues before executing a technique. At the moment of truth the warrior simply responds.
In this state, often referred to as Mushin, there is no conscious thought, only openness to stimuli. Since the warrior’s mind has been in similar battles and has been confronted by the specific attack during visualization training, it is not a surprise when it happens. It is simply another repetition to be completed.
With this thought in mind, if the required response was not lethal force, and the attacker is still alive, then the warrior must maintain his integrity and not resort to brutality for the sake of revenge. If the noble warriors of society resort to unauthorized and uncontrolled violence, then our society has nowhere to turn for protection. Warriors are revered and appreciated for their bravery and selflessness. It would be foolish to tarnish that image for a moment of shallow gratification.
In conclusion, the warrior must prepare himself physically for the violence and abuse that could befall him. More importantly, he must prepare his mind by maintaining calm awareness and by mentally placing himself into conflict beforehand through constant intense martial training and by visualization. As someone once said, “The body will not go where the mind has never been.”
The warrior must be mentally prepared to be more adept at violence and more ruthless than his attacker long enough to restore peace yet remain resolute in his pursuit of integrity and honor.
