Mental Toughness: - Page 4

RuDOWN4It · 01-19-2007, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jk3004

I though the kamakazi's were like that due to the Japanese spiking thier pilots of large amts of Crystal Meth?

ive heard a lot of rumors about that but i choose not to be bothered with that. focusing too much on the backgrounds is missing out the main point of the meditation to mental toughness. i have never used meth myself, but id still imagine it requires a great deal of courage to step on the gas pedal and run your plane into the enemy.

Nocturnal1 · 02-11-2007, 04:54 PM

Great thread!
TTT

philong · 02-12-2007, 10:45 AM

IMO "mental toughness" is something you either have (born with) or you don't. I don't think that you can "learn it" and this is what seperates warriors from everyone else. IMO it is a combination of confidence in your abilities and the realization that even if you lose you had done your best, there is no shame in being bested by a better oponent. If you have any doubts about your abilities then you are not ready for a confrontation. As KK stated earlier even if I lose I intend to make sure the person remembers his victory as something he worked hard for (and still has injuries from) and that taking me on again would be something not taken lightly.
I believe that "mental toughness" is the brother of "heart" and you cannot teach either one.
When I was fighting I didn't get anxious or nervous prior to a fight. I had trained my best and I was only going to be as good as I was. I had a plan to defeat my oponent and no amount of worrying was going to make either me better or him worse. I had confidence that I could defeat my oponent (as well as a great deal of respect for his skill and bravery) or I would not have taken the fight. Also, as stated by sonny, is the ability to think clearly and make decisions under pressure. But I consider this to be part of confidence in your abilities and a thourough knowledge of what it takes to win (you shouldn't be fighting if you don't have the knowledge).
When I first started taking MA I knew that I could not defeat better trained oponents. This was not doubt in my abilities, it was a fact that I needed training. I knew that with proper training I would aquire the skill needed to defeat an oponent. I have no concerns about anyone attacking me and feel confident in my ability to defend myself. I have weaknesses in my style (as does everyone) and I continually train in different styles to rectify that (currently training in Jujitsu to have a better grappling game) but that doesn't lessen my confidence in my ability to defeat an oponent.
Hokahey, it is a good day to die is not fatalistic just an acknowledgement that as a warrior you may die in the field of battle but that you had lived your life proudly and if you did die it was with honor and as a man.

talking.dingo · 02-12-2007, 12:21 PM

I have a copy of hagakure in PDF. Shout out and I will post it.

Its a great read. Challenging in its simplicity.

CelebritySexist · 02-12-2007, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by talking.dingo

I have a copy of hagakure in PDF. Shout out and I will post it.

Its a great read. Challenging in its simplicity.

I really liked the Hagakure, so much so that I feel free to create a mock sample from it:

"There was once a low-ranking retainer in the Edo period who slighted a senior samurai in a tea house. The pair engaged in a duel and killed nearly everyone in the whole village in the course of their dispute. The shogun intervened, ordered both to commit seppuku, and the matter was considered closed."

At least, that's what I remember the general vibe being

**Urban** · 02-13-2007, 12:31 PM

isn't that like the ninja that was in the caffeteria who killed the whole town when somebody dropped a spoon? REAL ULTIMATE POWER YEAH!

**King Kabuki** · 02-13-2007, 01:08 PM

Quote:

IMO "mental toughness" is something you either have (born with) or you don't. I don't think that you can "learn it" and this is what seperates warriors from everyone else. IMO it is a combination of confidence in your abilities and the realization that even if you lose you had done your best, there is no shame in being bested by a better oponent. If you have any doubts about your abilities then you are not ready for a confrontation. As KK stated earlier even if I lose I intend to make sure the person remembers his victory as something he worked hard for (and still has injuries from) and that taking me on again would be something not taken lightly.
I believe that "mental toughness" is the brother of "heart" and you cannot teach either one.

Nah, it can totally be learned. In fact, it HAS to be. No kid is born ignoring things like fear and pain, it's very rare for a person to be able to naturally conditiong themselves to withstand those two things and perform in the face of them despite what instinct tells you without any guidance. As an example there's one philosophy Teddy Atlas as a Boxing Coach preached to his trainees:

"Once you get knocked down for the first time, the worst of it is over. You're free, and you have nothing left to fear young man."

Being taught something like that can temper a person's resolve. Whereas never hearing anything like that can cause a person to fear unnecessarily. If mental toughness and even heart couldn't be learned, then most of the point of training would be moot.

ThePitBull32 · 02-13-2007, 01:18 PM

I concentrate on a person who I admire, and seems to never give up. Im not talking about a fighter. It actually depends on the day, but there are a few people that motivate me. Basically I train harder when I think of them watching me. I don't want to dissapoint them. Any time I think of stopping or giving up I think of what they would say. Its kinda like having someone yell in your ear when you think you cant go another step!

**Sonny** · 02-13-2007, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Kabuki

Nah, it can totally be learned. In fact, it HAS to be. No kid is born ignoring things like fear and pain, it's very rare for a person to be able to naturally conditiong themselves to withstand those two things and perform in the face of them despite what instinct tells you without any guidance.

Agree 100%

for example, I grew up with EXTREMELY bad migraines starting at around age 6. Have you ever seen an adult with a bad migraine? They're rubbing their heads grimacing in pain and all that. Well I had worse than that growing up (NO pain killers except maybe morphine would help me). The result was what I consider a higher than normal tolerance to pain and I feel that having these excrutiating headaches as a child somewhat contributed to that.

talking.dingo · 02-13-2007, 02:37 PM

My jujitsu instructor always ask, "Is it just pain?" Think of this in the this tacit context, "You're arm isn't broken?'

Keeps it in perspective.

Also this conversation reminds of the dynamics at work. Y'see a couple of younger guys (18-21) are always catching flak from the older guys(30+). Those kids always back down even though a few have clear physical advantages, like 40 pounds of muscle over the posturing agressor. The young guys don't know what its like to get hit in the mouth. The old guys does know and he is ok with it (although he would rather give then receive).