profesormental
04-30-2006, 04:10 AM
Greetings!
This is an article I wrote to a Newsletter a while back. I hope you enjoy!
If you have written any articles please submit them here or direct our attention to where they are!
Sincerely,
Juan M. Mercado
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live with Power: Secrets of Mental Preparation
By Professor Juan M. Mercado
The fundamental question that all Martial Artists (whatever being a Martial Artist is? but that?s another story) must ask themselves and answer is consciously ignored by many.
The question is? Why do we train?
Many say that whenever X happens, they will respond Y way. But when the moment of Truth arrives, other things happen?
They freeze?
They panic?
They respond in a way that does not reflect their years of training?
I?ve seen it many times that in fights they start swinging away instead of using their ?head?? sometimes literally (a head butt works wonders sometimes? they banned it in many MMA competitions) and mostly figuratively. For easy illustration, look at the first UFC events.
But the situations I?m referring to are of antisocial behavior and criminal assault, the so called ?street? situations?
There is a huge difference between fights that occur between parties that agree to it and violent crimes. Methodologies to handle each should be different since their objectives are not the same.
In a nutshell, without going into detail (that is yet another story?) in an agreed fight, there are rules that state when it begins and stops, and mostly the action stops when Dominance has been attained by one of the parties. Death is not tolerated in such contests.
In a violent crime, force used is not limited by rules, so death can occur. Reasons that start such incidents are varied? mostly disagreements of some kind that diplomacy could not resolve? so force is employed to obtain that goal.
For example, a criminal wants your watch or money. They ask for it. You say no. They pull out a weapon and threaten you with its use. This is still diplomacy. No force has been used yet.
But the criminal is in a situation where he has something you have less of. This is the answer to the original question of this article.
Now I?ll go to a concrete example.
A video was shown from a news network. Some people are hungry and want a pizza. So they make a line at the pizza place. In the line is Mr. I, waiting for his turn. In comes Mrs. B, and cuts to the front of the line. Mr. I was talking on the phone to his girlfriend and comments ?well, it?ll take longer since someone just cut in line.?
Mrs. B got irritated at the comment and started yelling at everyone. The pizza place attendant told Mrs. B to get out of there? when in comes Mr. B, an almost 300 lbs, about 6?+ guy. She points to Mr. I, Mr. B threatens Mr. I and then lands a right hook at Mr. I?s face. B keeps pounding Mr. I until he goes down and then some.
7 men were around and did nothing.
Several questions pop to mind?
What does this tell us? What should be the appropriate course of action? What would happen if this happened to you? How do we prepare for such situations?
Take a minute to answer them in your mind and then read on.
Let?s begin by saying that it does NOT matter how many techniques Mr. I knows. Now that that is out of the way, let?s answer some of these questions.
To me, it says that there is no preparation for these situations in the part of all those involved. Most are programmed to delegate the responsibility of their personal safety to others whose job is to ENFORCE LAWS.
Let me take this opportunity to say that I support law enforcers 100%. I was a Security Guard and have many police family members and know what it?s like. My point is that Personal safety should be a PERSONAL responsibility and should never be delegated.
If you delegate your personal safety, then someone else controls a very fundamental part of your life. You are giving away decisions that affect your life. If you give those responsibilities away, then you life is not yours anymore.
Note that laws have been made to preserve life, even the lives of criminals that take the lives of their victims. It?s a personal choice to agree with this or not, but people are hired to enforce these laws.
What should be the appropriate course of action? well, it depends who you ask. Some might scream ?Delayed Sword? or ?Five Swords?. Others would say that the way it went down is ok, since the police arrested the guy and he?s serving 4 years in prison.
But the most important aspect that makes all of those techniques work and could?ve prevented most damage is missing.
If you note on the video, where is the attention of Mr. I when Mr. B came in and announced to him that he was going to attack?
His awareness of the situation was null. Note that most people there had faces of disbelief as if it couldn?t happen. Situational awareness is one of the highest skills for self preservation.
Note that small birds mostly don?t wait for any menacing creature to get close to them. They?re aware of their surroundings and have ample time to get away. Developing this skill should be the first priority of all self preservation training.
Being aware of a situation is a prerequisite of appropriate action towards a chosen goal.
How do we train such awareness? How do we train appropriate actions?
Let me tell you, it?s not training the techniques. (Why we train techniques is yet another story? yet know that training them is important).
It mostly depends on your learning style, simulations and development of something called sensory acuity and calibration, among other things, like designing a mental state to deal with such situations, reprogramming the instinctual fear response to allow thinking, etc.
So, why do we train? It?s important to notice that our training is seen by many as barbaric and antisocial behavior; many say that we are psychotic and unnecessary in our culture. But we are praised sporadically when the going gets tough? go figure.
Thanks to my training I?ve survived several encounters and avoided literally hundreds of potentially threatening situations (I could tell you many stories on this and specific training drills to develop these skills? yet another story for those that ask!).
I say this not to prove to you that I?m a super tough guy.
Quite the contrary.
I?ve seen from afar the situations that can cause trouble and I?ve walked away with my immediate company, saving them the trouble of going to court or to the hospital because of the bodily harm that could?ve been caused on or by me.
If any or all of the seven guys went and tried to stop Mr. B, there is a chance that they too might be going to the hospital.
There?s also the chance that Mr. B could pull out a gun or a knife.
And note that Mr. B outweighed most of the guys there by about 100 lbs. at least? and I bet NONE were trained in any form of functional unarmed combat method. So it?s to be expected that they would do nothing.
So finally, why do we train in combat methods? It can be summed up in the title of this article. We want Power. We want to Live with Power.
We want to know that whatever happens, we can survive and we can help others survive. Our lives are our responsibility (response + ability = responsibility) and we have the power to live our lives as best we can and help others, if we choose to, to do the same.
Some might say, ?this is fine and dandy theory, but how do we carry this out??. Well, now that you know that you have to work on this you can stream line your training with your current knowledge or you can use ?Optimum Performance Methods for Martial Skills Training? (the title of my next article... available on the next issue of the xxxx Newsletter) to get the job done?
Seen this way, training Martial arts is important and a big responsibility.
We should train with full knowledge of what our training means.
So when you teach and train know that you?re not only practicing how to strike and block, you?re learning and teaching people how to live with Power.
About The Author: On a night blessed by the Cosmos, Juan M. Mercado was born onto this world from an M.D. mother and a Psychology Ph.D. father. Using all his money since his teens on martial arts and mental training, he?s trained and impressed masters of Shaolin Tzu Kempo, Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, Kali/Escrima, Kenpo, and various sport martial arts as boxing, fencing, judo, wrestling and jujitsu, earning a 5th level black belt in the Red Dragon Kung Fu School in Puerto Rico, Master trainer Level in Wing Chun and a 5th Degree Black Belt in American Kenpo. Treating martial training as a scientific discipline, he?s obtained an impressive video and text library which he uses along with his training colleagues, as a research laboratory. Using the same methodology he uses for his M.S./Ph.D. thesis in Quantum Physics and Mathematics, he?s found surprising and impressive conclusions which will be published soon. His abilities and genius are apparent to all who look upon his glorious presense, and this is overshadowed only by his objectivity, which is why he has written his own biographical notes.
He can be reached at profesormental@gmail.com.
This is an article I wrote to a Newsletter a while back. I hope you enjoy!
If you have written any articles please submit them here or direct our attention to where they are!
Sincerely,
Juan M. Mercado
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live with Power: Secrets of Mental Preparation
By Professor Juan M. Mercado
The fundamental question that all Martial Artists (whatever being a Martial Artist is? but that?s another story) must ask themselves and answer is consciously ignored by many.
The question is? Why do we train?
Many say that whenever X happens, they will respond Y way. But when the moment of Truth arrives, other things happen?
They freeze?
They panic?
They respond in a way that does not reflect their years of training?
I?ve seen it many times that in fights they start swinging away instead of using their ?head?? sometimes literally (a head butt works wonders sometimes? they banned it in many MMA competitions) and mostly figuratively. For easy illustration, look at the first UFC events.
But the situations I?m referring to are of antisocial behavior and criminal assault, the so called ?street? situations?
There is a huge difference between fights that occur between parties that agree to it and violent crimes. Methodologies to handle each should be different since their objectives are not the same.
In a nutshell, without going into detail (that is yet another story?) in an agreed fight, there are rules that state when it begins and stops, and mostly the action stops when Dominance has been attained by one of the parties. Death is not tolerated in such contests.
In a violent crime, force used is not limited by rules, so death can occur. Reasons that start such incidents are varied? mostly disagreements of some kind that diplomacy could not resolve? so force is employed to obtain that goal.
For example, a criminal wants your watch or money. They ask for it. You say no. They pull out a weapon and threaten you with its use. This is still diplomacy. No force has been used yet.
But the criminal is in a situation where he has something you have less of. This is the answer to the original question of this article.
Now I?ll go to a concrete example.
A video was shown from a news network. Some people are hungry and want a pizza. So they make a line at the pizza place. In the line is Mr. I, waiting for his turn. In comes Mrs. B, and cuts to the front of the line. Mr. I was talking on the phone to his girlfriend and comments ?well, it?ll take longer since someone just cut in line.?
Mrs. B got irritated at the comment and started yelling at everyone. The pizza place attendant told Mrs. B to get out of there? when in comes Mr. B, an almost 300 lbs, about 6?+ guy. She points to Mr. I, Mr. B threatens Mr. I and then lands a right hook at Mr. I?s face. B keeps pounding Mr. I until he goes down and then some.
7 men were around and did nothing.
Several questions pop to mind?
What does this tell us? What should be the appropriate course of action? What would happen if this happened to you? How do we prepare for such situations?
Take a minute to answer them in your mind and then read on.
Let?s begin by saying that it does NOT matter how many techniques Mr. I knows. Now that that is out of the way, let?s answer some of these questions.
To me, it says that there is no preparation for these situations in the part of all those involved. Most are programmed to delegate the responsibility of their personal safety to others whose job is to ENFORCE LAWS.
Let me take this opportunity to say that I support law enforcers 100%. I was a Security Guard and have many police family members and know what it?s like. My point is that Personal safety should be a PERSONAL responsibility and should never be delegated.
If you delegate your personal safety, then someone else controls a very fundamental part of your life. You are giving away decisions that affect your life. If you give those responsibilities away, then you life is not yours anymore.
Note that laws have been made to preserve life, even the lives of criminals that take the lives of their victims. It?s a personal choice to agree with this or not, but people are hired to enforce these laws.
What should be the appropriate course of action? well, it depends who you ask. Some might scream ?Delayed Sword? or ?Five Swords?. Others would say that the way it went down is ok, since the police arrested the guy and he?s serving 4 years in prison.
But the most important aspect that makes all of those techniques work and could?ve prevented most damage is missing.
If you note on the video, where is the attention of Mr. I when Mr. B came in and announced to him that he was going to attack?
His awareness of the situation was null. Note that most people there had faces of disbelief as if it couldn?t happen. Situational awareness is one of the highest skills for self preservation.
Note that small birds mostly don?t wait for any menacing creature to get close to them. They?re aware of their surroundings and have ample time to get away. Developing this skill should be the first priority of all self preservation training.
Being aware of a situation is a prerequisite of appropriate action towards a chosen goal.
How do we train such awareness? How do we train appropriate actions?
Let me tell you, it?s not training the techniques. (Why we train techniques is yet another story? yet know that training them is important).
It mostly depends on your learning style, simulations and development of something called sensory acuity and calibration, among other things, like designing a mental state to deal with such situations, reprogramming the instinctual fear response to allow thinking, etc.
So, why do we train? It?s important to notice that our training is seen by many as barbaric and antisocial behavior; many say that we are psychotic and unnecessary in our culture. But we are praised sporadically when the going gets tough? go figure.
Thanks to my training I?ve survived several encounters and avoided literally hundreds of potentially threatening situations (I could tell you many stories on this and specific training drills to develop these skills? yet another story for those that ask!).
I say this not to prove to you that I?m a super tough guy.
Quite the contrary.
I?ve seen from afar the situations that can cause trouble and I?ve walked away with my immediate company, saving them the trouble of going to court or to the hospital because of the bodily harm that could?ve been caused on or by me.
If any or all of the seven guys went and tried to stop Mr. B, there is a chance that they too might be going to the hospital.
There?s also the chance that Mr. B could pull out a gun or a knife.
And note that Mr. B outweighed most of the guys there by about 100 lbs. at least? and I bet NONE were trained in any form of functional unarmed combat method. So it?s to be expected that they would do nothing.
So finally, why do we train in combat methods? It can be summed up in the title of this article. We want Power. We want to Live with Power.
We want to know that whatever happens, we can survive and we can help others survive. Our lives are our responsibility (response + ability = responsibility) and we have the power to live our lives as best we can and help others, if we choose to, to do the same.
Some might say, ?this is fine and dandy theory, but how do we carry this out??. Well, now that you know that you have to work on this you can stream line your training with your current knowledge or you can use ?Optimum Performance Methods for Martial Skills Training? (the title of my next article... available on the next issue of the xxxx Newsletter) to get the job done?
Seen this way, training Martial arts is important and a big responsibility.
We should train with full knowledge of what our training means.
So when you teach and train know that you?re not only practicing how to strike and block, you?re learning and teaching people how to live with Power.
About The Author: On a night blessed by the Cosmos, Juan M. Mercado was born onto this world from an M.D. mother and a Psychology Ph.D. father. Using all his money since his teens on martial arts and mental training, he?s trained and impressed masters of Shaolin Tzu Kempo, Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, Kali/Escrima, Kenpo, and various sport martial arts as boxing, fencing, judo, wrestling and jujitsu, earning a 5th level black belt in the Red Dragon Kung Fu School in Puerto Rico, Master trainer Level in Wing Chun and a 5th Degree Black Belt in American Kenpo. Treating martial training as a scientific discipline, he?s obtained an impressive video and text library which he uses along with his training colleagues, as a research laboratory. Using the same methodology he uses for his M.S./Ph.D. thesis in Quantum Physics and Mathematics, he?s found surprising and impressive conclusions which will be published soon. His abilities and genius are apparent to all who look upon his glorious presense, and this is overshadowed only by his objectivity, which is why he has written his own biographical notes.
He can be reached at profesormental@gmail.com.