I am writing this article in response to the article listed below. While I do not agree with several of the author’s underlying presuppositions, I do think that he makes a valid point. And since one of our goals at Dunetos K-9 is to help people in defense of their person and home, I thought I would share it with you. I have written my comments first, but you may wish to scroll down and read the article and then come back to my comments.
My mentor in Canada likes to put it this way, “You must display 100% aggression with no anger.” You must learn to separate the two. Anyone who has been in a fight where they were angry, if they can remember the situation at all, can tell you that they experienced one or more of the following, tunnel vision, auditory exclusion (things like gun shots sounded quite or silent), fear visualization (they saw what they feared, but afterwards discovered it never happened) auditory amplification (sounds were all they could focus on) or slow motion time, and there are several other common occurrences. These things happen when you allow emotion to enter into the equation. The only way I have found to overcome this is to visualize, visualize, visualize. Mentally rehearse every possible scenario. What if someone enters your home at night? During the day? During Bible Study? What if a gunman enters your church? What about being mugged? What if someone starts shooting while you are at any of your regular stores? What if you come home to someone already there? And on and on it goes. But the warrior is constantly thinking through these scenarios. And if they ever happen, may God forbid it, we will respond and not react. Reactions often elicit an emotional response. Responding to pre-rehearsed (if only in your mind) events, allows you to proceed with 100% aggression and no anger. No matter what happens, complete the mission and end the threat. Only then can you help those you love. Do not allow yourself to become distracted. You cannot assist an injured family member while you are being shot at.
However, as you develop this ability, you must not allow yourself to enter into this emotionless, aggressive state on a regular basis. You must be able to turn it on and turn it off. This, quite honestly, is the hardest part of what the author calls the “killer instinct.” This is probably what hinders most from developing this ability. But for the warrior, it is essential that you develop it and then discipline your mind to leave and enter that mindset at will. From time to time, my bride will be with me when I am visualizing, apparently she can see it in my face and will comment on it to me. Believe it or not, this has been my greatest assistance in learning to control when I am “switched on” and when I am not. If possible, enlist the assistance of your family. Talk through situations. This mindset is useful for both men and women. Although, I would never send my wife out to defend me, what if I am injured or killed? What if there are simply too many for me to handle on my own? What if I am simply not around at the time aggression is needed? Discussing dangers to your children is the best way to help your wife develop this ability. But she also must control her anger and discipline herself to be aggressive when and if it becomes necessary. Finally, as a parent, you must carefully evaluate your children and determine when it is appropriate to begin teaching this to them. Parents usually either avoid it, thinking that they do not want out of control kids and that this mind set would inevitably lead there. Or they begin teaching their children aggression before they are capable of controlling it. I rarely see parents teach their children a proper balance of love and gentleness toward others, and a discipline to exert 100% aggression on a threat. Ultimately, we must ask ourselves this question, “Why am I fighting?” If the answer is prideful or selfish, then control will be difficult, but if the answer is in protection of others, then control is easy. Discipline yourself first, only then can you begin to train those you love.
For related thoughts on this topic by me, you may be interested in my article on Self-Discipline.
How To Develop A Killer Instinct
Sammy Franco 12. Apr, 2011
Killer Instinct when it comes to street fighting and self defense is defined as a cold, primal mentality that surges to your consciousness and turns you into a vicious fighter.
Do you have a killer instinct?
Do you know how to tap into your killer instinct?
The fact is, self defense tools and techniques alone won’t prepare you for the violence and other horrors of street fighting. A self-defense technician must have a combative mentality to channel a destructiveness exceeding that of a deadly and evil criminal aggressor. He must be a cold and vicious animal free of fear, anger, apprehension, and ego. This mentality results from mastery of the killer instinct. Contemporary Fighting Arts (CFA) strives to develop the killer instinct in the self-defense technician.
Unfortunately, some martial arts overlook this combative mentality. Many find it to be an unsavory concept unworthy of their civilized dojo or studios. In some martial art schools, the combative mentality violates their religious and philosophical beliefs. Other systems make the mistake of replacing the combative mentality with a “competitive” mentality. This sport-oriented mind set simply lacks the brutal and aggressive characteristics necessary to neutralize a crazed criminal attacker.
Everyone Possesses Killer Instinct!
Everyone has a killer instinct. That’s just the way it is; it’s how we’re made. In some it may be stronger than in others. Some manifest this instinct in gross abominations. Some never call upon it at all, but it’s there. Most people manifest the killer instinct in blind rage and haphazard fury. Self-defense practitioners driven by a raw killer instinct are inferior and undisciplined warriors. Their energies are poisoned by emotion, resulting in poor body mechanics and tactical errors.
On the other hand, the self-defense practitioner who has tapped into the deep reservoir of emotional calm and mental clarity of the killer instinct can open the gates of deadly destructiveness at will. Guided by virtue and courage, one can release a most destructive energy, free of emotions. This may sound paradoxical and extreme to some. But there is, in fact, no inherent incompatibility. The advanced combat warrior must be virtuous and yet altogether capable of unleashing a controlled explosion of viciousness and brutality.
Be “Emotionless”
The killer instinct is predicated on being emotionless. A warrior must not experience emotions while engaged with his adversary. He must temporarily eliminate fear, anger, remorse, and ego from his conscious. Molding the average person into an emotionless warrior is not an easy task. We are, in fact, emotional creatures who, from childhood, are conditioned to feel for others and ourselves. Humans are expressive beings, crying when hurt, laughing when happy, yelling when angry. Emotional expressions are integral to our growth and development. They are , in part, the essence of humanity. It’s against our nature to be otherwise. However, it’s essential that the warrior remain emotionless during a violent confrontation because emotions create indecisiveness and dangerous tactical vulnerabilities.
Do Not Fear Death Or Physical Disfigurement
The modern warrior must not fear death or physical disfigurement. Interestingly enough, some see fear as a positive self-defense attribute, believing the so-called “fight or flight” syndrome will help defeat the enemy. They cite superhuman feats performed out of fear or panic. Perhaps the most popular one is the story of a mother who lifts a car to free her trapped child. This may or may not be possible. Frankly, I doubt it, but in any event there is no reliable correlation between rare paranormal phenomena and the deep psychological realms of unarmed combat.
Control of the emotions also prevents anger from poisoning the warrior. Anger is a useless emotion that only taxes energy and creates numerous vulnerabilities. The famous satirist Pietro Aretino put it best when he said, “Angry men are blind and foolish, for reason at such time takes flight and, in her absence, wrath plunders all the riches of the intellect, while the judgment remains the prisoner of its own pride.”
Be Vicious!
Viciousness is another critical characteristic of the killer instinct. By viciousness I mean dangerously aggressive behavior or extreme violence. Many people will consider this the most revolting aspect of the controlled killer instinct. However, if a self-defense practitioner is to prevail in combat, he must be more vicious than his adversary. His tools and techniques must be brutal, explosive, and conclusive. At the same time, his attack must be strategically calculated to maximize efficiency, effectiveness and safety.
Master A “Unified Mind”
The killer instinct also requires a unified mind. A unified mind is one that is free from distractions and fully focused on the enemy. Distractions are derived from two sources. The first is internal, wherein your mind wanders off or panics prior to or during actual combat. The second is external, when your adversary attempts to verbally “psych you out,” for example. Environmental conditions such as weather, lighting, terrain, and noise can also create external distractions. Regardless of the source, distractions must be ignored and eliminated from your consciousness.
There are various other characteristics of the killer instinct that must not be overlooked. They include: lucid thinking, heightened situational awareness, adrenaline manipulation, physical mobilization, psychomotor control, tunnel vision, courage, tactical implementation, breath control, ability to pseudospeciate, pain tolerance and habituation to violence.
The bottom line is when harnessed, disciplined, and forged, the killer instinct is a tremendous source of power. Developing and refining this essential combative mentality is not an easy task. It requires the application of specific cognitive exercise provided by a competent “reality based” combat instructor.
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So how does this relate to training dogs? Stay tuned for my next article, Integrating Dogs into the Warrior Mindset.
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