A Friday Evening Walk

[Ninjalord]

I was just thinking the other day about moods affecting our performance in MA. I thought, and thought some more, and came to my own personal conclusion that our mood quite possably affects our performance. I will give a couple of examples of my line of reasoning.

1. Lets say that you have a real good day from the start. You wake up, after having a really good sleep. Have a wonderful breakfast, no body interuppts your preferred morning routine. Have a real good day at work, everything goes just as smooth as possable. Even the crabby boss stays off your back for the whole day. Heck, we'll even make it a Friday.
It's quitting time, and you clock out right on time, and are even one of the first people out of the parking lot. You have a great weekend planned with your significant other, and all the plans fall right into place. Well, after having such a good day, espically after not have having one in a while, you decide to enjoy some alone time, and go for a walk, or some other activity. Then......BAM!!!! you get jumped by some idiot mugger.

2. You get absoultely craptastic sleep, wake up to people jumping your case over this or that. You have to settle for a mkae shift breakfast that does little more than make you wish you had a better one. As a result you are late to work, and everything that can go wrong, pretty much does, (possably short of getting fired or laid off). Your crabby boss is on your back all day, and just wont go away. Still the same Friday.
It's quitting time, and you have to stay an extra 30 minutes, and have 9 kinds of H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks getting out of the parking lot. Now, because you were 30 minutes late, your significant other is upset, and cancelles your plans for the night. Well, after such a crappy day, you decide to clear your head and go for a walk or some other activity. Then.......BAM!!!! you get jumped by some idiot mugger.

Now, do you think that after having a good day like in example 1, you would be less harsh on the idiot mugger than if you had just been through example 2 ? Why ? Also, in the dojo, do you think you would perform better after Friday no. 1, or Friday no. 2 ? I think that our mood often determines the level of feeling we put into our MA. Because the bottom line is that how much force we apply to our strikes and holds, is based on our personal judgement. And how we feel generally determines our judgement of any given situation. I just was wondering about how you ladies and gentelmen feel about it?

Thanks,
Sam

[Gene Williams]

I was just thinking the other day about moods affecting our performance in MA. I thought, and thought some more, and came to my own personal conclusion that our mood quite possably affects our performance. I will give a couple of examples of my line of reasoning.

1. Lets say that you have a real good day from the start. You wake up, after having a really good sleep. Have a wonderful breakfast, no body interuppts your preferred morning routine. Have a real good day at work, everything goes just as smooth as possable. Even the crabby boss stays off your back for the whole day. Heck, we'll even make it a Friday.
It's quitting time, and you clock out right on time, and are even one of the first people out of the parking lot. You have a great weekend planned with your significant other, and all the plans fall right into place. Well, after having such a good day, espically after not have having one in a while, you decide to enjoy some alone time, and go for a walk, or some other activity. Then......BAM!!!! you get jumped by some idiot mugger.

2. You get absoultely craptastic sleep, wake up to people jumping your case over this or that. You have to settle for a mkae shift breakfast that does little more than make you wish you had a better one. As a result you are late to work, and everything that can go wrong, pretty much does, (possably short of getting fired or laid off). Your crabby boss is on your back all day, and just wont go away. Still the same Friday.
It's quitting time, and you have to stay an extra 30 minutes, and have 9 kinds of H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks getting out of the parking lot. Now, because you were 30 minutes late, your significant other is upset, and cancelles your plans for the night. Well, after such a crappy day, you decide to clear your head and go for a walk or some other activity. Then.......BAM!!!! you get jumped by some idiot mugger.

Now, do you think that after having a good day like in example 1, you would be less harsh on the idiot mugger than if you had just been through example 2 ? Why ? Also, in the dojo, do you think you would perform better after Friday no. 1, or Friday no. 2 ? I think that our mood often determines the level of feeling we put into our MA. Because the bottom line is that how much force we apply to our strikes and holds, is based on our personal judgement. And how we feel generally determines our judgement of any given situation. I just was wondering about how you ladies and gentelmen feel about it?

Thanks,
Sam

It shouldn't make any difference. You can't afford for it to make any difference as far as self-defense goes. Good day or bad day, if I'm attacked I'm still double tapping to the center of the mass :D If I don't have my pistol, I'm still going to hit or kick as hard as I can and break everything possible in his body. :bow:

[Ninjalord]

Well...I suppose it really shouldn't make a difference..but..what if like.....nah, just kidding. You're right. I suppose the only time you can really put that type of whatever it was you want to call it that I came up with...is if you know the guy or something....maybe not.

[noofus]

At some point in everyone's training it would make a difference. This is the point where you have learned all the technique you will ever need to defend yourself but what you havent learned yet is the absolute control needed to properly execute them.


In my style, our brown belts are at this level. They know pretty much all of the technique we teach, but we still dont trust them not to do the (forgive me) "ninja thing" and flip out and kill people. The black belt gets awarded at some point when Sesnei feels the student has matured to the point where their emotions are in check no matter how bad of a day he or she had.

In other words, at some point might have trouble with your control depending on your mood. However after training long enough and properly enough your emotions wont come into play in a bad situation and your auto-pilot will kick in.

The martial arts combine technique with situational awareness and emotional awareness. Its the last one that many people miss, and takes the longest time to build. However it is the most important. If you dont have control of your emotions when the excrement hits the air handler, then you have no control of the situation, which in turn leads to a lack of control in your technique.

[Gene Williams]

It is much harder to control your energy and technique in a life or death situation than many people think. Only law enforcement officers train to do this regularly, and it must be incredibly difficult for them. I can't believe the restraint they exercise. Talk about professional! But, for most of us, martial artists included, we are going to be controlled by testosterone and adrenalin. The least of my concerns in a street situation is restraint.

[Ninjalord]

It is much harder to control your energy and technique in a life or death situation than many people think. Only law enforcement officers train to do this regularly, and it must be incredibly difficult for them. I can't believe the restraint they exercise. Talk about professional! But, for most of us, martial artists included, we are going to be controlled by testosterone and adrenalin. The least of my concerns in a street situation is restraint.

Once again I am trampled under the truth of the Juggernaut of Exactitude....see, that why I post some of the not so intelligent ideas I have, because I know that if there is a hole in my theroy, Gene will find it! :laugh:

[Stararrow]

Senario One's Response:

"Excuse me, sir, but I am really in a good mood today that, I do not wish to ruin the
day buy such an unfriendly encouter. So, what do you say if we end this peacefully?
Perhaps a drink in the bar?"...Offers my hand for shake and, rabbit-punch.

Senario Two Response:

"Look pal! I am really having a bad day today AND, I am SURE you are not having a
bad day. So, do yourself a good deed by not ruining your day with me."...Pull on my
gun, and add..."Comprende, amigo?"

[Chunkstyle]

I think the only thing it would really effect would be patience. Aside from that when you get attacked, you don't really think about the amazing or crappy day you had, but more of "holy crap." With the training it become reflex, and I'm not thinking about my day when I train. Just the training.

[davidmitchel]

Hi Ninjalord,

Here's my tuppence worth.
Self control is one of the virtues all MA students have to strive for. So, irrespective of whether we had a great or a terrible day / night / whatever.
I believe one should defend one self in against a mugger - meaning do what is necessary to disable the mugger's attack - not become the attacker - meaning do more than is necessary to disable the attack.

I know that sounds idealistic, but that is what I personally strive for.

Thanks:bow:
Dave

[Swalesey]

I agree with dave. Having a good day will make it much easire to controll yourself in the instance you are discribing, having had a bad day your judgement would be clouded and you may have excess aggression in you. Someone who could controll themselves the same in both situations is a true master of themselves and would gain my respect :)