The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - There is no Martial Arts that Guarranty it is Very Effective in Self Defense.

Chuck Ames · February 14, 2000, 05:03 AM

This is not meant as a flame to Pluspinc, but come on!!!!

I am so tired of hearing that genetics are so important. Genetics are an influencing factor, not determinitive.

Let's look at my family. I,the first child, am not very aggressive at all. My brother, on the other hand is. Why? Genetics? Let's look back at how we grew up. My little bro and I fought. As a youngster, I was bigger and stronger, so I had to hold back more. He on the other hand, gave it all he had (and still lost :-). He won a lot of fights as a teenager, and I lost a few.

I have since had to train some of my restraint out of me. Just because a scientist hypothesizes, or a court admits something as evidence doesn't mean it isn't crap, it just means someone convinces someone else of that crap don't stink!

There is plenty of evidence that genetics influence behavior (alcoholism, depression, etc.), however, so does environment (abuse, etc). There are plenty of people who have broken the cycle of nature/nurture. Never forget training, like the cop who fired 8 rounds from a revolver during a gunfight, and the investigators couldn't find the brass. It was in his pocket, just like he had been conditioned on the range. While it's certainly an example of how not to train, the fact is, training saves lives. I once had a disagreement with a First Sergeant who said, because we went to the range and used our holsters when we qualified, we trained with them. No, that is using your holster. Training involves repitition, and muscle memory.

Good training involves psychology and physiology. Conditioning allows us to better cope with the fight/flight reflex and have the feeling of "this sucks, but I've been here before." It is unnatural to kill one's own species, and an animalistic brawl is certainly not what we were designed for (hence the broken hands so often seen in fist fights). Thus the way is in training. Good training.

Miyamoto Musashi said, "The way of the warrior is death." Another author expounded on that and said that it is only when you accept you own death as inevitable, that you can truly be effective in a fight (badly paraphrased, I'm sorry). The point of course is that your mindset, more than your technique is decisive. If you allow yourself to SUCCUMB to fear, you will fail. If you experience it, then you are normal. If you have been trained and conditioned, then you will fight, and if you have accepted death, you will win decisively.

I'm just someone who is tired of science giving society excuses for failure.

Chuck

February 14, 2000, 05:03 AM	#36
Chuck Ames Member Join Date: September 27, 1999 Posts: 84	This is not meant as a flame to Pluspinc, but come on!!!! I am so tired of hearing that genetics are so important. Genetics are an influencing factor, not determinitive. Let's look at my family. I,the first child, am not very aggressive at all. My brother, on the other hand is. Why? Genetics? Let's look back at how we grew up. My little bro and I fought. As a youngster, I was bigger and stronger, so I had to hold back more. He on the other hand, gave it all he had (and still lost :-). He won a lot of fights as a teenager, and I lost a few. I have since had to train some of my restraint out of me. Just because a scientist hypothesizes, or a court admits something as evidence doesn't mean it isn't crap, it just means someone convinces someone else of that crap don't stink! There is plenty of evidence that genetics influence behavior (alcoholism, depression, etc.), however, so does environment (abuse, etc). There are plenty of people who have broken the cycle of nature/nurture. Never forget training, like the cop who fired 8 rounds from a revolver during a gunfight, and the investigators couldn't find the brass. It was in his pocket, just like he had been conditioned on the range. While it's certainly an example of how not to train, the fact is, training saves lives. I once had a disagreement with a First Sergeant who said, because we went to the range and used our holsters when we qualified, we trained with them. No, that is using your holster. Training involves repitition, and muscle memory. Good training involves psychology and physiology. Conditioning allows us to better cope with the fight/flight reflex and have the feeling of "this sucks, but I've been here before." It is unnatural to kill one's own species, and an animalistic brawl is certainly not what we were designed for (hence the broken hands so often seen in fist fights). Thus the way is in training. Good training. Miyamoto Musashi said, "The way of the warrior is death." Another author expounded on that and said that it is only when you accept you own death as inevitable, that you can truly be effective in a fight (badly paraphrased, I'm sorry). The point of course is that your mindset, more than your technique is decisive. If you allow yourself to SUCCUMB to fear, you will fail. If you experience it, then you are normal. If you have been trained and conditioned, then you will fight, and if you have accepted death, you will win decisively. I'm just someone who is tired of science giving society excuses for failure. Chuck