Attack them with a grin...

[SevenStar]

I'm not sure grinning will deter an opponent. My thai coach and I both have a habit of grinning after a hard shot - it's just a way of saying "yeah, that was a good one" I will do it sparring with anyone, but tend not to do it in the ring.

[White Warlock]

That's another thing about grinning... it may give your opponent the impression that you're treating this as a game, which can be misconstrued by them as your holding to a win or lose mentality, rather than the far more appropriate, and scary, live or die mentality.

 

Sevenstar... are you sure it's grinning, and not grimacing?

[GrrrArg]

I disagree, if someone hits you on the street and you grin like a fool.. what they gonna be thinking? "I just hit him and hes grinning aout it" GULP.

 

I read a story in Geoff Thompson's book (Dead or Alive), two doormen, trouble is about to kick off, far more of them than the two doorman, they both look at each other and grin big.. the crowd gets nervous and disapates..

[MenteReligieuse]

Read some passages of that book over amazon.com (Dead Or Alive: The Choice Is Yours : The Definitive Self-Protection Handbook by Geoff Thompson), seems interesting.

 

Have you read it? Do you recommend it?

[White Warlock]

I disagree, if someone hits you on the street and you grin like a fool.. what they gonna be thinking?

Grrag, it depends a helluva lot on the circumstances and the assailant. Far too many variables to generalize the applicability of 'grins.'

[Kicks]

Last year when I competed in the USTU SR Nationals I was told something by one of my competitors that surprised me. I had beaten him in the semi-finals and then went on to win the finals. He told me that he had a feeling before the matches even started that I was going to win. Huh???

 

He said he was last year's division winner and had an easy win before facing me. He said the way I carried myself and was acting before the matches lead him to start thinking that. Then during my fight with him he said I just wanted it more, had more heart. The match was actually a tie and the decision went to me. I won the finals by a large margin.

 

I thought about what he told me and just can't see what he was talking about. At least, I don't think I acted in a way that I would have come to that conclusion. This is what I did: When everyone (many divisions waiting to go out) was in the holding area I studied my bracket. I then walked around and read people's name tags and knew who was who. When the officials called out my division and when I saw those guys not responding I called them out by name to come line up. My coach and I kept a fairly light-hearted attitude as we went out on the mat. At ringside everyone sat, but I went to the corner and stood and warmed up a little (this was allowed since it wasn't crowded there). My coach and I also stood there and analyzed the other fighters as they competed.

 

During my matches I was the only one in my division that would reach over and shake hands with my opponent before the match and before the announcement of winner. When I was sparring I did smile, I never attacked in anger or a violent manner, and I even told my opponents "good hit" a few times. I known, you're not supposed to talk, but that's the instructor in me coming out.

 

I guess this may have been interpreted as confidence, and could be intimidating too.

[Beiner]

If I was sparring , winning adn the guy I was sparring against was smiling, Id think he still had something uphis sleeve.