The Wills Have It!

[sensei8]

I would like to start this topic with a preamble!

In order for you to survivie a hand-to-hand attack, your WILL must be far greater than that of your attacker!

Yes/No/Maybe?!

[JusticeZero]

I would suggest that wits are more important, myself. The ability to not fixate one's titanic willpower on smashing through all but insurmountable obstacles for long enough to look over and see the door nearby.

[joesteph]

Since we're dealing with a hand-to-hand attack, survival depends not on luck, but on something strong within us, something at the root, likely residing in the unconscious since birth: The will to survive. If this is found lacking, it's doubtful we'd be able to escape, let alone prevail.

[sperki]

I'm going to vote with...maybe. There are a lot of additional factors: does survive mean being alive after the encounter, what is the attackers intent (take my wallet, kill me, shave me head...) are there bystanders, etc. If somebody is trying to kill another individual in hand to hand combat a person's will is certainly important. And although I've never been in that situation, my understanding from reading about other encounters (including run ins with animals like mountain lion) is that the defendant finds "hidden reserves" or something similar that allowed them to fight like a banshee and escape alive. Of course these accounts are always written by people still alive; maybe the ones that didn't make it didn't have the will. Interesting question.

[Throwdown0850]

I would suggest that wits are more important, myself. The ability to not fixate one's titanic willpower on smashing through all but insurmountable obstacles for long enough to look over and see the door nearby.

yes, but in order to use your wits, you have to have the will to use them.

so I vote yes.

[bushido_man96]

There is an interesting column by Mark Hatmaker in this month's Black Belt Magazine on this very subject.

You often here it said in the fight game that the victor "wanted it more," and things like that. But how do you quantify that? How can you truly prove it? Just because a guy loses means that he didn't want it as bad as the guy who won? I think these are good points to bring up. Have you ever lost a match? I have. But what was the conclusion that I came to? Was it because "I just didn't want it enough..." or was it because (gasp, dare I say it...) "darn it, that guy is just better than me..."

[tallgeese]

I agree that technical competence is critical. It's the backbone for everything. But without the motivation to apply those technical movements to their fullest they mean next to nothing.

It's that part of you that is willing to inflict harm, that is willing to become comfortable with violence that will guide technical competency towards success. I think this is even more crucial in a sd context than any other.

Knowledge is highly valuable, but the will to employ it is what wins fights. That being said, all the desire in the world won't help if you're incompetent at a basic level.

To stack the odds in your favor, both are needed.

[tallgeese]

On another note, Hatmaker's book series is quite good. Good information put logically together in a readable format. Unlike lot's of titles on fighting, they are more than just a litany of movements, they often have drills associated with fight skills.

My quibble is the photo quality. But even they are serviceable.

[bushido_man96]

Thanks for the suggestion, tg.