Training 'shen'

[MasterKiller]

The ARMY, specifically, uses BJJ as the base of it's combatives program not because BJJ is necessarily 'street lethal' in combat, but because the ARMY believes soldiers practicing at full strength against resisting opponents helps keep them aggressive, competitive, and mentally prepared for combat.

"Shen" is supposed to be part of traditional training, one of the three jewels of Chinese kung fu. In civilian life, unless you are hungry, deprived, or depraved, there isn't much to spur you into honing a killer mindset. Training "kill" techniques doesn't necessarily also develop your mentality to kill, or even to defend yourself aggressively.

With that in mind, are there any other methods you can use to help instill 'intent' into your practice?

[sanjuro_ronin]

The ARMY, specifically, uses BJJ as the base of it's combatives program not because BJJ is necessarily 'street lethal' in combat, but because the ARMY believes soldiers practicing at full strength against resisting opponents helps keep them aggressive, competitive, and mentally prepared for combat.

"Shen" is supposed to be part of traditional training, one of the three jewels of Chinese kung fu. In civilian life, unless you are hungry, deprived, or depraved, there isn't much to spur you into honing a killer mindset. Training "kill" techniques doesn't necessarily also develop your mentality to kill, or even to defend yourself aggressively.

With that in mind, are there any other methods you can use to help instill 'intent' into your practice?

Reality based scenario training is SUPPOSED to develop this, in a "civilized" manner.
It tends not to do that, but it does make one THINK it does.
Intent is a tricky thing, it is different things to different people/systems.
Is it a "killer instinct"?
Is it the ability to do what must be done, regardless?
Is it doing, period ?
Is it the difference between sport and life threating combat?
Probably all of the above in one way or another.

Regardless, it is something that few have and even fewer can develop if they don't "have" it.

Everyone is a potential killer under the right circumstances, but how many train with the knowledge that that WILL kill?

[SPJ]

I guess NOTHING may prepare or ready you for the killing in the battlefield.

--

however, in terms of MA practice;

1. the spirits of a tiger mostly mimicked:

ferocity, tenacity,--

2. the spirits of a leopard;

alertness, speed, accuracy,

3. the spirits of a snake;

evasive, single blow/strike,--

--

on and on.

[Old Noob]

There was an ex-Army Ranger, David Grossman, who became a psychologist and wrote a book called "On Killing." It's been a while since I've read it but his thesis was that normal humans are exceedingly reluctant to kill another human but that modern military training programs had found a way to overcome that reluctance to some degree. He provides lots of examples. It's worth a read and is guaranteed to get you lots of funny looks from folks on public transportation.

[Lucas]

Training with the intent that you MAY have to MDK someone is far different than training with the knowledge and belief that you KNOW you will be going into an invironment where you will likey be doing just that.


its similar to training in your school, only sparring your buddies, doing forms and conditioning and thats it, vs training to go into the cage in a few months against someone who wants to beat you down for the win.

completely different degrees of course, yet along the same lines of intentional utilization.

[Ray Pina]

Without a doubt one of my greatest martial art lessons came from bashing a Brook Trout over the head with a stone. Seriously.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I remember the first time I felt fear, real fear, not they type you get at a roller coaster or parachute jumping for the first time or when you knwo you are gonna get into a fight, nope none of that.
I was 15, I was living in Portugal and it was night time ( I had been doing MA since 8 at that time BTW), I was with a group 3 guys a 2 girls, just walking when an old lady wlaks by and one of my friends starts making spooky noises to scare her, I keep walking and in about 5 seconds he and another run by me, I look back and met with a ***** slap to end all ***** slaps and get grabbed by the throat.
It seems the son of the old GYPSY lady didn't think it was funny and all I can say was "it wasn't me", now, I don't know why he did it but he takes out a knife and puts against my throat and (thank goodness) his mom (old lady) comes up and says it wasn't me it was the guy in the white jacket.
He looks around and drops me and they both leave.
A choice of clothing would have gutted me.
I never felt fear tell that moment, that cold, sweat down your back, knwo you are gonna die kind of fear.
Never felt it since then, not bouncing, not in competition and not in the military.
I use it, I use that memory, don't think I ever will forget it.
I saw intent that night, I looked into its eyes and smelled its breath.

Its a whole different ball game.

[Ray Pina]

I experienced something like that down here, twice, and it has mellowed me out a lot. I have no desire to fight anyone in civilian life outside of a competitive context. Some people place no value on life. I want to live and live well and long.

[Ray Pina]

On Killing.... great book.

[Ray Pina]

You're a loser if you've had the forum tell you to slow down and wait 6 more seconds to post ... as I just did.

[Old Noob]

You're a loser if you've had the forum tell you to slow down and wait 6 more seconds to post ... as I just did.

It just means that your forum fu is getting faster. Happened to me today too.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I experienced something like that down here, twice, and it has mellowed me out a lot. I have no desire to fight anyone in civilian life outside of a competitive context. Some people place no value on life. I want to live and live well and long.

A sad statement Bro, but true, some people will just as soon kill you as look at you.

[Lucas]

i hate to bring it all back to the batman....but

alfred said it best.

some men just want to watch the world burn.

[sanjuro_ronin]

i hate to bring it all back to the batman....but

alfred said it best.

some men just want to watch the world burn.

Yes, indeed.
Too many...

Now, as for this thread, how does one train this?
Outside of "jason bourne training" ?
LOL
If its not in you, it just isn't ( outside extraordinary circumstances)
Some TMA advocate the use of the "reptilian" brain or the "c" -back to activate this intent or proper mindset.
And I have seen it work in some cases, and fail miserably in the majority of other cases.

[TenTigers]

I think SPJ wa son track about the Five Animals teaching the mindsets associated with each animal. We do it a bit differently. I have spoken on this before, but I will repeat breifly:
Dragon- PC version says,"Indomitable Spirit" My version is more like this-
picture the guy you punch square in the mouth, he spits a bloody tooth on the floor and then smiling with blood trickling down his chin, sez, "C'mere! Come get some." or Jack Nicholson in The Shining-"Heeeere's Johnny!" The spirit is "Happy" but not jovial, more like the ability to take your strikes and take a step foward. Saamjien/Sanchin teaches this mindset

Tiger-Angry-more like aggressive and explosive,down yer throat

Leopard-sneaky, cunning, crafty, dodgy,stick and move, then explode

Snake-cold-blooded, insensitive, focused on the opponent, seeing him not as a human with feelings, and pain, but as an objetc that is to be destroyed-ruthless.

Crane-calm, serene-more like grace under pressure, in control of his emotions, focused
All these 'Five Feelings" come together as one to form the mindset. They are parts to a whole.

Combine that with contact drills, contact conditioning, and pushing yourself to fight even when the mind wants to stop. Add into that adrenal stress conditioning, pressure testing, and technique that is based on a nonstop onslaught, barrage type fighting rather than an exchange, and you get an idea of how our Hung-Ga attempts to arrive at this mindset.