Any Psychiatrists? Why can't I have that killer instinct?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

In Judo, which I love I don't have that killer instinct. I'll happily let someone beat me and I don't mind being thrown or a bit of pain.

In my job I have gotten really physical as required and have no issues with this. I'm quite good at it.


Why can't I relax and enjoy judo? Am I worried I might slip and revert to my work side?

[Fozziebear]

What belt are you? Do you compete? Obviously before bat flu. When I’m training i tend to stay at 50 to 70 % so i can improve my skills and tempo, competition I’m totally different, I’m going to win, and its 100%.

[SlimJim16v]

Yes, it's a martial art, but the training, practice is also about enjoying it. The killer instinct is for competition or the street.
The hard part is developing a killer instinct, not keeping it under control.

[popeyewhite]

SlimJim16v said:

The hard part is developing a killer instinct, not keeping it under control.

In my experience you're either born with it or not. A certain proclivity for violence, if you will. Doesn't have to be much, but it needs to be there. You need to enjoy using skills to subdue/hurting the other person. Same goes for doorwork and comps.

[Al Gorithum]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

In Judo, which I love I don't have that killer instinct. I'll happily let someone beat me and I don't mind being thrown or a bit of pain.

Why can't I relax and enjoy judo? Am I worried I might slip and revert to my work side?

2nd Dan Judo, 4th Dan Ji Jitsu here. Don't forget that the essence of Judo is to use an attackers force/momentum against them

IMO It's Ok to be defensive, in fact I often invite attacks in order to counter-throw. Maybe try that for a while. What grade are you?

[Boosted LS1]

My take is that because you aren't being punched about in the face you're practising in a fairly safe environment. If somebody stuck you in a corner and started gradually hitting you harder and harder the worm would turn once your spirit was raised :-)

[ben5575]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

In Judo, which I love I don't have that killer instinct. I'll happily let someone beat me and I don't mind being thrown or a bit of pain.

In my job I have gotten really physical as required and have no issues with this. I'm quite good at it.

Why can't I relax and enjoy judo? Am I worried I might slip and revert to my work side?

There are lots of reasons for doing MA. For a lot of people it as about embracing and accepting their inherent violence in a controlled environment, just as Poppeywhite alludes to.

I have trained with a lot of police for example and they tend to fall into two camps; the first who want to train so they get better for their own protection and the second who use it as an outlet to compensate for the restraint they have to exercise during the day job.

Interesting that you say that you'll happily be thrown about. Maybe your release from the violence of the day job is to be submissive in class? Maybe it's to prove to yourself that perhaps you aren't as violent as you fear you might be?

Alternatively it may be that you're not good enough yet (sorry, you don't mention how long you've been doing it?) so that you're afraid of spazzing out (it's a technical grappling term ) and hurting somebody?

Other cod psychology is available on request

[Glassman]

popeyewhite said:

In my experience you're either born with it or not. A certain proclivity for violence, if you will. Doesn't have to be much, but it needs to be there. You need to enjoy using skills to subdue/hurting the other person. Same goes for doorwork and comps.

Yes and no.

Life experiences can change a lot. My dad was a brawler. No messing about, straight in. I grew up learning that behaviour which, looking back, was unreasonable. That was his outlook. He grew up having to defend which turned into aggression and he wanted to fight anyone that even looked at him in a way that didn't accord with him. I didn't think it was me as I was protected by him. That is, until I went to secondary school in a different part of town. From day one I turned into my dad.

I defended myself and was left alone by all. But I took it a step further and as a 2nd year (year 7 in new money) I was hanging out and absconding with the 5th year boys and going to other schools to have a ruck.

I've not been anywhere close to having a fight since leaving school. I just go on Facebook and correct people.

[SlimJim16v]

popeyewhite said:

In my experience you're either born with it or not.

I think born with it, should really be early childhood. It can be developed later, but would need the help of an expert in the field of violence, people like Steve Morris, Geoff Thompson, Peter Consterdine, Lee Morrison etc. They do have lots of videos on YouTube worth looking at. Here's one of a series of Steve's on mindset, though he does waffle on a bit.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b5dDhY9gCvc

[Hugo Stiglitz]

ben5575 said:

There are lots of reasons for doing MA. For a lot of people it as about embracing and accepting their inherent violence in a controlled environment, just as Poppeywhite alludes to.

I have trained with a lot of police for example and they tend to fall into two camps; the first who want to train so they get better for their own protection and the second who use it as an outlet to compensate for the restraint they have to exercise during the day job.

Interesting that you say that you'll happily be thrown about. Maybe your release from the violence of the day job is to be submissive in class? Maybe it's to prove to yourself that perhaps you aren't as violent as you fear you might be?

Alternatively it may be that you're not good enough yet (sorry, you don't mention how long you've been doing it?) so that you're afraid of spazzing out (it's a technical grappling term ) and hurting somebody?

Other cod psychology is available on request

I'll reply where I can in one post. I was green pre Covid. Now blue.

Job wise I'd describe myself as extremely calm in the most difficult and often surreal situations. I'll react without any anger (none absolutely none) or emotion (no fear).

I'll use force effectively. I'm not a brawler. I just go in dispationately.

I started judo for fitness, improve defence but mainly as I've always admired the art.

I get the release aspect- I'll be honest I like the humbleness that judo can give. Keep you planted but also feel the pain.

There's been a couple of times in groundwork where I've let myself 'slip'? and gone in hard and choked/gone in harder Then felt embarrassed straight after. I guess the spazzing out?

I don't mind being thrown alot as it helps gauge and practice falls! Some of them some real beauts. I get the counter-attack which I'm starting to relearn again.

Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Saturday 14th August 14:36

[Hugo Stiglitz]

"the second who use it as an outlet to compensate for the restraint they have to exercise during the day job"

I think I'm abit of this, pressure relief?

So why do I like having my ass kicked?

[popeyewhite]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

"the second who use it as an outlet to compensate for the restraint they have to exercise during the day job"

I think I'm abit of this, pressure relief?

So why do I like having my ass kicked?

Because it's fun and you have a safety net.

[ben5575]

SlimJim16v said:

I think born with it, should really be early childhood. It can be developed later, but would need the help of an expert in the field of violence, people like Steve Morris, Geoff Thompson, Peter Consterdine, Lee Morrison etc. They do have lots of videos on YouTube worth looking at. Here's one of a series of Steve's on mindset, though he does waffle on a bit.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b5dDhY9gCvc

They’re great people to train with. Great fun and fook me Peter can still hit at 104 Are you BCA as well??

[ColdoRS]

Compete ASAP.

Although I practice BJJ as opposed to Judo, until I competed, I just didn’t get the ‘killer instinct’ thing.
I’m not particularly competitive in life, although I would consider myself successful in most things I try, despite not having a competitive nature.
The first comp really lit a fire in me for competition though and absolutely accelerated my learning and efficiency in the gym as I suddenly had something to train for and, when appropriate, I will test myself to turn it on in the gym and really push a better opponent. Obviously this should only be done when the oppo is aware/keen to go hard.

Anyway, compete, if you can’t find it on a competition mat, then maybe just keep training but do it for the physical and mental benefits, rather than trying to be a ‘killer’!

[SlimJim16v]

ben5575 said:

They’re great people to train with. Great fun and fook me Peter can still hit at 104 Are you BCA as well??

Unfortunately not. By the time I realised that was the direction I should've taken, I was too old and fked to train that hard. I did however improve my punches and movement by watching some of Steve's DVDs.

Oh, yes, as has been said, competition should help develop a killer instinct.

[ben5575]

popeyewhite said:

Hugo Stiglitz said:

"the second who use it as an outlet to compensate for the restraint they have to exercise during the day job"

I think I'm abit of this, pressure relief?

So why do I like having my ass kicked?

Because it's fun and you have a safety net.

100%. In the same way I like getting punched in the face (as well as punching people in the face it must be said) or coming off rugby pitch buzzing covered in mud, blood and bruises.

It can be as simple and working up a sweat and punching things or throwing people around to release the tension. On a slightly deeper level it's a bit more Fight Club; humans have an innate tendency for violence. It may be barely noticeable in some people and it may be very noticeable in others.

If you are permanently having to reel it in and keep it under control (in a modern, middle class society), it's difficult to understand this very human characteristic. Contact sports allow you to explore it, accept it and come to terms with it, within a safe and controlled environment.

Importantly as you've found, you also learn very quickly that there are people out there who are a lot better than you and as you say, that humbling aspect is a fundamental part of it.

ETA: Great point made above. Not competing is like going to football training all week but never playing a match on a Sunday. You have to put the theory into practice, with real opponents, in real time. There really isn't any quite so effective for focusing the mind and putting you in the moment as standing opposite somebody who is intent on killing you

Edited by ben5575 on Saturday 14th August 17:10

[popeyewhite]

The lad looks a nice bloke, but his Olympic training will count for eff all in this situation: Irish Olympic Taekwondo Champion in streetfight

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/irelands-fir...

[Hugo Stiglitz]

popeyewhite said:

The lad looks a nice bloke, but his Olympic training will count for eff all in this situation: Irish Olympic Taekwondo Champion in streetfight

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/irelands-fir...

Circumstances unknown and you can easily be caught out in any situation. Any of us.

At work I'm hyper aware. On the pop you could probably knock me out as I'm away with the fairies/totally relaxed

[popeyewhite]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Circumstances unknown and you can easily be caught out in any situation. Any of us.

Not true. I've worked with some extremely savvy blokes. I posted the article in the context of the thread title, not general observation anyway. Some people are genuinely 'on' the whole time.

Hugo Stiglitz said:

At work I'm hyper aware. On the pop you could probably knock me out as I'm away with the fairies/totally relaxed

Sure, most of us need to switch off.

[ColdoRS]

popeyewhite said:

The lad looks a nice bloke, but his Olympic training will count for eff all in this situation: Irish Olympic Taekwondo Champion in streetfight

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/irelands-fir...

Taekwondo is total nonsense though. Especially Olympic taekwondo, it’s purely points based, where you get penalised for kicking too hard. He’d be a better street fighter with 6 months of boxing training twice a week at some backstreet community run gym.