Fear makes men forget, and skill that cannot fight is useless
Brasidas of Spain
In the legendary science fiction novel Dune, the main character Paul Atreides was taught a litany against fear by his mother, who had been trained in a Shaolin-style monastery:
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
Fear is literally the mind killer.
Your fight training will very likely prepare you for your encounter with a drunk uncle at the backyard barbecue or the pushy guy at the bus station – for these problems, all you need is confidence and a little technique if they start swinging.
But if you think your training in the dojo or the ring has prepared you for the street you may be surprised. While your higher brain might be ready and able to fight and win, your body may betray you.
In his book On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace, Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman explains in great detail how the physiology of how fear affects us.
“a quarter of all U.S. soldiers in World War II admitted they had lost control of their bladders, and an eighth of them admitted to defecating in their pants.”
Those are just the ones who admitted it. Fear is something we must take into account in our martial arts training.
