Can you develop a killer instinct?

[Excelsior]

I've been training MT for a while now - only a couple of times a week, but for more than two years. Yet I'm still a punching bag, whether it's while sparring, doing live rounds with pad feeders, whatever. My technique's there. I've got enough conditioning to get through. But I can't seem to take the fight to whoever's across from me.

Is it possible to "learn" a killer instinct, or is it something you're born with?

 

[KOnah]

What makes you angry? Have you ever been violently angry? Everyone has it, its part of being human, just some people its buried deeper.

Find your dark place and find a way to tap into it as needed... then learn how to control it.

 

[NoSmilez]

i think about this chick who broke my crayon when i was a little kid and i get really really angry. i think thats my first violent act towards another human being because i thought my parents were going to cane me because i broke the crayon. i was so scared.....

 

[Kosh]

Yes, you can train your instinct, but only if you have it in you... Maybe you don't, try to find out.

 

[Marvin Covar]

It can be worked on, but some people have it naturally.

 

[Payak]

Notice a lot of great fighters grew up in shit, they have a lot of built up anger and rage.
first you need to ask yourself are you afraid of being hurt or hurting the other man.
there is anger in every man, but never get to pumped you have to find the line in the middle.

 

[Kult Master]

Read these,
Most of the authors fought on battle fields or to the death duels, so I guess they learned a thing or 2 about killer instinct. Anyhow I know it wont inspire everyone, but it made me reach the nxt level in my game. The state of mind I reach for is "mushin" ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushin
In an calm but agressive way and have no care for yourslef or opponent...

Anyhow look up those books. It's old school raw sport pshycho...


Budo Secrets: Teachings of the Martial Arts Masters
Real masters of feudal Japan, man who walked on abttle fields. Title says it all, Jonh Steven, the author, a great japanese history scholar, as gathered a jewel in this book, the kind you can pick up at any page, the one I like to have at tourney
http://www.amazon.com/Budo-Secrets-...ef=sr_1_1/002-5813601-1747219?ie=UTF8&s=books


Waht can I say about Yagyu Munenori, look him up here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagyu_Munenori
Here's a good book from him.
The Life-Giving Sword: The Secret Teachings From the House of the Shogun
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Giving-S...ef=sr_1_4/002-5813601-1747219?ie=UTF8&s=books

there's other book by him also.

Takuan was a renowned monk for giving lessons to swordsman without ever actually studying martial arts. more about him here :
http://www.zenstoriesofthesamurai.com/Characters/TakuanSoho.htm
Is book
The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman
http://www.amazon.com/Unfettered-Mi..._bbs_sr_1/002-5813601-1747219?ie=UTF8&s=books



The Sword of No-Sword: Life of the master warrior Tesshu
http://www.amazon.com/Sword-No-Swor...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206792983&sr=1-1
Tesshu was 6ft tall, unusual for a Japanese person of his time, and very athletic. He was a natural leader and very competitive. So intense was his practice of his three main pursuits (fencing, Zen, and calligraphy), that his nickname was Demon Tesshu. Tesshu was also famous for combining his competitive nature with his love of drinking.



This story is a novel about Japan's most recognized Shugyiosha, Myamoto Musashi, who came out victorious in over 60 duel starting form age 14...
Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era
http://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Epic-...72/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product/002-5813601-1747219


This one disect in details is life as close as possible to reality, very good, pick's up a bit where the other one end.
The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Samurai-..._bbs_sr_4/002-5813601-1747219?ie=UTF8&s=books


This book was writen by Musashi himself not long before is death, this one is a bit harder to grasp, reading the 2 first one is a must in my opinion
The Book of Five Rings
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Five-Rin...f=sr_1_10/002-5813601-1747219?ie=UTF8&s=books

There is other versions of those 3 books, I have read some, but William Scott Wilson seems to have grasp best the essence of Musashi's teaching.

Read them as a martial artis looking to improved your mental game, it is important to ponder on them (as Musashi would say) and be able to adapt the context to our modern era and sports. Of course the few mentions of actual techniques might be useless, but still be careful of subtilitys.

 

[bigsexy02]

yes

 

[noobloser]

No. Killer instincts come from living on the hard streets of Philly and knowing you only have one shot to make a better living for yourself and girlfriend by defeating Apollo Creed.

 

[Vector_X]

If you have been training that long and still won't let your hands go I'd say there is certainly some kind of problem. While I think it can be taught some fighters are more agressive than others. You should probably tailor your specific style to that at times you still need to be able to let your hands (figurativily speaking) go at times.

 

[NoviVavilon]

i think that killer instinct = motivation

 

[Croatia_K1***]

Everyone who is telling you that you need to get angry is wrong

There is a difference between anger and what the TS is talking about.


Do not let emotions take control of you because then you'l lose what you mentioned you already have which is technique





Give us some more info, your weight and height, your opponents weight and height.


I think if you motivate your self enough that you're so obsessed with the sport, you will learn to love the feeling of fighting, the adrenaline.. you'll love getting hit and you'll love hitting people, everyone has killer instinct, you just have to be pushed to a certain level to get there, and what the guy above me said is right, killer instinct = motivation

 

[woogie12]

you really can't develop killer instinct. you can get used to sparring, but killer instinct, definitely not.

 

[furdog]

^ Fuck that. Your emotions can be trained and changed like anything else. Everybody gets angry, you just need to anchor that emotion into the ring. If you can't afford a sports psychologist, get some sports psychology books that teach you motivation and the effective feelings and mindset for when you fight. It's a process of training and anchoring your emotions repetitively, just like any other training.

 

[Michael Wanaka]

What makes you angry? Have you ever been violently angry? Everyone has it, its part of being human, just some people its buried deeper.

Find your dark place and find a way to tap into it as needed... then learn how to control it.

Killer instinct isn't about anger at all. Killer instinct, for me anyway, is something like "I hurt you, now I'm going to finish you". It's cold and calculating. Anger plays no part.

 

[woogie12]

^ Fuck that. Your emotions can be trained and changed like anything else. Everybody gets angry, you just need to anchor that emotion into the ring. If you can't afford a sports psychologist, get some sports psychology books that teach you motivation and the effective feelings and mindset for when you fight. It's a process of training and anchoring your emotions repetitively, just like any other training.

ehhhhh not with ya on that one.

 

[icyblue17]

Let your coach punch/abuse/slap you whenever you commit a mistake then I bet you can have that little satan in you.

 

[Bas Rutten Gear]

Yes. Every day before class watch 5-10 minutes of KO artists. Ramon Dekkers, Tyson, Rutten, CC, anyone with a good HL vid of them knocking people out.

Tell yourself today that you will not be backed up and that you will be the aggressor. Draw a line in your head that you will not go behind no matter who comes at you. As you become more aggressive and gain confidence in your techniques your killer instinct will improve.

Also, try boxing sparring. You have to develop it FAST otherwise you could have someone beating the shit out of you. After sparring in boxing that instinct to capatilize on opportunities should improve.

 

[Bas Rutten Gear]

Killer instinct isn't about anger at all. Killer instinct, for me anyway, is something like "I hurt you, now I'm going to finish you". It's cold and calculating. Anger plays no part.

Exactly. It is about spotting an opening and taking it. Not being mad or in a rage.

 

[andrewbc]

a lot of people give the same advice "think of something that makes you angry"
do the exact opposite, think of nothing

the japanese talk of something called mushin or "mind of no mind". you dont want to think your way through the fight, you want to feel it.

when you fight without fear anger or ego you will have no problem finishing a fight