Warrior Attitudes

WARRIOR ATTITUDES

Do not bear false attitudes. False attitudes work best where there are no enemies. In real situations they can get you killed very quickly. The true warrior does not go around telling everyone he is a great warrior. He permits his actions to govern others’ responses. My idea of attitude is based on the principle of the true Way, which is to not allow it to be perceived by the enemy. Blatant attitudes such as fancy armor, engraved weapons in battle array and the like are an attempt to throw an enemy off balance. Yet these things only impress the untrained and irresolute. The warrior’s attitude is that of taking the lead in a fight and winning with resolve. You must understand this basic lesson.

It is important to perceive the enemy’s attitudes, regardless of whether you deem him to be correct or incorrect in having them. You should not judge the enemy’s attitudes needlessly. What you should do is use them to your advantage by throwing him into confusion and making him lose balance. This can be your way of scaring him and forcing him to act according to your needs. It is stupid to try to beat his attitude with your attitude. This is another form of bragging and results in hesitation on your part in going in for the kill, the reason you are there in the first place. The warrior always wants to control the situation in a battle. This is why it is necessary to practice diligently to attain the consciousness required to maintain this “attitude.”

It is required of a warrior that in order to follow the true Way he be aware of all possible conditions prior to the actual battle taking place; in this way he may not even have to do battle because of his superior intelligence based on perception and intuition. It is possible to win a fight without ever having to go into combat. You must understand this.

Bearing an attack well, even when you are superior in physical strength, is not the proper attitude for the warrior to follow. Try to understand this. If you wait for the attack, defend against it, and only then go in for the attack by parrying and striking, you are making extra work for yourself. Moreover, there is always the possibility of missing the “block.” If you approach the enemy with the attitude of defeating him without delay and with utter resolve, then you will certainly be in a better position to finish him off with quicker timing. When you go into an attack and are committed to destroying the enemy, you do not have to “worry” about being cut in return; and therefore you won’t be. The “spirit of the thing itself ” is what carries you through to a successful resolution of a fight. When you are returning the attack to the enemy after he has attacked you, you are permitting your rhythm and timing to be controlled by him. Regardless of how well you fight, you are on the defensive. You should strive to be neither offensive nor defensive. These ideas can force the mind to stop in its flow of consciousness and get you killed when you are in a fight. I strongly urge you to understand this part of my strategy if you are on the path of the warrior.