The Psychology of Combat

by James Williams

I was pleased to see a review of the book "Bloody Iron" in Volume 24,
No. 3 of Aikido Journal. Here is a book that speaks plainly about the
reality of conflict with edged weapons in circumstances involving lethal
force. The authors, both long time residents of some of Americas finest
prisons, describe in detail the prison environment as regards to the
edged weapons conflict that is a part of daily life. The nature of such
situations is presented graphically so that there will be no mistake as
to their grim reality. There is much to learn in this volume and perhaps
some of the information can give insight into the training that was
necessary for the feudal era warriors of Japan.

With this insight we can further define the difference between most
modern training and classical samurai training. And from that more
clearly define what training for "real" entails. The classical samurai arts
are military arts-arts designed for war. The original purpose of arts
such as kenjutsu and jujutsu was to train for "real," that is, to train for
war. Wars arising from the necessity of circumstance, involve men
killing and dying. This fact is not pleasant to contemplate. Man has
engaged in warfare throughout history. It is no less real in the present
era than it has been in the past. Practicing martial arts for "real" from
this classical perspective, is practicing them with a military intent.
Ours is a society born and maintained by force of arms, yet the
majority of the population is as removed from this reality as they are
removed from the need to hunt for food.

It is perhaps for this very reason that I find "Bloody Iron" valuable.
Much of its value lies in the fact that it deals with the reality of edged-
weapon combat from an in-depth personal perspective. No drum rolls
or spiritual edification, just the grim reality of living and dying at the
edge of a blade.

Living, killing, and dying at the edge of a blade defined the existence
of the samurai. It defined their conduct, technique, art, and
philosophy; it defined their entire culture. The military techniques of
this warrior class were based first on the need for successful
deployment of edged weapons in lethal force engagements. "... cutting
down the enemy is the Way of Strategy..." Miyamoto Musashi.
Everything else stemmed from this grim reality, including their jujutsu
arts. The mental, emotional, and physical skills the samurai strove to
attain emerged from the demand of their environment. Much of the
technique and philosophy that has carried forward into the modern era
is a product of the Edo period (1600-1876) of Shogunate control and
extended peace. This later development is not a matter of right or
wrong, it merely changed the prime purpose of the samurai's training
in a later era.

To train for combat in the classical, pre-Edo sense meant to train for a
lethal-force, weapons-based, environment. The samurai's focus was on
how to bear himself in battle, methods for achieving victory by
destroying the enemy, and for dealing with the physical, emotional,
and moral consequences of both victory and defeat. This did not just
mean that weapons were dealt with in the training, it means that
weapons defined their training.

Training for "real" today is training for a weapons based environment,

the same as it was during the Samurai era in feudal Japan. The
problems that need to be solved in this combat environment demand
solutions that parallel the solutions required of the ancient samurai.
Training for self defense in the modern sense, as it is usually taught, is
a different paradigm.

The lessons, behavior, and attitudes presented in "Bloody Iron" are not
the norm for society as we know it in America. The environment
presented in this book does, however, closely parallel the society of
feudal Japan. "Bloody Iron" describes situations, actions, and a mind-
set that many practitioners of modern martial arts find repellent. I
would suggest that it was this very reality that spawned the military
arts of the samurai in all of their many manifestations, mental,
emotional, physical and spiritual. This body of knowledge, that has
come to us from antiquity, is the legacy of the samurai. The changes
that have occurred in these arts over a long period of time are due to
their being removed from a reality absent the constant threat of killing
and dying.

In sharp contrast to a prison environment where the prime directive is

self-survival, the warriors primary concern was the protection and
defense of society. Such a focus molded and shaped the warriors'
character and morality. Honor, courage, and integrity, although not
politically correct nowadays, are the very foundations of character
upon which a strong, moral society is built. When we study for "real,"
this character becomes the basis of our training. It defines our duty
and service as well as the essence of male bonding.

In the classical samurai arts, soldiers were prepared for combat. The
difference between what we call "marital arts" and the classical
military arts of the samurai is that the former was designed for combat
while the latter are sports or esoteric practices. Some are, of course,
violent sports requiring skills that are effective in physical
confrontations. However, the prime directive of the classical samurai
was combat while this is not at all the case with the modern "do" arts.
It seems that the majority of the koryu now practiced in Japan are also
removed from the lethal force reality of the military sciences studied
and applied to combat by the samurai.

In the military/combat situation, the ability to apply knowledge

instantly, without conscious thought is critical to survival. The
intangibles are the most important factors controlling the outcome of
an engagement, the technique applied being of much less importance.
Combat is about damaging human beings to preclude their ability to
function. The means may be gun, sword, club, knife, or hand; the end,
however, is the same. The training in preparation for this task is very
to the point. There is nothing taught or practiced that is not essential
to the final outcome of the conflict. The person undergoing training
must be constantly presented with combat problems to solve. These
problems inherently involve weapons-based attacks including attacks
with firearms. There is no substitute for practicing in as realistic as
possible situations. In this regard, I agree absolutely with the authors
of "Bloody Iron." I instruct my students that if they want to learn how
to hit people hard and effectively, then they must practice hitting
people, not the heavy bag or makiwari. This same applies for dealing
with being hit hard and effectively. Training in the use of knives and
guns is no different, except that a non-lethal, albeit often painful, form
of training is employed to simulate the actual environment as closely
as possible.

My perspective here is based on my military experience, training in a

classical art, and now through my involvement in the Surefire Institute
and Combative Concepts teaching military and law enforcement
personnel to prepare for engagements where lethal force is present.
The lessons learned by the ancient samurai are totally applicable to
modern warfare just as they were in ages past. Speaking from
personal experience, the training administered to military and law
enforcement personnel is seriously deficient in many crucial areas.
This is especially true with respect to investment in the development
of the individual. The tendency in modern military and police training
approaches is to attempt to solve problems using technology. This
approach has, however, proven woefully inadequate. We have found
that an individual's ability to perform and survive in a lethal-force
engagement is greatly enhanced by adopting the mind-set,
philosophy, and techniques proven through long centuries of warfare.
How many individuals in this modern day have the depth and breadth
of experience and knowledge that these ancient warriors acquired
through long centuries of warfare?

The trained and experienced warrior came to display certain attributes.

These include enhanced awareness, calmness in the face of danger
and death, perception, emotional control, objectivity, integrity of
character, and the ability to make rapid, accurate decisions followed
by proper and timely action even in situations that would horrify and
mentally overwhelm most people. This adds up to an ability to think
and act at one's maximum capacity when the danger is greatest. In
the high intensity training environment that Combative Concepts
provides we have seen the results of improper and/or lack of training
time and again. People become, as Ken Good, President of Combative
Concepts, so aptly puts it, "overcome by events," when placed in a
high stress combat environment. The attributes of the trained warrior,
although they may be taught to some degree in the dojo, are learned
under duress. The warriors' courage and ability in such circumstances
are a direct result of proper training. To quote from Flavius Vegetius
Renatus written in AD 378, "The courage of the soldier is heightened
by the knowledge of his profession."

It is necessary in a difficult, life-threatening environment to maintain

mental stability and the ability to function. Events or situations that
would shock most people must be dealt with in a calm, aware state of
mind. An emotional approach would soon leave the warrior with the
inability to survive such an environment. The situation is no different
in prison, surfing life-threatening waves at Peahi on Maui, or in a
combat situation.

Fear is an ever-present factor in a dangerous situation. The reasoning

human being, understanding his comfort level, begins to feel fear as
the situation exceeds that level. It is not the absence of fear, but an
understanding of it that allows the body to continue to function or,
indeed, increase its ability to function when fear is present. Fear
demands that one call on all of his resources, to function at the
maximum. The fight-or-flight mechanism is for animals or the
untrained, not the warrior prepared for danger or death.
The belief that we are controlled by our bodies is an inferior
understanding. Here is a superior perspective on fear written by Dave
Kalama who puts himself in harm's way on a regular basis. "Fear, in a
physical sense, to me means tightening your muscles in preparing
yourself for impact or fighting. I still have fear obviously, because I
have a fear of dying, but I'm trying not to let the fear have control
over my body. Usually, when you experience fear is when you need to
be as loose as you can possibly be and focused on the task rather than
tightening up. Your movement needs to be as agile and spontaneous
as it possibly can be. Fear just exists. That's the way it is. The better
you can deal with it the more prepared you are for any situation." This
quote by Dave was taken from the book Jaws-Maui about the monster
waves that only a very few are capable of riding and surviving. The
attributes acquired in this environment are a matter of necessity. One
must place himself in such an environment to acquire them.

Jerry Head, one of the principals of Combative Concepts and an Irvine

SWAT officer, was recently involved in a shooting. The standard
operating procedure for most police departments is to have the
department psychologist debrief the officer. Typical questions pertain
to the officer's adrenaline level, tunnel vision, and sense of time
distortion. These symptoms are indicative of an untrained mind
incapable of dealing with a situation involving duress. Jerry, who is
experienced and trained, displayed none of these negative symptoms.
The fact that these symptoms are expected in officers involved in
shootings should give us an insight into the lack of proper training and
preparation that most receive. We have come to perceive as normal
behavior certain characteristics that are detrimental to optimum
performance under duress.

Whether we like it or not there are still bad people in this world. There
is still violence and war. There is still the need to protect and defend
ourselves and, even more importantly, the women and children in this
society. Honor, courage, integrity and capability are still necessary
attributes, whether or not politically correct, if society is going to
continue. This fact was well understood in feudal Japan. The Chinese
character for "bu" in the word "bushi" or warrior, means "to stay the
spear," that is, to protect and defend society. It is tiresome to hear
those who are being protected in turn disparage those who are
protecting them. Nations rise and fall by force of arms; this is the
lesson of history. The ancient Chinese proverb, "When the world is at
peace, a gentleman keeps his sword by his side", has as much validity
today as it did two millennia ago.
What training then is most appropriate for military and police
applications? Aiki applied jujutsu principles and techniques born of
battle, along with tanto jutsu, are two of the tools we use at
Combative Concepts when training military and police. These same aiki
heiho principles carry over into our gun fighting tactics and techniques.
Unlike modern derivatives, battle-oriented jujutsu approaches are
directed towards combat in an environment where weapons dictate
tactics, techniques, and strategy. This is different from the fights that
one sees at the Ultimate Fighting Championship events. As skilled and
courageous as the participants in these events are, and as dangerous
as this form of fighting is, the sport does not represent a lethal-force
engagement environment. The tactics, strategy, and techniques that
are successful in that arena are quite different from those needed to
prevail in a weapons-based situation.

Battle-oriented jujutsu is derived from and complements kenjutsu, the

foundation of the samurai military arts. To fully understand, develop
and apply aiki based jujutsu techniques, one must also understand and
be proficient in the use of the sword. As is so well explained in the
book "Legacies of the Sword," an absolute must read for anyone
interested in classical military arts, kenjutsu is the omote or outward
manifestation of strategy and jujutsu is the ura or inner manifestation.
In the classical sense, the two cannot be separated, jujutsu and
kenjutsu are like two sides of the same coin. Breath control, subtle
movement, an understanding of physical reality, human physiology,
and psychology, coupled with a calm, aware state of mind allow for
optimum performance and the best possible solutions when an
individual is placed under duress. Proper training then re-enforces the
ability to function in close-quarter battle.

"Bloody Iron" presents many practical lessons that are valuable for the
warrior. The first such lesson is awareness. "War is a matter of
deception," to quote Sun Tzu. In the real world, so to speak, your
opponent will catch you off guard if he can. Those who seek to prey on
their fellow humans thrive on surprise and deceit to conceal their true
intentions. It is your responsibility to prevent this from taking place.
The ability to perceive danger or to forestall it by not putting yourself
in a dangerous situation must be learned and practiced. "Old timers in
prison don't wash their face or shampoo their hair in the showers-too
easy to get hit while momentarily blinded." This practice parallels
Musashi reportedly not bathing because it offered an opportunity for
his enemies to attack him when he was ill-prepared. This is one
example of precluding an attack by not putting yourself in a position of
vulnerability.
At Combative Concepts we practice situational awareness as a part of
everyday training. There are some simple things that can be practiced
on a daily basis. For example, never walk close around a corner. Open
doors fully before you walk through them. Pay attention to the
direction the light or sun is coming from in relation to you and any
possible threat. What direction is the wind blowing (this is especially
important if one of your tools is Oleo Capsicum resin (pepper spray).
Practice using your peripheral vision to discern objects, people and
situations. Use your eyes to constantly scan situations outside of your
personal sphere and observe yourself as if you were a third party. In
other words, practice taking an objective view of yourself. At
Combative Concepts we teach our students, and this is especially
applicable in the low light environment, to see themselves as their
opponent sees them.

It is easy to become self-involved and be unaware of other people and

situations. Sometimes we wear this self-involvement like armor to
protect ourselves. This is tantamount to a child pulling a blanket over
his head when afraid. Another thing to constantly be aware of is your
distance relationship to other people. For the samurai, this was
generally one step, one cut, or about six feet. To enter closer was to
invite an attack. Also, be aware of your skeletal relationship to others.
If a persons back is to you it makes it difficult for him to bring a
firearm to bear until he changes that relationship. These two
relationships-distance and skeletal-define much of what can take place
in human physical interaction.

The most important factor in determining life, mental state, and

awareness is breath. Learning to breath properly is essential to
optimum function. Especially, check yourself when startled or upset.
The sharp intake of breath-physical tensing caused by the startle
reflex-is extremely detrimental and must be changed to an exhale-
relax reflex through constant training. Train your hearing to detect and
isolate sounds, especially those out of the ordinary. Eventually, you
will acquire a subconscious sixth sense that will make you aware of
situations that would normally elude you. One of the best times to
practice some of these techniques in daily life is when driving you car.
Obviously, distance and relationship to other vehicles is important.
Also, as mentioned earlier, breath control and awareness play a big
part in your ability to react properly if a dangerous situation arises.
Constant scanning with your eyes forward, in your mirrors and using
your peripheral vision will make you aware of potential problems. If
you think about it, the threat of lethal force always exists when driving
a vehicle. More people are killed in automobile accidents than from any
single cause other than old age and related diseases. Being aware of
and taking action to avoid potential danger does not make one
paranoid when there is reason for such action. With time you will
become conscious of possible dangers. No longer will things just
happen. You will become aware and take responsibility for the
outcome of events as they relate to you. Your goal is to become
conscious.

Finally, one of the most important points brought out in "Bloody Iron"
is the need, in fact, the absolute necessity of forming relationships
with other men who will come to your aid in dire straits. Your are
likewise bound to come to the aid of your comrades in like
circumstances. This is the essence of male bonding. Practically and
historically, male bonding served two functions, both involving the
need to support others in dangerous circumstances. The first is the
hunt, and the second is combat. Our survival as humans depended
upon our willingness to support others of our kind under duress. "I
knew wherever I was that you thought of me, and if I got in a tight
place you would come, if alive." This quote is from William Tecumseh
Sherman in a letter to Ulysses S. Grant. For the warrior, this is the
only true male friendship. Everything else is acquaintance regardless
of affection felt. This relationship and bonding is absolutely essential in
war and in other dangerous pursuits such as riding the monster surf at
places like Peahi. These relationships are defined by the willingness
and ability to risk grave danger in order to get a comrade out of
trouble, or if there is no other recourse in combat, to die with him.
"When men find they must inevitably perish, they willingly resolve to
die with their comrades and with their arms in their hands," wrote
Flavius Vegetius Renatus. In these life-and-death situations, the casual
criteria with which we define other male relationships do not apply.
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, for he today that sheds
his blood with me shall be my brother," Shakespeare, Henry V. An
understanding of this bond provides deep insight into the male psyche.
An interesting phenomenon is that men placed under such duress
frequently display a high degree of spiritual insight. "When your
thinking rises above concern for your own welfare, wisdom which is
independent of thought appears"

If the character of the warrior is moral, this will be demonstrated in his

experience. Read "In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant-Colonel John
McCrae killed in combat in France January 28, 1918 after four years of
service on the Western front, "I have a Rendezvous with Death" by
Alan Seeger killed in combat July 4, 1916, and "Trees," by Sergeant
Joyce Kilmer killed in combat near Quercy, July 30, 1918. Read the
moving poems and writings of these and others to get a complete view
of the warrior. One of my favorite samurai death poems reads as
follows:

"The sharp-edged sword, unsheathed,

Cuts through the void-

Within the raging fire

A cool wind blows.

- Shiaku Sho'on

There are tools available for use in a civilian situation even if you do
not or cannot carry an edged weapon or a firearm as some of us do.
Two that I make use of frequently are OC (pepper spray) and a 6Z
Surefire tactical light. About 70% of violent attacks take place in low-
light conditions. A compact, powerful light is an extremely viable tool
in these situations. The OC works very well to neutralize an opponent
and has the advantage of being legal in most states as well as non-
lethal. The flashlight also puts you in a position to identify the level of
threat that you may be facing. I offer an example from personal
experience. One night when walking with my wife in San Francisco, a
man suddenly lurched out of a darkened door towards us. I had my 6Z
in my left-hand jacket pocket and was walking on the left side next to
the darkened buildings that we were passing. I immediately shined the
light into the man's eyes. This had the effect of stopping him in his
tracks, removing his immediate ability to use his eyes effectively, and
giving me a read on the situation. In my right-hand jacket pocket was
my OC ready to be deployed if necessary. The man ended up just
being drunk and was not a threat and we continued on our way. Many
people deceive themselves by ignoring the potential of violence. Lack
of preparation is the mark of a fool. The untrained, not the warrior,
overact to danger and display the primitive fight-or-flight response.

War, for better or worse, has inspired both the best and worst in
mankind. Training for combat is not a casual pursuit for the purpose of
self-aggrandizement. Using this training to dominate others with the
power gained is evil. Rather, training and ability should engender a
sense of honor, responsibility, and morality. The skilled warrior must
hold himself to a higher moral standard. He does not have the option
of taking casual offense. "There is power in a gun. And attached to
power is responsibility, because anyone who has a gun acquires some
of God's power. The power to take a life. And that means that we have
to be very careful about when we use the gun; careful to beware of
hubris." This quote is from Aaron Wolf's "A Purity of Arms" on the
Israeli army. Israeli soldiers receive their weapons in one hand and a
bible in the other. If our behavior is in harmony with the Way, then we
do honor to those warriors who have come before us. It is their
sacrifice and knowledge that have allowed us to be free and have
given us the means to stay that way. Men have a historical even
genetic prime directive to protect and defend society. The ones who
answer this call have a responsibility to use knowledge and ability for
the good of that society. The burden taken does not just include
risking one's life, it also comes with the moral responsibility for taking
the life of another. Even if justified and necessary, such as war, this
burden still falls on the individual. This then separates those men and
the training that they undergo from other human endeavors. They
deserve honor and respect and their training should prepare them for
all possible eventualities. Using the knowledge, tactics, and strategy
from warriors long dead is a viable means to achieve this end. This
then is training for real.