anger ?

[popop]

just a simple basic question :
should an art martialist always control his anger or not ?

According to me, anger is no good, it makes you do some really bad things. Yet sometimes ... it's really hard.

after all, "anger is fleeting , remorse is eternal"

[thekingster]

Anger is a valid emotion - always strive to find what's "under" the anger and then use it from there.

Just my opinion,

[flyingblackbelt]

well anger is not healty to just simple put away. You must harness your anger. A martial artist should be able to harness their anger and use it to their advantage. To this end of course a martial artist should be able to control their anger, if you ever see a black belt raising their hands and threatening someone in a matter other than self-defense, they are not truly a black-belt.

[Mrs Owt]

Anger is something that must be controlled. Everyone has it and I think in some situations harnessing it can make you more effective. What the job of the MA practitioner or instructor is to recognize when we cross over from 'going for it' in sparring or like situation to actually wanting to hurt someone in anger. Aggressiveness is not necessarily linked with anger. I know of a young karateka who was encouraged to 'go for it' in sparring. At first it was seen as a good natured bout. The student's opponent started to lose and it turned to anger. The young karateka looked to the instructor for guidance and found no support. The match should have been discontinued when the anger was noticed in the one students eyes but was not. The line was crossed and anger was permitted to enter that sparring match between children. The young student I speak of eventually pretended to hurt injure an ankle because they felt their own anger well up at being attacked and also not being protected by those whose job it was to control the situation. Anger in these situations CANNOT be permitted to have a place.

Of course, anger in a SD situation if totally different story. If you are angry at being a victim you are more likely to be effective than if you are frightened at being a victim. But therein lies the dual nature of MA, the art and personal development side and the practical and self defence side.

[Nakthai]

Imagine that power you have when you "lash out" being harnessed into a well formed, well aimed, well placed punch or kick.

wham.

[Dark Blade]

Harness your anger, and do not show it.
Feel the rage, but don't go berserk, don't form sloppy technique when your angry, control it and use it.
You’re in control of your mind.
It's not the other way round....Most of the time.

[popop]

thank you all for your replies

I just wonder, have you ever seen someone going berserk, so that it seems that nobody can stop him ?
I suppose a high level in MA is required in such a situation , isn't it ?

And I liked what the kingster said : "always strive to find what's "under" the anger and then use it from there"
That's the diffucult point, IMHO

[Freeform]

Controlled aggression is a very useful tool, it gives you drive, determination and focus. It gives you that 'ggrrrr' that you can use to knuckle under and carry on.

Anger is gonna make you burn out quick.

Colin

[neryo_tkd]

i agree with what Freeform said. i am talking out of my own experience. once at a competition i won the silver medal. i lost gold by one point. i was so angry at myself, i was really piss.. off. i used this anger in a positive way. i controlled it and directed it into my trainings. next time i beat the same opponent and won the gold medal.
anger is an emotion we all experience. but the most important thing here is ur attitude, ur approach, i.e. what u do with it.

[Kwajman]

My Grandmaster feels that anger is a very bad thing, one must always be in control of ones self. To to become angry is to let the other person or thing 'win', that confrontation or situation. If you let your emotions take over, then your control will suffer. I tend to agree with him, it has helped me so far.

[Dark Blade]

Originally posted by popop
thank you all for your replies

I just wonder, have you ever seen someone going berserk, so that it seems that nobody can stop him ?
I suppose a high level in MA is required in such a situation , isn't it ?

And I liked what the kingster said : "always strive to find what's "under" the anger and then use it from there"
That's the diffucult point, IMHO


I disagree, I'd rather face an angry fighter than one fully in control.

[neryo_tkd]

Originally posted by Dark Blade
I disagree, I'd rather face an angry fighter than one fully in control.

do u mean that it would be easier for u to win?

[CheeseRocks32]

Originally posted by Dark Blade
I disagree, I'd rather face an angry fighter than one fully in control.


Sometimes it can be easy to fight an angry person, in some cases it's pretty bad though. Not that I have much experience on the fighting side, but if I'm angry enough I can take allot more pain than usuall, also I'm more ruthless and seem to have the strength to crush someone's body when I'm angry [EDIT : Well, I have the same strength but the strong desire to kill allows me to go beyond my normal limit and ignore the pain I'm causing myself]. So it can be good if you keep your distance, and depending on how angry the person is too.


Originally posted by Kwajman
My Grandmaster feels that anger is a very bad thing


Anger isn't a bad thing itself, it's a natural human feeling. It's how you use it that makes it look good or bad.

[TheMadhoose]

Try to harness that anger and channel into controlled power. Anger is a loss of control and you should strive to master your emotions. By learning how to focus anger anergy and deliver it with a neutral (emotionless ) look on your face it makes it more dificult for people to nitice when you are going to strike

[g-bells]

turn that frown upside down, and kill'em with kindness, if thats does'nt work...kick'em in the nadds