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“The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.”

—Kung Fu Tze

To understand and fully utilize self defense principles you must understand the fighting mentality.  When two people of equal skill fight, what is it that pushes one past the other to victory?  The answer is the fighting mentality.  The fighting mentality is a combination of several principles that allow you to survive an encounter.  Now, don’t misunderstand this concept to imply that you should be cruel or mean.  However, you must use a certain level of intensity and focus to win a fight. 

We call the first principle of this concept the fighting spirit.  Simply stated, when you fight, you must be willing to go one step above whatever level your opponent is using.  You simply must not try to fight at a lower level of intensity than your attacker.  If your attacker means to simply hurt you; you must be willing to injure him.   If he is seeking to do serious bodily injury or even kill you; you must be willing to do the same to him.  The problem is, determining at what level your attacker is at.  The only true answer is that you don’t know.  Therefore, you must fight at the highest level and then use your best judgment to determine when your attacker is no longer a threat to you.

Although most fights end with someone quitting before serious injury occurs you cannot rely on this response when your life is threatened.  There is too much at stake.  It can be understood that there are three ways in which a fight can be ended.  They are:  You can take your opponent’s air or ability to breathe.  You can cause your attacker to lose his consciousness.  Finally, you can take his life.

You can accomplish this end by aiming your attacks primarily at your attacker’s throat.  When you attack the throat with a strike it causes an involuntary choking reaction.  Your attacker will try to ease this choking response by grasping for his throat.  This would provide you with an opportunity to escape.  Moreover, if his airway is not cleared he will lose consciousness and might even die.

Although, the throat is clearly the weakest spot on the body, it might not be immediately open to attack or other targets might be more vulnerable based upon the situation.  You might also choose to attack the eyes, which would make it very difficult for your opponent to continue an assault.  Also, you can attack the knees with a kick that would drop your opponent to the ground and allow you to escape without the danger of pursuit.  Finally, you can attack the groin which can cause considerable pain.  However, remember that pain alone does not guarantee that your attacker will stop.

Now, I have defined the fighting mentality or the mentality that you need in order to successfully defend yourself.  I must leave you with a strong warning.  The fighting mentality is only used in a violent confrontation that is forced upon you.  You must never use this mentality outside of that situation.  If you did so it would cause you to be overly aggressive and you might even wind up in jail.  However, when you are attacked and you have no other means of escape the fighting mentality might offer the final key to your survival.

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About Ron Heimberger

Master Ron Heimberger was a direct disciple of Grandmaster Ip Ching, the youngest son of the famous Grandmaster Ip Man. Sadly, he passed away in 2008. He had been a Director of The Ip Ching Wing Chun Athletic Association in the USA, and Director of the Wing Chun Kung Fu Council. He has left a Wing Chun Kung Fu legacy in his written works, and through his students within the United States, South America, Europe, and the Middle East.