Comments on: Can the 97 pound Weakling Fight?

By: John W. Zimmer

John W. Zimmer — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:26:55 +0000

Hey Zara! – with you I am preaching to the choir.

Hey Dr. J! – the result is priceless.

By: Dr. J

Dr. J — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:06:32 +0000

I believe the answer to your question was answered for me when at camp as a 13 year old I witnessed the following:

The toughest kid in camp was picking on the “97 pound weakling” and the camp counselors saw it and decided that a boxing match between the bigger, tougher guy and our poor weakling in front of he entire camp was the way to settle it!

The fatal day arrived and there they were facing off, with large boxing gloves. One confident tough guy and one scared 97 lb., if even that, weakling.

The bell rang. Our 97 lb. weakling obviously had no knowledge of the rules of boxing because as they met in the center of the ring, he kicked the tough guy in the balls, and the fight was over just like that with the tough guy writhing on the ground, the weakling being told off by the councilors, and the whole camp cheering the outcome!

(Tied it in with your last article, John
Dr. J recently posted..Exercise: The Simple Thing That We Don’t Do

By: Zara

Zara — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:36:56 +0000

What I believe to be most important in a fight is mindset (the absolute will to win coupled with a refusal to give up) and superior reflexes and techniques: if you combine those two you need not fear any fight (fear doesn’t benefit you anyway). Like you said John superior training will beat mere power and aggression (the tools of the trade for thugs and wannabe fighters) so all depends on the diversity and quality of the training methods aswell as the motivation of the student to adhere to them and give it his/her all.

Yours is indeed an inspiring story John: hat off to you and your clear, direct way of explaining what needs to be done and how to get there. There’s a reason I keep coming back here and that’s to learn from someone who’s been there and who has actual experience to draw from: if some of my views are in accordance with yours I’m sure I must be on to something and if not then it’s time to do some serious thinking and maybe find a new way or at least test it thoroughly to make sure it’ll actually work.

“So what I am saying is you can counter muscles with speed. You can counter weight with cunning. You can counter aggression with intelligence. There is nothing you cannot do if you work at it in your training and believe you can.”

These words should be on a banner in every dojo or gym out there because they describe the essence of the martial arts: to learn how to win by any means and to outwit the enemy especially when he’s physically stronger. The mind is indeed the best and sharpest weapon.