The warrior spirit or the fighting spirit is to continue fighting in spite of all odds. Since early times, warriors valued and cherished this warrior spirit the most. It is well-known that weapons or skills in martial arts are of no use if the fighting spirit is absent, while the presence of the fighting spirit can make victory possible even if there are no weapons or martial skills.
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Legendary warriors became legends due to their fighting spirit. However, they also became legends due to their improvisations. For example, Miyamoto Musashi, the legendary samurai of ancient Japan remained undefeated throughout his life, due to his fighting spirit and improvisations. In his duel with Sasaki Kojiro, another samurai who famously used a long sword, Musashi improvised an oar of a boat as a very long sword, and just in one swift and powerful hit to the skull, killed Kojiro.
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In another duel, he faced dirt thrown in his eyes and became temporarily blinded, but he improvised fighting with two swords in which he was an expert, and he won the duel.
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Thus, in spite of obstacles, fighters overcome all hurdles due to their fighting spirit and improvisations. However, the warrior spirit or the fighting spirit is not restricted to warriors or martial artists only, since every human being is a fighter, who is fighting his or her own unique fight, in his or her own unique way. For example, American track star Gail Devers won the Gold Medal in the 100-meter sprint at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, after overcoming a debilitating illness which threatened to end her career.
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What is a fighting spirit?
Overcoming all odds displays a fighting spirit. It is also sometimes referred as resilience or the inner drive that a fighter possesses, which makes the fighter get up every time, and it is what defines a fighter. Some are of the opinion that fighters are born and not made, while others state that with training any person can become a fighter. Some others opine that the vicissitudes of life can make any person a fighter, as the person fights with the unfavorable circumstances for sheer survival, and therefore, life is the best teacher to make any person a fighter.
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Factors influencing the fighting spirit
Irrespective of whether a person is born or trained by life or otherwise, to become a fighter, it is found that there are factors which can influence the fighting spirit. These factors can either strengthen or weaken the fighting spirit.
Additionally, the same factor may be viewed differently by different individuals. For example, an injury may cause a martial artist to quit martial arts, while it may also cause another martial artist to continue martial arts, by resolving to perfect the techniques so that the chances of future injuries are eliminated or minimized. In the earlier case, the injury weakens the fighting spirit, while in the latter case it strengthens the fighting spirit; nevertheless, the cause being the injury is the same in both the cases. Therefore, the same factor can be viewed as weakening or strengthening by different individuals.
However, over a broad spectrum of cases, there are some common factors that are generally accepted to weaken or strengthen the fighting spirit in the majority of persons.
Few factors that weaken the fighting spirit
Aimlessness
—Unclear goals. Uncertainty about objectives can lead to a lack of motivation, which in turn weakens the fighting spirit. Clarity of objectives regarding what has to be achieved is important, otherwise a person is stuck in doing different things with no fruitful result in any of them. This leads to procrastination and depression, which makes a person to attempt nothing at all, as all earlier attempts ended in futility. But to do something, one has to do something, either in the same way for same results or in a different way for different results. Nothing changes if nothing changes.
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—No direction. Feeling directionless can sap energy and drive. Once, where to go is clear, then when to go and how to go, can also become clear. Not knowing where to go often leads to an identity crisis, which weakens the fighting spirit. Upon knowing one’s identity, which is usually one’s role in the prevailing circumstances, also helps to restore the fighting spirit.
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Negative environment
—Toxic relationships. Being surrounded by negative or unsupportive people weakens the fighting spirit. Family or friends with mental disorders like bipolar disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and more, can negatively affect any normal person, who generally suffers manipulations, humiliations, insults, lies, emotional blackmailing, domestic violence, physical abuse, and more.
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—Poor mentorship. Sometimes if the environment is not appropriate, or the persons who are looked upon are all wrong, then a lack of guidance or negative influences might make one to stray away from the correct path. Getting good mentors is a blessing.
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Stress and strain
—Anxiety. Chronic anxiety can wear down resilience and build up stress, which can weaken the fighting spirit. Diaphragmatic deep breathing helps to relieve stress and strain.
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—Doubting oneself. Negative self-talk and harboring negative thoughts in the mind, can impact the fighting spirit in a negative way. By taking action, one can rise up and overcome doubting oneself. For example, six-year-old Kacey McCallister lost both of his legs in an accident, but he chose to rise above his physical limitation. Now, he has learned to live without limits and is an athlete, author, motivational speaker and a family man.
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Injury or illness
—Health issues. Health problems can drain energy, focus, and weaken the fighting spirit. However, with guidance and support, the fighting spirit can be restored, and health can be improved.
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—Injuries. Any injury is always unfortunate and such physical setbacks can hinder progress and diminish motivation. Nonetheless, a supportive environment can enable a person to rekindle the fighting spirit, come out of an injury and make a comeback.
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Burnout
—Overtraining. Physical and mental exhaustion from excessive training or effort can cause weakening of the fighting spirit. Moderation is a virtue. Effective communication plays a crucial role in avoiding burnout issues.
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—Lack of Balance. Neglecting other aspects of life can lead to burnout, which weakens the fighting spirit. A human being is a social animal and has to participate in society in different roles. This participation gives necessary breaks, thereby creating a balance between work, life, and social obligations, which contributes towards avoiding a burnout or recovering from it physically, mentally and emotionally.
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Few factors that strengthen the fighting spirit
Generally, what does not weaken, strengthens. Thus, usually, the opposite of the factors that weaken are the factors that strengthen. Having a direction, goals, knowledgeable mentors, strong support system, moderated exercise plan, healthy diet, and more, leads to strengthening the fighting spirit.
Purpose and objectives
—Sense of purpose. Believing in a cause larger than oneself can fuel determination, which in turn can lead to strengthening the fighting spirit.
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—Clear objectives. Having well-defined goals provides direction and motivation. For example, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame, succeeded in his goals, despite significant obstacles, due to his clearly defined objectives, and never giving up on his dream.
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Strong support system
—Support from family and friends. A strong support network offers encouragement and emotional backing. The fighting spirit is greatly empowered if family and friends provide their unconditional support. Sometimes, not supporting is also a way of supporting, as by not supporting the fighting spirit might be awakened. Creating a financial fund in memory of loved ones is another type of giving support.
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—Support from mentors. Guidance from experienced individuals helps maintain focus, resilience, and increases the fighting spirit. In martial arts, instructors are the mentors, and every martial artist knows how valuable a role an instructor plays.
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Mental toughness
—Positive mindset. A positive attitude towards challenges and setbacks, distinguishes a fighting spirit. The fighting spirit is infused with the thoughts of overcoming odds and is therefore positive by its very nature. However, when faced with seemingly unsurmountable obstacles, negativity may arise due to doubts or failures, and at such times, having a positive mindset is crucial.
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—Self-Discipline. Consistent effort and self-control foster resilience, which dramatically impacts the fighting spirit. Self-discipline is the key that unlocks astounding levels of achievement. Discipline achieves what ambition seeks. Discipline makes dreams a reality.
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Physical health
—Regular exercise. Physical fitness contributes to mental strength and endurance. A healthy body has a healthy mind. Exercising regularly never fails to boost the fighting spirit.
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—Nutrition. A balanced diet provides the energy needed for sustained effort. Generally, nutrition goals are not uniform, since every individual’s nutritional needs are different. Seeking advice from a qualified nutritionist or dietician is usually known to be helpful.
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Experience and Training
—Skill Development. Continuous learning and skill enhancement builds confidence, which in turn, builds up the fighting spirit. With skill and confidence, different situations can be handled effectively in martial arts, as well as in life.
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—Adaptability. The ability to adjust strategies based on one’s own or other’s experiences, improves the fighting spirit. In any fight, circumstances always go on changing; hence, a martial artist has to always go on adapting to them.
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Faith
Faith is important in every endeavor of human life. For example, a person has faith in his or her own skills and thereby, delivers what is needed to perform a task. Similarly, a person while travelling puts faith in the skill of a driver of any transport vehicle, be it a bus, train, ship, or a plane. Thus, one can have faith in oneself or in others. Faith dramatically strengthens the fighting spirit.
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Faith also helps to continue after a setback. For example, Bethany Hamilton is an American professional surfer and author. When she was 13-year-old, while she was lying on her surfboard stomach-down, with her left arm dangling in the water, a shark attacked her and bit off her left arm just below the shoulder. Nonetheless due to her Christian faith, she regained her fighting spirit and ultimately returned to professional surfing. She wrote about her experiences in her autobiographical book, which was later also adapted for a feature film.
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Conclusion
The warrior spirit or the fighting spirit is required in all activities of life and more particularly when one falters. At that time, the fighting spirit makes one to get up and go on fighting. For example, Nick Vujicic suffers from tetra-amelia syndrome, a condition characterized by the absence of arms and legs. He is an Australian-American Christian evangelist, an author, and a motivational speaker. He is married, has children, and is living happily due to his invincible fighting spirit.
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If self-doubts set in and one is depressed or confused, then the fighting spirit cultivates the assurance that one can do it.
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Life delivers several blows, and one falls again and again. It is true that one falls, but then the fighting spirit also shows how to get up again and again, and how failures become the pillars of success.
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Sometimes, the progress is not as expected, and it seems like a plateau has been reached. At such times, the fighting spirit urges one to keep showing up. Simply showing up can help a person to cross that plateau and move further towards the desired progress.
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At other times, the fighting spirit raises the bar and compels one to perform at the highest standards.
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The fighting spirit is never rigid and because of its flexibility it adapts, improvises, and overcomes all kinds of obstacles. If one method does not work, then it adapts another method. However, the adaptation is not impulsive, rather it is carefully and logically thought out.
For example, one may adapt the S.M.A.R.T model of electronics on which mobile phones are built, and perhaps that is why mobile phones are also known as smart phones. Every action that a user performs on a mobile phone is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Thus, the acronym “S.M.A.R.T” for any task/ plan/ decision/ action that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable/ Actionable/ Attractive, Relevant/ Realistic/ Reasonable, and Time-bound. There are many such models; however, the underlying premise is that the fighting spirit is flexible and can utilize any model that it finds suitable to adapt, improvise, and overcome an obstacle.
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While working hard in an intelligently smart way, the fighting spirit also propels one to work on oneself. The best investment is investing in oneself. Learning new skills, getting healthier and more fit by eating more nutritious food and exercising, are investments that pay compounding dividends over the entire lifetime.
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Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, famously said:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On!’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” ― Calvin Coolidge
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The fighting spirit has faith, is flexible, determined, and persistent. Once the fighting spirit is fully ingrained in oneself, then the impossible becomes possible, and one can achieve anything that one desires.
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The fighting spirit is amazingly increased by faith. Faith is a very powerful motivator that can propel the fighting spirit to astounding heights of glory. One can have faith in any religion, any god, any doctrine, any teaching, any concept, any person, any object, or anything else. Faith results in conviction and complete trust, which makes the journey from the cradle to the grave a lot easier. Faith makes the fighting spirit to take life as it comes, day by day, moment by moment, and one day at a time.
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While fighting oneself or fighting others, the warrior spirit or the fighting spirit is not only helped by faith, but it is also helped by desires, dreams, ambitions, hopes, longing, yearning, trying, achievement, and love.
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Although ironic, yet sometimes, the fighting spirit might make one to lose, in order to win in other aspects. For example, Mike Tyson who is 58 years old, recently fought YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who is 27 years old, and Mike Tyson lost the fight. Some are of the opinion that the fight was scripted.
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Irrespective of whether this fight was scripted or not, it is truly the fighting spirit of martial artists that makes them to go on fighting by overcoming all obstacles. And it is due to the fighting spirit of Mike Tyson that he will always remain a boxing legend.
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