Keeping in mind the fear trajectory discussed above under the King and Queen of Emotions, below is a menu of vulnerability cues to consider where adversaries are concerned. As any boxing coach will tell you this is the area where the fight takes place, in the minds of the fighters. With the exception of remarkably gifted fighters such as Ali, and masterful talents like Mayweather, fighters who do not bring the following characteristics under control through discipline, don’t go far.

As far as survival situations in urban environments go, it is the psychological discipline cultivated by the trained fighter that accounts for his success far more often than his sport specific body mechanics. I must say, of the hundreds of fighters I have faced in bouts and duels, I have only ‘broken’ a few of them over hundreds of victories. Where the hundreds of criminals, workplace bullies, abusive supervisors, and even packs of feral dogs that have threatened me in everyday life are concerned, I’ve broken the will of nearly all of them.

The process is simple:

1. Do not back down

2. Do not give attack cues [like calling a black man the n-word]

3. Utilize their emotive cues as a veritable control panel for their psyche

A glance at this list and an assessment of people you know, will reveal the fact that virtually every person you come into day-to-day contact with is at or beyond the psychological breaking point, and hence easily manipulated or broken. The following cues indicate emotional vulnerability in that the observation of these behaviors is sure proof that this person cannot consistently control them. Keep in mind that there are many gradations of vulnerability within each cue.

Emotive Cue Checklist

1. Fearful

2. Angry [the surest indication of a brittle and easily broken mind]

3. Talkative

4. Argumentative

5. Loud

6. Boastful

7. Pitiful [crying and whining]

8. Seeks approval

9. Needs approval

10. Impressed by size, appearance and style

Fearfulness [#1] and the need for approval [#9] are responsible for the low level of participation and retention of women in combat sports. Coaching most women is a constant exercise in the infusion of will into a soul that is not content to be alone under stress. Coaching female fighters is exhausting due to the almost sure presence of both of these factors. Imagine three, four, or six cues in one person?

The duality that causes most male combat athletes to wash out early is a combination of anger [#2] with the tendency to be impressed by size and other appearance issues [#10]. Fighters that cannot conquer their anger—which is a manifestation of their inner weakness—do not progress normally, and are essentially retarded in terms of combat preparation.