It's Not What You Say.
Years ago when I was in Los Angeles and Ronald Reagan was president I commented to my friend Robert that I really enjoyed a recent speech by the president. Robert was not terribly impressed with the president's words, so I said, "Even so, even if you did not care for the words, more than the actual words it was the way he delivered them. It was the American pride one felt with his words."
My friend laughed and said, "That is what everyone says about Reagan, he is an actor, all show and no content."
Well today we all know that Ronald Reagan was in fact a very intelligent man and certainly one of our better presidents. His writings reveal a great and perceptive mind. Truly he was under-appreciated by many.
But on to our point; the content vs. the delivery.
When I was in college we would flock to courses given by renowned economists and authors of economic text books, only to discover that often they were boring lecturers and poor teachers. The content was great but the delivery was so poor as to make it almost useless. Listening to these guys late at night (I took evening courses) was almost a guarantee for drowsiness.
There is an old saying, "It is not what you say – it is what you project". (If there is not such a saying, then there should be.) This is true in business, in dating and in life in general. It is often not your content that people respond to, it is the confidence and the style that you project.
Perhaps no where is this more true than in self defense.
Years ago Itay Gil was conducting a belt test for my students. Naftali did not have the best technique, in fact he actually forgot some of the techniques he was supposed to know, but what he knew – he did well. Itay gave him the "Outstanding Student Award" and explained, "It was his intensity, the confidence with which he performed the techniques. In real life that is what will make all the difference."
When confronting a bully we all know that projecting confidence and strength can actually prevent the outbreak of violence and end the confrontation peacefully. And if you must fight, fighting with confidence, projecting the attitude that you are a winner, will go a long way in your favor.
Krav Maga is known for its aggressive attitude. When I once asked a member of a special unit what their secret was to apprehending dangerous terrorists he said it was a dramatic entry, their attitude, their confidence. Their attitude simply overwhelmed the startled opponents before anything even started.
With Krav Maga we are the bulldog with the big bark, the pit bull that won't give up, the junkyard dog with an attitude; we have no choice. When you are one tiny democracy surrounded by fanatical Muslims losing is not an option.
In Krav Maga we may not have many techniques but they imbued with fierce attitude and aggression. This not only throws your attacker off guard it actually empowers you as well.
The street is not a fair fight, it is not an agreed upon match between two honorable gladiators, there are no rules. You must use every trick and tactic to your advantage.
In life it is not always what you say, or what you know, but how you project it.