TRIADIC THEORY OF ADVERSARIAL PSYCHOEMOTIONAL STATES (ทฤษฎีของจิตใจ๓ศัตรูรัฐส)

The trained Martial Artist typically undergoes his training in a controlled environment absent the violent unpredictable nature of real spontaneous conflict of everyday life. Because most martial artists have little or no real first-hand experience and all out fighting but rather semi cooperative sparring and or sporting combat they can be ill equipped to deal with a real fight skilfully and effectively. The primary obstacle is not physical but rather psychological and emotional or "psychoemotional".

There are at least three elements which contribute to the dynamic of violent or potentially violent interpersonal confrontations which interact and cause either an escalation or deescalation of the situation. The three elements are:

1. Your psyhoemotional state , experience, training, demeanor etc.

2. The psychoemotional state of the adversary in relation to you and;

3. The interplay of these elements.

The first element, you, is a matter that is beyond the scope of this chapter which you must analyze and understand on your own accord therefore it is not the premise of this theory. The second element will be the primary focal point of this chapter the Muay Sena Triadic Theory of Adversarial Psycho-emotional state. 

While it is often impossible to know the adversaries skillset, experience and physical strengths and weaknesses prior to actual combat movements commencing, it is possible to analyze and assess a potential adversaries psychoemotional state as it relates to the conflictory interaction with the trained martial artist, ie. yourself. 

According to the Muay Sena Triadic Theory of Adversarial Psychoemotional States there exists three distinct states of mind intrinsic to an individual who is engaged in pre-combat or combat with a trained fighter, a Combat Psychology. Each of these psychoemotional states effect the adversaries physiology and  decision-making process and manifests in ways which either increase or decrease their pugnaciousness and actual ability to fight effectively. 

The three psychoemotional states delineated in the Muay Sena Triadic Theory are :

1. Non-Cognizant ;

2. Cognizant and ; 

3. Cognizant Negligence.

The first of these three psychoemotional states is characterized by an adversary who was unaware of the fact that you are a trained martial artist hence the title Non- Cognizant. Due to the very nature of most conflict in daily life it is unlikely your adversary will know you at all let alone be aware of your training therefore this is the most likely seen psychoemotional state the trained martial artist will be faced with in violent or potentially potentially violent encounters. This state is perhaps the most complex and unpredictable of the three because the adversary may react in any possible manner.

When confronted with an adversary who is non cognizant of your skills the psychoemotional state of the adversary is dictated by two factors: 

1. Their internal processes and proclivities and ; 

2. How they interpret and process the external stimuli you present. 

The adversaries base characteristics and conditioned response to conflict is the primary governing factor which informs their decision-making process. The adversaries choices are driven by ego ,  self image , fear ,  anger ,  a desire to not lose face or cede ground especially in the presence of others etc. These phenomenon deal with the adversaries mental and emotional makeup and are largely unchangeable by outside entities however the second factor does include contributing elements which can influence the adversaries state and escalate or deescalate the situation. External stimuli you present can be categorized into two groups physical and mental. 

On the physical side the adversary will be consciously and/or subconsciously evaluating things such as your height , build , style of dress and hair , tattoos and perhaps most importantly your body language.

Mentally the adversaries psychoyemotional state and resulting actions will be influenced heavily by the nature of the conflict in relation to the role you've played and it's a rising and more significantly how you respond to their belligerence or the situation in general.

Some adversaries will lack sufficient self-control to consider some or all external information and will be motivated primarily by their inner workings. Such adversaries are often reduced to the most primitive human instinct of fight or flight. For most however the way they perceive you both physically as well as your demeanor will be what influences the course of action they decide upon. While each adversary will be influenced by these two factors in different ways and more strongly by one or the other it is the complex interplay of these two elements which ultimately determines if one the adversary decides to fight and to how the adversary will fight. How the adversary fights includes the objective of his decision to fight if any and what he is willing to do to accomplish accomplish those objectives , his  level of cognitive function and awareness of his and your movements , levels of adrenalization which will affect his motor skills , strength , speed , stamina and ability to process sensory input and fight intelligently as well as his response to pain & injury etc.

The powerful psychoyemotional and physiological effects of violent interpersonal conflict and combat can affect the adversary in many ways however these can be classified into two groups ; 

1. Those which deteriorate their ability to fight effectively making them less dangerous and ;

2. Those which improve their ability to fight effectively rendering them more dangerous. 

When an altercation with an individual arises where said individual is unaware of your training in the fighting Arts the playing field is pretty much neutral in regards to the adversary's psychochemotional state. An individual cannot be affected by information they do not possess as such the events that transpired prior to combat as well as the initial movements of the physical engagement are influenced by the aforementioned factors. If violent confrontation does commence the adversary will probably realise rather quickly that you are a trained in some form of martial arts providing you utilize that skillset effectively or in a noticeable manner. If the adversary does realize he is engaged in a fight with a trained fighter their psychoemotional state then becomes one of either cognizant or cognizantly negligent. 

Cognizance of the fact that you are a trained martial artist in the consciousness of an adversary can cover a rather broad spectrum of awareness. An adversaries cognizance of your skills may be as minute as a visual indicator was suggested perhaps your stance or body language some insignia or word on your body in the forms of tattoos or on your clothing or even the clothing itself etc.

Another means in which the adversary may become cognizant of your training is from you simply telling them as much for whatever reason. A more unequivocal awareness of your skill set may come from the adversaries knowledge of who you are either through hearsay or from first-hand knowledge. 

How the adversary obtained the cognizance of your training can significantly affect the degree of influence it has on his psychoemotional state. Whatever the case may be in the adversaries acquisition of the cognizance this psychoemotional state is characterized by an awareness of you being a trained martial artist. 

An additional trait of this psychoycemotional state is the adversary not only being aware of you being a trained fighter but also factoring this into the equation when making his decision an element which is absent in the final psychoemotional state of cognizant negligence. 

An adversaries cognizance of your Martial Arts training can effect their psychoemotional state in a number of ways ranging from trepidation to circumspection, vigilance to strategizing. 

The adversarial mind-state can be easiest to reason with and come to a nonviolent resolution or the most cunning with and deceptive. An adversary who is aware of your abilities and has the presence of mind and stability to consider this and his decision-making process does so for any of three general reasons ; 

1. Out of fear of your combat prowess or perceive danger to them ;

2. Out of an analytical point of view in which they weigh the risks to benefit ratio and possible ramifications of engaging in combat with you relative to the issue in contention and ;

3. Out of a motivation to defeat you using some strategy they feel will exploit a perceived vulnerability you have either real or imagined. 

An adversary motivated primarily by fear of your capabilities is usually too intimidated by you or his perception of you to openly confront or fight with you. This adversary would typically retrieve physically or verbally once cognizant of your skill-set however certain types of adversaries can be so afraid or ashamed of their own cowardice or imagined loss of self-image or damage to their ego that they will resort to Machiavellianism often indirect acts of aggression which can be rather dangerous and difficult to defend against. 

These attacks will seldom be of a conventional nature the adversary motivated by fear we're usually utilize guerrilla-style Ambush surprise attacks designed to minimize exposure of themselves to the risk of having to confront you on equal terms. 

Instilling or encouraging fear in adversaries or potential adversaries can be a very perilous endeavor indeed . It is not promoted by or condoned in the Muay Sena method not only is this intimidation tactic tantamount to bullying and an abuse of power but in a more practical sense it can expose the practitioner to very real and unpredictable dangerous wielded unwisely. The adversary who is coherent and intelligent enough to cogitate the pros and cons of escalating a quarrel with a trained fighter to an actual physical confrontation but is not motivated primarily by fear is usually the wisest of all adversaries. 

This adversarial psychoemotional  state is one of calculation, and consideration of his decisions and actions. This adversary will ruminate on the factors such as the nature of the conflict its seriousness your demeanor and response to the issue all viable nonviolent remedies which are available and finally the potential ramifications of fighting a trained martial artist and if unavoidable how best to secure some advantage in the fight. The adversary who was cognizant of your skills and takes the time to analyze the situation is almost always the easiest to communicate with and come to a nonviolent conclusion to the matter. Most incidents of violence are unnecessary and this is the for emotional state in which that fact can be effectively elucidated to the potential adversary. This approach to conflict is the method that is taught to and practiced by The Muay Sena exponent as it avails intelligent noncommittal position to objectively evaluate the situation and choose an appropriate and proportional course of action. Well nonviolent resolution is not always possible this position also avails its adopter access to intelligent and strategical offensive and counter effects of options.

The final sub -state of cognizance is an adversary who uses his knowledge of your skill set as a weapon against you. This can manifest in the disturbing number of ways from immediate attack to delayed response to the conflict. 

This psychoemotional sub-state is unequivocally the one which renders an adversary the most dangerous. What is so potentially perilous about an adversary who is conscious of your skills and chooses to plot on you with that in mind is that they are demonstrating a level of sophistication and machination in their thinking which can prove to be devastating and leave you defenseless if their capacities are sufficient to carry out their plans effectively.

Although this type of adversary may attack you during the actual dispute it is more likely that they will wait until you are most vulnerable or at least able to defend yourself. This delayed response is sometimes accompanied by a false submission or an accord of peace by the adversary which may only last until you turn your back or an extended period of time in which the adversary will plot and select the time place and manner he will assault you.

However this adversary chooses to attack you it will certainly be in a way that they feel will target your weaknesses either real or imagined.

This vulnerability may be of a psychological , emotional , spatial , physical or chronological nature or any combination of these. 

While the adversary who attacks during the confrontation can do so with varying degrees of success depending on your readiness training and experience with addressing set in the tax the adversary which waits till your expose our ambushes you in some way can be extremely effective in accomplishing their objectives be it humiliation , physical harm or assassination. In such cases your fighting skills will usually be of little or no use.

Apart from avoiding and descalating conflict ,  your best defense against an adversary with this psychoemotional sub-state is being vigilant and always aware of your surroundings and prepare to act without hesitation if presented with threats.

The final of the three psychochemotional states described in the of Muay Sena Triadic Theory is Cognizant Negligence.

This psychoemotional state carries some rather disturbing connotations. An adversary who is aware of your being a trained Martial Artist but it's apathetic to this fact presents a unique set of challenges. Such reckless abandon in this regard to such vital information and a failure to factor said information into the decision-making process speaks to some form of instability which may stem from any or all of the following conditions : 

1. The adversary is suffering from some form of psychological disorder which inhibit their ability to normally process social interaction and or potential danger ; 

2. The adversary is under the influence of some intoxicant or mind-altering substance such as a drug or alcohol and ;

3 . The adversary is so heavily adrenalized due to their fear anger etcetera that they are unable to process the information sufficiently or at all. 

The adversary who is Cognizantly Negligence of the fact that you are a potentially dangerous opponent is reckless and seldom receptive to logical reasoning or nonviolent conflict resolution. These types of adversaries who are affected by cognizant negligence can prove to be either easy to neutralize due to their diminished capacities causing the recklessness or exceedingly difficult to do for the same reason. 

Adversaries who display this psychoemotional state as a result of intoxication from alcohol , drugs , emotions and/or adrenaline tend to lack the cognitive function and motor skills to pose a serious threat to the well trained Martial Artist , however that is not always the case.

On the opposite end of the spectrum those affected by mental disorders or narcotics can present performance enhancing properties such as PCP , methamphetamines etc. , can exhibit traits such as abnormally high levels of strength , speed, stamina , pain & injury tolerance, determination etc. , as a result of their brains inability or reduced ability to process sensory input or normally regulate physiological processes. 

In any event the adversary who is Cognizantly Negligent must be handled with special care to avoid having to seriously hurt them or risk injury to self.

These are the three psychochemotional states an adversary will be exposed to when confronted with conflict of with a trained Martial Artist. 

While transitions between any of the three is possible an adversary can not be affected by more than one state at a time. 

In conclusion  when a trained Martial Artist is faced with potentially violent confrontation  in everyday life it is their responsibility to maintain "Jai Yen" or a cool heart. 

As a trained individual it is your obligation to yourself and your teachers to exercise humility,patience, understanding, mindfulness compassion and forbearance while exploring all possible nonviolent conflict resolutions. While this option is sometimes denied, a committal to descalation and non-violent response on your part is your most powerful tool. Adversaries are often motivated by irrational things such as ego and pride and must be approached with this in mind. 

Let us be reminded of the words of one of the greatest Martial strategist of all time, Sun Tzu who once said :

"It is not the greatest skill to fight and win 100 battles , but to win without having to fight."