I pose a question to find your view on the mindset that exists today.
1. Is a true fighter one who defeats all of his opponents?
2. Or, is a true fighter one who shows no fear in the face of combat?
3. Is a true fighter one who attains a certain level or descends form a certain lineage?
I have my viewpoints, and am willing to share them, but first I would like to hear yours.
Sifu
I'll answer my views on your
I'll answer my views on your questions then give my opinion.
1. Few fighters win all fights, some never win a single one. Some do not live to fight a second.
2. Neither in my time in martial arts nor in the military have I met anyone that was not scared at some point to fight. Contrary in battle, fear can help keep you alive as long as you don't let it take over.
3. Lineage or level mean little in the reality of conflict. What really matters is whether one can actualize that which they train. Some can, some can't. Some never "studied" a day in their life but they just fight well. Some have terrible "fighting structure" but fight well "despite" what they do. A system is a tool for a fighter to use, but it hardly defines a fighter.
As with any conceptual question, the answer is largely dependent on how one would define the concept in question. In this case, how would you define a "fighter?"
Is it someone who regularly engages in conflict? Or simply one who has the mentality to fight? If they must fight, is it dependent on the situation?
There are lots of people who regularly engage in fighting. Any MMA fighter that walks into the cage or boxer that goes into the ring is intent on defeating his/her opponent. But does that make them a true fighter? Or is the true fighter, a 5'2" 110 lbs. mother fighting an assailant for the safety of her child? She may not have the physical attributes nor the skills necessary to defeat her opponent, and its quite true she may lose. However in that singular moment I would wager her "fighting intent" would be much more violent than that of any fighter that is stepping into a cage. Probably more than a soldier fighting in the battlefield.
Then this raises the question. Does the intent need be violent? Maybe its just to fight for survival. In that case, is not a cancer patient undergoing incredibly taxing therapy also to be considered a "fighter?"
I don't think there is a true singular answer to the question. As there are too many variables which may impact the situation. Some such would make an individual which would have never fought before to become incredibly savage. And as with any concept, it can vary depending on our own personal perspectives.