Killer Instinct
However, what lies next in the progress of the mental development is Honshin. Honshin is not just knowing what is right, but the ability to adjust to any given situation with the right action. One of the first questions a beginner will ask, after learning a few techniques, is how will I know which technique to use in an attack, and the answer is by Honshin. This state of mind allows a student to know what needs to be done and when. It allows for the severity of a situation and the many different possible reactions that can be given by a martial artist. More Bullshin. You know what to do in a given situation by repetitious training. Good basketball players, baseball players, or Judo players know what to do, and when to do it, because they have practiced it endlessly.
In example, an attacker may grab your arm, which could be nothing more than a bothersome situation, a prelude to a strike, or an extremely aggressive assault leading to a possible rape or kidnapping. If a person reacts with a killer instinct, he/she may kill when the situation does not warrant it. True. Or if a person tries to 'figure' out what to do, they may hesitate and not success in defending themselves. True. But by being able to rely on Honshin, the person will know what to do, when to do it, and how much force to use. Not true. The person will be able to interpret the intent of the grab from the circumstances, and, due to training, will be able to react with the proper response. Mind cleansing has nothing to do with it.
Properly developed Honshin allows a martial artist to be free to act without hesitation. It also allows the person to act without guilt. Whoa! Sounds like a killer instinct to me. Too many times after a self defense situation, a person will second guess themselves. They will ask themselves over and over again, what could they have done differently. But by achieving Honshin, the person does not have to agonize over the decisions made during the confrontation, they will know they did the right thing. Yea right! Any person with a conscious will agonize over having to hurt or kill another person, even if the cause was just. The author is telling us that Honshin trains us to eliminate our conscious. Does he really believe this is better than a killer instinct?