Proper mental attitude has three parts to it: 1) confidence , 2) composure, and 3) killer (survival) instinct which more appropriately, it should be called "justice instinct". A martial artist from the very first day to the end of his or her life should seek the balance between the three! This balance is relative in some measure, but that doesn't mean there is no objectivity.
Confidence comes first. You gain this attribute through mastery of essential martial arts tools/techniques, and by applying it in real time application (this takes time and is progressive in nature). Patience is the essential substratum of this stage. Without patience you can never develop confidence.
As soon as confidence reaches an adequate level, you will find yourself more and more in the 2nd stage which is composure and calmness. It is next to impossible to be composed without some measure of [real and tangible] psychological assurance (faith) on something that you wholeheartedly know you can rely on (i.e. proficiency and workability of our techniques and attributes).
Note: confidence and composure have nothing to do with pride and arrogance.
Once we experience this composure within different measures and in different settings, we, then gain better control and clarity on what justice (killer) instinct would entail.
Of course, this sense of justice doesn’t come from some void or a vacuum, but is derived from a moral, spiritual, and philosophical conviction. This conviction is based, [not] on blind faith, but on its observed universal effects on social fabric of any culture and society.
These three elements of: confidence, composure and justice instinct which make up the proper mental attitude, take time to develop and are often paths with many slippery stones! But that’s where the balance hides.
In short-----don’t confuse confidence with arrogance, composure with callousness/apathy, and justice instinct with either lunacy or with self-righteousness.
Powerful oceans have always sought the lowest elevation! Walk a humble and balanced path.
SHAHRAM MOOSAVI