The Wolf, the Serpent and the Eagle

[Xanatos]

In many traditional Eastern martial arts, there is a lot of influence and symbolism derived from the animal kingdom. By emulating the behaviour and characteristics of certain creatures, the warrior becomes one with nature and one with himself - which is why there is a lot of spiritualism attributed to such beasts as the tiger or elephant. Respect for such majestic and powerful creatures becomes a core part of any true martial artist's life, and having such connections to the animal kingdom (or 'spirit guides' in Native American tradition) and the rest of the natural world reflects a fundamental change in the way such warriors operate and conduct themselves. Similarly, the art of stealth can be explored on a more spiritual level by drawing such connections with animalistic spirits. After all, we operatives rely on forming a close-working relationship with the environment too. The three animal spirits I feel best encompass the attributes of a night operative are as follows:

The Wolf: instincts, courage, willpower.
The Serpent: patience, cunning, stealth.
The Eagle: intelligence, agility, foresight.

The nature of the Wolf is one of survival and defence; a hunter spirit that must rely on strength, courage and a keen instinct. A fearless predator, the Wolf musters courage and willpower to overcome any obstacle - no matter how perilous the situation gets - and is always prepared to either fight or flee, putting self preservation above other interests. The Wolf is not a reckless animal; in constant tune with its immediate surroundings, he intuitively knows how to conduct himself in any environment. When faced with an adversary or prey, he never approaches directly; always careful to circle the mark quietly and remain on their blind side.
Just as the Wolf knows no bounds, the operative should never lose courage or lack the willpower to accomplish a task or push ahead. Just as the wolf never surrenders, an operative should place priority on escape and evasion if ever compromised. And like the Wolf, an operative must always be in tune with their environment and trust in their instincts.

The nature of the Serpent is one of patience and deception; a slick and stealthy predator, this cold-blooded creature relies on ambush tactics and slow, steady movement close to the ground to remain unseen. The Serpent can lie in wait for hours at a time and remain perfectly still even when larger creatures step just inches away from it, its shape and camouflage masking its presence on the ground. The Serpent is able to slip through the most unnoticed crevices without making a sound, its slow and steady movements beguiling the fact that this is a quick and dangerous predator. The Serpent attacks not with brute strength, but with a venomous bite that does not take effect until long after the Serpent has passed.
Like the Serpent, the operative moves slowly and carefully, adapting their body to conform with the state of the terrain and taking the less obvious routes. Like the Serpent, the operative must often lie in wait for the opportune moment to move, remaining perfectly calm and stationary even as adversaries pass within arm's reach of them. And just as the presence of a Serpent may go unnoticed and its venomous bite takes time to have effect, the presence of an operative should not be suspected until long after they're gone.

The nature of the Eagle is one of intelligence and observation; a majestic predator of the skies, the Eagle has by far the greatest eyesight of any hunter. Favouring high places, the Eagle takes its time to survey the land below, viewing it from a perspective not shared by the unsuspecting prey. The Eagle is master of the skies; the heavens being its domain. The Eagle is able to calculate its descent with alarming accuracy, and when it comes down on a target it strikes precisely and decisively like a thunderbolt.
The operative should possess sharp eyesight and keen observation like the Eagle, able to see the things that everyone else ignores and view the environment from a perspective not shared by the enemy. The operative must possess the intelligence of an Eagle, weighing up all their options and calculating the best angle of approach before moving from one point to another. And just as the Eagle is master of the skies, the operative should be master of darkness - our domain. We own the night, after all.

We have all in our endeavours emulated these three creatures, perhaps without realising it. We may have had to exhibit the courage of the Wolf to overcome a treacherous obstacle or evade an enemy; we may have had to emulate the Serpent to hide from watchful eyes or crawl through dark spaces; we have all probably perched ourselves like Eagles up above areas of interest, observing the lit spaces below from the safety and comfort of the shadows. To fully understand the nature of these spirits, this 'dark trinity' must be viewed in a broader context.
Instead of looking at these three natures as separate entities, they must be viewed as a cyclic whole, each complimenting each other. After all, the path identified by the Eagle cannot be traversed without that first courageous step taken by the Wolf - the Wolf cannot proceed along that path without the stealth and patience of the Serpent - the Serpent cannot navigate or conduct itself correctly in correlation to its overall environment without the foresight of the Eagle, etc. In this way the operative becomes a hybrid spirit; encompassing aspects of the Wolf, the Serpent and the Eagle simultaneously.

Each animal can also correspond to a pattern or method of movement; the Serpent (low), the Wolf (level) and the Eagle (high). The Wolf is what we operatives most embody when exploring an area: sticking to the edges of the area, circumnavigating opponents, moving from cover to cover and keeping our eyes & ears open for anything that might be nearby. The Wolf is our most neutral mode of travel, but not entirely without wits or caution. The Serpent is our second most common mode of travel: encompassing low crawling, slow crouch walking, creeping under bridges or through tunnels & ditches and generally moulding our bodies to whatever we happen to be traversing along (pressing up against walls, lying low in the grass or behind logs, etc). The purpose of the Serpent is basically to minimize sound and silhouette, prioritising stealth above all else. The Eagle involves more agile movements: nimbly traversing uneven terrain as if gliding over it, vaulting and precision jumping over obstacles, climbing buildings and trees, leaping across gaps and down heights, moving along rooftops, hills, rafters, etc. The Eagle's focus is on agility and speed, performing feats to reach areas that others cannot.

The nature of each spirit also affects how we view our environment; how would each animal view a specific scene? The Wolf looks through the eyes of its prey; it sees the obvious, the dangerous, that which we must avoid (lights, walkways, security devices, people, etc). The Serpent relies on observing precisely that which is not obvious to the casual observer or that which is wilfully ignored; the shadows, the holes in the fence, the hide spots, the tools, the distractions, etc. The Eagle has the broadest view; it sees the environment in its totality and sees the relation between the dark and the light, the obvious and the not so obvious, the direct and indirect, the Thieves' Highways.

Some of these views may seem contradictory, but in fact complement each other quite well. For instance, the Wolf and the Eagle would have a fundamentally different view when observing the same scene. Imagine a typical backyard with the light on in the kitchen window and somebody inside fixing themselves a midnight snack. The Wolf may view the area as alien and hostile, while the Eagle sees the environment as accommodating and safe. Note the difference between 'area' and 'environment'. Even though the Wolf may be threatened by the presence of a stranger in their own territory, the Eagle is safe in the knowledge that, although this area belongs to its adversary, the environment is one that the Eagle is master of. In this case the operative has the upper hand, when viewing through Eagle eyes.

Probably the most obvious contextualisation of these three spirits is how to deal with a confrontation. As operatives our only options are hiding, running and fighting (matched to the Serpent, Eagle and Wolf respectively). This is where the hybrid nature of the 'dark trinity' comes into play, as the operative needs to assess the situation and adopt whichever spirit is called upon the most, as well as being able to adapt and change on the fly. Embodying these three spirits is not a static state of being, but a constantly changing dynamic one. Just travelling across a single open space one may embody the mindset of all three animals at once - 'shifting gears' according to circumstance, if you will.

But back on the subject of confrontations, each approach is not mapped specifically to each creature; after all, Eagles can also hide, Wolves can also run, Serpents can also fight. It's about adopting the spirit/essence of each creature to suit the scenario. For instance; one may hide in the grass or under a table and remain perfectly still like the Serpent, or climb a tree or rooftop and above the line of sight like the Eagle, or circle an opponent and remain out of their FOV like the Wolf. When fleeing, one may rely on sheer speed and endurance of the Wolf to outrun their pursuers; one may change directions, constantly duck out of sight and employ other means of deception and misdirection to confuse their enemy like the Serpent; one may exercise extreme agility and navigate difficult terrain and put many obstacles between themselves and their chasers like the Eagle. When faced with the undesirable option of combat, one may rely on the savage strength and reflexes of the Wolf; one may rely on deception and "cloak & dagger" techniques as the Serpent; one may rely on speed and agility to out-manoeuvre opponents like the Eagle. There have been countless volumes written on martial arts based on animal behaviour which I will not go into detail here.

Despite all the differences I have outlined between the Wolf, the Serpent and the Eagle there is one thing they all have in common: a predatory instinct. As Night Operatives, we must constantly dwell in the hunters' mindset. The prey always try to shy away from danger, but the predator presses on in the face of danger and strives to deal with it. Ever seen footage of lionesses hunting in the Savannah? They creep right into entire herds of various horned creatures, completely outnumbered and just a few hooves & antlers away from a brutal death. That's who we are; creeping into the lion's den, outnumbered, outgunned, on the adversary's turf yet never at a disadvantage. Even though we are not all spies, assassins and thieves, having the mindset of a hunter is paramount to survival and success. After all, the most difficult kind of game to hunt is another apex predator. As operatives we must always be one step ahead and be prepared to adapt at a moment's notice - our very lives depend upon it.

This is by no means a comprehensive guide of any sort, just a little something for those interested in exploring the animal/spiritual side of martial arts brought to light (or rather, brought to night) into the realm of Night Ops. As you may have noticed, this is not a compendium of techniques or cool moves; it's all about the mindset and spiritual nature of the three animals I feel best represent the spirit of the Night Operative. We are survivors, deceivers and observers who work in the secrecy of the shadows. Whereas combat martial arts prepare you for the fight and Parkour prepares you for the flight (in the words of David Belle), I like to think of this 'dark trinity' as preparing you mentally and spiritually for 'fight, flight and staying-out-of-sight'. The essence of the Wolf, Serpent and Eagle govern our every action, and understanding that spiritual correlation helps us better understand and explore our own skills, potential and meaning behind who we are, what we do and why.
Also, when did I turn into a fucking sage?

[Zerg]

I will think of situations this way on my next op... Warriors for thousands of years have integrated their observations of animals and their behaviors into their training and combat technique... and for good reason. Us humans tend to consider ourselves superior to the rest of the animal kingdom, but if you think in terms of survival, we are pathetic compared to wolves, serpents, and eagles(and basically everything else). Animals, if you spend time to watch them, will teach you a lot about stealth and evasion. Anyway, I've never thought about it as a trinity like this, thanks for the new perspective.

[Roxas]

beautiful... i realized i need to work on this...i see two traits of the eagle in me
no traits of the serpent in me and one trait of wolf in me...

intelligence, will power, and foresight

[Xanatos]

Us humans tend to consider ourselves superior to the rest of the animal kingdom, but if you think in terms of survival, we are pathetic compared to wolves, serpents, and eagles(and basically everything else).

Adaptation and ingenuity are the homo sapiens' strong points, which is exactly what we operatives need to be. Even if it means borrowing from the rest of the animal kingdom.

beautiful... i realized i need to work on this...i see two traits of the eagle in me
no traits of the serpent in me and one trait of wolf in me...

intelligence, will power, and foresight

You probably possess more of these attributes than you realise, I think most of us do. They're so integral to our nature that we don't even notice them unless we undergo a thorough introspection (or insomnia in my case).
The nine attributes I listed at the start of the article is by no means the complete list, just aspects relating to the 'character' of each animal spirit. I'm sure you can think of more.

[Ghost]

I've read through this a few times, but I haven't had time to write up a good reply yet. Short story: I like it.

Edit: And now I have time to type up a reply. At the beach. That alone should be a decent indication as to how important I feel this topic is. I'll skip the obvious relation to certain eastern martial arts - it's something everyone knows about, and anyone who doesn't can go do the research themselves.

The first thing that came to mind when talking to you about this idea was that it was such a coincidence, because several members with whom I op have developed a similar system, where they "channel" the attributes of a specific animal for desired results. Sort of a focus, if you will. The animal is a wolf. Upon reading your thread, however, I'm beginning to think that it isn't much of a coincidence at all. Your conclusion that these are all facets of that predatory instinct is I think one of the most important parts - magnifying, or perhaps unsuppressing a part of ourselves that is no longer needed in our regular lives. I like to think that both you and my opping partners developed a very similar, if not the same exact method for doing this in complete exclusion of each other. I have a different method for doing so, but it's the same basic idea in that it allows unrestricted access to those predatory instincts.

As to how this relates to spirituality? Well, for some people there is something "spiritual" about tapping into these predatory instincts and existing for a short period of time on a more basic level. I like to think of it as being similar to meditation, or perhaps even prayer for some.

[Xanatos]

I felt that the Wolf was the 'primary' spirit in this trinity since it reflects our most basic survival instinct, even outside of the realm of Night Ops. Mankind has a long history with wolves, so it's only natural to share a connection with these beautiful creatures beyond pets & enemies.

[kevlar]

i can tell you guys an amazing story about animals. bear (pun intended) with me, this is personal.

in middle school i had problems with going to school. every single fiber of my being started to protest. i did not wanna go no matter what.
after a few weeks and a couple of very very embarrassing times were my mother dragged me to school, (literally) i went to a psychiatrist.
i first learned to get control of my life, i was the one who determined what was going to happen. that was taken care of. now the courage and will power.
this is the part were it gets really interesting. she held up a deck of cards with animals on them. it must have been 50 cards or even more. i had to choose a card of an animal that i liked. i saw the eagle and did not look any further. i picked it and showed her.
the eagle is intelligent, calm, and is not an attention seeker. he likes to soar trough the skies all by itself, but when the eagle must take charge he is capable of leading, it is a silent leader.
then i had too pick an animal i despised. i saw all kinds of animals i didn't like, but one stood out. the turkey, yes, it is an animal who is easy to catch and will play the victim. he is to be eaten. he is weak.
then she flipped the deck around so i couldn't see the animals on the card. i had to pick one. that card was going to be my motivation card.
i carefully picked one, not that it mattered, and once i turned it around to see what my faith was i saw a mountain lion.
the mountain lion is a strong animal. if he sees something he wants he will get it. no matter what.
a mountain lion has a motto:
i want it
i can do it
i am doing it

ever since i never had panic attacks, hell i've been trough worse then school and the motto always stood beside me. willpower will get you further then strength.
i am proud to be an eagle personality, i have some traits from the wolf, and i learned the act as a snake in the army. that combined with the mountain lion, is what i think could make a hell of an operator.

however i do realize i am not flawless, and will make mistakes, i can only hope they turn out well.

[Xanatos]

Interesting tale. The Wolf can be substituted for pretty much any predatory mammal, but I like to think of the wolf as more applicable to Night Ops because of its 'survivalist' nature when compared to things such as tigers.

however i do realize i am not flawless, and will make mistakes, i can only hope they turn out well.

You're never perfect, but you're always better than yesterday.

[kevlar]

a mistake is only a mistake if you never learn form it. a mistake that you learn from is called a lesson

[theconfusedone]

Thank you for typing this all out, this was an amazing read. Kinda made me realize that I spend 90% of my time like the wolf and that I will have to switch it up more in order to work most efficiently. I do not nearly utilize an eagle's perspective as much as I should. Now I am excited to try an elevated scouting position for my next op if it is feasible. I'll post my thoughts on this subject here after my next op.

[kevlar]

it is the mindset really. i like the eagle for it watches and plans his move.