They say it isn't culturally dependent, but they don't mention Asian cultures.
They talk about evolutionary psychology and speculate that the problem may be very old. For example in early hominids, high athletic ability may have conferred high status by virtue of being a better hunter. Although high intellect could have been useful when the tribe was faced with a problem needing an original solution, there could also have been suspicion that the smart ones had the ability to manipulate everyone else. I'm not completely convinced, but that's just me.
I think they confuse warfare with hunting. Hunting takes patience, focus, deep thought, and its mostly a solitary activity involving ambush.
I also think they confuse urban cultures with hunter-gatherers. Hunter-gatherers rely on trust and knowledge sharing.
Most sports and even most of today's combative disciplines are highly structured and highly ritualistic activities that involve group activities following a set pattern where compliance is valued over individual discretion. Such group discipline allows teams to win over individuals or a collection of individuals.
David killed Goliath using his mind. But David alone of even 10 davids would have no chance against 100 davids with clubs running mindlessly at them.
Compliance may be very new from an evolutionary perspective. The American Indians were NOT compliant when they first were asked to be, nor were the Scottish, nor are the Finns today. Neanderthals were easily stronger than ANY of our well-trained athletes today and had larger brains and they were very formidable hunters and took down the largest mammals we've seen, but they are not around.
Evolution does not necessarily select for intelligence, only survival. Nor is compliance or intelligence mutually incompatible nor for that matter strength. But maybe because someone WAS weak, it was easier to make them compliant, and because they were smart, they realized they would lose and thus they survived and all this meant they had more kids.
Maybe compliance is a survival trait and the teacher is subconsciouly trying to teach it just like the teacher would not let a kid play with a knife?
