I find it interesting that I start the OP with what are the building blocks (cornerstone, foundation) of martial arts and the thread seems to be about what you need to win a fight. Anyway, don't mind me. Carry on.
Getting back to the point, I'm going to add humility. I've lost count of how many people I've seen walk into a dojo thinking they are "the man". They never last. There is always going to be someone better than you, and you should strive to better yourself by learning from them.
And leading on from that, honest self assessment. If you cannot identify your own weaknesses, you cannot improve on them.
