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Nial Fuller

NIAL FULLER Nial Fuller
Professional Trader, Author & Coach

What Crocodiles Can Teach You About Trading

crocodile tradingHere in tropical Australia, the saltwater crocodile is a fearsome and intelligent predator known to wait patiently for days or weeks on end until unaware prey come to the water’s edge and become its next meal. Crocodiles are by many accounts the most successful animal that has ever lived; they’ve been around for about 200 million years and have out-lived the Dinosaurs, and they’ve evolved over time to become perhaps the most successful predator on Earth, next to humans.  Crocodiles are opportunistic predators; they’ve been known to learn the behavior of their prey and lie in wait for long periods of time almost to the point of starving, and then when the time is right they snatch their prey with confidence and precision.

In fact, it is quite common for people to swim with these animals for days or even weeks without any sign of aggression, until one day somebody goes swimming, fishing or even walking, and they never return. This demonstrates real-world evidence that one of the oldest and most methodical predators on Earth is also one of the most patient and disciplined that has ever lived. Darwin’s survival of the fittest theory certainly favors this creature; they’ve been around since Dinosaur times because their method of hunting and adapting is so successful. The salt water crocodile is perhaps nature’s ultimate “sniper”… it only needs to eat once a week or so because it makes high quality kills rather than a high quantity of low-quality kills.

As traders, there’s a ton of things we can learn from the crocodile, let’s discover some of them…

Crocodiles are a trader’s best role model

The crocodile is actually our best role model as traders; their behavior is really the perfect metaphor for how a trader needs to behave. We are without doubt predators, not just trading predators, but as humans we are naturally built and function as hunters. As traders, we must copy the crocodiles’ methods of hunting; we must be disciplined, patient, adaptable and methodical in our approach. Crocs have also demonstrated an ability to learn quickly and avoid risky situations as we will discuss more about later, these are also things that we need to do as traders.

Think of the crocodile…he’s big, fat, long and needs A LOT of protein in his diet to survive, to swim and to hunt. Is his energy best spent going around all day eating little bait fish which are easy to catch? Imagine how much energy he would expend trying to catch a high quantity of low-quality prey like that all day. If you have ever seen these crocodiles like I have in person, you will understand what I am saying; crocs are designed and have evolved to be patient “sniper” hunters…many little meals do not interest them as much as a big juicy nourishing meal does.

By trading less… our aim is to make a nice large “meaty” size trade that sustains us until our next trade. Sure we may have a few losses along the way to our big prize, but the goal here remains clear; waiting on the sidelines (or the shores of the river like the crocodile) to pounce on our prey and cop a huge nourishing meal. We don’t want to be running all over the pond or river looking for any small piece of meat or fish that we can find…we are going to wait it out and score ourselves a nice big juicy profitable trade (or in the crocodiles case, probably a kangaroo, a dog, or maybe even a human).

There is an expression in the English language that most will have heard at some point in their lives: “All good things come to those who wait”. This phrase is merely discussing the merits of being patient, possibly frugal, disciplined and well planned, but its implications are profound and very true for both the crocodile and the trader.

It may shock some of you to know that nowadays I may trade only 3 times per week or even less some weeks. You’re probably thinking “That’s not enough trades to make money”, I don’t blame you for thinking that way and it’s easy to think that way with most mainstream Forex websites pumping day trading and high frequency trading. But, my own personal experience is that it’s much more lucrative to wait patiently for high-quality trade setups than it is to stay glued to your charts all day and night trying to trade everything you can find.  The best trades are obvious, they almost “talk” to you and tell you to trade them, once you know what you’re looking for this will become apparent to you.

For definitions sake I would refer to myself as a swing trader and a trend follower. I attempt to capture the larger moves that occur over multiple trading sessions or possibly multiple days or weeks. In this way, I am very much analogous to a crocodile in my trading, in fact I might even buy a picture of a crocodile and hang it up in my trading office to remind me of how successful a predator the crocodile has been throughout history and most importantly, why it is so successful.

Crocs have a high strike-rate

It’s fairly safe to say that if a croc gets its jaws around its prey, the prey is not getting away.

Crocs have a good strike-rate because they are patient and wait for the “easy” opportunities and then act with confidence and speed…they don’t hesitate. Whereas a Lion might have many failed hunting attempts trying to catch a Gazelle or some other quick animal, expending a lot of energy in the process, crocs tend to have less “losing trades” or failed hunting attempts…because they don’t waste time or energy…they wait and wait and control themselves with precision until their prey almost walks into their mouth…then they feed.

As traders, waiting and being patient can increase your strike rate. Controlling ourselves is really all we can do as traders…we cannot control our “prey” (the market)…we can only conserve our money and wait patiently until our trading edge presents itself. This is how you get a high strike rate as trader, not by trading a hundred times a week in some futile effort to “scalp” the markets.

Crocodiles are good at avoiding risky situations; they learn fast

crocCrocs “…learn quickly and adapt to changes in their situation. They particularly learn to avoid dangerous situations very quickly”, according to the article The Extraordinary Lives of Crocs. The article went on to discuss that this ability of crocs to learn quickly and avoid dangerous or risky situations is yet another reason they’ve outlasted the dinosaurs and are still thriving today. Avoiding risk is one way that a species can survive over time and “win” the evolution battle of the fittest. Similarly, not taking on more risk than is necessary as well as learning quickly are two very important keys to becoming a successful Forex trader.

I have said many times before that risk management is KEY to becoming a profitable trader. Some traders don’t learn quickly like crocs do, instead they repeat the same mistakes over and over until they blow out their trading account. Even though we are clearly far more intelligent than crocs, we have a lot more emotions too, and these emotions often cloud a trader’s “gut feel” and cause them to hesitate, second-guess themselves and over-analyze the market. A croc does not second-guess itself…it’s simply such a fine-tuned predator that being patient, disciplined and executing with confidence are in built habits.

As traders, we need to learn from our mistakes, and fast, because money is on the line. Our version of “avoiding risky situations” is not over-trading and not risking too much per trade.

Conserving energy for the next kill

The crocodile waits for the big meal because it makes more sense to wait and conserve energy by eating a large chunk of protein less often. The croc conserves energy and time by eating this way and it also is one of the main things that have ensured the survival of crocodiles over hundreds of millions of years during many periods when food was scarce.

If you think about not interfering with your trades as helping to make you money, it might make it easier to do. I actually imagine that I am making money by not trading and by simply doing nothing, because by not losing money from over-trading and over-involvement…technically you ARE making money. A crocodile would probably eat less food overall if it was constantly running around trying to find small prey, the crocodile intuitively knows that by being patient and disciplined it has a better chance at getting a higher-quality meal. The crocodile “knows” itself and its own limitations and uses its strengths to its advantage. Indeed, the fact that the crocodile has been around since dinosaurs walked the Earth is evolutionary proof that the concept of patience and discipline most certainly pays off.

The crocodile intuitively knows that it needs to conserve energy and wait for a big kill, this patience is actually a “skill” for the crocodile and it’s also a habit that has developed and reinforced in crocs over millions of years of providing them with large tasty meals. Longevity is critical to a trader; we need to conserve the money in our trading accounts so that when the “easy prey” or obvious trades come along we can get the most out of them. If we go around trading everything we see we will shrink our trading accounts and we won’t have enough money in our accounts to get the most out of the high-probability signals. Just as if a croc ran around all day trying to catch smaller prey it would not have the energy or positioning to grab the bigger and better prey.

Crocodiles are highly adaptable

Crocodiles learn quickly and adapt to changes in their situation. This is a large part of how and why they have survived for millions of years whilst many other animals have become extinct during that same time. According to the article I mentioned earlier’The Extraordinary Lives of Crocs’; “…crocodile researchers often have to change their capture techniques because it’s very hard to catch them [crocs] with the same trick twice.

Many researches think that the adaptability of the crocodile, including its ability to “ignore” hunger for long periods while it waits patiently for the “perfect” feeding opportunity, is one of the main reasons they survived whatever killed off the dinosaurs. It’s clear that the crocodile’s ability to adapt to its environment and to changing situations is one of the reasons it has survived and thrived for millions of years.

As traders, we have to adapt to changing market conditions, and as we’ve already discussed we need to have ice cold discipline to only trade when our “prey” is ripe for the taking. One of the beautiful things about price action trading analysis is that it’s an inherently adaptable trading strategy. Whereas many trading systems are rigid and make you stick to a strict set of rules or conditions, price action analysis gives you more of a “framework” to work off of when analyzing the markets and this framework can be used to trade any market condition  as well as adapt to changing market conditions.

 “Crocodile trading” should become a habit for you

FRANCE-ANIMAL-ENVIRONMENTIn the past, I have written about the value of patience and how it is the core attribute of some of the greatest traders that have ever lived. I have put forward the argument on many occasions that ‘less is more’ and I think in today’s market conditions that statement is even more relevant. Over the years I have written countless articles which discuss how to implement a patient trading approach. My favorites being, “Trading like a sniper and not a machine gunner” and “The minimalist guide to trading”.  Hopefully many of you are really starting to connect the dots by now and have discovered first hand just how powerful these concepts are and what they can do for your overall trading performance and profitability.

It’s almost funny that it’s taken me until now to write an article on what traders can learn from crocodiles considering I live in Australia where crocs are world-famous and plentiful. Furthermore, almost every behavior of a crocodile directly parallels what it takes to be a successful trader, the similarities are almost uncanny. The crocodile is nature’s proof that “less is more” and that waiting patiently for the higher-quality opportunities is a recipe for success. This recipe has kept crocodiles thriving on the Earth for 200 million years, and it can and will help you thrive in the markets if you use it properly.

It’s critical for the crocodile to understand its prey and to know where to look for it and remain calm and patient until it arrives. As traders, we have to know what our trading edge looks like and where to look for it and then control ourselves enough to not over-trade before it arrives. If you want to learn more about this “crocodile trading approach” and fully understand your “prey” (price action strategies) then checkout my price action trading course. My trading course and other members’ content essentially models and teaches you how to “trade like a crocodile”; in a patient and methodical manner with a mastery of your “hunting” skill.

Good trading, Nial Fuller – “The Croc Trader” :)

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW :)

Any questions or feedback? Contact me here.

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Nial Fuller

About Nial Fuller

is a Professional Trader, Investor & Author who is considered ‘The Authority’ on Price Action Trading. His blog is read by over 200,000+ followers and he has taught 25,000+ students since 2008. In 2016, Nial won the Million Dollar Trader Competition. Checkout Nial's Professional Trading Course here.
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  1. Divas mishra

    Thank you, this article is eye opener for me

    Reply
  2. ma tess

    Thank u, i found your article very usefull. i will now change my kind of trade , from machine gunner to sniper, so my ballance will be preserved.

    Reply
  3. MUNGE GATHURI

    Patience in trading is key, which helps us to place quality trades is great because it makes trading easy,less stressful but it is a skill you learn after many accounts blow up so learn as fast as a croc if you want to survive a million years in the jungle of trading.

    Reply
  4. Richard Gayton

    I have loved scalping on the one and two minute emini charts and I have been quite successful at it. It requires patience and reading the price action also. Scalping gives a thrill when I want that experience but can be stressful. I am here now to learn from Nials how to use price action on a longer time frame and learn to enjoy a more peaceful kind of trading and perhaps even more successful. Thanks for the opportunity Nials!

    Reply
  5. Dmytro K.

    Mr. Nial Fuller, this article is the best regarding patience and discipline topic. I enjoyed reading it. I hope I’ll be able to become as good Croc Trader as you.

    Reply
  6. Anwar Siddiq

    thank you Nial, i m going to get croc poster too and i will always remember u too

    Reply
  7. Bill Huf

    Crocodile Nial they call him! Great analogy my friend.

    Reply
  8. Darek

    Thank you Nial for this: “…crocs tend to have less “losing trades” or failed hunting attempts…because they don’t waste time or energy…they wait and wait and control themselves with precision until their prey almost walks into their mouth…”

    Reply
  9. Wisdo.

    Youre the best sir even though am not on the membership room or on you’re paid courses you’re free courses has helped me improved well in my trading..God bless you and you’re families a lot sir am forever great full

    Reply
  10. Rishad

    Can’t agree more

    Reply
  11. Tim

    A real gem of an article, Nial. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas.

    Reply
  12. Mark Chapfudza

    PATIENCE AND DISCIPLINE. Great analogy Nial thanks

    Reply
  13. Sean

    Great analogy and will help me trade with precision, thanks Nial

    Reply
  14. Jerry

    This is simple truth in trading. Crocs are historically patient!

    Reply
  15. Ugwumba Emmanuel N.

    Thanks sir for your good works. Good to know that you not have to trade everything you see in the market. Be patient for your trading edge to appear before you trade, that way you will not lose money unnecessarily, blowup your trading account soon and become emotional. Thankyou very much sir for this insight.

    Reply
  16. Aubrey

    Sure Nial.Crocodile mindset is a winning strategy.Thanks.

    Reply
  17. Mpendulo

    Thanks Nial for the insight

    Reply
  18. Dmitriy

    Thank’s Nial!
    This is incredibly accurate and capacious comparison. I hadn’t even thought about it before, but it is!

    Reply
  19. Bongani

    “Trading as well as a life lesson”, thanks Nial!

    Reply
  20. sabelo mshengu

    I always read this before I start trading,I even have a crocodile as my wallpaper to remind me that I dont have to trade everything,I have to wait for a biger prey.

    Reply
  21. sabelo mshengu

    Thanks Nial,very profoundn.I’ll definitely apply it in trading and in real life as well.

    Reply
  22. Michael

    Wow!!! Most revealing,thanks a lot.

    Reply
  23. Amos Nsobila

    Even if I have not learn anything from the crocodile I’ve learnt that ‘Less Is More’ and to be ‘Patient’ for the higher-quality opportunity is the recipe for success. Thank you Mr. Nial.

    Reply
  24. Fawaz

    Amazing article my friend.

    Reply
  25. siman

    nice one i think the croc method is the best way to trade,i have learn this today,am always impatience and i trade so many times a day because of that i made profile and loss it back is so fraustrating and it made me fell bad ,am try to work on myself.am a 4hours trader.

    you really helping thanks

    Reply
  26. Paul Samoey

    I read much of Nial’s ways of trading and practiced them .I built a good account slowly.Just then I met a trader who got me in to sculping for one year.To tell you guys the truth,I got myself more problems,got my eyesight messed up,my trading confidence went down,quit trading for a while.Came back,asked myself what mistakes i made in my trading and I decided to follow price action religiously.Trade less,adopt the croc style.Now am a profitable trader.I pushed my account from 1000 USD to 2500 USD in 3 months.Please my fellow traders dont waste your time and hard earned money in less than 4 hr periods. Thanks Nial,God bless you.

    Reply
  27. Dale

    Hey Nial, I’m so thankful for this article. It’s literally mind-opener. The only enemy we have as traders is ourselves – our own lack of patience and discipline in the market, self control and not making or even following a trading plan. This one is so cool. For that matter, I will also look for a best croc picture, post it in my room soon. haha! God bless brother!

    Dale

    Reply
  28. Kamal Pardeshi

    One of the best articles I’ve read regarding trading. Gives you an entirely different perspective on trading.

    Reply
  29. Rumen

    Hey Nial
    Frankly speaking dont see myself as a crocodile.
    Would rather say as a sparrow which comes, takes its crumbs and is off again.
    For this no need of high frequency trading and waiting for perfect setups.
    Every morning 3 trades (low frequency) at 2hrs (short) frame
    Agree that looks like gambling but I am not greedy.
    What about it?

    Brgds
    Rumen

    Reply
  30. pankaj k chaudhary

    Nice & turning point of an trader career post. Billion of books related to trading one side and this croc concept one side.

    Reply
  31. Kevin Ian

    Lovely concept on trading like a croc. Precision, patience…all attributes that I seek to learn in my life as a Forex trader. Thank You Nial.

    Reply
  32. Paolo

    Amazing Forex Lesson, Amazing Life Lesson.

    Reply
  33. Izaac Ntlebi

    Crocs tend to have less “losing trades” or failed hunting attempts…because they don’t waste time or energy…they wait and wait and control themselves with precision until their prey almost walks into their mouth…then they feed.

    This is very interesting and relevant….

    Student: Izaac Ntlebi

    Reply
  34. feridoon samadi

    It’s a very good strategy in forex . One of my trading strategies is this method but I haven’t any name for it , so I called it the crocodile strategy from now! Thanks more Nial!

    Reply
    • Kennetie

      Hi Nial,
      How can I express my deep impression when I read this article to gether with “Trade like a sniper.”
      It really changed my strategies and therefore my life.
      I’d appreciate your training and your mentoring.

      My best regards,
      Kennetie

      Reply
  35. Marietjie

    Wow! It is so interesting…the comparison. Crocodiles wait “even starving”. That is discipline.
    I will wait for this “clever crocodile” for more interesting news (already starving).

    Reply
  36. Matthews Bantsijang

    Interesting ne….

    Reply
  37. odin joel

    this guy Nials is definately a man og great wisdom and a blessing to the forex trading community. while some just see this as mere article i see it as the microscopic lense that actually allow you to see into the success of forextrading a thing which is not available o mere thinking of coming to make a fortune in forex and ending up lossing all fortunes. You are great i think the only forex trader i have appreciated for 5 years now. I love you and i Just want to beleive you are a christian as been excellent without christ Jesus is a doom

    Reply
  38. Adam

    Hahahaha. I love how you connected crocs to forex trading.

    Sounds like some of the forex broker I know ;)

    Cheers!
    AdamFX

    Reply
  39. manju

    Worth reading this Article. Fantastic Job Nial

    Reply
  40. Raj

    Wonderful article Nials..lot of learnings. Thanks.

    Reply
  41. Mohamed Khaled

    Nial, just keep following Nial& you will learn a lot about the very inner mechanics of the forex market that every single trader should read, learn& digest it!

    Reply
  42. Oscar

    I addition to being patient, another virtue of successful traders is accepting you will miss out a few good trades because it did not match 100% your entry rules, no matter what. Some trades initially look “too good to be true” and the trader keeps watching the chart, he thinks “ok, let’s make a try”, leaving his throughly entry objective entry rules insconsciussly put apart. Then the stop loss is hit, and the trader is emotionally affected for next trades, becoming an easy pray of the market.

    Reply
  43. Oladeji Charles

    excellent article . I appreciate

    Reply
  44. Santosa

    Thank’s for the great article , this is real challenge I have to change the way I trade …. I know not easy , but I think if I wanna change my “yoyo” trading result …… than I have to learn your Croc Trading System , thanks Nial ….. GBU

    Reply
  45. agnes

    thanks for the great lesson

    Reply
  46. Alistair

    Nial

    I am writing in order to thank you for your article on end of day trading. It has been the single most important piece of information I have seen on FX trading. Since moving from intra day trading to end of day trading my results have been transformed. It has taken me some time to fully wrench myself away from lower time charts and I have no intention of returning to them!

    Thanks again for your succinct and coherent articles.

    Alistair

    Reply
  47. Dhakal

    Very good stuff keep posting to educate others.

    Reply
  48. ajiji

    What an insightful and educative article! Thanx Nial.

    Reply
  49. Henry

    WOW ! patience and discipline.
    Great

    Reply
  50. Kike

    This was soooo useful!

    Reply
  51. James

    Mmmmm quiet good but spotted few mistakes. Main thing is articles great and nial you seriously get to the point and explain things brilliantly

    Reply
  52. Diego

    This article changed my entire way of thinking about trading! Simply looking at nature you can get most of the greatest learnings ever!

    Reply
  53. Alex

    Hello, Nial.
    Great article Nial, I’m really enjoying being part of this trading site. With each of your article, I’m a successful professional trader.
    Thank you very much.

    Reply
  54. Muhammad Ijaz

    Very Nice Article its really top level tool to make yourself profitable trader.

    Reply
  55. Ahesan FX

    What a great article Sir, want to say much more on that but English is not my mother language so I would just like to say its extremely awesome…

    Reply
  56. Joshua Adelakun

    The croc is patient but not just any kind of patience but calculated patience. The energy store of the croc refers to the capital; how long it can survive without a prey.
    The prey should be big enough to sustain the predator for a long time before it gets another prey. Energy received is same as the size of profits while losses refers to energy expended during the waiting period which is same as small losses in the market. But it has a maximum period that is realistic enough for the predator to get a sizable prey.

    Reply
  57. Usman

    Thank you for the wonderful articles, Sir, please I have a question for you;
    Please sir, i am just a beginner and need to travel far in the forex trading, What is mean to have trading plan?

    Reply
  58. abiodun olutayo

    Nial Fuller’s second LAW of forex trading: says crocodile is full of patience in its own trading for prey and it is a best strategy too for successful trader to be patience MORE THAN BEFORE

    Reply
  59. Frankie

    Great articles. Thanks

    Reply
  60. victor

    priceless .[5 Star]

    Reply
  61. Olajide

    Thanks for the insight. You are more than a trader to someone like me because your articles inspired me. You are a good mentor. May you be blessed more and fountain of knowledge will not dried up.

    Reply
  62. tuah kluang

    the great article i ever read

    Reply
  63. KL Wong

    The above article really change my trading mindset.
    I think I am lucky to find this site and join the Nail’s trading course. There are tons of articles for me to read and improve myself. Not like other site, they just teach their trading strategy without much following up material to enhance their teaching. Thanks.

    Reply
  64. Andrew Brann

    Thank you for this inspiring read.

    Reply
  65. Tim

    My favorite article. The crocs play for keeps. Seriously.

    Reply
  66. raynopssgold

    Wow, such an awesome metaphor here. Thanks again, Nial! :)

    Reply
  67. Nabs

    Great as usual :-)

    Reply
  68. Chris H.

    Great to get some background to the rules Nial. I find these articles extremely motivational as well as imparting some great incites to your values and principals of trading. Keep up the great work.

    Reply
  69. gabstar

    Avery good nd an interesting article keep it up

    Reply
  70. Yasmin

    Dear Nial, I find all your articles very helpful in helping me shift from a lower time frame to a higher one. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  71. vladimir petkovic

    Yes! Makes sense .It is so.I accept it!

    Reply
  72. Andre

    Living here in Africa, the crocodile “attitude” make sense!! love the idie to trade like a SNIPER and not like a machine gun operator!! Nial, I love the way you think!

    Reply
  73. Leon

    Crocodiles Trader ! Thank you so much Nial.

    Reply
  74. Vincent

    great article!

    Reply
  75. Vind ipad

    Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I in finding It really useful & it helped me out much. I am hoping to offer one thing back and help others such as you helped me.

    Reply
  76. dian whinanjar

    What a great mindset of Trading…. Great article Nial…

    Reply
  77. Czarek

    From today I start to repeat “Trade smart as a Crocodile”. Great article. Thanks Nail “The Crocodile” Trader :).

    Reply
  78. onyon

    Nice article. thanks

    Reply
  79. suraj chavan

    thank you for this G article

    Reply
  80. robert card

    Hi Nial, I love the analogy with the crocodile. It is very true. I have been reading your articles for about 4 months so far and of all the “gurus” I see out there, you seem to truly be the only “real” deal. Starting december I started an early resolution by putting many of your articles and price acton strategies to use and I can honestly say the last month and a half I have had the best increase in monthly performance on my account to date. Thank you so much for your helpful insights, and some of your articles that challenged me in a good way to really take a look and check myself from an attitude and behavioral stand point as a trader. You are a great teacher and not afraid to tell it like things really can be. God bless!!

    Robert Card
    Appleton WI

    Reply
  81. Kennedy

    Another masterpiece full of nuggets of knowledge from the genius that is Nial Fuller!

    Reply
  82. Javier

    Hi Nial,
    Thank you again for yet another inspiring and thought-provoking write!! I really admire your trading philosophy and the lifestyle you created along with it!

    I am a beginner trader, starting out on this learning journey and would really be keen to learn the price action strategies you are offering right now!

    Thank you so much once again Nial!

    & HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!!!

    Javier from Singapore “)

    Reply
  83. kunle

    What a great article and a great insight into the life of a crocodile.Nial you are too much keep it up and more grease to your elbow.

    Reply
  84. Bala

    Excellent article Nial.Thanks

    Reply
  85. Pilly

    What an interesting article. Thanks Nial, lots to learn from the crocodile.

    Reply
  86. Jack

    I wonder if having a thick, rough skin like the crocodile helps in trading.

    Reply
  87. oyekunle

    well u are d best forex lecturer with simple and understandable explanation just keep it up

    Reply
  88. slivester

    be patience like the crocodile do…the greaters article ever..thanks nial…merry christmas….

    Reply
  89. Wayne Curtis

    I loved the analogy between crocodile & trading, so much
    so that I have a real alligator head sitting on top of my monitor
    to remind me of the discipline & patience required to be a
    successful trader.

    Reply
  90. Anthony

    What a cracker! This goes to my list of favorites. I print them off and place in a folder. When i feel out of touch with the markets, i read them again. My best so far is “Trading like a sniper, not a machine gunner” and now this.

    I thank the heavens for the day i came across your strategy.

    Cheers!

    Reply
  91. George

    Nature chose the crocs to show when your patient/plan & wait for the right moment to strike you will survive, just like the felines also, wait than strike.
    Well done Niles.

    Reply
  92. Eve

    Nial, great lesson again! But for me it is hard (of not possible)to maintain that performance (good habits).

    Reply
  93. John Brown

    Hi Nial – Really great article, is this the type of motivational material together with your overall traing that helped you come out tops on a recent survey carried out by another trading group

    Reply
  94. ejikfx

    this is words of wisdom, to him that have ear let him her

    Reply
  95. Jose Luis

    Lovely Nial. Thank you bery much.

    Reply
  96. Gary

    Fantastic article Nial! I beleive that I’ll be reading this at least twice a week!

    Reply
  97. olori

    g8t job. thanks

    Reply
  98. muyiwa benson

    Nail. i really appreciate your inputs as far as fx trading is concerned, more power to your elbow.

    Reply
  99. John

    Great nice articles. Thumb up trading. Thanks.

    Reply
  100. Lawrelai

    A good article. We should trade like a crocodile. Well I would say that not every trade with the optimum setups will be profitable. If we don’t take the trade when the setup is prevailing then how could one achieve a certain expected. Eg in a month I could take about 4 trades but it could turn out to be a 50:50 chances and with a 50:50 chances I still achieve my target. However when the number is reduced and say perhaps it’s also a 50:50 chances I could only reach 50 percent or higher but not 100%.

    Reply
  101. Eimar

    Hi Nial.

    Great article as usual!
    But in the sentence “I may trade only 3 times per week or even less some weeks” – didn’t you mean per month instead?

    Eimar

    Reply
  102. david

    what an artical for me it made me to do a checking if i manage to keep these standards
    thanks

    Reply
  103. naveen

    Thank you Guru for the article. I was having a Crane (waiting for a fish) picture in my desktop PC. Now I changed it to crocodile.
    After reading your ‘patience’ article, I changed my behavior also by patiently waiting in the Traffic signals, Waiting at the doctor’s clinic etc.

    Reply
  104. Pat P

    Great article and so, so true!! Burned through many demo accts thinking I had to make trades to make money. About as misguided a method as there is. Thanks for your counsel Nial. Best, pat

    Reply
  105. Adam

    Great article, Nial. Thank you very much.

    Adam

    Reply
  106. Tuan Nguyen

    Welcome Nail Fuller!
    Thanks for your post on trading methods Crocodile! Your thoughts and opinions, when comparing the hunting instinct of the crocodile with investors thinking of trading is relatively new, but I think at the Crocodile, the prey instinct heaven given to them, so they are able to recognize the opportunity to hunt! It is precisely the ability to survive has led to our actions! As in humans, the transaction is not a survival instinct, so the opportunity will feel much different than the Crocodile! Therefore, to achieve the ability to Crocodiles, it takes talent, discipline and time can achieve it!
    Sincerely: Tuan Nguyen from Vietnam

    Reply
  107. Trinh

    Hi Nial!
    I read a lots of trading books and acticles but your Price Action Trading System was the best finally I have found. There are so much misunderstanding things, systems! By my practices with your price action system with an suitable timing entry of the momentum of a big move we would achieve our goals. But I think skalping is not a bad system with more experiences and a big trading account, because $100 gained = $1 pipcost x 100 pips moved= $100 pipcost x 1 pip moved!!! Finally, I will use and follow you this system to start really trading for living.

    Reply
  108. Surya

    Totally agree. Spot on. Had a great month with 15% returns. Took only high quality trades during that month. Then greed started creeping in and become over confident. Started running behind low probability trades in the quest to make money faster. Had 10 loosing trades in succession. Now I understand the importance of patience, especially after a winning streak.

    Reply
  109. Tim

    Great article Nial!. I have read all of your articles and keep reading them over again whether i’m on the bus to work or lazy around the house i always find spare time to read. Keep up the great work!

    Reply
  110. Tay Tiang Ho

    Hi Nial,

    Point noted.I will learn the crocodile hunting skills. Thanks for sharping our trading mindset. Cheers!

    Reply
  111. Flash

    I actually LOVE this article! As an experienced Trader, I can relate with it 110%. I agree with you in trades actually “talk” to you, to take them. Also I love the concept of having the Crock as a role model in the front the “eye” of one’s mind at all times to do with trading. Well done Nial.

    Reply
  112. PABLO

    Nice!

    Reply
  113. Daniel

    Excellent article. I think the analogy will be useful for me. Thanks Nial

    Reply
  114. Taffy

    Great article mate. One of the best I have ever read.

    Taffy.

    Reply
  115. Iqbal

    I really enjoyed reading this article and also reinforces one of the previous article about trading at the end of the day. Well worth the read Thanking You Nial

    Reply
  116. lamlamvita

    simple, easy to understand and very insightful, thank you Nial

    Reply
  117. Michael

    the cartoon of the cat outside the mouse hole,turned my trading around.

    Reply
  118. James

    Amazing. I agree with the Crocodile Nial. Lol

    Reply
  119. Angelo

    Such a brilliant analogy and a beautiful article.
    Thanks Nial.
    A

    Reply
  120. Chetan Bhadage

    Another GEM from the Master.

    Thanks Coach.

    Reply
  121. Dennis from Orlando

    Hi Nail, great post, I personally use a Alligator ( I am in Florida) as my avatar on my blog just to reinforce the fact that the best traders wait for trades to come to them.

    Reply
  122. Victor B.

    What a bunch of croc!!! And I loved every bit of it! Great article Nial.

    Reply
  123. Swede

    well done!

    Reply
  124. peri

    The Best Article on PATIENCE & DISCIPLINE
    in trading !

    Reply
  125. Lorenz Manabat

    Nial you are the Forex Crocodile!

    Reply
  126. grant

    Very clever useful article as ever Nial.

    Thanks again

    Grant

    Reply
  127. Paul Kelleway

    Totally agree, a good analogy.

    Reply
  128. Pascal

    Thanks to you Nial for this high level motivationnal material!
    We could also add that Dinosaurs were somewhat not able to adapt to the new natural’s conditions and they were totally wiped out, even though they were (for the majority of them) many times bigger and apparently stronger than the crocodiles.. so to put it in a nutshell: be patient (even if you are smaller) and intelligent (don’t take too much risk or make too many emotional mistakes) if you are to survive and thrive through the cataclyms!

    I Wish you the best of success.

    Pascal

    Reply
  129. Souto

    Hi Nial,
    a coffeeshop trader and now a crocodile trader?!!?
    Fantastic ways to see a life of a good trader.

    Thanks
    Souto

    Reply
  130. Martin Caflisch

    i let you guys all know that i took advice of Nials mentoring to first demotrade for a few month and was able to turn 5K into 30K in two month !! using the free stuff and reading his newsletter only.the course i make ASAP.
    All mails was absolutly usefull and precious to focus whats important and …more important,whats not.

    Reply
  131. Stany

    I really like your writings Nial.
    It is funny, I like to read it … and about the informations – great and greatly wrapped up. :)

    Nice weekend,
    Stany

    Reply
  132. Richard Agustin

    I Thought its Bird watching in the Lion country, now it’s
    Bird watching in the CROCS country.

    Reply
  133. Brett Reynolds

    Ha…’Nial Fuller’ aka ‘Crocodile Dundee’..!!

    Next thing we know you’ll be drining ‘Fosters’ and wearing a ‘BushRangers’ Hat.!! ;-) haha

    Reply
  134. Mohammad

    Thanks Nial,

    “Crocodile Trading” is perhaps the best topic for this long and informative article.
    As you have said,”all forex traders should be as patient as
    a crocodile.They also have to be very disciplined.”

    Reply
  135. Paul

    HI Nial

    Very good analogy you have written about this week. We all need role models and something as outlandish as this should sit in our conscious simply because it is so different. Really great article as always, lets hope the crocodile comes to mind every time I am about to submit an order, just to check that it really is a genuine set up with real potential to provide that big meal (R) or if I would be better to lie in wait patiently and conserve my energy (risk account)

    Have a lovely weekend, best
    Paul

    Reply
  136. mr elkot

    crocs that what we call cuty experts ,they know well when and whattrade to hit, they been doing trading for donkey years, I don’t think i amature trader could compete .

    Reply
  137. samuel

    thanks Nail.

    Reply
  138. Lionel M.

    Niall
    Thanks for this rather timely article. You always seem to cover the subject that need to be covered at the right time. I am recommending it to my fellow traders.

    Reply
  139. AMIN MALIK

    NAIL. MANY MANY THANKS.FOR,SUCH A STRIKING CONCEPT OF TRADING. GOD BLESS YOU. YOU ARE A GREAT HELP TO TRADING COMMUNITY.

    WITH RESPECT & REGARDS. AMIN MALIK

    Reply
  140. Farrakh Gilani

    Hi Nial,

    It is great article, and we can learn from Crocodile.Since i have taken your course and read your aricle regulary my trading has improved a lot. This patience skill is the key in successful trading and it is the hardest one aswell. Thank you for reminding us this again. Have a great day.

    Farrakh Gilani

    Reply
  141. Marko Graenitz

    Great article. I understand “Croc” makes for a respected trader nickname.

    Reply
  142. Wolfram

    Great article to read. Nice comparison.
    Thanks, Steve eh Nail :-)

    Reply
  143. Mark

    “I’m feeling a bit bullish today”, said one croc to the other as a wildebeest approached the river.

    Reply
  144. jusmijo taising

    I 101% agree with you Niall. Tq for your great simple trading course.

    Reply
  145. sonny

    Nial,
    You always amaze me, Always a different approach to illustrate your point (Not that I am complaining). Thanks very much for this article. Regards And please don’t stop.

    Reply
  146. ny6789

    This article helps me to be patient not to trade until a best trading opportunity appeared.
    Thank you vewry much

    Reply
  147. Goldie Bot

    First time comment,

    Nice Nial! I’ve learned a lot about Money Management and Over Trading from your blog…

    Since reading this article I might as well change my trading system title which I have put onto my wall into “Crocodile Forex System” :)

    Reply
  148. Karl

    Trade 3 times per week? Even this is a bit too much. If take last 3 weeks, were there really such obvious 9 ‘daily’ setups? I can’t see them.

    Reply
  149. Werner

    Hi Nial

    Brilliant article mate!!!! You really out do yourself everytime! Thanks for the advice and the clean cut way you present the info, it is really an account saver!

    Keep up the good work!

    Werner.

    Reply
  150. Ajawara

    The best article i have ever read. thanks man! you rock….

    Reply
  151. Jeevan Soundrapandian tirupattur

    a must read article for all traders, hopefully this would help traders avoid risk and make them more patient,,best wishes for nial’s effort

    Reply
  152. Gebby_101

    Great article Nial. I think a combination of trading like a Croc and having a SIMPLE trading system (like Price Action) almost guarantees you success….if you stick with it. We have a tendency to think working hard (trading frequently and over analyzing) and having complex systems (as opposed to simple) guarantees success, as this concept is sold to us in school as a necessity to becoming “successful”. Trading flips this ideology on its heads. Nice one mate, keep the articles coming.

    Reply
  153. Michael

    Nial, fantastic article as always mate. I’m thinking of printing a croc pic out for my trading room too now lol

    Reply
  154. Kennedy

    I always wait PATIENTLY for “Crocs Night” on NatGeo Wild TV, but I never really drew this connection between crocs and trading. I love their patience and method, now I can use same method in life endeavor. Great!

    Thanks Nial for such insightful article.

    Reply
  155. cletus

    great piece of advice and strategy. thanks

    Reply
  156. Laksana Tedja

    Thanks for a motivational article for a newbie in forex trading like me.

    Reply
  157. Danny V

    Nail once again your teaching the real trading skills. I really love this article. Trading is all about being patient and having good discipline. Thank you again Nial, you really touch on the correct points when it comes to trading.

    Reply
  158. Olatunde

    a good one as usual!

    Reply
  159. Clifford Shack

    Nial the Trading Crocodile…has a nice ring to it. Thanks for the insightful and creative lesson.

    Reply
  160. Sachith

    Thank nial great article

    Reply
  161. Colin

    Can we call you ‘Niall Snapper Fuller? Great article, thx.

    Reply
  162. shyam thapa

    nice title ” crocodile trading ”
    heard of turtle trading.
    It’s new.
    Thanks for nice article

    Reply
  163. Kanz

    Hi Nial, having read your articles about using horizontal levels and candlesticks reversal signal to enter trades, I find this article reinforce that strategy. Just by waiting patiently for trades that bounces off strong S/R in the direction of the trend is like a croc waiting for the best opportunity to take its prey. And ideally the prey has to be big enough meaning the trade itself has to have at least a 1/2 risk/reward target. Thanks for the article :)

    Reply
  164. Nadia

    Very good, I enjoyed!

    Reply
  165. giwa

    Nice one, I enjoyed it

    Reply
  166. Nadeem

    Hi There,

    nice article nial.

    Regards,
    Nadeem

    Reply
  167. Rajib

    One more superb article nial… Keep your good work on and keep motivating us with this kind of artcles. God bless you

    Reply
  168. woodya69

    Hi Nials , great bit of thinking , outside the box, never smile at a crocodile, as they say.
    Cheers W

    Reply