Hi! 1. "собрался" - in this context is like the Present Perfect form in English ("Have you really decided to...") 2. "собираешься" - is like the Present Continuous form ("Are you going to...") Some other examples: "Я решил/собрался получить степень по математике" - "I've decided to obtain a degree in math" The future here is implied by the second verb - получить/obtain which is a bare infinitive. In Russian it's like the same.

В данном случае если изменить одно слово на такое же по значению много прояснится: Собрался - готов. Собираешься - готовишься.

Technically собрался is in the past. However, like you said it can be used to imply future. Собрался is in the past Противостоять is kinda in the future. So in English you would say. I am about to confront him but in Russian you use past + a verb.

Cesar, yes, собрался works like собираешься. It is "gather/put together [your]self", "prepare [your]self". It actually means gathering sometimes: собираюсь в дорогу собираюсь в путь / путешествие (here 'путь' is imagined as a process, 'travelling', not the physical path) ....make you think of packing things in your bags. Accordingly, собрался means you have already packed your bags, and you can insert "уже": "ты уже собрался?" "Нет, всё ещё собираюсь" "поторапливайся". "ты уже собираешься?" "Нет (or да), я принимаю душ". собираюсь в Африку ...looks very similar: "Africa" is already similar to "road", but we take this phrase as "собрался ЕХАТЬ в Африку" with omitted "ехать" - which is VERY similar to a 'trip', 'travel'. And it CAN mean packing bags. But often it means 'made up your mind to', made going to Africa your immediate plan. Some preparations (like having warned your boss and starting researching hotel prices) can accompany this, but aren't necessary: what is meant, Africa took some place in your intentions. If you insert 'уже' it means a different thing: "Так ты в Москве! А я уже собрался/собирался ехать к тебе в Африку!" Sort of, events went so far that I even/already was preparing/prepared to go to Africa. Собирался is past. Собрался can mean both "was ready", "prepared" (yesterday) or "am ready", "have prepared" (by now). But even in the latter case, I clearly don't go, the plan is being updated right the very moment I'm talking. And now your example. "Собрался" is somehow "stronger" form. The question doesn't mean simple practical: "is fighting zato your plan?" "yes" "thanks, I didn't know":) I think, the speaker is questionign rationality this, or finds it a bit fantastic.

yes, in this context it refers to the future. "Ты собрался ...?" = have you already decided to .../ are you really determined to..?