Mental discipline I’ve been asked many times over the years for “tips” on self defense. It’s a seemingly small request but in truth it’s been a big challenge and I have yet to find a single tip that would be the least bit effective. It’s important to note there are no short cuts to self defense, however, if I had to come up with one thing that may give people a fighting chance in a self defense situation I’d say at a bare minimum the first must is to gain control over your emotions, particularly the distracting negative emotions such as fear. You can’t afford to waste a single moment worrying about getting hurt; in fact it’s better to accept that you’re going to get hurt. If you worry about it you’re not only going to get hurt, you’re going to fail. Self preservation may be a dominant part of human nature but it still cannot be used as an excuse to validate not defending yourself or someone you care about. So, the question then becomes will you have the conviction to continue even though you’re hurt? Answering this question is a matter of will and solving problems long before they occur. Proactive thinking is a skill like any other and requires regular practice but is the key component in eliminating emotion from decision making. Secondly, in order to develop actionable self defense skills, particularly as a female, you may be called on to explore ideas that are contrary to what you grew up understanding and adopt behaviors that are not only contrary to the teachings you have accepted as truth but seem outright dangerous at first. For example, women are taught to keep a distance from a threat, if at all possible not to engage and if necessary to run. However, to someone versed in aikido it’s best to draw your adversary in and lead him to believe his intimidation tactics have worked leaving you vulnerable. In doing so you will have a tactical and psychological advantage over him as he will think he has already won. That gross misjudgment is a huge mistake, one that can have equally punishing ramifications. The psychological advantage is that he will likely approach, slowly, with an heir of arrogance and attempt to put his hands on you. At the precise moment his hands touch you execute a powerful “kiai” (battle cry) then strike a soft part of the body (preferably eyes) with an explosive “atte” (a quick strike meant to stun) briefly disorienting him. At that point either run to safety or execute any number of devastating locks and throws neutralizing the attack. Obviously without proper training in a controlled environment it will be difficult to successfully negotiate your way through a scenario like this. However, it doesn’t take a lifetime of dedication to be able to adequately incorporate some very effective techniques. The truth is being effective in situations like this has more to do with mental skills than physical. The key is to develop a proactive mind by understanding the concept of securing victory in any scenario well before it even occurs. It requires some practice before it can be effectively implemented as a component of your overall self defense IQ. This mental discipline is a type of meditation known as image training. It’s not difficult to do but to be effective it must be done regularly. First, find a spot that’s private and sit comfortably until you’re completely relaxed. For me I prefer to be outside near running water. Either close your eyes or sit completely still and focus on one object until you no longer see it then run the scenario in your mind. Don’t orchestrate or narrate the confrontation, don’t conclude a favorable outcome for yourself, simply watch it unfold and when it’s over evaluate your performance. You’ll have to run through it several times before you envision executing techniques smoothly effectively disregarding emotion while remaining calm throughout the confrontation. Done with enough frequency you will begin to see that all of the negative emotions experienced under duress are a manifestation of the fear we create in our own minds and since it’s created in our own minds it’s within our power to control it. If we can control it then we can ultimately defeat it by preventing it to surface at all. Having control over emotions is a must in any self defense situation. Imagine a mind free of distracting negative emotions and how empowering it will be once you realize that nothing external can ever dictate how you respond internally. It will take time and dedication but once you finally realize the ability to control your emotions allows you more control to better manage your surroundings you will be witness to true empowerment.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 17:01:44 +0000
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