by JOHN LOFTY WISEMAN former SAS survival instructor
Fear is a very natural accompaniment to being attacked, and everyone feels it. The man who says that he is frightened of nothing is either deluding himself or else is seriously disturbed, and should be avoided as a danger to himself and to his mates. Members of the SAS experience fear just like anyone else. In fact, anyone claiming not to experience fear would never pass the selection process.
Fear – a positive emotion
It is possible to be immobilized by fear, like a rabbit confronted by a snake or a weasel, and it is this response that bullies, muggers and rapists seek in their victims. Society’s attitude is that fear is somehow a negative and disadvantageous emotion, but the opposite is true. Fear is a very positive thing, and will stand us in good stead as long as we can control it and use it in our defense.
The SAS are trained soldiers and paratroopers, yet even they feel fear when they, say, jump out of an aeroplane. The act itself is frightening and against natural logic. You do it because you are trained for it. You know the risks, but you overcome your fears. Apart from anything else you are in front of all your mates, and even more scared of letting them down.
Overcoming the fear and jumping proves your reliability. All fears can be overcome and controlled, and this applies equally to fighting.
When you are frightened, the adrenal glands secrete adrenalin into the bloodstream. The effect of this is that, for a short time at least, you can summon reserves of energy and strength that you had no idea you possessed. It is the equivalent of a turbo charger in a car. You can run faster and lift heavier weights, and your senses are sharpened,including eyesight, hearing and sense of smell. This is a survival mechanism that all animals have, including humans, and it is the basis of the ‘fight or flight’ reaction to stress.
The danger in a combat situation is that you may lose control of all this useful energy and descend into panic, so you have to learn how to coordinate these emergency powers. This is partly a question of focusing your mind on the task at hand. Reported incidents include grandmothers lifting cars to free their trapped grandchildren, using a desperate surge of adrenaline fuelled strength. And skinny kids have been known to throw 18-stone warders. That is the power of adrenalin. In self-defence you have to get everything in line using the adrenalin.
Focusing, a sense of timing, your training – these all come together to help you make the most of your fear.
Fear control
One way to have control over what is happening is to use a breathing technique. Concentrate on a point an inch or so beneath you navel as you inhale forcibly through your nose for a five count, retain the breath for a further five, and then exhale through the mouth. Repeat the cycle if you have time. This will help you to use the adrenaline reflexes. In a house fire, instead of panicking, you will have time to assess the situation and choose the right options. Your reactions are super-fast, and time seems to slow down.
People who have been in a car accident where the car has rolled over have described how everything seemed to be in slow motion. In this state you can see everything coming, including punches and kicks, and have time to avoid them. By controlling your breath, and focusing on what is happening as the adrenalin flows, you can work out what to do next and implement it. If you are going into a sequence of strikes which you have trained for, you focus where each strike will land. At the same time, you have to keep as relaxed as possible, to avoid your muscles tightening up and becoming too tense. Jumping out of an aircraft is illogical and dangerous. But SAS paratroopers learn to control their fear in order to carry out the mission.
In self-defence, training bouts are useful for overcoming the fear of losing, as well as for sharpening up on individual moves. The fear of losing Many people are reluctant to fight, not only because they do not want to be hurt, but also because they are frightened of losing. This sort of fear is partly due to lack of experience. The fact of the matter is that there is always someone bigger, faster and stronger than you. It is important to learn how to lose before you learn how to win. This is where training comes in. If you are used to practice bouts with training partners, you will gradually lose the fear of losing that could paralyse you in a real self-defence situation. The aggressor on the street may well be bigger and stronger than you, but he has never practised taking a beating. He thinks he is tough, but he has no discipline.
If you are a normal healthy person with training and a strong mental attitude, and you have conquered your fear of losing by experiencing what it is like to get ‘stuck in’, the overconfident aggressor is going to be taken aback when, instead being intimidated, you go forward and deliver an efficient strike. The bully is so used to getting his own way that he will not know what to do, giving you the chance to follow through and complete your fighting sequence.
