The Combative Mindset, Part 2: Fear Management

Fear, a distressing emotion, whether real or perceived, can be managed with proper training.

Fear is always there, just under the surface, and can manifest in numerous ways. Some people are fearful of confrontation with a teacher, sibling, co-worker, spouse or unknown contact on the street. Others are fearful of change, such as changing jobs or moving to a new place. There are those who fear spiders and snakes, ghosts and sounds in the night, and some who fear the idea of being assaulted or the notion of falling victim to another. Fear can and has been used as a powerful tool of control by bullies, predators and terrorists. Our own fears can control us without our ever knowing how or why. In part one of The Combative Mindset, we discussed mindset and its importance in regard to living a defensive lifestyle. Here in part two, we will discuss fear, why it is so powerful, and how we can manage it in order to perform better at our given combative sports (martial arts, fitness, or shooting) and when protecting ourselves, family or others.

Unchecked fear can lead to panic. A strong perception of self value and positive internal communication can manage and counteract those feelings, spurring positive action.

Fear Management Techniques and Tactics

Expect It, Accept It and Override It

U.K.-based martial artist, author and filmmaker Geoff Thompson has been writing about and teaching others how to deal with fear for a long time. He advocates the expectation of fear: accept that fear will always be with us, understand what it is, and develop skills to override fear’s effects as essential first steps.

Self Perspective and Internal Communication

Instead of the negative thoughts discussed above, cultivate thoughts such as “I am too important to be taken away from my family,” “My family needs me,” “Too many people in my life need me,” “My team/partner needs me,” “I must win and persevere no matter what,” “I’m going to knock this guy out,” “I hit whatever I shoot at,” “These two guys don’t know what they are facing,” “I only shoot X rings.”

With this type of self perspective and internal communication, I am not concerned with what the opponent can do or the consequences of the event/confrontation, only with what I can and will do. This positive internal representation will be expressed externally via posture, body language and actions, sometimes resolving problems before they become critical. Confidence, calm, and a belief in one’s abilities are obvious in those who internally communicate with themselves in this manner. Develop a strong personal perspective and communicate positively with yourself if you want to dispel fear from your everyday life.

Understand the Difference Between Fear and Natural Physiology

Adrenaline stress is our natural biochemistry triggered into the bloodstream on recognition or perception that danger is present. We experience this same chemical response when going for a job interview or first approaching a member of the opposite sex we’re interested in. The differences are that the amount and how quickly the chemical response we receive are based upon our perception of the situation.

Signs of this chemical response include elevated heart rate, vocal quiver or change in tone, sweaty palms, nausea, narrowing of vision and, at higher levels, loss of fine motor skills. We are also less susceptible to pain and may experience increased strength. This chemical response can hurt us — if we let it — or help us. We have all felt that rush when startled or narrowly avoiding a traffic accident. What’s important is that recognition of this state only comes through experiencing it, and therefore it can and should be replicated during training.

Breathe

When startled, it is common to take a quick breath and hold that breath momentarily. During fearful situations and confrontations, this will happen and, combined with elevated heart rate, can lead to oxygen deficit in the brain. This in turn inhibits clear thinking and higher brain function. Remember to breathe: inhale deeply and exhale completely a couple of times whenever a feeling of fear or anxiety arises or after a sudden incident.

Good training allows you to experience fear and stress, build confidence, and desensitize the combative mind to the effects of fear.

Fitness Level

The better level of fitness one possesses, the more confident one can be in their ability to escape, fight back or endure punishment. Without this level of fitness, the internal message is one of doubt: “Can I run or get away fast enough?” or “Will I be able to climb over that fence?” This negative internal representation will reflect externally, thus affecting performance. Get in better shape, build confidence, and dispel self doubts and subsequent fear.

Experience and Training

Experience stress and fear to develop desensitization. This experience can safely come in the form of training. A good combatives or shooting program should include some fear, stress and a little confusion. This allows you to feel the natural biochemical effects of fear while developing skill proficiency. With proficiency comes confidence, the ultimate desensitization to performance fear.

Take Action

During a reactive critical incident, fear can be sudden, intense and possibly overwhelming. There will be no time to accept it and no time to breathe. This is when training kicks in. Immediate action — any action — is desirable in an effort to cut off the negative effects of fear and utilize the positive effects.

Conclusions

A critical element of combative mindset and preparation to defend ourselves and others is to understand what fear is and the natural physiological responses it has upon us. We must expect fear, accept it and learn to manage it before, during and after a confrontation. We all have varying fear thresholds: how quickly or easily we experience the effects of fear based on past experiences, confidence levels, training and/or perception of a situation.

It is vital that we understand where our personal fear threshold is prior to experiencing a critical incident, thus allowing development of techniques and tactics to manage that fear. Few possess the ability to live and operate with no fear, while everyone possesses the ability to know their fear and develop a strong combative mindset wherein fear knows its place.