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A fight is always bad news. But, you can be prepared for it by practicing martial arts, staying in physical and mental shape and being aware. Trouble escalates through various levels, or conditions, and your awareness and reactions should also. At Conditions Orange, Red and Black, (see Situational Awareness) you experience strong physical reactions to a rising state of alarm. Your body begins to go into overdrive, increasing your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and focus or concentration. These can be helpful or not, depending on your individual reaction. On the negative side, you might loose control of your muscles and bowels; your breathing may become so shallow, though usually rapid, that you risk loosing consciousness. You may become so focused on the immediate danger that you effectively develop tunnel vision. You may not see anything beyond a few degrees from straight-ahead. You may not perceive added dangers approaching from the side or rear. You may not hear even loud noises right beside you, or warning shouts to avoid danger. Adrenaline pours into your system. Your blood flows from your hands, feet, and brain into the inner body to increase the supply of chemicals to start and maintain your increased metabolic state. As a result, you become pasty faced, cold and clammy in your hands. A re-directed flow of blood causes the reduced vision and hearing mentioned above, as well as trembling in the hands and knees, and perhaps in the upper arms and legs. You become very much stronger, for a short time, and can tolerate much more pain than normal - for a short time. However, dexterity drops greatly and large muscle movement becomes powerful though clumsy. Fine motor skills diminish or disappear. Fighting maneuvers requiring complex finger and hand manipulations become difficult to accomplish. Accurately firing a pistol becomes difficult, even at close range. TV cop shows often show police and bad guys firing away at each other at very close quarters, where nobody is hit at all! Flight or fight is in full swing. You can regain some control of your bodily reactions by breathing in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. This is not instinctive; practice is required. Grab a defensive object (i.e. stick, fire extinguisher, trash can or its lid, even a pillow) to help ward off an attack and to steady your hands and arms. If you must fight, be aggressive but quick, seeking maximum result with the least effort. Debilitating pain, rather than damage, is the objective so that you can move to safety. However, do not turn your back, if possible, until you are well out of reach of the aggressors. When you feel that you can safely run, though, RUN and do not look back until you feel you are safely away. Turning to look behind you slows you down and risks your tripping or running into an object or another bad guy. Stay alert - Stay alive! |