Self
Defense & The Adrenal Rush
The number one factor in effective
self defense is dealing with the adrenal rush which is the natural
result of aggression.
This 'adrenaline dump' as we call
it, can have devastating effects on our minds and body. For
self defense to be effective in the real world, this single
factor (the adrenal rush) must be addressed.
One of the major flaws of most traditional
training is that the entire concept of the adrenal rush is either
ignored or not even addressed. My experience has shown that
most traditional instructors aren't even aware of the effects
of adrenaline in the self defense arena.
While there is a number of excellent
self defense programs in the United States that teach adrenal
stress response training, many instructors choose not experience
the training themselves. This may be due to the fear that they
might put themselves in what they may consider a vulnerable
position because of the unknown factor.
The adrenal rush in self defense
situations causes tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, loss of
fine motor coordination, body shakes as well as a limited amount
of cognitive thinking ability. If we just consider two factors,
the loss of fine motor skills and the limited ability to think
clearly, I think you can see you easily get yourself in trouble
if they are not addressed.
During my thirty five plus years
of training I have continued to consider the stress of a real
street attack in my self defense program. It wasn't until I
had the opportunity to attend an adrenal stress response seminar
that I could fully appreciate how ineffective most traditional
techniques are.
Since that time I have gotten involved
with this technology to where we teach it in seminar format
in our school. Additionally I have become Vice President of
the International F.A.S.T. Defense Association. My partner and
the group's president, Bill Kipp is the cheif instructor for
F.A.S.T. Defense as well as the Rocky Mountain Combat Applications
Training Center in Colorado.
Street Self Defense 101, a two video
set has been produced with the concepts of adrenal stress response
training in mind. The videos are a result of years of streamlining
and focusing our training to simple, direct and effective techniques
that work on the street. You can read more about this at Street
Self Defense.