Fright Reaction

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

I caught an article on this in the latest issue of Black Belt magazine. Does anyone work with this idea? It is basically the use of the body's natural response to being startled or taken off guard, and it is used as in self-defense. I have also been reading Iain Abernethy's Bunkai-Jutsu, and he makes use of the very same idea in much of the bunkai shown in the book (thussfar, anyways).

Thoughts?
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tallgeese · Black Belt

It sounds like it's based off the body's startle reflex. When you're suprised, your body tends to drop it's center and move it's feet into a shoulder witdth athletic stacne. More importantly, the hands reflexively come up in order to protect the face. It's a postion that several DT programs and some ma's use as a core fighting stance.

The theory is that by using this posture to act out of, you're utilizing the body's normal reaction to a threat. Therefore, you remove the artificial postures out of a fighting system and save time both on the learning side as well as the response side.

This is why we utilize a single fighting stance that pretty much mimics this response. Now, I'm pretty sure my instructor didn't know the science behind this when he elected to focus on our fighthing stance instead of others he'd know, but it functioned well. Later, I realized why.

There are probibly guys active in certan DT systems that have more information as well. Maybe they'll add more.

cross · Black Belt

Most RBSD groups use some variation of the startle-to-flinch response, its the basis of Tony Blauers S.P.E.A.R system.

This is what most instructors of the flinch teach, the flinch happens due to the initial shock i.e. a punch flying at your head 2 quickly for you to cognitively respond(generally peoples hands with orientate to the general direction of the threat, some close their eyes, turn away, move backwards etc), from the flinch you attach a more combative strategy such as jamming or covering and then transition to your trained skills.

I like to equate it to catching a baseball thats flying towards you. In the initial moment you realise the ball is coming your hands naturally move into the path of the ball, this is your flinch or reflexive response. Its only the actual act of catching the ball that is the trained part.(notice you often see the ball hit peoples hands and they drop it, the flinch rarely fails to put your hands in the right position, its the trained catching technique that fails and causes you to drop the ball). This transition from flinch to trained response all happens very rapidly.

Its the same in combat, look at coroner reports from murders and you will very often find the victim has defensive stab wounds or bullet wounds on the forearms and hands, this is the flinch response throwing the hands in the way of the threat in an attempt to protect the body/head.

the flinch is a hard-wired evolutionary protective mechanism that doesnt fail, its what you do after it that can get you hurt.

TraditionalDan · Orange Belt

When I was at work a little while back, one of the guys jumped out on me to make me jump. I was interested to see my response.

I stepped back away from him and assumed a half back stance, and put up my 'fence'. Arms in front of my body.

I was glad to a certain extent that some of my training paid off.

Do you have any more details of the article itself, or how it is supposed to work?
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Brighton Shotokan

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

Thanks for the responses, guys. You have pretty much nailed what the article talked about. Using the startle response allows you to cover and then begin to take action to get away from the attacks. What also interested me was Abernethy's approach to his applied Karate in using a very similar response against attacks.
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cross · Black Belt

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

tallgeese · Black Belt

I haven't read anything by this author but it wounds like I should. Could one of you guys post a title as well so I can find it on Amazon?

Thanks.

TraditionalDan · Orange Belt

If you want to know what books either Iain or Geoff have, just go to thier websites for an idea.

http://www.iainabernethy.com/

or

http://www.geoffthompson.com/

These guys are great, and very approachable. They have good knowledge and experience.
_________________
Brighton Shotokan

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

^^ That should do it. You can also just type Abernethy in on Amazon and search books. His titles will pop up.
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