Reflex

When an animal senses a threat, sees a Lion, hears a branch snap, it is startled. It is an ancient and highly useful evolutionary adaptation. It takes the creature from being preoccupied with a task such as eating, defecating, breeding etc to focusing all it’s attention on the perceived possible threat. The brain releases adrenaline, increases the heartbeat and sends blood to the muscles in preparation for fight or flight. We, of course have this instinct as prey, and how this presents itself in the modern world is highly fascinating. These instincts which evolved on the savannah of Africa to survive against predators, are instead brought to bear when we miss a deadline at work, make a mistake on our tax returns or our missus comes home and catches us with another woman. A door slams downstairs, the adrenaline spikes, Tracy jumps out of the bed and rushes to get her clothes on. Threat analysis kicks in, is it possible to hide, climb out of the window or lie your way out of the situation.

This is human reflex; threat detection and using our intelligence quickly to deal with it. In eastern health methodologies, the psyche is studied for this reflex. As useful as it was on the savannah of Africa or forests of Europe in the ice age; the startle response has it’s downsides. If I am geared up to fight or run, I might escalate a modern world situation and make things worse. In civilised society, assaulting someone can lead to a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Not to mention the guilt of living with some morally wrong or wholly inappropriate decision. Alcohol or drugs make this worse, we lose our ability to think things through, it fogs the mind. How then are we to avoid escalating a situation? It isn’t easy, even neurology shows that we feel before we think. Most people have experience of acting out of emotion and regretting it after they’ve calmed down. There is, though, a way to master our emotions.

In Systema and other health practices, free diving even, the breath hold is a very useful tool. Free divers, in particular, study the breath hold to a level most of us wouldn’t even dare. Holding their breath, hundreds of metres under water, for several minutes. The Sama-Bajau people are an extreme example of free diving, having evolved larger spleens to store more oxygen rich blood, they can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes! Most of us aren’t evolved for this kind of breath hold, but it shows the human potential. A breath hold is scary for most people and this is kind of the point. If you can study your psyche, relax it, relax everything, during the most terrifying point of the hold, then you will gain a brand new reflex. A new skill. You’re body will learn to automatically relax itself in stressful situations and remain calm. This allows for calm, reasoned action, and in a self defence situation can save your life.

Take for example the knife wielding mugger, giving him your wallet calmly will more likely make him feel like he is in control. Jumping to fight or flight, screaming for help, grabbing at the knife arm in pure panic, is only going to invite attack. If giving your wallet doesn’t deescalate the situation then staying calm and relaxed is still the best strategy. If you can train your body to relax under pressure, then you will move easier and be able to evade the knife better. Maybe use your bag as a barrier, or a car or a bush or a belt. You won’t lose your balance or footing as easy, if you remain relaxed.

Whatsmore, I find my reflexes improve with relaxation. Have you ever caught a falling object? Knocked the salt dispenser out of the cupboard and within split seconds, calculated it’s flight path, trajectory, and then caught the damn thing! I have, and I can tell you it is something remarkable. This sort of reflex has presented itself to me in numerous occasions. The brain is a predicting machine, it takes past information and projects into the future. This information can be anything, memories, past experiences, thought experiments. If you put any data into the brain, it will extrapolate into the future. Once calculated, within seconds, the brain can send signals to the muscles almost instantaneously. Once, my brother and I were playing with a frisbee, he threw it so hard at my face I thought I would be decapitated. Instead, I just reacted, like the Matrix, I bent over backwards and the frisbee whizzed right by overhead. I didn’t even get touched. My brain calculated the velocity, and direction, and my body reacted. It was a reflex reaction. These same cognitive abilities come into play in life or death situations. However, most people aren’t trained how to deal with adrenaline or fear. Breath holds are the single most effective way to do this. And once your body learns to relax in serious situations. It leaves your brain and reflexes to do what they do best.