When most people first decide to take a ‘self defense’ class or enroll in a martial art program, one of the many things they fear...
or problem they want to solve is, “How do I not get hit, held, controlled by the hand(s) or something in the hand(s) of an attacker?” This is where lessons get interesting and somewhat humbling…
because some people realize they’ve never been attacked or hit before and those who have been in that unfortunate situation are motivated enough to warrant it will never happen again! In either case the ‘solution’ for both people, that is VERY hard to learn is the same, “It’s not about the hand or strike…it’s all about managing range and controlling aggression!”
Simply stated, being overly concerned about what’s coming at you focuses your eyes on it and eliminates your ability to deal with what may be next. Training for a violent encounter allows you to gain, through experienced repetition and scenarios, enough confidence to focus your eyes on the whole threat. Keeping your mind engaged and unlocking the power of your subconscious mind helps you figure out a strategy to deal with multiple obstacles vs. focusing on “the hand” and the damage it may cause. The beauty of training the subconscious mind is you gain the power to not think when things are happening FAST…and IT just happens.
Being able to trust the subconscious mind when facing life challenges greatly enhances our problem-solving capacity and increases our percentage of successful outcomes.
Be aware of the hand (initial threat), then focus your attention to a wider range of problems (size, scope, quantity of issues) to address in the moment. The broader the lens when we distance ourselves from the initial threat, brings more time to process, adapt and respond accordingly. Stay focused on the goal(s) (i.e. surviving a violent encounter, solve the work or personal crisis) and keep your eyes on the bigger picture while considering trouble ahead…but above all keep moving!
-Sifu