Fear

[JeffGentry]

Hello everyone

How often are we actualy afraid in sparring either unarmed, dagger, or with waster's?

How would this or does this adrenaline charge effect our perception and ability to fight and maintain control of our thought's and action's while under assault?

In the reality of combat i think it is essential to know this in order to realisticly defend ourselves, just some thought's on this for discussion and education.


Jeff

[JeanryChandler]

I am sometimes, rarely. I have one sparring partner who always hits very, very hard, and our weapons are hard to begin with. I can count on the fact that any time we spar, if we get a mutual death or if he wins, I'm going to get by bell rung. Usually this doesn't phase me, but once in a while I see that look in his eyes and I do feel actual fear. When I do, I always lose.

I had a similar problem occasionally with a staff fighter I used to spar with last year who could knock me off my feet with a hard thrust.

DB

[KatherineJohnson]

Pretty much never in weapon sparring, which is unfortunette. I think the closest thing to an adreneline dump I've had when longsword sparring is when going "continuous".
Meaning even if I hit the other person they would keep attacking me.

It's the same when sparring muay thai where I am stuck in a ring with someone who is intent on hitting me till the end of the round I get a much bigger adreniline dump then from weapon sparring.

I dont think there's really many ways to induce it in weapon sparring because it is to much like "point sparring". I hit them, they stop and we reset or vice versa. I dont have to fear getting wailed on.

If anyone can suggest a way to cause fear in sparring I would deffinitly utilize that in training as I think it changes what you're willing to risk.

[JeffGentry]

Hey Jeanry

once in a while I see that look in his eyes and I do feel actual fear. When I do, I always lose.

So why only once in awhile, and does it seem like at those time's you lose heart?


I know that when we tense up we slow down and sometime's tend to think instead of act, I have heard it refered to hyperstimulation and the brain doesn't quit know what to think or do.

I believe fear is an emtion and can be controled and used to our advantage, fear stimulate's adrenalin which will prepare us for flight or fight, if we fight that adrenline surge give's us added strength more blood flow hence oxygen to muscle's sense's become more accute, should we be training for this since we will never "realy" face an opponent with a sharp sword intent on doing us grave bodily harm, in the context of what we study was this not a consideration of the Master's who wrote the text in the simplicity of there teaching's i think it was considered.

Me personaly, i have been literaly so scared i almost threw up, not in sparring in some of my other extra curricular activities, and was able to bring it under control and do what was needed because i had trained for that and knew immediatley what it was and how to deal with it.

fear can be our best friend as "Martial artist" when we are able to recognize it and harness it.

Jeff

[JeffGentry]

Hey Katherine

Meaning even if I hit the other person they would keep attacking me.

Hmmmm does your first shot alway's hit? i know mine doesn't and here in Columbus we have started to try and stay in the fight even when our first attack fail's by winding, and using the dre wunder and not being so quick to reset the fight after the first one or two attempt's to strike.

Maybe i should define my usage of fear so we are sure we are on the same page: Fear= that which would make a reasonable person think they were in danger of being physicaly harmed and will induce panic:

Do we have to have fear as an emotion in order to gain the advantage's of the adrenalin or are there time's we experience fear and do not realize it as such, and it get's the better of us.

Jeff

[JeanryChandler]

So why only once in awhile, and does it seem like at those time's you lose heart?

I gotta be honest, yes. I always feel fear when I'm fighting against a good opponent in a full-force, full-contact bout. But it's normally balanced with aggression, calmness, exhiliration. I have to say, I actually love this feeling.

I only think of it as fear on those very rare occasions when fear is dominant.

I think maybe that fear in sparring bouts came when the familiarity of the bout had dropped the excitement to mundane levels, but the anticipation of a jarring blow as a penalty for failure was still there.

Jeanry

[JeanryChandler]

If anyone can suggest a way to cause fear in sparring I would deffinitly utilize that in training as I think it changes what you're willing to risk.

If you dont ever feel any fear sparring I don't think your weapons are heavy enough (are they actual weight of a real sword?) and your opponents aren't hitting hard enough.

Come spar with us some time. My lads will put fear in ya. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Jnry

[KatherineJohnson]

Hmmmm does your first shot alway's hit? i know mine doesn't and here in Columbus we have started to try and stay in the fight even when our first attack fail's by winding, and using the dre wunder and not being so quick to reset the fight after the first one or two attempt's to strike.

Hey Jeff,


No my first shot doesnt always hit...But I am ussually a very agressive fighter and generally continue to floyrish into my attack untill something does <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

What I mean is that we go untill someone get's hit and then we reset. So there's no real fear of "this person is going to beat me severely".

IE I dont mess up, get hit in the head...drop my guard and get hit again and again.

Without this concern I never have any kind of fear or adreniline dump.

Which is unfortunette as I agree with you that it would be good to know how to handle it and what to expect.

[KatherineJohnson]

Hi Jeanry,

Well actually my instructor was Jake so he did indeed hit quite hard <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" /> Using your messer sometimes, no less.

We also used the Welch core sword design which carries a fair bit of authority.

Even when practicing with a FMA guy using his rattan sticks (unarmored in any fashion i might add) i dont really experiance any kind of "fear".

I think it's just the nature of stop/start sparring.

But I would indeed love to come down and spar with your crew sometime, thanks for the invite <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

[JeanryChandler]

Katherine, sounds like you are hard core. Can't wait until the next event down here, I would love to spar with you.

JR

[Jaron Bernstein]

For me the fear doesn't kick in until it is an actual live situation or competition. Kind of wierd. For example, in my EMA class I spar with some intensity with the same people for months on end. No fear. Yet at an official tournament, fighting some of the same people, with the same intensity, the butterflies show up. Go figure.

One thing I find is that I lose the ability to think. Whilst in training (even free sparrring) I can think of things, in live stuff, it is pretty much whatever my muscle memory says. So, I am very careful about what I train into that since it is what will show up.

[JeffGentry]

Hey Katherine

I think it's just the nature of stop/start sparring.

You may be right, and i know Jake does hit hard.

hmmm how much protective gear is being worn that migt be something to consider also the more we pad up the less we have to fear getting hit, when we spar padded here i wear only my Protec ace open face kayak helmet, so i definately don't want to get hit, although i stil do quit frequently,
or maybe waster free play with out padd's me and David Kite have done this and you definately don't want to be hit, lol.

Jaron

For me the fear doesn't kick in until it is an actual live situation or competition.

do you think it is because you know what people will do in free sparring or the fear of losing in front of people in competition.

Jeff

[James_Knowles]

Actual fear? For me not often.

What kills me is trying to think my way through something.

[JeffGentry]

Hey Guy's

How often are we actualy afraid in sparring either unarmed, dagger, or with waster's?

I guess Maybe i should amend this question.

When we are in an extreme situation our body goes through phsyiological change's, adrenaline is released our breathing change's our sense's become's sharper, can we induce this with training and learn to deal with them, in the reality of combat this is what happen's and it will effect how we handle the sword, and the speed of our reaction's, so how do we as "modern" student's of WMA/swordsmanship learn to deal with these type's of thing's and still maintain our composure and control of a situation?

Maybe we need to use what i like to call controled chaos were we control nothing except what is immediately around us, alway's observing, moving and dealing with the immediate threat.

what do you all think?

Jeff

[JeanryChandler]

I was thinking about this some more, and one thing which occured to me, is the guys in my group who can bring that feeling out in you to some extent, are the streetfighters. Guys I know who have a bit of a mean streak in them, guys I have seen fighting.

One way to introduce a bit of a random element, is something we used to do kind of by accident. Back in the early 90's we used to practice in a parking lot off of Magazine street in the Irish Channel, in New Orleans. This parking lot was about half a block from a major public basket ball courts. Guys walking by would see us sparring and often wanted to check it out. We made it a policy to welcome anyone who wanted to try this, originally more as community relations to be honest because it kept us on good terms with all the regulars. But it was also very good practice, these guys were streetwise, atheletic, nimble, and very strong. Some of them were physically intimidating people, and you really never knew how somebody was going to react. We would always explain everything carefully and make them wear safety equipment, but sometimes (rarely) guys would flip out when they got hit and start swinging fists.

This definately helped put an edge into our training experience. If you are looking for that feeling, that might be one way to try to get it.

Jeanry