Reality check part 5
In part five of my column regarding the subject of reality based personal protection training I want to cover the very important topic of the adrenal dump. When the body responds to sudden shock or fright it releases a chemical cocktail that is designed to aid our self preservation. The physiological effects this cocktail has on our systems plays a significant part in how we react to such circumstances, it also heavily underlines why your standard self defence applications need to be put aside for a more progressive and realistic system of training.
Sensing fright.
The amygdala sits in the brain's medial temporal lobe, a few inches from either ear. Coursing through the amygdala are nerves connecting it to a number of important brain centers, including the neocortex and visual cortex. It is part of the limbic system. One of it's vast roles is to take information from our senses and have our system act accordingly. Therefore when a person receives a fright or shock, the amygdala triggers the medulla gland which releases a cocktail of hormones, those being adrenalin also known as epinephrine and noradrenalin.
Flight, fight and freeze.
Adrenalin is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. Once this is released into our blood stream a number of physiological effects can be noticed. It's main function is to aid the body during a period of extreme stress. The result of an adrenal dump in the body can be categorised into three elements; Flight, fright or freeze.
From a self preservation point of view the effects of adrenalin need to be understood and thus harnessed. Many systems of 'self defence' train without the slightest bit of understanding of the adrenal dump and how this physiological reaction to fright or the shock of a violent encounter can actually make years of training fancy release techniques a complete waste of time and energy.
The positive and negative responses to the adrenal dump.
The immediate effects of an adrenal dump can be felt as a warm sensation which engulfs the mid section. The medulla gland from which the adrenal cocktail is released is located just above the kidneys. The medulla gland is stimulated form an sharp increase in heart rate triggered by the amygdala. Adrenalin is then released and acts a vasodilator which encourages blood flow into the major muscle groups and constricts (vasoconstriction) blood flow to the extremities. This enables much swifter running and more powerful core movements as the blood is channeled into the major muscle groups that coordinate gross motor movement, therefore gross motor movement is enhanced while fine motor movement is diminished.
Gross motor movements are those found in functional striking arts. The use of the knees, elbows and hands are governed by the larger gross motor muscle groups. Fine motor skill is diminished resulting is less coordinated movement of the fine motor muscle groups that control the lower extremities such as the hands and fingers. This reaction alone makes wrist grabs and other fine motor movements like joint manipulation utterly pointless under certain stressful conditions, on a positive note however because of less blood flow to the extremities, any cut or stab wound to that region will result in a lot less bleeding than under normal circumstances.
While other positive effects of the adrenal dump include a dilation of the air passages which allows more oxygen to be pumped to the operating gross motor muscle groups, one of the most negative effects is when the adrenal cocktail inhibits our ability to make decisions.
Combative training principles guide us to understand the need to have a singular diagnostic response to threat. This is because one of the most dramatic effects of the adrenal dump is when the decision making parts of the brain are by-passed resulting in the mid brain operating as an aid to self preservation. The midbrain is the smallest region of the brain that acts as a sort of relay station for auditory and visual information.
The midbrain controls many important functions such as the visual and auditory systems as well as body movements. Before evolution brought us to where we are now, neanderthal man operated solely on midbrain functions.
Because adrenalin effects our natural self preservation triggers the midbrain is activated in order to aid the flight or fight response. The decision making elements of the temporal lobes are by-passed. This is where memory, decision making and speech are controlled.
So with memory diminished and fine motor skill diminished, questions need to be asked about the usefulness of many fine motor techniques (some martial arts boast hundreds of techniques for one attack!) trained two or three times a week. On a related note, school goers will associate with diminished memory under stress as result of cramming for exams, i've been there myself!
With decision making diminished well so then is target acquisition, the ability to strike small regions of the body under stress are rendered useless. You only have to look at your common street brawl to know it's nothing short of an unsightly mess of missed haymakers and hair pulling. This is why when training with Combative principles in mind we target the entire high line as a generic target with a view to shutting down the functions of the brain with temporary unconsciousness.
Other positive effects of the adrenal response include a reduction in pain due to the anesthetic effects of adrenalin, hence why people who have been injured in fight don't realise it until after the event.
Other negative effects include the body wanting to get rid of any excess waist that it is carrying, this results in the need to go to the toilet and or vomit.
Understanding these effects of the adrenal response means we can train within it's parameters and improve on the functions that it gives us to prevail. In order to do this you must create scenarios that will come as close to the real deal as possible and throw compliancy out the window. Only then will you understand for yourself if your training is productive and functional or whether all your fancy lapel releases and thumb locks quickly become as useless as an ash tray on a motor bike.
Non compliant scenario training by its very nature carries an inherent risk, however with the right guidance and training it can become a very enlightening part of your self protection training. Whatever you are training in, ensure you pressure test it under the influence of adrenal stress.
Peace.
