Automatic responses are what we train to develop in martial arts. All self-defense is based on strong, fast, correctly trained actions that are designed to save us from harm and preserve our lives. We are all born with some survival instincts “hardwired” into us, these automatic reactions to danger are often referred to as reflexes. Unfortunately not all reflexes, or actions that occur without thought, are healthy or safe however. Martial art training is aimed developing Automatic Responses, reflex-speed actions that have already been thought out and tested for safety.
An example of a natural reaction to danger is the “flinch” reflex. When people believe they are about to be hit, either in the body or face, or suffer some form of sudden pain, they “flinch”. They naturally close their eyes and turn their head away from the source of the strike or pain. Unfortunately this means that, in a fight, you have taken your eyes off of your attacker and have exposed the side of your head. This is exactly what the attacker wants; triggering this reflex action is a key part of his or her plan. Learning to defend one’s self means learning to disrupt the attacker’s plan. Interrupt their plans, send them into a new OODA Cycle, and buy yourself the time to make an escape.
In training you can change reflexes into automatic responses. You develop responses, actions that are thought out before deployment, that can disrupt the attacker’s plans and give you the advantage you need to survive the encounter. Consistent practice of the new skills and responses make them automatic, your body able to deploy the technique without the delay of having to think about it. Training and practice allow you to develop well thought out responses to danger; these responses help you shorten the Decision Stage of your OODA Cycle. When you can shorten your decision time and defend yourself against the initial attack you have bought yourself “survival time”. If you can then transition to offense quickly and put your attacker on the defensive, even momentarily, then you have bought yourself “escape time”. A good set of automatic responses can cause the attacker to pause as they orient to a new set of “rules”, disrupting their plan, and allowing you to escape further harm.
Good martial arts training can help you turn those hardwired reflex actions into the automatic responses you need to survive.
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