What do you feel is the best way to instruct my female students regarding the flinch reflex? I have been trying to get them to analyze their opponents’ body language and to fight accordingly. Specifically I have been attempting to show them that every fighter sends a message with their bodies when they enter a list. I have also pointed out that those messages often determine the fight.
Baron Hamish MacLeod
We’re going to separate our answer into two sections, one on The Flinch Reflex and the other on Body Language.
The Flinch Reflex:
This is a legitimate reflex which is designed to save our lives. Avoid labeling it negatively. We have to retrain this reflex, not turn it off. In drills, Duke Patrick of Caid recommends using pillows - which are non-threatening and slightly humorous. Boffers will also do. Have the combatants in armor and smack them with the pillow/boffer until they are laughing and have no trouble keeping their eyes open when the ‘weapon’ hits them in the faceplate. Have a pillowfight in armor. You are retraining the flinch reflex in what it considers ‘dangerous’. (e.g. It is still OK to flinch when something dangerous comes at your face, but stuff coming at your grill when you are in armor is not in that class of reaction any more.) If you feel this happening while you are in the middle of a fight, you obviously cannot call a ‘hold’ and have a pillow fight. Instead, focus on your opponent and how they are moving. Close in a determined fashion. At the last minute, shut your eyes completely and throw every blow you know. You may die like a dog, but you won’t flinch. And I have won fights this way - my opponent never noticed that my eyes were closed. — Eichling
Body Language:
Once your students realize how to generate their own Confidence/Body Language it will greatly improve their ability to read others.
Below is an excerpt of my article on Confidence:
The first step to feeling confident when you fight is to feel comfortable in your surroundings. Understanding how the game is played (even though you may not be able to participate in all aspects) will help you get comfortable. Watch fights, learn how to marshal, really work on being able to call blows correctly, get an idea of the good fighters frequenting the tourney circuit and fight! Also you must feel reasonably comfortable in your armor.
The second step to confidence is faking it. Even though you may be unnerved in your mind, if you walk out on that field as if you own it and nobody can take it from you, you will give off an aura of confidence. If you tell yourself that you are the best fighter out here, and no body can beat you this day, you slowly start to listen to yourself. I think the phrase is “fake it, till you make it”. If you continue to make yourself carry those shoulders high, and have no fear in your eyes or your mind, eventually those traits will become apart of you and you will be all those things.
Also length of time fighting also reflects upon being able to read another person’s body language. When you are new it is much harder to read another person, because you are so busy just trying to figure out how to block that thigh shot or be able to throw with power. I am unaware of where your students are in training, but do know that it is something that will develop over time.
Again I will restate that I do think that training your students to be aware of their own Body Language will help them realize that other people produce it as well. — Kolfinna
