Reflexes and Martial arts
The speed of the reflexes is key element of combat sports. A martial artist must involve his speed but also involve his reflexes. A fast person does not have necessarily good reflexes. These are two different criteria which require a specialized training. A reflex can be innate or learned. It is an involuntary muscular answer to a factor able to start a reaction. There are several factors able to start a reaction in combat: a strike from the opponent, an opening, a step, a glance, all movements of the adversary. The answer to these factors appears in the form of innate movements or of learned techniques. Example: A wrestler will have a different reaction from a boxer in reaction of a jab. The boxer will probably dodge the jab and the wrestler probably will try to put his opponent on the ground.
The best reflex is that which answers most effectively the stimuli which must involve the reaction. Even if the reflex is quickly carried out, if the movement is not effective, that is not used for nothing.
Our body is built in order to answer stimuli. These stimuli are detected by our directions and our manners of reacting can be different from a person to another. One can be conditioned to react in a certain way when facing various situations. How? The mechanical repetition of the techniques vis-a-vis certain situations will push your body to be acted naturally, quickly, with effectiveness and without reflecting. A conditioned reflex is an effective reaction to a situation.
“The ideal is unnatural naturalness, or natural unnaturalness. I mean it is a combination of both.
I mean here is natural instinct and here is control. You are to combine the two in harmony.
Not if you have one to the extreme, you’ll be very unscientific.
If you have another to the extreme, you become, all of a sudden, a mechanical man
No longer a human being.
It is a successful combination of both.
That way it is a process of continuing growth.
Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee
The Quality of the reflexes
There are two elements to take into account when one speaks about reflexes in combat. The Situation: Movements or actions of the adversary. Reaction: Measurement to counter the movements or actions of the adversary.
To involve (conditioning) the reaction, it is first of all necessary to study in-depth situation to find best the reaction possible. If one speaks at a stretch about foot for example. One must study the kick. How one can anticipate it, at which distance it is launched, which are the openings created by the blow…
The reaction when facing the situation must be simple, effective and does not have to compromise the rest of our strategy. (See the article on simplicity)
Anticipation
The speed of reaction can be optimized with the anticipation of the actions of the opponent. Clues to his next moves can be picked up by his style, attitude and tendencies. Anticipation can be, in some cases, a double-edged knife because your opponent can use his actions as bait to deceive you and thus attack you during your attack.
How to improve the reflexes in combat
In general, there exist several manners of improving its reflexes. As a practitioner of the physical exercise – (to run in wood, to play ping pong, to play hockey…)As a practitioner of the mental exercises – (peripheral vision, video games, neurotracker, sophrology, hypnosis…)By having a healthy lifestyle – (to eat well, sleep well, supplements with the need…)
In a more specific way, one can improve his reflexes in combat of various ways: Sparring: One can practice the sparring with different intensity. The slow sparring makes it possible to find best the reactions possible compared to different situation while the faster sparring makes it possible to put these reactions into practice. The sparring us habitus also to receive the blows and to detect the blows. The Pads Focuses: One can sharpen our reflexes as a practitioner different exercises on the focuses pads with our trainer. To remain alert during the combinations, to keep the head moving, to analyze the distance, to return quickly keeps some, are all of the elements with included in our training with focus pads. Light Training: BlazePod, Fitlight Training… To stop reflecting: If one considered before striking, it is already too late. While being in the present moment, one can be detached from his conscience and thus, to get rid of the fear, anger, the stress… If you must think, it is not more one reflex. Other: There exists much in other ways of increasing the quality of the reflexes. The sport is into constant evolution. That it is with balls of tennis, sticks, balloons, if the reflex is improved, the manner is good.
