Excerpt from “Philosophy of Learning” by Tuhon Tom Kier, found on the Sayoc Global, LLC website!
Obtaining a general understanding of the brain and its functions is important to understanding the installation process of the training formula. It is very important, however, to understand that the training formula is concerned with the whole person. The identification of individual problems gives the feeder areas in which to focus treatment plans. All of these formulas are designed to work toward the processing ability of the whole person. Each problem area affects other areas and many times resolving one problem has a major impact on other problems. For example, reestablishing postural balance and eliminating self-defeating reactions greatly enhances concentration and attention, which allows for improved cognition and problem solving.
The temporal lobes are involved in the primary organization of sensory input and are highly associated with memory skills.
Some of the variables in knife encounter crisis are Panic, and Anger:
You probably recognize this as the classic ‘flight or fight’ response that human beings experience when we are in a situation of danger.
- Panic Attacks: A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that comes without warning and without any obvious reason. It is far more intense than the feeling of being ‘stressed out’ that most people experience.
Anger: We all know what anger is, and we have all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as a full-fledged rage. Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. However, when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems. In addition, it can make you feel as though you are at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion.
Anger is an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. Like other emotions, it is accompanied by physiological and biological changes; when you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure go up, as does the level of your energy hormones, adrenalin and nor adrenalin. Anger can be caused by both external and internal events. Memories of traumatic or enraging events can also trigger angry feelings.
The instinctive, natural way to express anger is to respond aggressively. Anger is a natural, adaptive response to threats; it inspires powerful, often aggressive, feelings and behaviors, which allow us to fight and to defend ourselves when we are attacked. A certain amount of anger, therefore, is necessary to our survival. People use a variety of both conscious and unconscious processes to deal with their angry feelings.
The Thought Provocation method, simply put, this means changing the way you think by restructuring your logical order of questioning.
When you are angry, your thinking can get much exaggerated and overly dramatic. Try replacing these thoughts with more rational ones. For instance, while in free style knife training, instead of telling yourself, ‘oh, I hate getting cut, why can’t I evade that angle of attack, everything’s over, I’m dead,’ tell yourself, ‘it’s frustrating, and it’s understandable that I’m upset about it, but it’s not the end of the world and getting angry is not going to save me. That is why you are training!!
Sometimes, our anger and frustration are caused by very real and inescapable problems in our lives. Not all anger is misplaced, and often it is a healthy, natural response to these difficulties. There is also a cultural belief that every problem has a solution, and it adds to our frustration to find out that this is not always the case. The best attitude to bring such a situation, then, is not to focus on finding the solution but rather on how you handle and face the problem.
Make a plan, and check your progress along the way. People who have trouble with planning might find a good guide to organizing or time management helpful. Resolve to give it your best, but also not to punish yourself if an answer does not come right away. If you can approach it with your best intentions and efforts, and make a serious attempt to face it head-on, you will be less likely to lose patience and fall into all-or-nothing thinking, even if the problem is not solved right away.
Angry people tend to jump to –and act on– conclusions, and most of those conclusions can be suicidal. The first thing to do, if you are reacting to a conditioned response, is to slow down and initiate your reflexive responses. React with the first thing that comes into your head, but slow down and watch carefully for your partner’s response. At the same time, determine what type of response your partner initiated. This demonstrates how manipulation of stimuli can control movements.
Assertiveness: It is true that angry people need to learn to become assertive rather than aggressive, but most information on developing assertiveness are aimed at people who don’t feel enough anger. These people are more passive and acquiescent than the average person; they tend to let others walk all over them. That is not something most angry people do. Still, this information can contain some useful tactics to use in frustrating situations.
Remember, you cannot eliminate anger — and it would not be a good idea if you could. In spite of all your efforts, things will always happen that will cause you anger. Life will always be filled with frustration, pain, loss and the unpredictable actions of others. You cannot change that; but you can change the way you let such events affect you. Controlling your angry responses can keep them from making you even unhappier in the end.
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