In this video, we will discuss why and how it is interesting to cheat your brain in order to better understand its flaws as well as its pain threshold, notably in case of an altercation.
Table of Contents
Your pain threshold
When I was doing a finger lock, I asked my partner to stop as soon as I reached his pain threshold.
In order to better understand the process, whenever my partner’s fingers were strongly twisted, he would weaken and fall to the ground once his pain threshold was reached. It is important to understand that when the nerves are under tension, over time, the brain will engage different chemical mechanisms (adrenaline, etc.) in order to cope with this pain, to absorb it and limit sensitivity.
The importance of breathing
It is important to understand that learning how to breathe (exhale) during training allows you to gain better control of yourself and to prepare to a potential attack. Your breath is a source of energy that you should not neglect! It was proven during the exercise that if my partner had the reflex to breathe out every time I twisted his finger, his pain threshold could be pushed back. It does not mean that he didn’t feel the pain, but rather that his ability to resist was enhanced by his breath.
Switch between “soft and hard”
I will teach you how to cheat your brain.
- Why?
When a pain persists at the same intensity, the brain gets used to it and absorbs it. This is what allows you to feel much less pain.
- How?
To overcome this habit, and if the aggressor is particularly resistant, I will alternate between soft and hard – soft and hard.
So, considering a finger lock, instead of inflicting a continuous pain signal that will allow him to adapt, his brain won’t be able to process what’s going on, which will make him flinch. It is quite likely that some people do not feel it, or have a higher pain threshold than others, which means they won’t flinch. However, it also depends on nerves, or more precisely on nerve connections, which is why it is proper to each individual.
In short
Although he feels the pain, the aggressor resists and refuses to give up. Thus, his brain absorbs the pain. All of a sudden, I try to take over the situation by disturbing his brain by alternating soft/hard (or tension/release)
But let’s not forget that not everyone has the same sensitivity. Hence this technique may work very well on some “sensitive” individuals and absolutely not on others. This is why it is important to always have an alternative “option B” in mind, in case option A does not work. And above all, it is necessary to have an overview of all the sensitive areas you can hit.
