Issue 064

July 2010

Through evolution, humans have inherited a fighting instinct similar to that found in the animal kingdom. 

Our genetic coding is what it is. When we're backed into a corner, mother nature comes to the rescue and detonates our survival instinct as an impulse of self-preservation. But here’s the kicker: In the Octagon it won’t always save you. It can do the absolute opposite and hand your ass on a platter to your opponent. 

As fighters we recognize it as ‘rage in the cage’ or releasing the beast – psychologists call it ‘reactive aggression’. This refers to behavior that is generally between members of the same species when they are motivated to causing harm to one another when threatened, tormented or trapped. In the cage it is characterized by impulsive thinking, lack of forethought and the urge to lash out in retaliation when you sense impending doom to your existence.  

We’ve all been there: The other guy’s dancing rings around you; he has crisper and sharper strikes; you can’t seem to slip the jab, counter or evade him. You try for the takedown but he’s got lightning-fast sprawls, your BJJ for some unknown reason has left the building and before you know it he’s landed a bomb that shakes you to the very core. There is nothing worse than being emasculated in front of a crowd of loved ones. The response is natural for most fighters: “I’m gonna kill ya and I don’t care if it looks ugly!” 

Some may argue that ‘rage bursts’ can help them get out of tight spots. Granted, some legends of the sport have embraced the beast. A prime example is Wanderlei Silva. His aggressive reputation was set in stone during his Pride FC years where, with an unrelenting ferocious savagery rarely witnessed, he devoured anyone crazy enough to stand with him. 

But the fact is that mixed martial arts has evolved and adapted to this primal style of fighting, which is why Silva’s tightened the reins on the beast and fights noticeably smarter – having said that, we are treated to the odd glimmer of the old 'Axe Murderer' (e.g. the dying seconds of the Bisping fight where he exploded and dropped him). 

Rage, aggression, anger are all symptoms of the beast within; they’re emotions where large amounts of epinephrine (adrenaline) are released and the body regresses to a more primitive state. For a fighter it’s a double-edged sword. If harnessed correctly it can sharpen senses, allowing you to fight at full throttle. But we psychologists know that unless you control the beast it clouds focus, as the brain can only process one idea at a time, and your ability to discipline your thoughts and physical impulses goes out the window. The scary news is that in this state the mind is motivated by emotions, which causes excess muscle tension leading to neutralized reflexes, sluggish reaction times and consumption of vital energy stores – hampering performance potential by up to 60%.

By taming the beast, fighters learn how to defuse rage, anger and aggression and improve their power of focused concentration to dispense with their opponent. It bestows a very important weapon that all fighters should tuck under their pillow: It teaches them to become dispassionate about their rival, which suppresses the irrational rage that wants to brawl, not fight. 

Fighter Reprogramming

Each fighter has their own coping mechanism of controlling the onslaught of intense emotions experienced in the cage. It’s your choice, embrace the beast or you can utilize it to your advantage, but it’s going to require the same grit and determination you bring to training otherwise you might as well take up curling.  

Fighter-reprogramming, or ‘cognitive shifting’, is a method used in psychology for awareness management. In this arena it is used as a performance oriented technique for re-directing a negative response (in this case 'berserker rage') towards the desired reaction (calm, calculated, fighter mindset). This reprogramming process, if practiced, can be executed at will and slowly becomes second nature.  

Phase 1

“No man fears to do that which he knows he does well.” 

Duke of Wellington 

Fighter-reprogramming starts with a process of acclimatizing you to the situation by simulating a fight in which you are on the losing end. Every club will have their own method, some call it the ‘Shark Tank’, and the idea is you spar at about 70–80% with a fresh partner, sometimes as often as every minute, over three or five rounds. This should invoke a swarm of negative responses, and the closer the training resembles the real thing, the greater the performance carryover will be. By adapting to this type of training, you can create a sort of ‘rage immune system’ that desensitizes, allowing greater tolerance for similar highly charged situations.  

Phase 2

‘Centering’ is one method Lyoto Machida uses during combat, and it allows him to stay focused and avoid all distractions. It can help a fighter stay in the moment and release unnecessary emotions and thoughts. 

Centering techniques reduce the feelings of panic or anxiety when you’re on the back foot. They allow you to pay attention to your body and breathing, redirecting focus from the survival instinct, which wants to be set free, to the task at hand. 

Sixteen-Second Sequence

'Tactical breathing' is a centering technique and a form of biofeedback, which is the process of consciously regulating the body's normally subconscious functions, i.e. taking control of things that work automatically. 

Next time you're feeling the rage boil, take four full seconds to draw a deep breath through clenched teeth (mouthguard in). Hold that breath for four seconds and then exhale for the next four seconds, and as you do this have a key word to repeat that reinforces focus, e.g. ‘steady’ or ‘hold it’. Pause for another four seconds before repeating the entire 16-second sequence at least three times. 

Practicing tactical breathing during the shark tank significantly improves your VO2Max (volume of oxygen the body utilizes and transports while going all-out), immediately slows your heart rate and brings emotional responses under control. You'll feel mental clarity and it’s easier to recall your training when you need it the most. 

For mixed martial artists it is not enough to understand the conditions in which you'll have to perform. You have to understand how you react to those conditions. That takes more than practice; it takes the right kind of practice.

FIGHTER-REPROGRAMMING IN ITS MOST BASIC FORM

INPUT

STIMULUS

PROCESSING

F*CK!!! OPTION1: INSTINCT kicks-in... “Start throwing punches back or roll onto front?” 

FIGHTER-REPROGRAMMING

“Bad idea! Still conscious, slow down thoughts, keep a tight defense. Pause. I’ve trained for this I know how to escape!”

 RESPONSE

Your responses solely depend on how you process the STIMULUS. With a calm mind, focus can re-emerge through the chaos. 

Joe Bell is a sports psychologist and exercise scientist who specializes in fight psychology and calisthenics. For information go to:

www.fighterspsychology.com