As I learned, as I am continuing to learn, the lessons learned in that book extend far beyond the fields of combat. They extend into everyone's daily life. In fact, I have found it to be a curse that it appears that I have to experience everything that I've been researching and writing, so much so that my current circumstances are once again reflected in my work in the book.
But for now, here is a copy of the Preface:
PREFACEThe preface of a book is where the author tells the reader how the book came about. In my case, this book came about through curiosity.
Initially, I set out to write a how-to book on the jujutsu techniques taught by Shihan Jan de Jong OAM, 9th Dan. My original idea was to incorporate a little science into the instruction to provide a deeper understanding of the techniques. However, I quickly discovered that finding relevant science in the martial arts literature was far from easy. On the rare occasions when science has been used to understand martial arts techniques, it has often failed to relate meaningfully to practice.
Further research to address this gap revealed an overwhelming amount of scientific knowledge—not only enough to overshadow the original how-to instruction, but enough to shine a light on techniques used in all activities associated with preparing a person for violent encounters, as well as techniques used in violence generally. As a result, the initial how-to book was shelved in favour of a new project, tentatively titled The Science Behind All Fighting Techniques.
The Science Behind All Fighting Techniques includes chapters on the various types of techniques taught in martial arts and other self-defence disciplines. While working on the chapter about joint-locking techniques, I planned to include just a brief explanation of why pain is experienced when forces are applied to move a joint beyond its range of motion—my biomechanical definition of joint-locking techniques. However, my research into pain uncovered so much information that what was originally intended to be a paragraph or two became a chapter of its own.
One section of that chapter addresses pain tolerance and includes a discussion on ‘stress-induced analgesia’ (SIA). SIA refers to the well-established phenomenon in which exposure to various stressors leads to the suppression of pain perception. This phenomenon explains why soldiers wounded on the battlefield and athletes injured in competition often report feeling no pain until their task is completed. The suppression of pain seemed like an obvious advantage during violent encounters, so I began researching SIA in more detail.
This investigation revealed that SIA is part of the broader ‘stress response,’ also known as the ‘fight-or-flight response.’ This response refers to an automatic physiological reaction that is evolutionarily designed to promote an individual’s survival when faced with a threat. A key part of the stress response is the release of beta-endorphins, which suppress pain perception so that pain does not distract from the survival effort. Other survival advantages provided by the stress response include increased strength, speed, endurance, and enhanced blood clotting.
As I reflected on my own experiences—two separate encounters where I was confronted by a knife-wielding assailant—I realised that on neither occasion did I experience a fight-or-flight response. The fight-or-flight response is designed by nature to enhance survival, so why was it absent when my survival was directly threatened?
It was in seeking the answer to that question that I began a deep exploration—a journey that led to insights which now form the basis of this book. These insights offer a new and better understanding of our natural and learned responses to threats. What I discovered goes far beyond the context of violent encounters, extending into a much broader understanding of how we respond to danger, real or imagined, and anxiety and fear in all areas of life.
John Coles
