Comments on: The Wonder of Your Brain; Self Defense?

By: Neal Martin

Neal Martin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:38:06 +0000

Sometimes it seems like someone is looking out for out for us. The scrapes you get into and then you wonder, “How the hell did I survive that one intact?”

A lot of mystery still surrounds this life of ours and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

By: John W. Zimmer

John W. Zimmer — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:27:11 +0000

Hey Neil, I thought this would fit nicely with a lot of material on your blog. I like how deeply you delve into topics.

I found the brain’s self-preservation to be a lot like muscle memory – you know you can train for a quick response but I had no idea why it worked.

I have no idea why I made it through that day but it turned out I did have a purpose in life – I’ve raised two sons and four step-children.

By: Neal Martin

Neal Martin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:03:18 +0000

Hey John- excellent article and very nicely put! I completely agree that the brains first priority is self-preservation as opposed to self defense when it comes to life threatening situations of the violent kind. Self-preservation doesn’t always mean fighting, but can mean running away as well, something I always preach on my blog. I think the adrenal response just heightens and sharpens your existing skills. So as you say, if you train well in martial arts, those skills will be there when you need them.

These really are incredible machines we are walking around in. Billion dollar machines that existing technology couldn’t possibly hope to emulate. It’s heart-warming when you think about it. I found your story of being stranded on the cliff face very inspiring. It’s good to know that we are carrying around that back-up when we most need it. If I was religious, I’d be praising God right now. Since I’m not, I’ll praise Nature instead, or whatever higher power exists to guide us.