Lessons from Law Enforcement: Mental Preparation

My name is Cesar Olavarria, I began my martial arts training at 5 years of age and still growing strong at 40. I have been a Police Officer for the past 15 years in the North East Region of the United States. And I have been assigned to different units in my department, more notably as a Team Leader and Pointman for the Special Weapons and Tactics Team responsible for counter terrorism and counter narcotics. I have returned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau where on a daily basis my responsibility includes handling criminals and the mentally unbalanced individual in an arena, I swore to protect, even at the cost of the ultimate sacrifice. I feel it is imperative to begin our training with Mental Preparation. This will help you prepare for a violent encounter and help you deal with stress during and after the confrontation.

Although many people believe the body and mind are separate entities, the fact remains that they are one. This notion has been advocated by the Martial Arts since its beginning with Bodhidharma and the monks of the Shaolin Temple. Think of the body and mind as an inseparable relationship that sends messages and reactions back and forth to one another. Take a moment now to validate this idea with an easy experiment as described by Charles Remsberg on how your body affects your mind. Tighten your facial muscles as if you are displaying anger or displeasure. Do not try to consciously feel that way. Within seconds your mind becomes consumed with negative thoughts. Hence, your body is stimulating your mind via physical cues.

Additionally, when your brain registers an event as psychologically alarming, it triggers a physical reaction which all of us have experienced at some point in our lives as the Adrenaline Rush. This causes our heart and lungs to work harder and faster by sending more red blood cells into our muscles and more oxygen into our lungs, our liver releases stored sugar to give us more energy, and our muscles begin to tense especially in our lower back, neck, and shoulders, to increase our physical performance in a rapid burst of energy. This compels us to fight or flight. Hence, your mind is stimulating your body via mental cues.

It is through this unique relationship that we are able to control stress to make better choices and enhance our physical performance. But because these responses occur automatically, many believe that little can be done to prevent them. True, you may not completely get rid of them but you do not have to be arrested by the bars of your own stress. With proper training you will be able to acquire a substantial amount of control over these reactions.

The key in achieving this type of control is to learn how to induce a relaxation response. You can do this with meditation and breathing exercises. I remember working the midnight tour during one particular summer where our unit responded to riots practically every weekend. Just the call over the radio would trigger an enormous amount of stress. The way I dealt with this phenomenon was by singing several lyrics of the Phantom of the Opera, while in route to the incident location. Interestingly, my partner would joined in and upon our arrival both of us were in a state readiness not overwhelmed by our personal stress. Later on, I realized the singing controlled my breathing which kept me in control of myself and ultimately allowed me to perform my duties intelligently. Today, I no longer sing, I simply breathe to control my center through meditation for a period of 15 minutes a day.

Additional ways to induce a relaxation response can be stimulated by positive self talk, develop a good sense of awareness within your environment, and mentally rehearse different situations that have the potential for violence. This method is favored by one of the Sergeants in my department and used extensively among SWAT Teams. I encourage you to research them and find one that works for you. Remember, if you can control your mind during a crisis, you have won 60% of the fight without raising your hands.

Be Safe and Be Well
Sifu Cesar Olavarria
IDM-Director