Self Defence 3: Autogenic Training

The Power of Your Mind!

Use it! But how?

Autogenic Training [AT] can have a significant part to play.

Consisting of a Mind-Body set of some 'six standard exercises', where one addresses various body functions seeking to regulate them into a more 'in tune automatic response' state of normality.

The exercises are physically easy. But mentally perhaps less so. They could be considered a western approach to eastern meditation. Eminently suited to the western mind, AT is a powerful means of restoring equilibrium to part of the Totality of a patient's overall problem. No matter what the underlying disease or sickness, AT will almost always have an important part to play in the overall treatment schedule.

But in - selected cases. Not every one is suitable for this form of therapy. Not every one is able to apply the mental commitment of regularly keeping up with the exercise routine. But if they can, the benefits are tremendous and fully documented in the medical journals.

One important consideration: Autogenic Training CANNOT be learnt from a book. It HAS to be taught by direct personal contact. The theory and technical details can be read and studied. But the actual application MUST be taught and guided by personal contact with a skilled experienced therapist. There is absolutely no getting away from this. Many helpful textbooks are available, but none can bypass the absolute requirement for personal contact and instruction.

Areas where Autogenic Therapy is known to be of much benefit include:

pain and stress management, behavioural medicine, chronic conditions, insomnia, fibromyalgia, cardiac and respiratory elements, circulatory and blood pressure involvements - in all, almost every aspect of mind-body malfunction. It is not a cure all, nothing is But Autogenic Training - the same thing - has an important part to play in almost every aspect of the totality of a patient's problems.

However, we are not concerned here with this. We are concerned with its application to the field of street-survival; of coming out of a mugging or rape confrontation alive and in one piece.

AT is now widely taught in sporting activities, to produce maximum physical and mental responses. The very first teachers' course in AT which I attended in the late 70's under Dr Malcolm Caruthers and his wife Vera Diamond concentrated in large part on this.

And Self Defence may be considered to be a "Sporting Activity". In one sense certainly.

You are reading this article. It has caught your attention. You have a concern in aspects of surviving if attacked in an attempted mugging or rape.

Clearly Autogenic Training has a part to play in your overall defensive strategy. In your overall determination not to be a victim. In your intention to Give More Than You Get!

And rightly so!

Without the need for a full six weeks course of AT, apply the following mental formula to your overall self defence protective environment;

"I AM A LEAN MEAN FIGHTING MACHINE!"

As part of your personal protection insurance, as part of your survival training routine -

At several times EVERY DAY take a few seconds off, force a relaxation, then clench your hands and with the FULLEST mind-intensity drive this mantra into your mind -

"I AM A LEAN MEAN FIGHTING MACHINE!"

And one day, when the dreadful need is there -

YOU WILL BE!