How to stop being afraid of getting punched in the face: 4 tough steps to confidence

Clenched fists. Racing pulse. And that icy, paralyzing chill somewhere in the solar plexus when someone's hand suddenly flies towards your face. Instinct screams: close your eyes, turn away, curl up into a ball. And we close our eyes. It's normal, we're programmed that way by nature - to protect our eyes and head at all costs. But sometimes this ancient reflex works against us.

Anatomy of Animal Fear

You know what's most unpleasant about street or domestic aggression? Not the pain itself. Pain is a temporary thing. The worst thing is the feeling of losing control. A person who is not used to being hit in the face instinctively tries to hide from danger. He covers his face with his hands, lowers his head, turns away, exposing the back of his head and neck. And this, believe my bitter experience, is a sure path to much more serious injuries.

The fear of physical pain from a blow literally sucks out self-confidence. You may be right three times in a dispute, but if panic before physical contact beats in your subconscious, your voice will tremble. Sometimes you have to enter into a conflict even if you have tried hard to avoid it all your life. And here, the absence of panic fear before a flying fist will help to soberly assess the situation. In the end, a small black eye is a tiny, simply ridiculous price to pay for the opportunity to get out of the conflict whole and with dignity preserved. The bruise will disappear in a week. But broken pride takes years to heal.

Let's break down four simple, slightly harsh, but absolutely working steps that will help reprogram your reflexes.

Step 1. Flying Ball Therapy

Sounds silly, I know. But it works. Ask a friend to throw objects right at your face. Two conditions are critical here.

Firstly, the objects should not be solid. Bricks and dumbbells are canceled. A regular soccer or volleyball is ideal. Secondly, find a friend who doesn't owe you money. And who doesn't harbor hidden grievances against you. Otherwise, this fun experiment will quickly cease to be fun.

Stand against the wall. Let him throw. Your task is to just watch. Track what your body is doing. Do your eyes treacherously close? Does your neck retract into your shoulders? Do your hands twitch to deflect the ball? Great. Now you know your basic, uncontrolled reaction. And then the magic begins. With every tenth throw, force yourself not to blink. Watch the ball until the end. Let it hit you. Accept this light slap. This primitive method slowly but surely teaches the brain not to panic at the sight of a rapidly approaching object.

Step 2. The Art of the Turtle (Defense)

Not being afraid of pain is a cool quality. But by itself, it is unlikely to save your health. Situations are dirty, and the blows of a real opponent are not a friendly slap with a deflated ball. Control over fear is just the foundation. Next, you need to build walls.

When you are attacked, there is no time for analysis. Split seconds. Reflexes should think for you. Therefore, we take the same friend (or already another, if the first one bored you), we buy the cheapest, but plump boxing gloves - 14-16 ounces.

The friend puts on gloves and begins to inflict light, viscous blows to your head. And you learn to build a "frame". Hands high at the face. Elbows pressed tightly to the ribs. Chin lowered to the chest. You look at the opponent from under your eyebrows, through your forearms. After each slap on your defense - do not lower your hands. Keep eye contact. Don't turn away! You must see where the threat is coming from. After a couple of workouts, you will be surprised to find that hitting the block is not painful at all. It's just a push.

Step 3. The Right to a Response Argument

Fear always feeds on helplessness. It thrives where you don't control the situation. But as soon as you realize that you can also do something, fear shrinks to the size of a slight shiver.

Belief in your own strength is your body armor. Go to the gym. Sign up for any section of contact martial arts - boxing, Muay Thai, Kudo. You don't need to become a world champion. You need to master the basics. Feel how to properly turn the hip, how to put the weight of the body into the fist.

Work on a heavy bag. The bag will not give change, but it will endure your aggression and help to put the punch. Do "shadow boxing" in front of the mirror. The smell of ground rosin, the creak of sneakers on the ring flooring, the dull thuds on the pear - this atmosphere heals. You suddenly understand the mechanics of the process. And what we understand no longer scares us. In addition, good physical shape has never hurt anyone.

Step 4. Dance in the Ring Square (Sparring)

And so we have come to the main thing. To the exam. When you put at least a crooked deuce and learn to keep your hands at your chin - welcome to sparring.

The mouthguard in your mouth unusually interferes with breathing. The helmet puts a little pressure. You are standing opposite the same newbie. And here the real work with the psyche begins. In sparring, you will definitely miss. Right in the nose or tangentially in the jaw. And you know what will happen? The world will not collapse. The sky will not fall to the ground.

You will feel a flash, step back, shake your head and... go forward. Sparring models that extreme situation, but in a safe, controlled environment. He teaches to suppress panic, to dose aggression and to breathe evenly even when they are trying to hit you. After going through several dozen such rounds, you will go out on the street as a different person. Not an aggressive bully. No. You will find that quiet, deep confidence. The confidence of a person who knows that a blow to the face is not the end of the world. This is just an occasion to regroup and answer.

We are afraid of the unknown. Make a blow to the face something known and understandable - and the fear will go away, leaving room for cold calculation.