Fear

By Christopher Caile

It can turn the most practiced martial artist into a rubbery jelly, frozen, unable to act. It makes him or her vulnerable. That’s fear with a capital “F” at work.

I’m not talking about the normal run of the dojo trepidation or the stress and anxiety of competition or demonstration. I’m talking about deep wrenching fright – the terror felt during an actual attack –when you fear for your life.

It can totally incapacitate. Your legs tremble, heart pounds, you sweat, you want to run and you can’t seem to move or know what to do. You see the danger, you see the attack but you don’t respond effectively.

It was a few years ago. I knew a karate-ka who was quite good. He prided himself on his closet full of gleaming trophies. He thought he was the “Man”, you could tell it by the way he talked and held himself.

One day I saw him on the street, and he was all banged up. “What happened to you?” I asked. He didn’t want to talk about it. A few weeks later I saw him again and this time he confessed. He had been attacked by two teenagers who demanded money, he said. “I just stood there. They hit me and then stole my wallet. I didn’t do anything.” He was so embarrassed.

His martial arts training had failed him because it had been incomplete. He had not learned to use fear, to use his reactions to his advantage. Instead fear and the stress of the moment had become his enemy. He had trained in technique but he had never trained in how to deal with his emotions and body reactions that had gripped him. And he is not alone. This is an unfortunate limitation to most martial artist’s training.

If you want to make your martial arts training credible, learning to deal with fear is critical. Some say it is the number one factor in responding to any attack or self-defense situation. (Of course, if you are just training to get in shape, meet friends or build discipline, this might not be so important.)

Fear and stress are natural responses to danger. They are the body’s survival response. But, if you don’t understand these responses, learn what to expect and how to deal with them, these same responses can take you by surprise and paralyze action.

In intense, threatening situations the body reacts – increased heart rate and breathing. The blood stream is flooded with adrenaline (the adrenaline dump). Blood flow to the extremities is reduced and diverted to large muscle groups. Body functions not critical to survival are reduced, such as digestion. The breath rate increases and you sweat.

At low stress and fear levels, the body feels infused with added power and strength. Senses become more acutely aware. The ability to run, jump, and hear is enhanced. Reaction time is decreased – as your body shifts into action gear.

At moderate to high levels of stress and fear, the legs often begin to tremble. Some people feel nausea and their vision tunnels (peripheral vision is reduced). Hearing can also become impaired. For many, events seem to shift into slow motion as fear itself floods through their thoughts. They want to run (fight or flight syndrome). There is indecision.

Some people actually freeze at this point. They are unable to process the threat and response options effectively. Some react irrationally, become disoriented, and can’t respond well physically because their abilities deteriorate (fine motor skills). At extreme stress levels even more complex motor skills can fail – such as those involved in combination techniques.

Law enforcement has studied officers’ reactions to extreme stress and fear. Studies have found that reactions vary greatly – from total irrationality (in one case an officer actually threw his gun at the attacker and then turned and ran) to total control and poise even after having suffered multiple gun shot wounds.

These same studies determined that the ability to react optimally could be traced to proper training: rehearsing of, and training in, the proper methods of dealing with a variety of threatening circumstances so events would not take officers by surprise. Likewise martial arts instruction should teach and condition students on how to deal with adrenaline and fear induced stress through drills, proper rehearsal of self-defense and other means.

How? On a basic level, free fighting, competition, demonstrations and promotions (especially before seniors) can introduce students to their emotions and reactions and train them on what to expect from low to mid levels of stress and fear. This is why participation in competition and demonstrations can be useful to students (who often naturally shy away from participation). They learn about and are forced to deal with their stress/fear reactions. But, this is basic training only. Often what is at stake in these situations is the ego, fear of losing or not looking good. The chance of getting hurt in point scoring competition is minimal. Full contact is more stressful, but still the consequences are limited to losing and perhaps getting temporarily hurt. Having your life at stake is something else.

Even contact free fighting, however, can create debilitating body reactions. I know because I experienced them myself.

Many years ago while practicing Kyokushin karate under Mas Oyama in Japan I found myself hurt virtually every day in free fighting. The anticipation of being hurt actually affected my ability to react. Every day I dreaded practice fighting – I would get knocked down, punched and often really hurt (I had been taken to the hospital four times in the first few months of practice).

One day I talked the situation over with my housemate, Donn Draeger. He said, “If you fear the sword, you will die by it.” He said you have to get to the point of ignoring danger. For me, daily meditation was the key. When I finally could accept the fact that I would be hurt, I was able to calm my mind and the effects of the danger on me were reduced. I reacted better and suddenly I was no longer getting punished.

Don also reminded me that I really was not in real danger, at least in terms of my life. A couple of weeks after our discussion, he took me aside one day to talk. We talked about my fear again and various solutions. He said that he wanted to emphasize the point about really being in danger.

“Let me show you something, “he said. “ And whatever you do, don’t move. Don’t move. Right?” We had been talking in his room and he reached down into a small separated area where he had a low writing table, books and assorted other things. In his hand I saw a short sword in its sheath. “Don’t move, and for God’s sake keep you hands down and hold on to your belt.” he said again. I froze as his hand whipped out. I felt the air separate an inch over my head as a razor sharp blade whizzed past — whoosh.

“Now that’s fear,” he said. I knew.

I was all too aware that if the blade had been just a little off I would have been dead or severely injured. It was bone chilling. For from some deep reaches of my soul, an icy cold fear and trepidation had exploded upward. I felt totally focused and super alert – riveted by the experience, but my limbs trembled – as if I had no control. (Note: This stunt should never be attempted. It was foolhardy even though Donn was an expert swordsman.)

“That is the emotional difference between a fight and life threatening danger,” Donn said. I understood. That is why practice fighting, even if it involves contact, may not provide enough mental conditioning.

Students who are interested in learning realistic self-defense should also practice how to respond to forceful simulated attacks and multiple confrontations – drill situations where they must respond with force and without restraint. This can be done by having attackers dressed in full body protective armor actually attack with force.

Another method is mental: to use kata for training. But this requires mentally making kata real and also learning realistic moves within your kata (something which is difficult to do). Richard Kim (the famous karate teacher, historian and writer) used to advocate using past experiences of fear, and dredging up new images (like seeing an attacker), feelings of threat and fear – visual and mental incantations used to induce fear reactions in order to learn how to respond to them.

In this way, Kim often said, karate kata could provide a link to the spirit and intent of the Japanese classical battlefield martial arts. Using kata this way, you can experience and practice self-defense situations within the context of real (but self-induced) stress and fear.

There are other methods as well. Of course some people go out and look for fights (to test themselves which is not practical for most students or advised). Others take up boxing (one method I used), full contact kick boxing, become bouncers, or use their experience within the military or law enforcement. Another less intense method is acting or public speaking (because this can cause fear that has to be controlled).

What is important is to become mentally conditioned through the most realistic, stressful training possible. Without it, all the physical capability and technique you have learned may fail you at the very moment when they need it most.

With training and conditioning you can actually learn to recognize the signals and use the adrenaline and fear response to heighten capability. Once you are emotionally and mentally conditioned to respond to physical confrontation and attack, you will be able to respond better. Your body will be trained in response, and be powered and speeded by the adrenaline pumping though your veins.

Fear which was once your enemy can in this way become your ally.

About the Author Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of FightingArts.com. He has been a student of the martial arts for over 65 years.

He first started in judo while in college. Then he added karate as a student of Phil Koeppel in 1959 studying Kempo and Wado-Ryu karate. He later added Shotokan Karate where he was promoted to brown belt and taught beginner classes. In 1960 while living in Finland, Caile introduced karate to that country and placed fourth in that nation’s first national judo tournament.

Wanting to further his karate studies, Caile then hitch hiked from Finland to Japan traveling through Scandinavia, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia — living on 25 cents a day and often sleeping outside.

Arriving in Japan (1962), Caile was introduced to Mas Oyama and his fledgling full contact Kyokushinkai Karate by Donn Draeger, the famous martial artist and historian. Donn also housed him with several other senior international judo practitioners. Donn became Caile’s martial arts mentor, coaching him in judo and introducing him to Shinto Muso-ryu under Takaji Shimizu.

Caile studied at Oyama’s honbu dojo and also at Kenji Kurosaki’s second Tokyo Kyokushinkai dojo. In his first day in class Oyama asked Caile to teach English to his chief instructor, Tadashi Nakamura. They have been friends ever since. Caile also participated in Oyama’s masterwork book, “This Is Karate.”

Caile left Japan with his black belt and designation as Branch Chief, the first in the US to have had extensive training in Japan directly under Oyama Sensei. As such, Oyama Sensei asked him to be his representative on visits to his US dojos to report on their status.

A little over a year later, Nakamura, Kusosaki and Akio Fujihira won an epic David vs. Goliath challenge match against Thailand’s professional Muay Thai Boxers in Bangkok, Thailand, thrusting Kyolushinkai and Nakamura into national prominence.

Back in the US Caile taught Kyokushinkai karate in Peoria, Il while in college and later in Washington, DC. while in graduate school. Durimg this time Shihan Nakamura had moved to New York City to head Kyokushinkai’s North American Operation.

In 1976 when Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura formed the World Seido Karate organization, Caile followed. Living then in Buffalo, NY, Caile taught Seido karate and self-defense at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) for over 15 years where he also frequently lectured on martial arts and Zen in courses on Japanese culture.

Caile moved to New York City in 1999 to marry Jackie Veit. He is now an 8th degree black belt, Hanshi, training in Seido Karate’s Westchester, NY Johshin Honzan (Spiritual Center) dojo. In Seido Caile is known for his teaching of and seminars on kata applications. He also produced a 14 segment video series on Pinan kata Bunkai currently available to Seido members.

Caile is also a long-time student and Shihan in Aikido. He studied in Buffalo, under Mike Hawley Shihan, and then under Wadokai Aikido’s founder, the late Roy Suenaka (uchi deshi under Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido and was Shihan under Tohei Sensei). In karate, Suenaka (8thdan) was also an in-house student of the Okinawan karate master Hohan Soken.

Having moved to New York City, Caile in 2000 founded this martial arts educational website, FightingArts.com. Twenty-five years later, in 2025, it underwent a major update and revision.

For FightingArts.com and other publications Caile wrote hundreds of articles on karate, martial arts, Japanese art, Chinese Medicine and edited a book on Zen. He also developed relationships with a cross section of leading martial arts teachers. Over the last four decades he has conducted extensive private research into karate and martial arts including private translations of the once secret Okinawan hand copied and passed on Kung Fu book, the Bubishi, as well as an early karate book by the karate master Kenwa Mabuni. He periodically returns to Japan and Okinawa to continue his studies and participate Seido karate events. In Tokyo he practiced (with Roy Suenaka Sensei) in a variety of aikido organizations with their founders – including private interviews and practices at the Aiki-kai Aikido Honbu dojo with the son and grandson of aikido’s founder, Doshu (headmaster) Kisshomaru (an old uchi-deshi friend) and his son, Moriteru Ueshiba and in Iwama with Morihiro Saito. On Okinawa he studied Goju Ryu karate under Eiichi Miyazato, 10th dan founder of Naha’s Jundokan, and also with Yoshitaka Taira (who later formed his own organization, who specialized in kata Bunkai. While there Caile also trained with Hohan Soken’s senior student, Master Fusei Kise, 10 dan as well as with the grandson of the legendary karate master Anko Itosu.

Caile’s other martial arts experience includes: Diato-ryu Aikijujitsu and Kenjitsu, kobudo, boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Kali (empty hand, knife and bolo), study of old Okinawan Shoran-ryu & Tomari body mechanics, study of old Okinawan kata under Richard Kim, study of close quarter defense and combat, including knife and gun defenses, Kyusho Jitsu and several Chinese fighting arts including 8 Star Praying Mantis, Pak Mei (White Eyebrow), and a private family system of Kung Fu.

Caile is also a student of Zen as well as a long-term student of one branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chi Kung (Qigong). As one of two senior disciples of Chi Kung master Dr. Shen (M.D., Ph.D.) Caile was certified to teach and practice. This led to Caile’s founding of the The Chi Kung Healing Institute on Grand Island, NY. In Western NY, he also frequently held Chi Kung seminars, including at SUNY Buffalo and at the famous Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY. His articles on Chi Kung also appeared in the Holistic Health Journal and in several books on alternative medicine.

Caile holds a BA in International Studies from Bradley University and MA in International Relations with a specialty in South and Southeast Asia from American University in Washington, D.C. While in Buffalo, NY he also studied digital and analog electronics.

In his professional life Caile also worked in public relations and as a newspaper reporter and photographer. Earlier he worked in the field of telecommunications including Managing a Buffalo, NY sales and service branch for ITT. He then founded his own private telephone company. This was followed by creation of an electrical engineering company that designed and patented his concept for a new type of low-cost small business telephone system (which was eventually sold to Bell South). The company also did contract work for Kodak and the US space program. Simultaneously Caile designed and manufactured a unique break-apart portable pontoon boat.

Most recently Caile co-founded an internet software company. Its products include software suites with AI capability for control and management of streaming media, such as video and music, an all-in-one book publishing software product for hardcover, eBook and audio book creation and security software for buildings and government use.

For more details about Christopher Caile’s martial arts, work experience and life profile, see the About section in the footer of this site.