Reptilian Brain

[TenTigers]

I started a new thread, so as not to hijack EM's .
Diego asked, "What is the deal with the reptile brain posture thing?. I remember reading about it years ago but forgot lol."
__________________
My understanding is that it is a part of our brain, part of our survival mechanism that has by evolution, become smaller and almost nonexistant.
However, by using certain postures, breathing, etc we can activate it.
If you look at a dog when it is going to attack, contrary to popular belief, it does not raise up, bare his teeth and growl, he gets low, hunches his back protecting his internal organs, and ready to spring.
When we tuck our sacrum, and our chin, and concave our body,bring our hands forward, and focus, we activate the reptilian mind, which I believe is connected to our fight or flight instinct.
When you stand in this posture, you feel more aggressive, ready to attack, and alert.
A common thing when playing with a partner doing paired drills, is to drop your hands after each exchange. What you are doing is shutting off your attack mode.
Instead, if you maintain your fighting posture, and eye contact-in SPM, using the hut yee sao, you will find that it switches on this mindset and your alertness, reactions, aggression increases.
Just my experience.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Obviously your reptilian brain isn't working.

If I recall, we have the human brain, the mamal brain and reptilian brain, th most instinctive and primal of all brains.
Not different brains mind you but different parts of the brain.
The medula oblongata is the source of the instinctive "reptilian" brain.

Certain posture activate this part of the brain, the "C" back posture is one of them and the most effective for a MA.

The is the slightly concaved chest posture that we see in SPM and in boxing ( yes western boxing).

[sanjuro_ronin]

LOL, we posted at the same time !

[David Jamieson]

I don't know if aggression is the right word.

Willingness is probably better.

[TenTigers]

well, when coupled, I suppose with the 4am training...as my teacher says, "it changes you."
One of my students, whose uncle trained SPM, also said that the training affects one "spiritually" (psychologically) and must be monitored by the Sifu to prevent jow faw yup moor, etc.

[ShaolinDan]

What about the fish brain?
They need the fight or flight mechanism too.

[sanjuro_ronin]

well, when coupled, I suppose with the 4am training...as my teacher says, "it changes you."
One of my students, whose uncle trained SPM, also said that the training affects one "spiritually" (psychologically) and must be monitored by the Sifu to prevent jow faw yup moor, etc.

Sun Dar issues?
( don't know if I am using the right term)

[Syn7]

my reptillian brain can beat up your reptillian brain...

[sanjuro_ronin]

Too much reptile brain?

[Dale Dugas]

Uechi Ryu has a similar structure to South Mantis.

Very aggresive style that infights.

Interesting when you think about the reptilian brain, and see that it makes physical sense.

[wenshu]

I too, learned everything I know about neurophysiology from watching The Waterboy.

[chusauli]

3 am - 5 am is the time of the Lungs in Chinese Medicine. Many Qigong/Hei gung methods were deliberately practiced at that time to "double" the benefit to the lungs.

[SanHeChuan]

My understanding is that it is a part of our brain, part of our survival mechanism that has by evolution, become smaller and almost nonexistant.

Our Reptilian brain didn't shrink; our Mammalian brains just grew around it.

[Hardwork108]

I started a new thread, so as not to hijack EM's .
Diego asked, "What is the deal with the reptile brain posture thing?. I remember reading about it years ago but forgot lol."
__________________
My understanding is that it is a part of our brain, part of our survival mechanism that has by evolution, become smaller and almost nonexistant.
However, by using certain postures, breathing, etc we can activate it.
If you look at a dog when it is going to attack, contrary to popular belief, it does not raise up, bare his teeth and growl, he gets low, hunches his back protecting his internal organs, and ready to spring.
When we tuck our sacrum, and our chin, and concave our body,bring our hands forward, and focus, we activate the reptilian mind, which I believe is connected to our fight or flight instinct.
When you stand in this posture, you feel more aggressive, ready to attack, and alert.
A common thing when playing with a partner doing paired drills, is to drop your hands after each exchange. What you are doing is shutting off your attack mode.
Instead, if you maintain your fighting posture, and eye contact-in SPM, using the hut yee sao, you will find that it switches on this mindset and your alertness, reactions, aggression increases.
Just my experience.

LOL!.....I just saw this thread, just after I asked you to expand on this concept. Great!

[TenTigers]

Sun Dar issues?
( don't know if I am using the right term)

you don't have to assume postures and chang san to be affected by certain training methods. In some systems, it is simply a result of the training.
When I was in my teens, I met a guy who took me through some very heavy visualizations designed to tap into this. At 145, I was able to kick through a 2x4 (against the grain) and in a situation where some guys were holding a girl against her will in their dorm room, I kicked open a steel door. I doubt I could do that now at 200 lbs. (ok, maybe..I hope) But the "training" was too weird, not to mention the guy himself was a bit...off.
RMCAT uses methods to create an adrenaline response. Perhaps a bit more down to earth.