Sensing Danger

For a martial artist, it may not always be a strict sixth sense that gives a gut-feeling warning.  It may be small, barely detectable signs like an opponent’s body language or facial expression, a voice inflection, or a sound that tells of imminent danger.  Since martial artists deal mostly with people and how they may help or hurt us, learning to read these signs is important for training.  This is learned through practical application.  Partner work helps the martial artist learn to recognize signs of an imminent attack, whether signs are recognized with the five senses, and/or a sixth sense.

“We can now demonstrate in the laboratory what at some level we’ve known all along: Many people literally get a gut feeling before something bad happens. Our viscera warn us of danger even if our conscious mind doesn’t always get the message.”  (From “Is There a Sixth Sense?,” an article by Dean Radin, Coleen Rae & Ray Hyman, www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200007/is-there-sixth-sense.)