This article was inspired by various conversations I have had with Mick Coup, regarding the all important mindset required for self protection. Mick uses the analogy of a ‘Bigger Fuse’, hence the title of this article.
One of the most important areas of any self-protection system is the cultivation of the correct mental attitude. Everyone knows about the intent that must accompany any technique, but there is another equally important attribute that must be developed, that of a tenacious resolve.
Tenacious resolve; the ability to keep going no matter what. You need to be able to drop a gear, stamp on the accelerator and red line your engine, especially when you think you’ve nothing left to give and this is where the concept of fitting a bigger fuse comes into play.
Imagine that inside everyone’s head there resides a fuse, just like the fuse you’d find in an everyday domestic plug. Most people have the standard 13-amp fuse, which is fine for everyday life but useless when it comes to high power output, such as dealing with a violent attack. Suddenly there’s a need for far more power than the standard 13 amp can handle and suddenly it pops, leaving you in a rather awkward predicament!
This phenomenon can be observed regularly in various sporting events. How often have you been watching a sporting match, tennis for example and you see someone who is on top of their game, who is winning the match suddenly crumble? Shots they were easily making suddenly elude them; they can’t seem to get anything right and numerous unforced errors creep into their game. The simple explanation was that their fuse had blown! The pressure of winning the match was too much for them and suddenly doubts begin to appear in their head, the enormity of the situation begins to overwhelm them. This is the last thing needed when you’re in the eye of the storm, as there could be a lot more at stake than winning a match.
To overcome this phenomenon, the most obvious way is to fit a much bigger fuse, say 50-amp, as this should be capable of taking the strain and still leave enough of an over-head to avoid any unexpected power cuts as it were. Even better than increasing the fuse size, is removing the fuse all together and hard wiring the circuit. This would be the equivalent of putting a six-inch nail in there, which is never going to blow. Guys like Mick Coup and Steve Morris have this type of mental wiring, no matter what they’re always going to do more than the other guy and never let themselves be overwhelmed. At the end of the day, without either a massive fuse or the circuit that’s hard wired, it doesn’t matter how good you are physically, if your fuse blows then the physical makes no odds.
So, we have this concept of a bigger fuse, but how can we go about increasing the one we all currently carry with us every day? Well, we have a couple of options.
1. Go out and get into as many fights as possible before you get arrested, injured or killed.
2. Use high intensity exercise to build physical and mental tenacity, the tenacious resolve that we require.
Personally I would opt for option two, but then you may decide that option one is the best for you and who am I to stop you!
If you do decide to follow option two, here are a few routines I’ve found to be massively beneficial to both my general conditioning and also my mental fortitude.
The first one would be ‘The Ordeal’ designed by Mick Coup. This is a routine performed using a single kettlebell, usually a 16kg to start with which proves very challenging both mentally and physically. As you progress you can time yourself and then try to better that time at each subsequent session. This makes the routine progressively harder as the rest periods become shorter and the speed intensifies as you try to beat the clock. Once you find this too easy, you can simply increase the weight of the kettlebell to 20kg or 24kg and it takes on a whole new dimension again. I’ve listed the routine below:
10 swings each side
10 swings each side
10 cleans each side
10 swings each side
10 cleans each side
10 swings each side
10 swings each side
10 cleans each side
10 swings each side
10 clean and press each side
10 swings each side
10 cleans each side
10 swings each side
10 clean and press each side
10 swings each side
10 swings each side
10 cleans each side
10 swings each side
10 clean and press each side
10 swings each side
10 snatches each side
10 swings each side
10 cleans each side
10 swings each side
10 clean and press each side
10 swings each side
10 snatches each side
10 windmills each side
Here is another routine I’ve found to be challenging which is also performed using a 16kg kettlebell. This can also be performed using two kettlebells of differing weights. You could do the swings with a 24kg kettlebell and the rest with a 16kg kettlebell. Again as the exercise gets easier just increase the weight of the kettlebell, or try to beat your previous time.
20 two handed swings
10 cleans each side
10 clean and press each side
10 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
9 cleans each side
9 clean and press each side
9 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
8 cleans each side
8 clean and press each side
8 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
7 cleans each side
10 clean and press each side
10 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
7 cleans each side
7 clean and press each side
7 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
6 cleans each side
6 clean and press each side
6 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
5 cleans each side
5 clean and press each side
5 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
4 cleans each side
4 clean and press each side
4 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
3 cleans each side
3 clean and press each side
3 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
2 cleans each side
2 clean and press each side
2 snatches each side
20 two handed swings
1 clean each side
1 clean and press each side
1 snatch each side
There are other excellent protocols, such as the Tabata protocol which place a great strain on the body as well as the mind. Take a relatively light bar, say 70 – 80kg and do as many squats as possible in 20 seconds, take 10 seconds rest and repeat 8 times. If you find the bar is too light and not challenging enough, just increase the weight of the bar.
Another great exercise I’ve found that tests both mental and physical resolve is tyre flipping. Go along to your nearest tyre fitters and get the biggest tyre you can lift. Take it home and start flipping it end over end. If you don’t have the room, flip it one way, jump into it, jump out of it and then flip it back to the starting point. Second hand tyres aren’t expensive and are a great training tool. In addition to flipping them, you can hit them with sledge hammers, jump in and out of them or just generally man handle them about.
The final exercise uses the cheapest piece of training kit I own, 12 concrete blocks at 46 pence each and weight 30 lbs a piece. Take one block, hold it and run 50 metres. Put the block down, run back to grab another block and repeat until all the blocks have been moved. Take a short break and then repeat the exercise until you can’t do anymore and then do one more set. To add variation, you can hold the block above your head as you run, giving your core a good workout into the bargain or carry two blocks or more at a time.
As can be seen, developing the tenacious resolve required to perform at the required level is no easy feat. The exercises that are used to develop this attribute will probably break you and then make you in the process! As a rule of thumb any exercise used to develop this type of mental fortitude should make you apprehensive before you begin performing it, you should feel the fear before you start. If you don’t feel the fear then the routine isn’t pushing you hard enough and isn’t building the required attributes. Over time you will find that you are able to push yourself further and further and as this happens, the fuse in your head will be able to handle more and more current. Eventually it will become so strong that it can handle anything thrown at it and this the end objective. By changing the 13 amp fuse for a 50 amp or even better hard wiring the circuit we ensure that it never blows at a critical moment!
The development of a bigger fuse is not easy and progress will probably be
measured in months and years as opposed to days and weeks, but then if it was
easy everyone would have one not just the dedicated few.
So, there you have it, the concept of fitting a bigger fuse. Like all powerful
concepts it’s very simple to explain, but much harder to achieve.