The Physiology of a Jiu-Jitsu Fighter

I read a New York Times article the other day entitled, Before Hustling to Finish, Relaxed Is a Good Way to Start, by Gina Kolata. I wholeheartedly believe in the benefits of staying relaxed, and this article is just one more example of why this is true.

“Relaxation. It is a trait that is often underappreciated, coaches and athletic trainers say. Yet it can make the difference between doing your best and not doing well, between feeling dragged down or soaring. Coaches search for better ways to teach it. And many athletes, including some of the world’s best, work on it constantly. An ability to relax while pushing hard, exercise researchers say, is one reason why winners win.”

As the article points out, it’s also something that is misunderstood by some. I read another article awhile back entitled, The Myth of Relaxing in Training, by Andreh Anderson. He wrote about the importance of being active, while avoiding the “laziness of relaxing.” During a private lesson with Marcelo Garcia, Andreh was told he was being too relaxed and was encouraged to pick up the pace in order to truly prepare for competition. What I took from his article was that Andreh had been equating relaxing with a lack of aggressiveness. Andreh is becoming a seasoned practitioner and gives much to the Jiu-Jitsu brotherhood, but I fear that some folks may misinterpret what he was writing about.

The New York Times article clears up that misconception, “…it’s also important for athletes to realize that relaxing does not mean slowing down.”

So what does this all have to do with physiology? Let’s take a look at the real reasons why relaxing is better, the scientific approach as it were. I’ll also address some ways to help stay relaxed.

Scientific research has shown that changes to the autonomic nervous system can affect a person’s performance either positively or negatively. Through proper training and preparation, these changes can be managed to one’s benefit.

The first thing to consider is your mental state going into a fight. Stress and anxiety are the main factors that bring about a steady decline of your physical and mental skills.

The major organs and muscles of your body are controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS operates in the background, regulating such things as heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, salivation, perspiration, and diameter of the pupils.

The ANS has two parts, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The PNS promotes rest and relaxation and allows calming of the nerves to normal function.

The SNS is what drives the “fight or flight” response, through the release of hormones. When the SNS is activated, it uses more energy. Among other things, your heart rate becomes faster, your blood pressure increases, and your pupils dilate. The key is to find a balance between the two where there is a high level of brain activity, allowing a fighter to be smart, deliberate and precise.

For a Jiu-Jitsu fighter, the main SNS triggers might come during the moments just before a fight when your body reacts to the anxiety or stress you’re feeling. It’s often times referred to as an “adrenaline dump.”

Another trigger might be when a fighter perceives an immediate threat, such as during a fight when you suddenly realize your faced with a dominate opponent, including the fact that you’re lacking in confidence with your abilities. Another threat situation might be when you’re faced with an unfamiliar submission. The SNS is triggered and you begin to react out of instinct or fear, without thinking.

Physical exhaustion, caused by the depletion of your body’s fuel system or poor nutrition, can activate the SNS. Studies have demonstrated that fighters will escalate their physical exertion upon becoming exhausted.

So what happens to your body when the SNS is triggered? There is an increase in adrenal activity, affecting heart rate and respiration. The vascular flow is redirected away from the extremities, tunnel vision occurs as well as auditory exclusion.

In essence, an increase in heart rate drives all of the processes when the SNS is activated. The resulting increase in heart rate and respiration is all part of the body’s response to the “fight or flight” syndrome.

Another set of changes happens when the blood vessels constrict. Among other things, this inhibits one’s visual processing, referred to as “tunnel vision,” narrowing your field of vision by 70% or more. In fact, all of your sensory perceptions are affected, allowing your brain to focus on relevant information or disregard other sensory input lacking in immediate significance.

Have you watched a fight where the fighter’s corner is frantically yelling directions to a fighter, but the fighter appears to be ignoring every word being said? Often times this is the result of perceptual narrowing, where the fighter is unconsciously blocking, or tuning out, what his brain believes to be insignificant information at that particular instance.

SNS activation also affects the function of motor skills. There is a significant deterioration of fine motor skills that require hand and eye coordination, and complex motor skills that involve multiple groups of muscles to operate in a series of movements. Conversely, the ability to perform gross motor skills that are simple strength movements or symmetrical movements actually increases.

Not only are all of these physiological factors affected, but cognitive abilities are decreased as well.

The human body has its physical limitations. It is powered by three main energy systems: the Adenosine Triphosphate Phosphocreatine (ATP-PC) system, the lactic acid system and the aerobic system.

The ATP system kicks in during high energy activities such as in sprinting. When this system is active, a fighter can perform at 100% for about 10-15 seconds before burn out. After that, the fighter could expect to perform at a little over 50% of his maximum output.

After the ATP system burns out, the lactic acid system will engage and will provide about one minute or less of strength and endurance. A fighter’s energy level will continue to decrease the longer this system is engaged.

At about a minute and a half, after the ATP and lactic acid system have depleted, the aerobic system is all that is left. This system is the most efficient and lasts for longer periods, however when this system is engaged after the ATP and lactic acid systems are empty, a fighter’s maximum output will be reduced to about 30%.

So as you can see, staying relaxed has nothing to do with a having a lack of aggressiveness or being lazy. It’s all about staying calm and working at a level that can be sustained for a longer period of time. It’s about not getting excited or allowing your body’s sympathetic nervous system to engage. We want to be able to engage our aerobic energy system, rather than the fast burning systems that will leave us exhausted in a relatively short period of time.

Now we know what we need to do, but how do we stay relaxed? The first step is to be confident and develop a positive, winning mindset. The type of training we do at Roseberry’s is geared towards producing these results. The training is realistic and the fighters are able to see immediate results. We train how we fight in other words. Another aspect of this is that I not only teach how to “do” the movements and/or techniques, but I also teach how to “get” them. These are reality based practices that help to build confidence and ensure a better understanding.

Choose gross motor skill movements and techniques over fine or complex motor skills. Reduce the number of options in order to decrease your reaction time. “Hicks Law” posits that each time a response is added, reaction time will increase 58%. It only makes sense to utilize large muscle groups, or gross motor movements, and concentrate on fewer options rather than trying to incorporate a huge arsenal.

Control your breathing. When you become aware that your heart rate is increasing rapidly, slow it down with controlled two to four second breaths until the rapid beating subsides.

Use your mind gym for visualization to prepare you physically and mentally for a fight. And finally, trust in your training and ability to succeed. The consistent, realistic training you receive, and your dedication to that training, will all make the difference.

So remember to stay relaxed and breathe. Don’t allow yourself to become stressed or over anxious. Don’t try to muscle through the fight.