Physical health can affect the dominant response. The dominant response is the human body’s non-conscious reflex response to life-threatening situations. Life threatening situations place the body under a tremendous amount of stress. What could be more stressful than fighting for your life? Or fighting for the life of a family member, a friend or your property?

The human body experiences many physiological reactions when under stress. Blurred or tunnel vision, increased sweating, slurred speech, and slowed thought processing are a few stress-induced reactions. Martial arts and self-defense training teaches the mind and body the discipline needed to deal with some of these reactions.

Additionally, those individuals who are in excellent physical condition are not immune from stress-induced reactions. Their ability to maintain and control them, however, will be greater than that of individuals who are in poor to moderate physical condition. Physical conditioning also allows one to recognize their physical and mental limitations. If one is not aware of their physical and mental limitations, the outcome in a self-defense encounter could be devastating, or even fatal. Martial arts training requires one to attain a higher level of physical conditioning.

Physical and mental conditioning also helps establish self-confidence. Those who exercise on a regular basis and maintain a high level of physical condition feel good about themselves. They like the way they look and feel. They have a sense and swagger of confidence about them when they move and even speak.

Members of elite military units, like Navy SEALs and The Army Special Forces display high levels of self-confidence. This is in part due to their high levels of conditioning. Without these high levels of conditioning, their lives could be in serious jeopardy in the event of a combat situation. Martial arts and self-defense practitioners should strive to keep themselves in top physical condition as well.