BP 46 - Being a Small Creature



So, you're small. That's okay.

Did you know small creatures can inflict great damage on big creatures? A few examples are as follows:

· Bees

· Spiders

· Snakes

· House cats

· Small dogs

Here's an assignment: Study the above, and learn one or two ways (from each) in which you, as a human, can mimic them in a self-defense/life-preservation scenario.

Here are two examples taken from my own practice:

Snakes

The Facts:  A Cobra will spew venom into the eyes of a predator. Cobras have even been known to spew venom into the eyes of lions, blinding them for life.

My Take-away: I train with pepper gel.

Small Dogs

The Facts:  When threatened or backed into a corner, a small dog will resort to growling and biting until it can find a way to escape past you. At that point, it will run from you as fast as it can.

My take-aways: I (and, yes, this may feel a little weird), practice growling (that is, making guttural sounds); I also practice biting into an old leather belt. That may all seem strange, but if I'm ever taken to the ground in an attack, growling helps me tap into my primal, kill-or-be-killed, instincts. If I can reach it (meaning, someone's hand, leg, ear, etc.) with my mouth, I'm going to bite and shred it; in fact, I may even bite it off. Further, I do Burpees (until I literally suffocate). I also run wind-sprints and stadium steps regularly. These HIIT exercises prepare my body to move quickly (from the ground to a standing position) and run as fast as I can to create distance between me and an attacker.

Throughout my life, I've spent considerable time studying some of the defense mechanisms of a few animals and insects in nature. For most of my life, I've been an avid viewer of nature programs: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Marty Stouffer's Wild America, PBS's Nature, BBC's Earth and Earth II, etc. Perhaps one of the best compilation programs I've ever seen is Great Escapes, which was produced by Marty Stouffer about thirty-five years ago. I have my own copy of the DVD; I think I've probably watched it more than fifty times. One of the nicest things about the video is that every animal preyed upon by a predator escapes. It’s quite cool to witness a few of the ways in which members of the animal kingdom preserve their lives. Have fun with the above exercise; you might be surprised at how illuminating it is.


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