The Case for Tough Training

Read this in Hock Daily Blog: 15 June 2006: The Cult of Personality

Researchers have concluded that the personality of an individual has a direct relationship to their physical performance, heart rate and adrenaline management.

Introverted, nervous and quiet people are more quickly excited and peak out faster than extroverted people. Now, we have all had this gut feeling about people and many military and police managers have guessed this for decades (and centuries?). But, Dr. Daniel Landers and Dr. Stephen Boutcher have written professional articles and textbooks on the subject that have surpassed peer review. These publications have extensive research and sources.

How do you optimize their physical and psychological performance?

Through each extreme end - introverted or extraverted - and all the levels in between, the moderately adrenalized/aroused person is performing at their peek. How do we best regulate ourselves to work in this parameter? Physical conditioning coupled with the most realistic, crisis-rehearsal training, confidence building, inoculations of real experience and full-blown real experience are great preparation methods to prepare students and cadets. I'll repeat-

- Physical conditioning (includes breathing management)

- The most realistic, crisis-rehearsal, force-on-force training,

- confidence building methods,

- inoculations of real experience

- full-blown real experience

Interesting how these are the generic issues are taught by the way, in old school, military basic training, at least in theory, isn't it? Basic training at its best. Toughening, scary, abuse with push-the-envelope, goal-setting.

Read the rest.