Fight or Flight

An old article Brian Kodi expounds on Fight or Flight at BJJ.org:

The ideal state in a confrontation is one of moderate anger and/or fear. Excess of either of these two mental states can stifle reaction and hinder performance. Deficiency can lead to foolish mistakes. To achieve a moderate mental and physical state in an altercation, the two most important elements are confidence and experience, neither of which are sufficient to complete the desired effect alone. A confident beginner in any style of martial arts is a dead man in the making. An experienced fighter who suffers from a lack of confidence is bound to meet the same fate.

Confidence is best developed through successful trials of actual combat (experience). Since combat involves an unacceptable risk of injury among other negative connotations, full contact sparring with heavy protective gear in a practical style(s) of martial arts is a good substitute. Uncertainty is a major contributor to losing control from excessive fear. Hence it is essential to experience firsthand what it feels like to take blows to the body as well as being controlled on the ground.

Read it all.