You can study a martial art for 10 years and be the best in your dojo, but, when that day comes when you actually have to defend yourself in a real life threatening situation, you cannot. Fear over comes you, you make mistakes, your heart is pounding, you are sweating, and none of your techniques seem to work. Why? It's quite simple. In the dojo, while you practice, you know it is not real. Outside of the dojo, when your life is threatened, now it is real! What can you do?

One way is to practice in the most authentic fashion you can. Keeping in mind that the dojo is a controlled environment, training must be as realistic as possible. Attacks must be full contact and intended to strike through target, not stop an inch before it. Hard physical contact must be made at all times between students. Defense against surprise multiple attacks must be practiced repeatedly to be sufficiently engrained in muscle memory. Now, despite all of this hardcore physical training, there will still be something missing.

The most effective way is through Zen meditation. Zen meditation has been taught in conjunction with the martial arts since the days of feudal Japan. It is only until recently that it has been erased from American martial art programs due to religious ignorance or intolerance.

A major problem confronting martial arts today is that many instructors instill false confidence in their students, having them believe that they can actually defend themselves in life threatening situations without realistic physical / internal training. What is worse is that a lot of these instructors do not believe that an internal training is even necessary because they themselves have never been in such a situation. They believe that they can simply "turn it on" so to speak when it "hits the fan". It unfortunately doesn't work like this.

The physiological effects of violence and fear

When we are quickly agitated or perceive sudden danger a chemical change occurs in our brains. This causes our heart rate to rapidly increase. When this happens, you may perceive your surroundings in a "tunnel vision". Some will say that their hearts went into their throat, everything became blurry, everything happened so fast,..etc. They will begin to shake and have a slight hearing loss due to an adrenaline dump. This has happened to everyone at one time or another. This feeling can be very slight or very pronounced but enough to throw all of your techniques off by a hair. You will miss your target or be late to block an oncoming attack.

Through the daily practice of Zen meditation, your normal heart rate will lower. Your pattern of breathing will actually change. With daily meditation, you will begin to breathe from your lower abdomen or hara (Jap.) in long deep breaths. This is the way that babies breathe or a person who is sleeping. This is why people who practice daily meditation are more centered, calmer. At the moment of danger your heart rate will still rise, but only slightly, keeping you much calmer to deal with whatever situation has just occurred and allowing any techniques that you have learned to "come out".

This will also keep your mind focused, so that it is not running all over the place in fear. This is why Zen was so important to the Samurai while in battle. Without Zen meditation training, the Samurai would be worrying about getting killed instead of killing the enemy. This of course would result in their death. Moral opinion aside, Zen served the Samurai's purpose.

On a more altruistic note, Zen meditation can also give the defender the option of not killing or even hurting the attacker. Since the defender is in control of his own mind, he is not just allowing chaos to determine the outcome of the altercation. 

Many martial arts profess that they are  peaceful, non-violent arts. This is a noble sentiment. But without the internal training, it cannot realistically be achieved.

be achieved.