How martial arts composure drills potentially saved my daughter’s life
“You need to call 9-1-1 and get an ambulance to your house right away, your daughter could be in serious danger.” Is not what I wanted to hear from the telehealth nurse at 10:00pm on a Sunday.
My vision blurred, my heart raced, adrenaline shot through my veins, my hands started to shake, and tears streamed down my face. “Not now Stephanie,” I told myself.
My husband grabbed his truck keys, we threw on some clothes, got Soph into her car seat, stocked the diaper bag with extra stuff, locked the door without turning a single light off, and rushed to the emergency room. Our daughter was almost grey, basically unconscious and unable to keep her eyes open, and vomiting bile in her sleep for no apparent reason. A quick text to my parents to keep their phones on in case we needed them. My husband dropped me off at emergency and parked the truck.
“You can do this, Vassos, this is what you’ve trained for” I reassured myself as I walked into the hospital. I used my maiden name, because the Vassos lineage is built tough, we’re warriors.
Health card on hand, details down to the minute of what was happening clearly spoken to the nurses so we could act fast and efficiently, I was a new mom who was crumbling on the inside, but was composed, smiling, and calm on the outside. Everything was handled, mom and dad were composed the entire time, my daughter got the help and medication she needed, the Doctor agreed we made the right choice coming in, we left just around 2:00am, and we could return home and be present for the next 24 hours where we had to watch and ensure everything was still going to plan. It did.
After that 24-hour period, my cortisol dropped, I cried in the shower for 10 minutes, releasing all of the underlying tension and fear I didn’t have time to process in the moment. I then got out of the shower and moved on with my life.
DURESS.
When I was younger and in martial arts, I hated sparring. But my Tae Kwon Do instructor, and my Warriors of Light Sensei’s, always reminded me how important it is to be able to work under duress. You need to know how to breathe and how to hold your composure, defend, and take care of yourself when you are being attacked or are under duress (physically in a fight, and just in general in life). You either kick, or be kicked. Repetitive “silly” drills like spinning around in circles on a baseball bat for 30 seconds and then being thrown into a sparring match to induce a sense of blurred vision, confusion, and perhaps even nausea, so you can learn how to perform well under pressure could very well save your life one day. Who would have thought? Hopefully, you never have to use the tools and skills you learn in martial arts, but in the event that something goes wrong, or evil comes knocking on your door, you know how to defend yourself from it.
I could have been a fumbling mess. I could have gotten in my own way and even caused additional harm. But I didn’t. My discernment was on point. My actions were aligned. I had trained for this. My training was proven successful.
I am the BIGGEST supporter of martial arts, and doing things that challenge you. Don’t stay comfortable. Test your body. Test your mind. Stay sharp. Be tough. God forbid evil comes knocking at your door, be ready to handle it.
With strength,
Steph
