Learn how to "Berserk"

We all know what it means, or do we not?


According to Wikipedia, Berserk is..

"A status effect in a variety of role-playing games, which generally causes the affected individual to attack recklessly and with increased power, and with no concern for personal safety or the safety of the individual's party." (wikipedia.com)


You would wonder, why in the world am I talking about role-playing games? What is its relation to the sport of boxing, or fighting, in general?


It all happened when I rested in my bed while listening to some feel-good music, that practically, of course. makes me feel great. I was full of optimism, as if nothing in life could ever go wrong. I felt carefree and body felt so light like the great feeling I have is taking me so high. It was a relaxing evening. As I switched my feel-good music to some angry work-out music, there was some change that occurred inside of me. I somehow felt alerted, and seemingly pulling out the inner warrior inside of me. Almost as if a dose of adrenaline is jacked into my system gradually. The once was a relaxing and happy mood, turned into a temporary feeling of aggressiveness and inner heaviness that felt as if consisted with hate, anger, revenge, intertwined in one. It builds up inside of your chest making it feel heavy. I call this the "Berserk Effect."


The term "berserk" is known to me, for I too have been a gamer. I then realized that this must be the same thing, although in reality rather than in fictional games. The feeling is really quite extraordinary, its as if you want to do something and release what is inside. For me, I release tension through displacement and sublimation, and that is why I get a good work-out in the punching bag. I relieve stress through it. I guess, the feeling of "berserk", may as well vary among people. People are used to using other coping strategies to get over stress, but for me, as a fighter, I fight. It must be true to some fighters too who are using this feeling of being berserk and using it in order to be a more effective fighter.


After feeling "berserk" for a couple of minutes, it felt very inconvenient for me for it happened at night. I can't train on the heavy bag especially when people are sleeping, because it makes a loud thudding sound every time I train. So I relieved my stress through deep-breathing exercises, think of happy thoughts, and listened back to the feel-good music. It went away in a few minutes, and I feel lighter after I relieved myself from it. The heaviness dissipated into emptiness, and I gradually put myself back into feeling great. I had to share it, because when I train, I feel more energy, passion, and determination when I feel "berserk", in comparison to training without it. There must be this aspect that makes fighters look invincible, because the feeling they have  inside them, helped brought about the greatness in their performance.


How to be in the Berserk state?
Few of the things I've experienced through training, taught me how to unleash the inner warrior inside of us, in seconds. Just remember though, that there are some serious consequences when you are in this state. So I discourage people who are using this in a bad way, but I do encourage it in sports. It makes you work harder, train harder, and play harder.


3 ways to Unleashing the inner Warrior:


1. When you feel hatred or anger towards anything around you. You usually feel Berserk in an instant. This is the long-term type of effect. As you resolve your issues this feeling will gradually subside, but its long-term effects make it very suitable for people who want to lose weight or build muscles. You will get in a somewhat, possessed state, like a warrior spirit has taken over your body. Take advantage of it and exercise. You will surely reach lengths you never thought you could.


2. Watch some boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts, or etc. This will bring you in the mood to fight. Although it is not as powerful as a full berserk, this feeling is a somewhat, easy, small, and a safe dose from your regular berserk. You don't need to feel angry. All you have to do is bring yourself in the same wavelength of the fighters mindset, and Bingo!, you got it. Onset is slow, but effect varies until interest subsides. Intensity is also lesser.


3. Listen to pump-up music (Berserking). Preferably something that makes you feel aggressive. Position yourself into controlling your actions, as you listen to the music. Your unexpressed feelings will slowly build inside of you, like a volcano ready to explode. When the feeling is too much, you will feel like unleashing it, and that is the right time to do it. You get the full berserk, but effect is temporary. You build up about five minutes, and explode for ten minutes or more.


How to relieve the Berserk State*:


1. Do some INTENSE exercises. Small exercises won't work. Use displacement and sublimation and destroy the heavy bag. Go out and do some running, not jogging. It depends in what kind of exercise you want as long as its intense.


2. Shout, sing, talk, or etc. It is the verbal manifestation of your unexpressed feelings, thus, it works. Talk to a friend and express yourself. The more you express yourself, the more the feeling will be gone.


3. Listen to feel-good music. This is a mechanism called sublimation. You change your focus to a less-stressful stimuli.


4. Think good thoughts. Positive thinking kills the negative emotions.


5. Eat Serotonin-rich food. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter released in the body to give us the feeling of happiness and well-being. Serotonin-rich food includes: chocolates and bananas.


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*Of course, there are lots of ways to relieve stress. It's in the science of psychology.
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Berserking is a powerful yet dangerous tool. It must be used with caution. People who stay berserk would appear dysfunctional in the society, and that is why it must be used only in certain situations, like in sports. I have seen fighters who use this to their advantage, although successful, they have failed to return to being functional human beings. They tend to be aggressive in the society, breaks up rules, and do all the bad things we don't want to happen. Again, being berserk is a risk. You may end up hurting your loved ones if you did not learn to control it. A person who is practitioner on this must learn to not only bring himself to the state, but more importantly, learn to let it go.


One thing, being berserk is one way of bringing you into that adrenaline rush, or what I call, "The Zone." That feeling of being superhuman, is unavoidable.


Formula for Adrenaline Rush:
Berserk + Training = Endorphin + Adrenaline = 
The Zone/Adrenaline Rush = Temporary Superhuman


This is one reason why training is addicting, because you get a high into it. A natural high, without side effects. But of course, too much is too bad. Your body may get used to all these endorphin and adrenaline, that once you stop training, you will have a withdrawal symptom. Depression. So be careful, and use at your own risk. It's best to gradually stop training, rather than instantly stopping it. Let your body adapt to its internal and external changes.

"The Zone"

As you walk into the gloom, and turned on the lights. You see the heavy bag, a pair of gloves, and some shoes. Seeing the heavy bag, let's you recall the past successes that you've been training with it. As you see the shoes, your mind instantly tells you, "Who cares!?", so you left it. You decided to pick up the gloves and wear them, being too excited that you don't even wear the hand wraps anymore. So you started throwing a jab on the bag. It started spinning, and as it spins, you hit it with a hard right hand. As you see the bag flung through your power, you felt awe, that somehow triggered an indescribable feeling. Something that somehow surpasses, Holy, Love, Achievement, Sex, and other complex feelings in this world. A feeling of intense energy, that seems unlimited for that moment. Being able to hit harder than expected. Feeling an Increased stamina, for that very splendid moment. Others call it, "Adrenaline Rush", but I call it.. "The Zone". True to studies, adrenaline does help in physical performance. As a boxer, the feeling is not a stranger to me. You can feel it when the trigger comes. As for me, I get "The Zone", when I see an opponent staggering. So I continue to pummel, until the feeling is gradually lost. The after effect will make you feel the tiredness, that you should have felt on that rush. On "The Zone", you somehow, forget everything that keeps a man, human. You will feel perfect, without hesitation. Perhaps, this is one reason, why fighters continue to fight, it's not about the money, but it's more about the feeling. Amateurs wouldn't know what I'm talking about until they experienced them. Just think, If only you could sustain that moment longer, you will indefinitely be indestructible. In that moment, feeling like a God, is unavoidable.

Conclusion:

Adrenaline rush, or how I call it "The Zone", is a specialized way of a human to protect itself, placing it's full potential on brief moments, or depending on how stressful an environment has become. Again, it is triggered by the Fight or Flight response, which is also triggered by stress. Although the feeling, I've felt is not the flight response type, but the fight type, and is coinciding with the boxing saying "Killer instincts". Remember, being the threat is more relaxing, than being at threat. Through experience, a constant burst of "The Zone", will develop a sense of contentment, well-being, and happiness, which is perhaps the after effect of exercise, since adrenaline is released with endorphins at the same time. It may also develop an optimistic and narcissistic approach in life, but it all depends on the person. I theorize, that primitive species of humans, are far more physically controlling, and that adrenaline rush is created, through the evolution of man, because of the inactive fighting lifestyle of man. As we get civilized, brute force is less used nowadays, so we diminish ourselves from our truest potential, but to protect our species, our body has found a way to trigger the same primitive strength, but only on few moments called "The Zone", in order to use the actual human strength, as was the case in the past.

Final Thoughts:

I sometimes say things to people like.. "If you can feel the feeling that I feel right now, or if I can share it to the world, the world would be a better place, everyone will be so contented and happy." I theorize that it may be the effect of both the adrenaline and endorphins. So if you're feeling depressed and want to feel great, then try a workout session now, because the feeling stays for long, so go use that adrenaline! I'm inspired to write this post a week ago, because of it's significance, especially today, where I started again back to my usual training regimen. Today I used 18 oz gloves (A pretty heavy glove that I wanted to replace for a lighter one) which clearly reduced my efficacy, speed, and power. The impact was reduced, but I still managed to drop the heavy bag from it's chains, nonetheless. Adrenaline must be the culprit for that sudden increase in punching power.

Negative to Positive

Recently, I've had been confused on certain matters, that I never thought I'd be concerned of, but in the back of my mind, I knew, eventually, I will have to face them. These problems though, have only surfaced after taking a brief period of rest in my training regimen. Just as I've said in the past, I had to focus on academics, and had stopped my favorite training (Heavy Bag, because I dropped it several times, in the peak of my conditioning and power). I usually drive off stress through boxing. In psychological talk, I utilize a combination of coping mechanisms to fight stress. I use both Sublimation and Displacement, both driving me to physical excellence, and a positive mindset. In the absence of it, I felt a bit, empty, although watching a boxing match can suffice the need for it, but in time, it has become too far and too less. I began to take stress on the inside, the sensation of burning your heart with hate, remorse, and revenge. I never felt anything like it in a long time. I knew at that time, I needed to get back. I thought that maybe, I should learn other ways to take on stress, and not be dependent on the heavy bag. So I went on, and until now, I've ended up empty. Nothing feels much better for me, than to train towards excellence. It reminds me of the days, when I was contented with my lifestyle, in the past. The days where I watch boxing matches, that made me so excited and pumped up, that it never fails to put me on my feet. The feeling of adrenaline rushing through your veins, when you punch. Admiring your strength, grit, perseverance, and taking it more than your limits at the time that it matters the most. A day of contentment, and a promise of a bright future, and every single day, gives you a reason to smile. I've felt it now, and have raised the heavy bag, back on the chains. With two new reinforced steel grips, I will never be disappointed. After a day of doing this training, after a long time of inactivity, I noticed the physiological changes in my body's chemistry. I have been positive once again, and not as prone to depression as was the case in the past. As I've studied, I begin to believe, that this positive effect is caused by the combination of both adrenaline and endorphins, secreted throughout my system, as an effect of the exercise I did. It works well on my well-being, and I'm loving every moment of life. And so, I will keep on pouring the punches til' I'm contented. Every punch will be an inspiration to fight adversity, and making myself a better person. As I inspire myself, I hope to inspire others as well. That even the weak, becomes strong, and that all problems, can be overcome with faith. God will bring you to your greatest if you believe in him. I will say, that I have no beliefs that I am great, but I do believe, that there is a God, and that he is great. I may be strong, but it is God, who allowed it. All through out, I've learned, that a fighter's instincts will remain, even if days, or months of inactivity will occur in a fighter, just give him a pair of gloves, and a heavy bag, he will always resurrect his older self. The killer's instinct will not die, it will always be a part of what a true fighter is made of, from the trials he has overcome, to the toughness that he has built in him. The essence of a Champion, is the ability to overcome challenges, and face adversity, yet is still strong, despite the negative factors that surrounds him. It is determined on how you stay on your feet, even if your body say's "Go down", or your mind play's tricks on you, and say "Give up, it's hopeless." A Champion remains standing and strong. When you love something which is natural, it will always be a part of you. As that's said, Boxing will always be a part of me no matter what, despite the risks of physical complications that surround it. It all started with discovering great power, being passionate for the game, and a mindset of a champion. It's all a learning process.

Picture: A snapshot of the video game, Fight Night Round 4, showing Erik "El Terrible" Morales throwing a left handed body shot on the Heavy Bag.