•
A
typical F.A.S.T. course involves building the students skills whilst
under the effects of an adrenal stress response through an increasing
range of more difficult scenarios.
•The instructor/coach’s role is to ensure that the student understands what to do at each stage of the course. The instructor/coach also provides the student with constant support during the scenarios to avoid any adrenal freeze. Many ex-F.A.S.T. students have reported that in situations they’ve had many years later, the voice of their coach whispering in their ear came flooding back.
•The bullet man's role is that of the assailant. He is there to provide the student with the adrenal rush. The bullet man's suit is padded to allow the student to attack with real force, especially to the head and groin. The suit itself is the result of 30 years of continuous development and allows the student to respond with full power strikes, something that most courses lack.•The bullet man adrenalises the student with the ‘woof’. A woof is an aggressive challenge or threat. Every bullet man woofs differently, and each student responds differently. The skill and training of the bullet men is paramount to ensure that each students different adrenal responses are exploited to give them the best possible experience.
•Both the bullet men and the instructor/coach are highly trained to ensure that the student is taken out of their comfort zone, but given a rewarding experience. This is a very advanced skill and requires significant training and experience. All of our instructors are highly skilled.•Courses include awareness skills, boundary (distance) skills, verbal de-escalation skills, eye contact and body posturing, using your voice and the adrenal rush to your advantage and the use of gross motor skills in defence. Training in gross motor skills is very important. Experience has shown that even highly trained martial artists with many years of experience can often flail ineffectually when under adrenal stress conditions.
•Every course takes the student through a series of ever more challenging scenarios. A typical level 1 course would start with a light woof that ends without a physical intervention (i.e. you talk your way out), moves through heavier woofs, into conflicts and ends in surprise attacks.
The remainder of the student group is also important. Everyone is encouraged to shout out their support for the student during the scenarios. This energy fills the room and provides another level of learning for all concerned. This is where some of the corporate and management benefits accrue.
