I met “M” when he and I were taking a Stage Combat class at a local community college. I was also conducting group hypnosis sessions at the start of the class for those who wished to participate.  M was an excellent hypnotic subject and stage swordsman.  At the time he was 19 years old and had fenced since he was 14.

One day M approached me about having individual hypnosis sessions.  He had trouble with his focus while on stage and when he was sparring.  He went on to say that he was most concerned with his reaction time while sparring.  He stated that he would startle easily and freeze.

M felt that hypnosis would help him focus and enable him to react faster to his opponent.  He stated that he would know he had it when he could defend, parry and riposte “counterattack” spontaneously without hesitation.  He went on to say that this will affect other aspects of his life by improving his driving and acting since he had focus problems in those situations as well.

He stated that what stops him from having this already is he gets very frustrated with himself and this seems to further affect his focus, by making him very self-conscious.

He said that the resource he brought to help to obtain his desired outcome was that he practiced every day.  Also, that he was an excellent swordsman and has been one for quit a long time.  The additional resources he felt he needed were; 1. That he practice longer, 2. That he learn to use visualization, and 3. That he improve his focus.

I asked him if he had a role model and he said he did in the martial artist Jet Li.

I then asked him if ever he had been in the zone and he responded that he had many times.  Especially while he practiced his routines or when he was learning new moves and was getting them down.  I asked him what it felt like to be in the zone.  To which he answered that when he was in the zone he was totally focused and movements just flowed one into another and time didn’t matter.  Also, that he felt completely in control.

Since he was a conditioned subject I didn’t need to talk to him much about hypnosis because I had explained it earlier in class and we had done some group hypnosis in class.  Instead I had him close his eyes and asked him to think of an absolute truth such as the sun will rise tomorrow.  I asked him for the color, feeling, sound and other submodalities.  He said that it was up and center, brightly colored and still.  He went on to say that it was little, very clear, and far away.

I then had him think of something true about himself.  The submodalities were; up and behind, still and in color, but not as bright, there was still no sound or smell, and that it was big, clear and very near.

I next had him describe the submodalities of when he felt time drag. He felt slow, focused, and clear with bright colors.   Also though there was mistiness about the edges and the sound was quiet and muted.  The picture was off to the left and near.  He smelled pine trees.

Then I had him think of a time when time seemed to fly.  He said it was narrow, fast and very focused, colors were dull and blurred and the sound were loud from the front and behind and very close.  It was positioned dead center and he felt and heard a rushing of wind and felt a butterflies feeling.   No smell was associated with this.

I then had him close his eyes and imagine himself as fast, narrow and focused on the inside and slow and quiet on the outside.  I anchored this several times by having him make a fist with his left (non-weapon) hand. Using the” Zone Exercise” until we felt he could produce this state easily and quickly.

I then did a modified Elman’s induction.  Again since he was a conditioned subject he went rapidly into hypnosis.  I tested for somnambulism and then set an anchor (a touch on the forehead and the word “sleep”) for rehypnosis.  I used the “Visual Squash” for his hesitation problems and then used the “Theatre of the Mind” to help him practice his reactions, first as Jet Li and then inserting himself.  I them did the “Sermon” script and a metaphor.  I performed the “Sermon” script once more before emerging him.

It was also found later on that the anchor we chose was not appropriate with two handed weapons such as the katana, long sword and the hand and a half sword.  A new anchor was installed for these types of weapons.  The subject chose to purse his lips in this instance.

Also, during sparing and stage combat M’s control and speed and reaction time improved markedly and there was no hesitation, however M now had difficulties in controlling the weapon.  Quit often M would strike his partner while engaged in stage combat or strike too hard in sparing.  I ran him through another session focused on the control problem.  This time we used the “Theatre of the “Mind and did the “Sermon” script again.

After a couple of months I check up with M again and found that he was functioning well.  His speed and control had increased greatly and he no longer had a problem with distractions.  Since he had recently taken up the war hammer he asked me to do the “Theatre of the Mind” with him on that weapon.  To date M is doing well. He has since learned self hypnosis with me and knows how to use the “Zone” and “Squash” exercises for himself.  As well as the “Theatre of the Mind” exercise.

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