In Kenpo, to elicit a state of mind means deliberately creating or drawing out a specific mental state in yourself—or in your opponent. This process can occur effortlessly when strong emotions are triggered. For example, watching an exceptionally sad movie scene evokes sorrow in the viewer. Similarly, a coach’s motivational talk before a game can energize the team to perform with greater enthusiasm and commitment. However, during training or real confrontation, this process requires more deliberate effort. The use of the word elicit implies that we must actively employ mental images, thoughts, or physical actions to bring about the desired state of mind.

Understanding what it means is one thing; being able to do it is another. Actors, for example, elicit states of mind for a living and use several techniques to achieve this:

1. Memory Recall

Revisiting vivid memories can trigger the emotional states associated with them. Thinking about times when you were calm, courageous, or successful can quickly bring about similar feelings in the present.

2. Imagination

As John Milton wrote in Paradise Lost, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” The imagination is a powerful tool—capable of creating entire emotional realities. Visualizing desired scenarios can help summon the mental state appropriate for them.

3. Physicalization

Emotions are closely linked to physical posture. Adopting the body language of a particular emotion can help generate that emotion. For example, raising your fists and assuming a strong fighting stance signals both to your body and your opponent that you are in a combative mindset.

4. Breath and Voice Control

These are critical components of physicalization. Controlled breathing helps maintain focus and clarity, while ragged breath leads to anxiety and distraction. Vocal expressions such as a sharp kiai (martial shout) and a fierce “fight face” can boost your psychological edge and unsettle your opponent.

5. Presence in the Moment

Whether training or fighting, the most powerful emotional states emerge from full engagement. Being present heightens awareness, reaction speed, and emotional authenticity.

Developing the ability to quickly induce the appropriate mental state is essential for martial arts advancement. Kenpo is not just a mechanical collection of techniques; it’s also a psychological system. If you can evoke an emotional state in your opponent that undermines their ability to fight—such as fear, doubt, or hesitation—you gain a strategic advantage. Simultaneously, maintaining the right mindset within yourself makes you more resistant to intimidation or manipulation.

Kenpo training emphasizes cultivating these internal states. You might condition yourself to summon calm focus, controlled aggression, or heightened clarity, depending on the context. In combat, certain actions—like an explosive movement combined with a fierce yell—can cause your opponent to hesitate, giving you the opening to act.

Eliciting a state of mind—within yourself or in others—is a powerful tool that elevates Kenpo from a purely physical discipline into a sophisticated form of psychological strategy. Mastering this principle allows practitioners to influence the emotional and mental dynamics of conflict, giving them an edge that transcends technique alone. This integration of mindset and movement is what makes Kenpo uniquely profound as a self-defense system.

~ The data presented herein was compiled by AIK Black Belt Clifford Johnson in July 2025.