| Learn how to join with and utilize a person's | | | | 2. Encourage violence and tenderness at the same |
| current "bad" behavior. | | | | time. |
| Rather than telling a person they are doing | | | | Leave your finger in the cage and encourage the |
| something "wrong" and suggesting a fix,validate | | | | parrot to gnaw on it. With your free hand gently |
| their current model of the world, and change will | | | | rub the parrot's head much like you might do with |
| occur "on its own." | | | | a dog or cat. When you and the parrot are |
| Many years ago my parents gave me a parrot. | | | | tender and violent at the same time, you are |
| The first thing I learned is that parrots can be | | | | beginning to engage in the act of play. |
| dangerous to be around. They can do major | | | | 3. Reward the negative behavior and thus |
| damage to your fingers and other body parts. At | | | | reframe the meaning of the behavior. |
| the time, I was living and working with my friend | | | | When you reward the "bad" behavior, the |
| Reeves Teague. He understood animals from a | | | | behavior is no longer bad. The parrot bites your |
| "country boy" perspective having grown up in the | | | | right hand and you reward him by giving a snack |
| mountains of North Carolina. Here is the process I | | | | with your left hand. The relationship is circular in |
| learned from Reeves, and modified over the | | | | nature. It doesn't take long before the parrot |
| years. | | | | loses his enthusiasm for biting you. He still very |
| 1. Invite an attack with an open and loving | | | | much wants the snacks you feed him after each |
| countenance. | | | | attack, but he would rather not have to do all of |
| The parrot is going to try and bite you no matter | | | | the biting to get the goodies. |
| what, as a natural act of self preservation. | | | | 4. Blur the starting and stopping points, blur the |
| Instead of trying to stop him from biting you, | | | | difference between good and bad. |
| utilize his current behavior and encourage it. Wear | | | | The parrot has been biting one hand and you |
| something to protect your fingers, and invite the | | | | have been nuzzling the parrot and feeding him |
| parrot to bite you. | | | | with your other hand. Now take the hand that has |
| Welcoming and utilizing the parrot's current | | | | been doing the nuzzling and feeding and present it |
| behavior even if it is violent, is very much in the | | | | to the parrot for biting. When the parrot takes a |
| spirit of Aikido and Ericksonian Hypnosis. | | | | playful nip, you nuzzle him with the hand he was |
| In Ericksonian Hypnosis you utilize the client's "bad" | | | | previously gnawing on. |
| behavior and join with and validate their current | | | | When you encourage the parrot to bite the hand |
| model of the world, rather than trying to change | | | | that feeds him! His confusion will be obvious. |
| the client and give him the message he is doing | | | | 5. Change the reason for the reward. |
| something wrong. | | | | After the "break in" period you only give a snack |
| In Aikido when you encourage your counterpart | | | | when the parrot is gentle and playful. Little by little |
| to express themselves physically, and they attack | | | | you thus change the reference behavior for |
| you, they are actually following your directions, | | | | getting the snack. Usually at this stage, anyone |
| and doing what you have asked. At such times | | | | that moves slowly can play with the parrot with |
| the attack becomes definitely less violent, as the | | | | little concern about getting bitten. |
| attacker unconsciously realizes that on a deep | | | | I have found the above method, to be by far the |
| level they are cooperating with you. | | | | fastest, easiest, and most humane way to tame |
| Whether the activity be Aikido training or parrot | | | | a parrot, and calm down children that appear to |
| training, when you welcome the attack, the | | | | have a violent streak. |
| attack winds up being a lot less vicious. | | | | |