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"Your Mental State Affects Your Performance"

From: Jason Stanley
3rd Dan Shitoryu
2nd June, 2003

Ever have those days where everything seems to go wrong? You wake up late in a bad mood, rush to get to work but the traffic is horrendous. You arrive late for work, your boss yells at you, you have a mountain of papers to sort through, plus 30 people you must call before you leave for the day. Karate training is at 6.00pm and you battle the roads for another 35 minutes and arrive at the club with 7.5 seconds to spare.

In this time you need to get changed into your gi and make yourself presentable for training. In reality you're probably not going to make it onto the tatami before class has started, so you miss out on part (if not all) of the warm up and then you have "one of those" nights at training. Your technique seems tense, you're sluggish when you fight and then you cause yourself injury because you're not warmed up. You leave frustrated and disheartened with your training.

If you've experienced this type of thing then you'll be glad to know there are some things you can do to enjoy and benefit from your training, even if you do wake up late and take a beating at work.

It all starts with your mental state.

Although many schools do not emphasize the importance of being in the right mental state before you train, it is one of the critical aspects that should be sorted out before you walk onto the tatami. Work, relationships, traffic, kids and finances are just some things that can increase stress in your life. In order for you to get the most from your karate training, you need to be able to leave these things outside of the dojo. One word best describes how to do this.... detachment.

The human brain can concentrate on approximately 7 things at any one time. Right now you're focussing on this article as you read. You might also be thinking about how this familiar situation has happened to you. You can hear background noise, feel yourself sitting in your chair, feel your hand on the mouse ready to scroll the page, etc. There are not too many other things you can focus on at any one time.

Consider how this "mental overload" might affect your training. Let's use the first example to demonstrate this point - You've had the day from hell and arrive late for class. You missed the warm-up and immediately you're given 5 minutes to practice your kata before you'll be asked to perform in front of the class. You're tense from the traffic, stressed out about how much work you didn't get done today, frustrated because you're not warmed up, and feeling the pressure as you're not quite sure of one of the moves in your kata but can't ask your sensei as they're helping someone else right now. You're also stressed because time is counting down until it'll be your turn to perform. The thoughts in your mind are having a party and they invited all their friends to gather 'round. It's utter chaos up there!

How the heck are you going to detach from all the unnecessary mind chatter that is consuming your focus? How are you going to "get in the zone" when it comes your turn to perform?

If you have reached this stage of chaos, there isn't much you can do to save yourself. Without correct mental training, very few individuals can "switch off" everything in the middle of a mind battle and focus exclusively on what they are doing. So the best way to get out of this mess is to avoid it altogether.

I know it's a cliché, but it's a good one; Prevention is better than a cure!

The trick is to not get to this level of distraction at all. You need to be in the right mental state before you get to class. Even if you are running late for whatever reason, as soon as you walk on to the tatami, you shouldn't be thinking about anything other than your karate.

"Yeah that's easy to do..." I hear you mutter sarcastically. And you know what? It actually is!

A good way to deal with stress is to put things into perspective. Sure you've had a crappy day at work and you're stressed out of your head.... but ask yourself the following question:

"In a years time, is it really going to matter?"

Probably not. It probably won't even matter in a week. Possibly it doesn't really even matter right now. The only thing that is stressing you out and preventing you performing at your best is YOU. Not your boss. Not the traffic. Not your family. Not your financial situation. Nothing other than your own mental state!

Being in the correct mental state before you train will make your class more enjoyable. You'll get more out of it than you will if your brain is overloaded. Ever wondered why it's said that studying a martial art is for both the body AND the mind?

Training the mind to be calm when all hell is breaking loose should be a prime objective in your martial arts training. This is what it's like in a self defense, life threatening situation right? (If you haven't been there yourself, take it from someone who has - it is stressful!) So much stress, so much to deal with and you must perform at your best or suffer bodily harm.

I like to use the analogy of the "eye of the storm". When everything around you is out of control, the superior karateka should be calm and centered, ready and prepared.

Anyhow, back to preparing yourself so you're at your best as soon as class begins. I'd like to ask you the following. How long before class begins are you thinking about your training? Five minutes? An hour or two?

The best of the best prepare themselves well in advance. Hoyce Gracie is synonymous with Brazilian JuJitsu and the UFC. Gracie prepares himself months before the big day! By the time it comes around he's already conquered his mental demons and he can truly focus on the task at hand. He's not worried about the fight or what is going to happen. He "knows" he's going to win.

And while your regular night at training doesn't need as much mental preparation, you'll certainly train better if your pumped before you begin. How to prepare for a big event is outside the scope of this article, but for regular everyday training, here's a good three step process to help you get more out of your class.

Detachment (Clearing your mind)

• Ask The Question

  An hour before you train you start to clear your mind of the day's activities and worries. Do this by focussing on a single concern and ask yourself the question...

  "In a years time is it really going to matter?"

This is a great way to put things in perspective and reduce your stress level. You will perform better when you are less stressed. Ask this question for every item on your mind, put it in perspective and be done with it.

• Mokuso (Meditate)

  Many schools do not perform "mokuso" before they train. If your school does, take advantage of this quiet time to relax and further your detachment from your distractions. (How to perform "mokuso" will be discussed in a future article.)

  If you can, use both these methods to clear your mind before you commence your training.

Focus

Once you have cleared your mind of distraction you will be in a state of "detachment". Bruce Lee had a famous analogy of likening the mind to a cup of water. To allow new water to be poured in, the old water must be emptied first.

You can use the following two methods preceding your class in order to attain a good focus on what you're about to do.

• Specifics

  After you clear your mind of stress, choose the things with which to you wish to fill it. Focus specifically on what you want out of your training tonight. Then focus on "how to" do what you want to achieve.
  
  For example, if you want to do better with your sparring, then specifically focus on that area of your karate. Take it a step further and focus on the exact technique you want to improve, such as scoring with your reverse punch. Try to visualize yourself setting up your technique and scoring cleanly. Think of all of the individual steps involved and visualize each.
  
  

• Affirmation

  Reinforce by verbally repeating the specifics of what you want to achieve. It's important to keep this in a positive format rather than negative.
  
  For example, if you are wanting to improve your defense, then rather than saying aloud to yourself...
  
  "I won't get hit".
  
  Say....
  
  "I now move and change position every three seconds to win the fight."
  
  This second statement does several things. It implies that you are already doing it by using the word "now". It tells you the specifics of what you need to do to reduce the chance of being scored upon (changing position every three seconds) and also instills the notion of not getting hit in a positive manner (winning the fight). This statement is completely positive. There is no negative connotation whatsoever.
  
  Repeat your statement over and over to ensure you maximize your chances of acquiring your objective.

During Training

• Confirmation

  When you come to the part of your training that you have been preparing for during the day, you can once again reinforce your positive mindset by revising the two steps above.
  
  For example, just before you strike the impact pad or makiwara, visualize yourself striking with all your force with perfect technique. Also use your affirmation immediately before you strike. Say to yourself, "I now hit perfectly with incredible power every time."
  

• Praise

  When you are successful in achieving your goals, it's important to confirm or reassure yourself of your success. Praise yourself by telling yourself that you did well. Let yourself know that you achieved the goals you set out for.

In closing, you will notice that if you really got "into" this article as you were reading it, you may have forgotten about everything else on your mind. This is how you should be when doing your karate. Remember the best of the best detach from personal stresses and "get in the zone" when it's time to perform. The above method is a good way to leave behind your distractions and allow you to get the most out of your training. You'll leave the dojo feeling satisified and will be looking forward to your next session.

Jason Stanley
www.karatetips.com