Good advice but don't forget visualisation Zak! Some people don't learn very well by just committing to paper or rote learning. I know I learn best when I can visualise myself going through a hold and sustaining it - it tends to work best for me but I agree repetition learning is just as effective as u study like for an exam until its sticks. Remember dyslexics and another gifts others may be blessed with they cannt read or write yet they can be fantastic at what they do simply coz they have had to learn things in a different way.
Being a good fighter takes more than physical strength and even technical fighting ability. You don't fight only with your body, but with your mind also.
There are many aspects to this. Your general attitude. Your mental state during a fight. How you learn, how you analyse and how you feel.
From Square One, your first opponent is yourself. Are you in control? Do you have the discipline you need to get what you want? You might go to classes but do you go regularly, or do you skip sessions when you're not in the mood, or if something distracts you? That's fine if you are content with slow, plodding progress, but not if you feel disappointed with your performance. That time when you are in two minds about going to the dojo is the exact time that your mental toughness is being tested. Don't wimp out. Sometimed I have skipped sessions and regretted it. Other times I have forced myself to go when I was feeling tired or not in the mood and I always had a great session and felt very grateful to myself for making the effort!
Do you look at your sparring partner and think - Shit, he is really good, I don't stand a hope in hell! Don't look at it like that. There will always be guys better than you and there is no shame in losing to them. Keep your mind fixed on your game and do what you can. If you get tapped 100 times it doesn't matter, you might not be winning but you are definitely learning, even if you don't realise it. What does not kill you makes you stronger and that is exactly what sparring gives you.
OK, that guy always beats you, but does it take him longer to beat you now than it used to? That is progress. It might not feel like much but it is a tiny sign that you are gradually becoming a better fighter. After he beats you is he exhausted? That is another point in your favour.
You are building a large house, brick by brick. It takes a long, long time but if you just keep on building progress is inevitable. You must hold on to this.
Fight hard but remain calm and in control of your emotions. New guys panic when they fight and in their desperation they make mistakes. Be fast when you need to be, but also there are times when the best thing you can do is slow down. If you rush a technique you are likely to mess it up. If you are in a secure position you can take a little time to think about what you are doing. Let the other guy tire himself out a bit while you stay calm.
Use some initiative in your learning. Don't just go to class, train, then go home and forget all about it until the next session. Keep a training diary. Write down everything you can remember of the techiques you have learned. Do your own study to suppliment this; read books and watch instructional videos on YouTube, etc. Give yourself an edge! Analyse your own performance. What mistakes do you tend to make? What points do you tend to forget? Focus on your weaknesses...
To win the fight you have to start from the inside out. Make yourself mentally strong to give yourself the tools/weapons you need to be a better fighter.
Perseus (148)
9/23/2012 9:15 AMGood advice but don't forget visualisation Zak! Some people don't learn very well by just committing to paper or rote learning. I know I learn best when I can visualise myself going through a hold and sustaining it - it tends to work best for me but I agree repetition learning is just as effective as u study like for an exam until its sticks. Remember dyslexics and another gifts others may be blessed with they cannt read or write yet they can be fantastic at what they do simply coz they have had to learn things in a different way.
Sturdy (31)
8/05/2012 3:55 PMBeing a good fighter takes more than physical strength and even technical fighting ability. You don't fight only with your body, but with your mind also.
There are many aspects to this. Your general attitude. Your mental state during a fight. How you learn, how you analyse and how you feel.
From Square One, your first opponent is yourself. Are you in control? Do you have the discipline you need to get what you want? You might go to classes but do you go regularly, or do you skip sessions when you're not in the mood, or if something distracts you? That's fine if you are content with slow, plodding progress, but not if you feel disappointed with your performance. That time when you are in two minds about going to the dojo is the exact time that your mental toughness is being tested. Don't wimp out. Sometimed I have skipped sessions and regretted it. Other times I have forced myself to go when I was feeling tired or not in the mood and I always had a great session and felt very grateful to myself for making the effort!
Do you look at your sparring partner and think - Shit, he is really good, I don't stand a hope in hell! Don't look at it like that. There will always be guys better than you and there is no shame in losing to them. Keep your mind fixed on your game and do what you can. If you get tapped 100 times it doesn't matter, you might not be winning but you are definitely learning, even if you don't realise it. What does not kill you makes you stronger and that is exactly what sparring gives you.
OK, that guy always beats you, but does it take him longer to beat you now than it used to? That is progress. It might not feel like much but it is a tiny sign that you are gradually becoming a better fighter. After he beats you is he exhausted? That is another point in your favour.
You are building a large house, brick by brick. It takes a long, long time but if you just keep on building progress is inevitable. You must hold on to this.
Fight hard but remain calm and in control of your emotions. New guys panic when they fight and in their desperation they make mistakes. Be fast when you need to be, but also there are times when the best thing you can do is slow down. If you rush a technique you are likely to mess it up. If you are in a secure position you can take a little time to think about what you are doing. Let the other guy tire himself out a bit while you stay calm.
Use some initiative in your learning. Don't just go to class, train, then go home and forget all about it until the next session. Keep a training diary. Write down everything you can remember of the techiques you have learned. Do your own study to suppliment this; read books and watch instructional videos on YouTube, etc. Give yourself an edge! Analyse your own performance. What mistakes do you tend to make? What points do you tend to forget? Focus on your weaknesses...
To win the fight you have to start from the inside out. Make yourself mentally strong to give yourself the tools/weapons you need to be a better fighter.
...
ozjake (2)
11/23/2013 6:16 AM(In reply to this)
thanks Sturdy, i like this, it gives me something to think about, excelent,