Ease Tournament Anxiety with Positivity

 Do you get nervous before tournaments?

Want to overcome those nerves?

Prepare with positivity! Positive thinking can increase your confidence and improve your performance.

PREPARING FOR DEMONSTRATIONS OR TOURNAMENTS

Adrenaline is one of the biggest obstacles to success in demonstrations, tournaments, or tests. Overcome by nerves, many of us begin to focus more on what not to do than on what we should do. Once the mind starts repeating "don't screw up, don't screw up," the most prominent mental image we end up with is one of screwing up. 

A better approach is to mentally rehearse the performance, visualizing ourselves executing each technique correctly, and imagining the satisfied feeling we will have once the routine is completed. Having mentally rehearsed our performance successfully many times before actually stepping onto the mat, we are much more likely to do well.

Another tip is to watch others. "Kengaku" means "visual study" in Japanese. It has two aspects: (1) to spot mistakes made by others in order to avoid them; and (2) to spot the areas where others excel, and to try to emulate them. The second aspect has unlimited potential to make us better!

See other ways positivity can help you in martial arts!

To read more martial arts related content, visit our website! SMAA Library (smaa-hq.com)

Grow with the Shudokan Martial Arts Association

You may become a better student, teacher, and performer with support from the SMAA. You’ll gain insight from our prestigious members in multiple countries and can earn reputable certificates of rank. We can answer your questions with credible historic Japanese martial arts knowledge and experience.

Call us today at 734-720-0330 or contact us via our website to join a positive martial arts association.

Teaching Martial Arts with Positivity

Are you a martial arts instructor?

Want to create a comfortable environment for your students?

Incorporate positivity into your dojo! Positivity can be one of the greatest encouragement tools in teaching.

TEACHING

Studies of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) have shown that the subconscious mind absorbs information however it is presented. Thus, if a teacher says "don't do it this way," the student may remember the error better than the correct method. However, if a teacher says "do it this way," and demonstrates the correct method, chances are good that the student will remember the proper way to do the technique, whether the technique is found in jujutsu (jujitsu), judo, or iaido. 

This doesn't mean that a teacher should never point out student errors. It does suggest, however, that advice should be presented in positive terms whenever possible. This approach will help to maximize the student's exposure to correct examples, and make the whole experience of learning martial arts more enjoyable.

Learn more ways to make your dojo a positive place!

Grow with the Shudokan Martial Arts Association

You may become a better student, teacher, and performer with support from the SMAA. You’ll gain insight from our prestigious members in multiple countries and can earn reputable certificates of rank. We can answer your questions with credible historic Japanese martial arts knowledge and experience.

Call us today at 734-720-0330 or contact us via our website to join a positive martial arts association.

To read more martial arts articles, visit our website! SMAA Library (smaa-hq.com)