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I have been in karate for about 5 years. The thing is, every time I get to sparring, i get afraid i'll lose and look terrible to even a new person to the class. I'm always unsure of myself, and to make it worse, when I AM sparring, i barely hit people as something in me is afraid to make contact with the opponent. HAs anyone ever had these cowardly syndroms? Are there any exercises to help me be more sure of myself, to have greater speed, power, and mabye certainty. I know this may be an odd question, but this is the best way i can word it.
jon
jon
>I have been in karate for about 5 years. The thing is, every time I get to sparring, i
>get afraid i'll lose and look terrible to even a new person to the class.
Repeat after me - "Who cares what anybody thinks."
The dojo is where you WANT to make mistakes. Someone is there to give you advice and you don't die as a result of your mistake. Compare this to screwing up when you get jumped walking your grandmother to church.
>I'm always unsure of myself,
Why? 5 years is a good amount of time. What's wrong?
>and to make it worse, when I AM sparring, i barely hit
>people as something in me is afraid to make contact with the opponent. HAs anyone ever
>had these cowardly syndroms?
There is nothing cowardly about this. You are showing concern for your training partner's safety. This is a good thing.
How much contact do you think you should make?
>Are there any exercises to help me be more sure of myself, to have greater speed, power,
>and mabye certainty. I know this may be an odd question, but this is the best way i can
>word it.
Speed - lots and lots and lots of reps while keeping your body relaxed. By relaxed I mean just using enough muscular tension to keep your legs from collapsing and your arms from falling down.
Power - For muscular power lift weights, do calisthenics. Want strong legs, run and do lots of reps of kata. Work your abs. I've started swimming in the last 3 months, I'm not sure what it does muscular strength wise yet.
- For strong techniques, get a heavy bag and hit it, alot. But you want to do the technique as fast as possible. From speed comes power, at least in the techniques. Also, make sure your form is correct. I believe the techniques have evolved that done with correct form they will maximize the amount of power you can generate.
Sure of yourself and certainty. We can address this after you tell me what you're afraid of.
Hang in there, lots of people have been thru what you're going thru.
Mark
I'd like to be a little less direct. Five years is a long time but it could be that your just not really into that aspect of Karate. Do you want to hit someone? Maybe you don't care for it. Maybe there are other reasons that lead you to the practice of Karate. So you might want to look at that a bit. See if after you do the fear amd anxiety doesn't go down a bit, too. I think it's just a matter of what YOU are interested in and what contributes to your own happiness. Focus on one part, then focus on another. The Arts are mutidementional in this respect. Let people know what's important about Karate to you. I mean why do you go...to Karate? Do you fight in the streets everyday? These days?
If it's great fighting prowess your after, we all can't obtain it. Do you feel like you can defend your self? Are you able to apply what your learning? Do you practice often and aim to do your best? Do you feel your improving? Well, there's some thoughts. And if the answers are no, than you might want to talk to your teacher or seek martial guidance elseware. On the other hand, if you feel the answers are yes, than perhaps enjoy yourself and try to look at how you are growing day to day. Where do you think it comes from? Bet you know?!
me (hey, lip...first post in a while dude:-))
"and to make it worse, when I AM sparring, i barely hit
people as something in me is afraid to make contact with the opponent. HAs anyone ever
had these cowardly syndroms?"
'There is nothing cowardly about this. You are showing concern for your training partner's safety. This is a good thing.'
Absolutely right.
I sorta had the same problem. In the limited sparring that I've done, I never really felt comfortable hitting or blocking the opponent any more than a tap, especially when the opponent was showing a little pain after repetitive contact. But when I was on the receiving end they brought it full on, and I realised that although you may be putting another in discomfort or pain, ultimately they would prefer sparring properly with the pain/discomfort that entails over not sparring properly. Yeah, you may be hurting the guy a little, but that's really what they're there for, if they didn't like it they wouldn't be doing it. A good Shifu would need this characteristic in pushing their students - one has to battle against their natural compassion and do what they think is best for them and others. As Me says, if you're not interested in the fighting aspect then fine, but if you are, then it's something you have to work on.
I think Hugh once mentioned something about 'killer chi' - either you have it or you don't. I know what he means, and though unfortunately I've been in some fights, giving someone a good crack in the face never came easy; it was usually the result of desperation - whereas I know plenty of people who have no problem going straight for the face over the most trivial things. While this is also a reflection of how well one controls oneself, on a basic level these guys have more natural 'killer chi' then me. In my opinion, it's something that can be built - at times it is necessary, defending oneself, for example. If you simply don't have the guts or the heart to hit someone, you're in trouble.
If you're interested in competitive sport fighting, then it is something you have to work on - the killer chi - i.e. conditioning yourself to actually be able to punch the guy. This should of course not be confused with aggressiveness or a tendency to fight though. It also goes the other way; taking hits. It's something you have to think about, but hey, when you get down to it, it's just a little pain. Ninety percent of the problems in sparring - as well as in life itself - is the fear that you're gonna be hit (or whatever). Once you come to terms with this, you can concentrate on the fight itself. You're just gonna have to sit down and think about what the pain of being hit really means to you - although there are different levels to this; sparring and real fights are worlds apart. Getting over the fear of being hurt is a hard and important step in sparring.
As for losing face, forget it. One can never progress very far if you are too concerned with losing face.
'Ask and be a fool for a minute - don't ask and be ignorant for a lifetime.'
In martial arts it is generally extremely apparent how good some guy is - unless he's disguising his skills on purpose - I think it's an important aspect; one that teaches humility. That is one reason why I'm so happy with my school - everyone has complete respect for eachother, be it a newbie or a skilful guy and everyone's always willing to lend a hand.
As for being sure of yourself, never compare yourself to anyone else. It's amazing, there are two opposite ends of the spectrum in comparing yourself to others in gong fu. There are always people worse then you, always people much worse then you, and always people a hell of alot better then you. None of this actually changes how good you really are. So if this lack of confidence stems from feeling that you're not as good as X Y Z; I find this to be an unhealthy practice. Work on being the best you can be.
Weightlifting for speed should be done with high reps as opposed to slower, longer, deeper reps.
Mark, what are calisthenics? High rep exercises?
Hey G, hope you had a nice trip. Nice to see ya again.
Happy Chinese New Year everyone,
Peace
Lipster001
Don't become confused between cowardice and compassion.
Lipster001
I'm just a more calm person I suppose. IS there any way to release controlled aggresion? I really want to do well and attack someone hard, but, mabye it's the way I've been raised, it's hard for me to hit someone hard. Is there ever a point when you're very sure of yourself, that you could defend yourself ultimatly? About building speed and power, does practicing horse stance and kicks increase endurance? I ask this because lately I've been getting tired easily when working out. You guys are probably thinking "THis guy is messed up!," well, i'm just asking all the questions i've had stored for years.
jon
Dude, no one thinks you're messed up. You gotta be more positive man.
"I really want to do well and attack someone hard, but, maybe it's the way I've been raised, it's hard for me to hit someone hard."
I know exactly what you mean. I guess it does boil down to the fact that you have to build your 'controlled aggression', if you naturally shy away from it. All controlled, though. I still don't know if I could smack someone I know (e.g. sparring partner) real hard in the face, even if he asked me to.
"IS there a way to release controlled aggression?"
Lol, I got no aggression to take out so I'm not speaking from experience here, but to my mind, I think martial arts is great for this if one is disciplined.
"About building speed and power, does practising horse stance and kicks increase endurance? I ask this because lately I've been getting tired easily when working out."
God knows there're enough benefits to the horse stance, practice it for whatever you're doing. And I would imagine any aerobic exercise would increase endurance. Sleep and diet may have something to do with being tired; any number of things.
Peace
Lipster001
Thanks for clearin a few things up. IS there any mindset you can can recommend to be more sure of myself? I'm of course unsure of myself 99% of the time. How did you guys become so confident?
jon
Copied by doc
I have been in karate for about 5 years. The thing is, every time I get to sparring, i get afraid i'll lose and look terrible to even a new person to the class. I'm always unsure of myself, and to make it worse, when I AM sparring, i barely hit people as something in me is afraid to make contact with the opponent. HAs anyone ever had these cowardly syndroms? Are there any exercises to help me be more sure of myself, to have greater speed, power, and mabye certainty. I know this may be an odd question, but this is the best way i can word it.
jon
jon
>I have been in karate for about 5 years. The thing is, every time I get to sparring, i
>get afraid i'll lose and look terrible to even a new person to the class.
Repeat after me - "Who cares what anybody thinks."
The dojo is where you WANT to make mistakes. Someone is there to give you advice and you don't die as a result of your mistake. Compare this to screwing up when you get jumped walking your grandmother to church.
>I'm always unsure of myself,
Why? 5 years is a good amount of time. What's wrong?
>and to make it worse, when I AM sparring, i barely hit
>people as something in me is afraid to make contact with the opponent. HAs anyone ever
>had these cowardly syndroms?
There is nothing cowardly about this. You are showing concern for your training partner's safety. This is a good thing.
How much contact do you think you should make?
>Are there any exercises to help me be more sure of myself, to have greater speed, power,
>and mabye certainty. I know this may be an odd question, but this is the best way i can
>word it.
Speed - lots and lots and lots of reps while keeping your body relaxed. By relaxed I mean just using enough muscular tension to keep your legs from collapsing and your arms from falling down.
Power - For muscular power lift weights, do calisthenics. Want strong legs, run and do lots of reps of kata. Work your abs. I've started swimming in the last 3 months, I'm not sure what it does muscular strength wise yet.
- For strong techniques, get a heavy bag and hit it, alot. But you want to do the technique as fast as possible. From speed comes power, at least in the techniques. Also, make sure your form is correct. I believe the techniques have evolved that done with correct form they will maximize the amount of power you can generate.
Sure of yourself and certainty. We can address this after you tell me what you're afraid of.
Hang in there, lots of people have been thru what you're going thru.
Mark
I'd like to be a little less direct. Five years is a long time but it could be that your just not really into that aspect of Karate. Do you want to hit someone? Maybe you don't care for it. Maybe there are other reasons that lead you to the practice of Karate. So you might want to look at that a bit. See if after you do the fear amd anxiety doesn't go down a bit, too. I think it's just a matter of what YOU are interested in and what contributes to your own happiness. Focus on one part, then focus on another. The Arts are mutidementional in this respect. Let people know what's important about Karate to you. I mean why do you go...to Karate? Do you fight in the streets everyday? These days?
If it's great fighting prowess your after, we all can't obtain it. Do you feel like you can defend your self? Are you able to apply what your learning? Do you practice often and aim to do your best? Do you feel your improving? Well, there's some thoughts. And if the answers are no, than you might want to talk to your teacher or seek martial guidance elseware. On the other hand, if you feel the answers are yes, than perhaps enjoy yourself and try to look at how you are growing day to day. Where do you think it comes from? Bet you know?!
me (hey, lip...first post in a while dude:-))
"and to make it worse, when I AM sparring, i barely hit
people as something in me is afraid to make contact with the opponent. HAs anyone ever
had these cowardly syndroms?"
'There is nothing cowardly about this. You are showing concern for your training partner's safety. This is a good thing.'
Absolutely right.
I sorta had the same problem. In the limited sparring that I've done, I never really felt comfortable hitting or blocking the opponent any more than a tap, especially when the opponent was showing a little pain after repetitive contact. But when I was on the receiving end they brought it full on, and I realised that although you may be putting another in discomfort or pain, ultimately they would prefer sparring properly with the pain/discomfort that entails over not sparring properly. Yeah, you may be hurting the guy a little, but that's really what they're there for, if they didn't like it they wouldn't be doing it. A good Shifu would need this characteristic in pushing their students - one has to battle against their natural compassion and do what they think is best for them and others. As Me says, if you're not interested in the fighting aspect then fine, but if you are, then it's something you have to work on.
I think Hugh once mentioned something about 'killer chi' - either you have it or you don't. I know what he means, and though unfortunately I've been in some fights, giving someone a good crack in the face never came easy; it was usually the result of desperation - whereas I know plenty of people who have no problem going straight for the face over the most trivial things. While this is also a reflection of how well one controls oneself, on a basic level these guys have more natural 'killer chi' then me. In my opinion, it's something that can be built - at times it is necessary, defending oneself, for example. If you simply don't have the guts or the heart to hit someone, you're in trouble.
If you're interested in competitive sport fighting, then it is something you have to work on - the killer chi - i.e. conditioning yourself to actually be able to punch the guy. This should of course not be confused with aggressiveness or a tendency to fight though. It also goes the other way; taking hits. It's something you have to think about, but hey, when you get down to it, it's just a little pain. Ninety percent of the problems in sparring - as well as in life itself - is the fear that you're gonna be hit (or whatever). Once you come to terms with this, you can concentrate on the fight itself. You're just gonna have to sit down and think about what the pain of being hit really means to you - although there are different levels to this; sparring and real fights are worlds apart. Getting over the fear of being hurt is a hard and important step in sparring.
As for losing face, forget it. One can never progress very far if you are too concerned with losing face.
'Ask and be a fool for a minute - don't ask and be ignorant for a lifetime.'
In martial arts it is generally extremely apparent how good some guy is - unless he's disguising his skills on purpose - I think it's an important aspect; one that teaches humility. That is one reason why I'm so happy with my school - everyone has complete respect for eachother, be it a newbie or a skilful guy and everyone's always willing to lend a hand.
As for being sure of yourself, never compare yourself to anyone else. It's amazing, there are two opposite ends of the spectrum in comparing yourself to others in gong fu. There are always people worse then you, always people much worse then you, and always people a hell of alot better then you. None of this actually changes how good you really are. So if this lack of confidence stems from feeling that you're not as good as X Y Z; I find this to be an unhealthy practice. Work on being the best you can be.
Weightlifting for speed should be done with high reps as opposed to slower, longer, deeper reps.
Mark, what are calisthenics? High rep exercises?
Hey G, hope you had a nice trip. Nice to see ya again.
Happy Chinese New Year everyone,
Peace
Lipster001
Don't become confused between cowardice and compassion.
Lipster001
I'm just a more calm person I suppose. IS there any way to release controlled aggresion? I really want to do well and attack someone hard, but, mabye it's the way I've been raised, it's hard for me to hit someone hard. Is there ever a point when you're very sure of yourself, that you could defend yourself ultimatly? About building speed and power, does practicing horse stance and kicks increase endurance? I ask this because lately I've been getting tired easily when working out. You guys are probably thinking "THis guy is messed up!," well, i'm just asking all the questions i've had stored for years.
jon
Dude, no one thinks you're messed up. You gotta be more positive man.
"I really want to do well and attack someone hard, but, maybe it's the way I've been raised, it's hard for me to hit someone hard."
I know exactly what you mean. I guess it does boil down to the fact that you have to build your 'controlled aggression', if you naturally shy away from it. All controlled, though. I still don't know if I could smack someone I know (e.g. sparring partner) real hard in the face, even if he asked me to.
"IS there a way to release controlled aggression?"
Lol, I got no aggression to take out so I'm not speaking from experience here, but to my mind, I think martial arts is great for this if one is disciplined.
"About building speed and power, does practising horse stance and kicks increase endurance? I ask this because lately I've been getting tired easily when working out."
God knows there're enough benefits to the horse stance, practice it for whatever you're doing. And I would imagine any aerobic exercise would increase endurance. Sleep and diet may have something to do with being tired; any number of things.
Peace
Lipster001
Thanks for clearin a few things up. IS there any mindset you can can recommend to be more sure of myself? I'm of course unsure of myself 99% of the time. How did you guys become so confident?
jon
Copied by doc
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