Toughening up

Subject: Toughening up Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:07 pm

This topic was posted on the old GT forum back in 2003 please feel free to continue the discussion

Posted by Steve1966

Hi everyone. I am new to this forum as you will all note. I usually just read various forums but was impressed with the content of this one and the attitude of all the people on here so I registered.
I have always been too much of a 'thinker' and never liked fighting and I started training in Wado Ryu Karate about 6 years ago. Gradually I Have worked my way up to 5th Kyu and am now questioning where to go next with my training. The club I attend is very traditional and my sensei was trained by a Japanese instructor. The club used to do a lot of competitions and sparring/free fighting from low grades but in the last 10 years or so sensei has changed this so that sparring is not THE main feature. I guess that this was because people were getting injured as lower grades and quitting but am not sure. Anyhow, what I really want to know is how do I 'toughen up' so I lose some fear when sparring? Do I need to just get stuck in and get hit a few times? Does the pain hurt less as you get used to it? I have been sparring quite a bit recently and feel intimidated by higher grades even though they are very controlled. The one positive is that I have not been hurt bad enough to consider quitting but am wondering if I am 'cut out' for martial arts? Were all/any of you 'tough', good fighters or hard before you trained? Any inspiration would be good. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Steve

Posted by Kristian

Hello Steve, welcome to the board:) You are right, there are no other martial arts boards as positive and informative as this one in my opinion...Well, not that I have found anyway..

I have been lucky enough to not have a problem with sparring. I got into a lot of fights as a kid, so I presume that has a great deal to do with it. My friend had the same problem as you, but he was really really bad...but he stuck with it...year after year, and now I cant touch the bugger! All I can suggest, is practice, practice, practice. With practice comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes confidence, and it sounds like that is what you really need...

You are cut out for the martial arts. Everyone is. Stick with it Steve, and you will get better and better. Use this board to ask any questions, because it is a true, rare, source of information. You definitely made the right choice joining.

Sorry I'm a little vague, I'm sure Dave or the other guys will give you a more informative reply. I will keep an eye on this post, because its a great question and I'm intrigued to see what the Big boys suggest!

Welcome and hello.

Kris.

Posted by Lito

Hi Steve,
Welcome aboard! You received some sage words of wisdom from Kristian (thanks Kris, that was brilliant!). Anyway, to tailgate off of what he said and address each of your questions one by one, here's my two cents...

"Anyhow, what I really want to know is how do I 'toughen up' so I lose some fear when sparring?"

You can physically condition yourself to the hilt and do drills all day long (which is fine supplemental training) but if you want to overcome this fear of sparring, you must simply spar. The more you do, the sooner you'll conquer it. You don't have to jump in full bore right away. Ideally, you should do it in a progressive manner via small incremental steps. Consistency is the key.

"Do I need to just get stuck in and get hit a few times?"

Yes, you do need to experience being hit to overcome and get used to it. There is no way around this; no way to bypass it. If you want to overcome this, you must face it head-on.

In regards to how long this will take, it is an individualistic, qualitative thing. Just be sure to set clearly definable/reachable goals and remember to start with light-contact, slowly building up to full-contact if that is an objective of yours.

"Does the pain hurt less as you get used to it?"

Yes, it does. You will learn first hand just how tough and resilient the human mind and body is. You will be amaze at how much pain you can tolerate and get used to. A lot of this "fear of pain" comes from "fear of the unknown." Once "it" is known and experienced numerous times, you become desensitized to it and is no longer a big deal after awhile. With that said, this doesn't mean you'll grow to love the pain unless you're a masochist!

"...but am wondering if I am 'cut out' for martial arts?"

If you have a sincere interest in the martial arts then you are "cut out" for it. Passion produces.

"Were all/any of you 'tough', good fighters or hard before you trained?"

If you ask this question to Geoff, Peter, Dennis, Ian, Peyton they'd all tell you "NO." They built up their minds and bodies through hard, diligent, realistic training. And for all of them, it took time. "Rome wasn't built in a day" for any of them.

Geoff's has told me on numerous occasions that if there is no "fear" in your training then you're not training to your fullest potential/capacity. This is not something you have to do each and every workout; but at least once or twice a week is good. By the way, you can instill this "fear" in many ways other than just sparring. You can do marathon rounds on the heavy bag with all-out intensity until you puke. You can do the same with wind sprints up a hill while carrying a partner on your back; sets of power cleans for 30 minutes, all-out Thai pad kicking drills for 5-10 rounds, etc.

Remember this Steve, nothing worthwhile comes easy. If it did, it wouldn't be worthwhile in the first place. I'm sure you're familiar with this saying, "No pain, no gain." Or as Geoff likes to say, "No adversity, no advancement." Keep this in mind and good luck with your training. Please keep us posted.

I hope this helps. Thank you for being here...

Take care and God Bless.

Best Regards,
Lito

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Posted by Paul S

Hi Steve,

I just wanted to say that the fear you feel when sparring is completely natural. I too have a great deal of fear before confrontation/sparring, and found the best way to deal with it is not to block it out, but harness it and go with the feeling, they are there to help us. Just keep sparring, and you will learn to work with the fear (rather than blocking it out). Many times people confuse adrenalin with fear, and next time you spar, notice how when the first punch or kick is thrown, the fear flies out the window and is replaced with confidence and strength. Adrenalin is such a powerful tool, but can be a big hindrance if not utilised correctly.

The most important lesson I have learnt in terms of fear is that it's natural. And the more fear you feel, the more dangerous a fighter you can become, as fear can be used as fuel. Just look at Mike Tyson, he used to cry before going into the ring. A big part of his awesome fighting skills was down to the fact that he was an extremely scared and easily intimidated person. And for someone who can control that feeling into forward motion is very dangerous. Just think of the animal world...they say the most dangerous animal is a cornered animal.

In terms of fighters being tough, yes, some do start off strong. However, some of the best fighters have built their strength from training and sheer determination. Just look at Helio Gracie. He was a small, 9 stone weakling. The doctors even told his parents that if he even ran the 100-meter race he would pass out as he suffered from vertigo. Helio worked with his genetics, and went on to become an exceptional athlete. He fought one of the longest recorded no holds barred fights in history - 3hours and 40 minutes (during which he broke his arm half way through). Today, a big part of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu legacy can be traced back to that 9 stone weakling that couldn't even run the 100 meter race.

I'll end on a fantastic quote that Mike Tyson's trainer told him "The hero and the coward feel the same fear, the difference is that the hero deals with it and the coward doesn't".

All the best.

Paul S.

Posted by Steve1966

Thanks for all the replies guys. I appreciate the time you have all taken to inspire me. I do intend to stick with it so will no doubt be asking loads more questions in the future.

Posted by Dave Turton

Hi .. One problem you have is because you have faced some adverse feelings, you are inwardly dreading going training.. That makes everything worse anyway.. start to appreciate the old adage of the sword..

"THE MILD STEEL CONSIDERED ITSELF BADLY TREATED WHEN THRUST INTO THE FURNACE.. BU THE TEMPERED STEEL BLADE THAT WAS FORMED, APPRECIATED THAT THE TREAMENT WAS NECESSARY"

You can always toughen your body to take a little more impact.. do you think top class rugby players start off able to take those tackles??

So be thankful of the odd harder session.. they are taking you nearer your goals..

Try to both look forward to going training, and then be thankful afterwards that you had a slightly tough session.. it's a bit more in the bank... We ALL have had those times when it seemed hard, when you felt you were the only one feeling these thoughts.. not so, its a natural growing curve..we all have to travel it..

From your comments I don't think you have much to concern yourself about mate..

Stay with it.. keep posting and you will see you are not alone with these thoughts.. mine these days are am I going to make a clown of myself at 55 trying to do the stuff the same way I used to.. it's still a fear.. Will my older body still be able to take the punishment it could at one time..

Doubts are natural, no-one wants to appear a coward.. but you are not....
Anyone wanting that little extra must be prepared to both give and take a little extra.. each session is another success..

Stay with it mate

Posted by A Person

Hi Steve

Just a quick one to say that I think everybody has felt like that at some point. I know most people at my club have including myself. When I am faced with somebody bigger and tougher than myself I have in the past avoided full-on contact sparring with them.

With me it worked the opposite way and instead of being in fear it made me more aggressive which is not helpful either. I think what you are discussing is a crossroads in your training.

What I mean is that at some point you will get mental problems that you have to overcome. Mine right now is why can't I be good at grappling! The answer for me is to learn specifically how to do it.

No matter what happens in life, you must turn it to your advantage and make it positive. From the simplest thing to the most complicated this philosophy has totally changed my life around from different angles.

So your fear of sparring/being hurt can be used to develop a new found power and level of skill. Just channel your fear into something positive but first you must realise everybody feels it, otherwise they would just be a machine.

I have also found body conditioning to be quite helpful in sparring as well. If you know your body can take the pain you won't be worried so much about being hurt.

Thanks

Posted by Steve1966

Thanks for the input once again.
Dave, I like the analogy to the sword being forged and can see what you mean.
A Person - what body conditioning would you recommend specifically? If I am honest my main fear is of being hit very hard on the nose. I think this stems back to childhood when I was hit hard on the nose once and that was the end of the fight I was in. As well as the fear of pain its the suprise element also, suddenly getting a kick when not expecting it etc. I am going to persevere with this as I want to see if I can really channel these thoughts and overcome them.

Posted by Yew Tree

Hello steve I'm quite new here to the board,I just wanted to welcome you and say that last week I was up at the gym,and Mr Singh goes to me in this thundering authorative voice"OI YOU THERE GET YOUR GLOVES ON YOU'RE SPARRING WITH ME",and he is built and hits just like mike tyson,and although I'm a bit bigger I was like mister meek-a-mouse "wot you mean me spar with you"and instantly I was s....ng hot bricks I was really flapping mate and my mind was desperately trying to find a way out of this impending terror and ordeal.I was almost completely shaking with fear,but I went for it really totally and came out battered slightly exhausted but none the worse for wear,and now I'm looking forward to sparring again and I hope it can be with bigger tougher more experienced people.Im right up for it I am!!! .Its perfectly natural to get afraid or feel your bottle slipping it's just how you you handle it I guess.

[ March 19, 2003, 14:05: Message edited by: yew tree ]

Subject: Re: Toughening up Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:08 pm

Posted by A Person

Subject: Re: Toughening up Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:30 pm

Id just like to say thanks to Alan for staring this thread and all that contributed, it's answered a lot of questions that were bugging me and will definately help my approach to hard combative training,

cheers,

Den.