When it 'all' goes wrong - what do you do?

Question

Was a a class yesterday - I know I could have put this in any section of sports but hope to get the most sensible answers here, so managed to get it all wrong, well except for turning up on time. Forgot katas, somehow could not follow instruction given by the sensie, ended up wondering if I should actually hold the grade I do as I seemed so hopeless. How long can expect this sudden lack of ability to last? What have you done to get through this? What is a possible cause?

Answer 1

Hi there

Looks like you've hit what they call the peak. Don't pack it in. All martial artists go through this at some stage. Remember its only training and you can make mistakes in training as long as you learn from them. People should never make things more serious than they actually are.Kata is just kata and belts are just belts Just have fun!

Answer 2

LOL.... Sorry, but that is part of the process. Anyone who has been in martial arts (or any athletic activity) for a while has experienced this. Sometimes things just go like that.

I can guarantee two things.... 1) It will pass and 2) it will happen again.

As for your questions.... It last as long as YOU make it last. Personally, I use those times to work on my mental aspects. (In other words, when physically I'm not on my game, it usually means I need to spend some time on the "inner stuff.") What causes it? The "inner stuff" that's not right.

Usually, when I've experienced these moments, my mind isn't where it should be. On the here and now. When I pay attention to what was going on with me on the inside, I realized I was letting my own mental noise distract me from the class. (Maybe I was worried about some issue at work or I was stressing over some personal or family problem. It may not have even been a significant issue. Just something my mind was hung up on.)

Best solution.... Get into meditation. Try to learn how to calmly remain centered even when there are inner storms raging.

Also, a good book to read is "The Unfettered Mind" by Takuan Soho.

Answer 3

I used to get this when I was going through the Kyu grades. Prior to a grading I would be so hyped up practicing to pass and learning the syllabus backwards, forwards, upside down. Generally my confidence would be at it's highest. After the grading there was the slump as although i had reached the next grade there was the realisation that the colour of the belt didn't make you any better. I would become more self critical and tense and therefore make more mistakes.
For me the secret is to relax and not worry about it. Be as best you can be and it will come together. Senior grades have off days as well but is as much to do with how you manage them as anything.

Answer 4

I think it happens to every one to have an occasional bad day. I think the best way to handle such a thing is the old fashioned method: no mind. When you make a mistake you tend to wrap yourself up so much in doing it right that you will indeed fumble again. Just free the mind and try to enjoy what you are doing you'll find that pretty soon you'll do whatever is asked with the greatest ease because you are more relaxed

Answer 5

Been there done that. I currently hold a brown belt and was recently knocked on my a*se by a yellow belt. I was having a bad day, just like the one you described. Went back the next week and knocked him on his a*se twice.

I realised that the more I worried about being unable to do something the less able I was to do it. I've also found that my best Karate comes out when I don't even think about it and just let my arms and legs take over.

Answer 6

This happens to me about once every five months, where i draw blanks and even the simplest of excersizes are flung from my brain. usually after a class like this, i take the weekend and completely forget about martial arts, i party hard and forget everything i was doing with them, kind of re-sets me from thinking of all of the mistakes i made last class. For a possible, cause, i blame ODing on martial arts, i usually come accross this lack of ability after about three weeks of four nights a week, plus heavy conditioning, then i happen to occasionally have training camps and tournaments on some weekends, this tends to push me just over the edge and i cannot actually think properly after a judo tournament. i prefer to take the following monday off for some mental re-couperation even if my body has fully recovered.

Answer 7

I wouldn't worry about it as you are good enough to reach the grade you are,it happens to us all at some point,during a class training can sometimes be intense and extremely demanding and if your focus isn't 100% in the moment then things can and do go wrong,but every class is different and I'm sure you'll be back to 100% focus in your next class.

You'll be fine just forget it and continue on as usual : )

Best wishes

Answer 8

this is probably down to stress level or maybe even Ur diet try to eat lots of fruit and keep hydrated, Ur mind may have bean on other things,

u wasn't in a fight was u? so who cares if u had a bad day it sounds as if u do either tkd or karate so doubt ur wondering mind caused u any pain so move on

when u have a bad day in a mixed martial arts class u go home with a full body bruise to remind u to keep focused

Answer 9

Details, aside, yes, that's happened to me, and more than once (over the years).
You pick up your marbles and play another game! You have to accept that we make mistakes, have blind spots, weaknesses, whatever it is that allows us to fall below the (relative) perfection we strive to attain. Don't allow an event like this to pull your spirits down, you have to stay focused on your goal, on the future. Forgive yourself, don't make a big deal of it, and carry on. If you can be creative as to how to avoid the same pitfall again, excellent.

Answer 10

perhaps over training. your brain is saying "take time out"
it can happen to everyone every few years, and if you have been at the same style for over 5 years, may be it could be time for a fresh change into another style. change is good. so have a month off your regular class and reflect on your training.