February 17, 2010

Mental Game Training Technique #1 Imagery (visualization)

Visualize yourself achieving a goal you have set for yourself: World Champion, Blue Belt, June 2010

I am standing on the mat after the gold medal match. All of my team mates are going crazy shouting I won, and that I am the champion. I am walking around the mat, re-tying my belt, catching my breath. My hand hasn’t been raised by the ref yet, so it’s not official, but it’s starting to sink in and tears start to well in my eyes. I can hear my family too (my dad is so loud, cheering for me). The referee calls us both to the middle of the mat, grabs my hand and the hand of my nameless and faceless competitor and he raises my hand. I am the champion. I drop to my knees as sobs of joy erupt from my body. I run to my team mates and hug and thank Jorge first, my sensi who is crying too, with tears of joy and pride in his eyes. Melissa, Josh, my sweet Vincent, my family... And it’s all surreal. But it isn’t a surprise. I planned this, I worked for it. I deserve it. And that sense, of having earned this and not simply “won” pervades my entire being as well.


***

The most powerful use of imagery is to help prepare you to perform at your maximum ability, particularly in the heat of competition. **this is what i need

February 16, 2010

My action plan is for the remainder of February:
-figure out what the attitude of a champion is and how to get it
-work on my mental game daily. EVERY DAY.
-ask naturopath about sports nutrition+cancer nutrition and figure out an overlapping plan where ever possible.
-watch jiu jitsu video clip, read jiu jitsu book, talk to jiu jitsu people about jiu jitsu daily. EVERY DAY. (at least on of these things each day).
-look into how to maximize training
-come up with a training plan/schedule that is reasonable considering the treatments I am undergoing and stick to it (get Daniel to look it over and make sure it's not "too much")
-see about going to wrestling club with Melissa (just to try, see, experience)



When working on mind-setting/goal-setting use SMART
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time (frame)

February 15, 2010

Mental Edge: Questions to ask yourself:

1- Do I have the attitude of a champion?
No. Not yet. I believe in my potential. But not in myself as is, I know I need to work on that.

2- Do I believe in myself in the midst of adversity?
No. Again, I believe I am capable, but not that I will achieve/overcome regardless. That is part of why I am reading this book so I can figure out how to have a strong mind game.

3- Am I letting other people affect my thinking?
Not in negative ways. But in positive ways yes.

4- Am I eating to maximize my performance?
No. I am eating to maximize getting well from cancer. I wonder if there is a way to do both. I will ask my naturopath about it

5- Do I use the latest training techniques?
I don’t really know. I read books, forums, talk to jiu jitsu communities on line, DVDs, and train with one of the best jiu jitsu lineages out there.... Helio Gracie->Royler Gracie->Saulo Ribeiro->Jorge Britto... I have to trust these masters are training us in the best ways. And on my own keep reading and watching and learning from other sources.

6- Do I consume too much junk food?
No.

7- Am I maximizing my training?
Probably not. I should figure out how to do that.

February 14, 2010

The Mental Edge
-maximizing your sports potential with the mind body connection-
Kenneth Baum


Great achievements don’t start with reality they start with desire.

My desire statement:
I want to get my black belt in jiu jitsu and judo. I want to be a world champion at every belt level in jiu jitsu (blue belt and up anyway). I want to be known as one of the best and most technical female jiu jitsu players, or jiu jitsu player in general. I want to teach jiu jitsu and share my knowledge/expertise (once I have it that is!!)

My reward statement:
This will help me stay in shape, be disciplined in all areas of my life, live the jiu jitsu lifestyle, and give back to the community by teaching. I will have shown everyone, but mostly me, that I believe in myself and I am never going to quit.

5 positive things I believe about myself

(working through the mental edge)

-I am intelligent and can learn new moves and concepts with ease
-I have a natural ability to learn and perform jiu jitsu
-I am more willing now than every before to admit ignorance and get help, clarification
-I have what it takes to be world champion
-I am disciplined and can train harder than just about anyone I know

The Mental Edge-Kenneth Baum

Since I'm not training physically, I might as well work on my mental game.

The Mental Edge
-maximizing your sports potential with the mind body connection-
Kenneth Baum





Perception Stretchers

1. a loss becomes a gain
-carefully evaluate “failures” by asking do I need to train differently, think differently, eat differently.... and what happened in that particular match and how can I make the outcome different next time?

2. if you do what you have always don you will get what you’ve always gotten
-be an experimenter, change things up, be willing to learn, let go of the ego and realize that you don’t have the market cornered on how to train the most effectively

3. the imagination is more powerful than the will
-use visualization

4. bodies work perfectly, minds get in the way
-learn how to relax, focus, quiet the mind so that the body can do what it’s been trained to do

5. limitations are temporary
-don’t get frustrated by plateau’s and remember limitations are usually temporary and come more from the mind than the body

6. anyone can play any sport better
-pattern the excellence of others

7. events have no meaning except what you give them
-remember a jiu jitsu match is a jiu jitsu match whether at the dojo, a local competition, or worlds... so, learn to set aside tension/anxiety

8. getting better is more important than winning
-the goal should be performing at peak levels

9. practice like you play
-if I am competing in 7 minute matches, I should train that way, etc.

10. the more you expect from a situation the more you will achieve
-modest expectations produce modest results, focus on the possibility of success

RESTING IS TRAINING

So, I haven't trained at all for 2 weeks. I am taking this week off too. And we are snowboarding from the 12-18... So there won't be any training until after that. And that leaves about 2 weeks until abu dahbi (in Montreal)... which I really want to win so they'll pay for my trip to compete there.

If I do in fact want to win, why aren't I training? Why is now the time I am taking a break? It was time. My body needed it. My body needs it. I've been hovering around 110 pounds which is too light for my height and I can feel it when I train. Today I was 115, which is good, but recent stress and illness hasn't allowed me to make much more progress on gaining weight. A short 2 days ago I was 110 again... But I have been eating loads the last few days and it's helping slowly. Trying to train when I'm around 110 is brutally tiring and exhausting. My body just has no energy.

Still, all of that wasn't really a good enough reason for me to take a break. It was seeing this osteopath that Daniel recommended named Todd. I have seen him 3 times and I see him again this Friday. He has been adjusting my body and organs and trying to get everything working better... So my body can focus on kicking cancer out. To make a long story short, he basically said I need rest. He had to word it like this to make it sink in for me: "what's more important, jiu jitsu or getting better from cancer?"

Talk about reality check. So I am trying to listen to my body and give it what it needs. It's hard because I am such a strong willed person I can push my body (with my mind) beyond the limits of most normal humans. But, that hasn't served me well really. Being disconnected from my body, having my mind over run my body. It's not to say I can't exercise or train... I just may have to go about it differently.

Anyway, who would have ever thought I'd willingly take almost a month off training (it will be about that by the time I go back)..... But this is for the big picture. I don't just want to do jiu jitsu for a year or two, even if I accomplish a lot. I want to do it for the next 30 years. In order to do that I have to heal. I have to get well. I am willing to take a break if it'll get me closer to that.

I miss training. But my body is feeling different and well and I know that I need this.

Some friendly advice

RLJ posted some awesome training advice on his blog: http://www.lovatojr.com/2010/01/there-is-no-winning-in-training.html

It involves, in training, not always playing your strengths... because you'll never improve the areas your weak at. It involves taking risks and opening up your game, even though you might get submitted. After all, it's training. And wouldn't you rather try something or make a mistake and get caught in training then competition??!!? I mean, if you screw up in training that's how you learn.

I default to what I am good at so easily. Even on the days that I try to intentionally train something I am weak at. Because it's so automatic to just transition to what you are good at or what comes naturally.

I don't want to have an ego.

I want to be a good training partner.

I want to make the most of training.

I want to force myself to face my weaknesses and work on them.

Not just in jiu jitsu, but as always, it parallels with life.