Why do I forget my training in the heat of battle?

[parrythis]

It has happened to me too many times. I train and drill and practice until a move is perfect, then I drill and train some more. I use it in practice bouts with great success. Then, when I'm at a tournament and the pressure is on and the adrenalin is pumping, all that practice goes out the window and I find myself falling back into an old bad habit and doing the move incorrectly.

Why is that? More importantly, how do I keep myself from doing that?

[noodle]

1) haven't drilled enough
2) relax, become more comfortable in tournament situations
3) happens to everyone

[fencerontheline]

This has a lot to do with levels of psychological arousal. At a very high level of psychological arousal, one doesn't remember as much, and one is less capable of making fine actions.

A way to fix this is to practice more. Try practicing for this action under a higher degree of psychological tension- i.e, fence a practice bout with something on the line. Also, relax yourself during competition. Enjoy your situation, and have fun during competition, and I'm sure you'll be able to execute more actions.

[edew]

I have a kid who has a bad habit of doing something wrong whenever the opponent attacks. I told him, next time you do it, it's 50 push-ups. He did it, we watched him do 50 push-ups, and suddenly, he doesn't do it again for a while. Eventually he does it again and it's 50 push-ups.

Either he'll stop doing it or he'll have some serious arms and pecs.

[Gav]

... until a move is perfect ...

No such thing.
It's not techinical perfection you are looking for; it's the knowledge of when to use it. Win/lose it doesn't matter in the club environment (well not as much as some people seem to think it does). Many great fencers have idiosyncratic approaches to their game. Get the basics down pat.

And like FotL says, "have fun".

One of the Foil coaches at my club (ex-olympian) was talking to one of the kids last night. He's chatting about technique (this is just after telling me he thinks this kid is an Epeeist).

"You're too tense. Relax a little. Work your opponent and not yourself. Never be happy with your technique - never - always work at it. There will always be people better than you and that shouldn't stop you beating them."

I'd also add that it takes time for new techinques to settle in.

Try and get yourself a routine that works for you (no matter how bizarre). The important thing is to get yourself in the correct frame of mind. If you remember moments when everything felt 'right' then remember those times. Ask yourself: "what happened", "what did I see/hear/smell/feel", always aim to get back into that state without getting worked up if you don't (we ALL have bad-fencing days; I had a terrible one last night). Learn from your mistakes and never assume that just because X works against Y it will work against Z.

I nearly forgot to add: I find visualisation works wonders. Practise moves in your head. Visualise the component parts, put it together, reply the action all in your head - you can do that anywhere.

I think that these are all factors that could be contributing to your sense of woe.

[tbryan]

Originally Posted by Gav

reply the action all in your head - you can do that anywhere.

Note that if you actually reply (out loud and in public) to anything (actions, voices, whatever) that's happening only in your head, people might give you funny looks. Just ignore those. You're trying to become a better fencer, and what do you care what those non-fencers think anyway?

[Jason]

Dote's comment about arousal is correct.

According to the first Yerkes-Dodson Law, as psychological arousal increases, you will eventual reach a point where performance decreases--that point is determined by the individual and by the level of training (this connects to the second Y-D Law).

The second Yerkes-Dodson Law says that the more complicated something is, the lower your psychological arousal needs to be to be able to perform it well--in other words, even under high-stress, you'll be able to write your name because it's easy, but something difficult, like calligraphy, becomes very difficult in high-stress conditions (ie. the easier it is for you to do something, the better you will be able to perform under high-stress conditions).

The solution?

Improve your ability to perform the actions you're having trouble with. I suspect that the "drills" you're doing never mimic bouting conditions (lots of change of rhythm and direction, change of distance, surprises, etc.). When first learning an action, the conditions should be easy. However, in order to improve and be able to use an action in competition, you will need to create more difficult, and more realistic, conditions.

Also, improve your psychological resistance. A fencer's training should not be limited to physical preparation alone. The ability to maintain focus and concentration during high-stress situations is something that one can develop through proper training. Psychological training needs to be (like so many kinds of training) very individualized. Read some books on sports psychology (and more than just Kogler), see a sport psychologist, talk to a coach with an understanding of sports psychology--then start practicing the appropriate techniques.

[Gav]

Originally Posted by tbryan

Note that if you actually reply (out loud and in public) to anything (actions, voices, whatever) that's happening only in your head, people might give you funny looks. Just ignore those. You're trying to become a better fencer, and what do you care what those non-fencers think anyway?

Yeah Yeah ... You know I meant REPLAY. I blame Dell they gave me this keyboard.

[tbryan]

Originally Posted by Gav

Yeah Yeah ... You know I meant REPLAY.

Sure, but where's the fun in just letting it go?

If I really thought that you meant "reply," there definitely would not have been a winky face.

Besides, if parrythis likes your original advice as stated, and he wants to reply to the things in his head, I thought that I'd encourage him to focus on what he'd learn from it instead of on all of the people scooting away from him at the bus station. That way, he'll be able to focus, relax, and become a better fencer. A crazy fencer. But a better fencer.

[Gav]

Could be a useful skill. How many people are going to mess with a fencer who "replies to the things in his head"?

Anyway my personal battlecry [for those uncomfortable where are the backups meetings] is always "It's Dell's fault".

[Morion]

Thanks parrythis! I have the same problem and will be following this thread with interest!!!!!

[penguin_2000]

-- practice the move on weaker opponents first. you're more likely to get it right.
-- move to practicing on better opponents

While "heat of the battle" sound romantic and all... it really doesn't do anything for your fencing. You need to fence the way you practice... so that either means practicing all out all the time (to simulate bout-level stress), calming yourself down when you're in important bouts (reducing stress), or a a combination of the two, since either one by itself is a bit unrealistic.

[seven6ty]

Well, I think there is such a thing as perfection. My coach and 3 time Olympian would tell me, you can never do things 100% percent perfect in a competition, but you have to try and do things 100% perfect in practice.

I'd just agree with relaxing, not to stress on it to much during competition. I find I do best when I'm not worrying, I know... Easier said than done. But yeah, just give it time for these techniques to set in and for them to become natural habit. Also, if you have to consciously "remember" these techniques, you obviously haven't completely absorbed them and they haven't become natural to you.

And lastly, don't focus so much on winning. First and foremost just make sure that you feel comfortable in your own skin, and once you feel confident in that, results should follow.

[cfaustus]

The old masters spoke of fencing with cold blood. They were talking about not being emotional in your fencing. That is a good starting place.

And now a spiritual perspective.

Whether you are of an Asian or a European/Middle Eastern persuasion in your spirtuality, there is the idea in both of physical meditation. In Budhism it is called Zazen (commonly refered to as Zen), in Christian traditions it is physical prayer.

Basically, the idea is to focus not on winning, not on doing anything in particular. Just do what you have to do (i.e. what is called for by the opponent across from you) to the best of your ability. The focus is on excellence. In Christianity, this attempt at perfect performance is meant to glorify the Creator. Even if you are not religious, such an approach can keep you focused on the moment. In Asian thought it is the concept of No Mind. To focus on anything in particular is to become possessed by it. If you are possessed by it you are no longer free. In loosing your freedom you lose your control over the external and the internal. So do not let your mind be possessed by anything. Focus on nothing. Just be.

The way this translates for me is that when I involve my ego in my fencing, things fall apart. If I simply go out there and fence... i.e give the proper actions to what is presented by the opponent, I do fine. As soon as I start thinking "I am doing great!' 'It would be really cool if I did X move ...' I am going to hit him with Y'... that is when things usually fall apart. So I try to keep my ego out of my fencing. This helps a lot. Make sense?

[parrythis]

Originally Posted by tbryan

A crazy fencer. But a better fencer.

Make that a crazier fencer.

[parrythis]

Originally Posted by cfaustus

The way this translates for me is that when I involve my ego in my fencing, things fall apart. If I simply go out there and fence... i.e give the proper actions to what is presented by the opponent, I do fine. As soon as I start thinking "I am doing great!' 'It would be really cool if I did X move ...' I am going to hit him with Y'... that is when things usually fall apart. So I try to keep my ego out of my fencing. This helps a lot. Make sense?

Yes. Absolutely. I have been studying and practicing the "mushin", empty mind techniques, and while it helps, it is also part of the problem. When I empty my mind, that's when I fall back into the old bad habits. I realize that I used the old bad habit only when the action stops and I replay it in my head.

In my whole life, I have never been what you would call a "natural" athelete. If my body doesn't have some level of guidence from my mind, it is pretty uncoordinated.

[cfaustus]

Originally Posted by parrythis

Yes. Absolutely. I have been studying and practicing the "mushin", empty mind techniques, and while it helps, it is also part of the problem. When I empty my mind, that's when I fall back into the old bad habits. I realize that I used the old bad habit only when the action stops and I replay it in my head.

In my whole life, I have never been what you would call a "natural" athelete. If my body doesn't have some level of guidence from my mind, it is pretty uncoordinated.

Yes, one has to be careful with this that one does not stop thinking. It is not the same thing. To do the best I can at a given moment may require me to use my mind. This is not the same thing as letting my mind become possessed by a thing. The best way I have heard it described is that it is like wearing blinders like a horse. Things pass into your field of consciousness. You deal with them as you need to and you let them pass as they are wont to do. You do not hold on to them. You simply are and they simply are and for an instant, you are together.

In fencing you do not go out and try to fence one way or another. You observe the fencer who is before you. Do not focus on the fencer. Your focus is to be the best you can be in the moment. In the moment, you are a fencer. Be the best fencer you can be. Given an opponent like the one in front of you who does X, Y, & Z, the best fencing actions would be for you to do E, F & G. Do these to the best of your ability. At another moment you have a different fencer in front of you. Do not focus on the fencer. Be the best fencer you can be. Given an opponent like the one in front of you who does P, D, & Q, the best fencing actions would be R or S. Do one of these to the best of your ability. And so on and so forth.

To quote Bruce Lee: "Be like water. Water has no form." Water takes on the shape of the vessel it is poured into. Your opponent is the shape of a vessel. Fill that vessel up.

[GorillaSmile]

I used to have the same problem. I just treated every practice bout as a tournament bout and did as many tournaments as I could. Eventually I got used to the tournaments and that adrenalin rush calms down a bit.

[parrythis]

[quote=fencerontheline]Try practicing for this action under a higher degree of psychological tension- i.e, fence a practice bout with something on the line. QUOTE]

This is great advice and something that we have been trying lately. Instead of just bouting for touches, we often bout for a specific target score - sometimes 5, sometimes 15. Sometimes we go for a progression of 5 for the first bout, then 10 for the second bout, then 15, then 20, then 25, then 30, etc. This not only gives us a competitive goal, but helps us to work on endurance of both body AND will-to-win.

[GorillaSmile]

Originally Posted by parrythis

we often bout for a specific target score - sometimes 5, sometimes 15. Sometimes we go for a progression of 5 for the first bout, then 10 for the second bout, then 15, then 20, then 25, then 30, etc. This not only gives us a competitive goal, but helps us to work on endurance of both body AND will-to-win.

I should have mentioned it (newbie mistake), but we do the same thing. It adds a bit more "importance" to practice bouts.