Mindset Training

G'day Nick

Over the years you've advocated the idea that the three thngs you need to succeed in a physical confrontation are techniques, tactics, and mindset. These are roughly in order of focus of most martial arts schools i.e., mainly techniques, some tactics, and less mindset.

What sort of drills or methods do you use to train mindset in your clubs?

D

Lots of different ways....

One for example is not to allow people to leave the floor for any reason...be it spewing up, pissing, injuries or fatigue for example. We figure you can't leave in a fight to do those things so get used to it in class.

I'll never forget the first Tae Kwan Do class I ever saw. They actually stopped for a nap in the middle of training and would have regular water breaks. I watched a test here by a guy I thought ran a hard school but he let a guy testing for black belt have a breather during a two man sparring session because he got tired??!!! At the Aikido school a guy accidentally got a bloody nose and everyone stopped to make sure he was ok. They all stood round billing and cooing and offering sympathy and cold compresses. I just couldn't believe. How is that preparing someone for a real world fight?

Gradually increasing the difficulty and intensity of the class as the person moves up the rank levels.

Demonstrating by example of what's expected. You see this a lot in the military. You join a group and you might want to quit marching but you look around and no one else is. You figure that's how it is and keep plodding along. Pretty soon you're the Sgt and leading a group and know quitting is not an option.

I also incorporate a lot of reframing...teaching people how to get to where they need to be in their heads to do what needs to be done. Case in point..a woman watched class tonight with a view to joining. She told me afterwards "I dont' think I could be aggressive enough" "Really" I said "What if started beating the shit out of your eight year old son?" She replied, with glazed over eyes "I'd fucking KILL you." "There you go...you can be aggressive enough. You just needed someone to show you what the trigger is."

Exposure to the world of violence is another part of it. We watch clips, we talk about it, we discuss human predators. After a while, what was shocking in the first few months of training is no longer as bad.

I also use some NLP stuff I picked up talking to Marcus and Den and at the hypnosis course I just did to help students "get it"

There's more but you get the idea.

Nick

Thanks Nick, most helpful

Part of the reason I asked (other than getting some new drills) was I have a woman student that I just cannot get to do much at all! I've tried all the regular stuff, including asking her what she'd do if...? but to no avail. Extremely timid. You ever had this to this extreme?

D

ps Also, do you keep a stock of the clips you mentioned? I have a few but not many. If I pm'd you, would you let me have a few?

Mate,

I don't have them to hand...they're on one of those pocket sized storage device whatchamacallits.

If you pm me though I can give you a few links I use.

Nick

Re you girl in question. I'd be careful using the watching of clips as that may cause her to become even more scared. You're probably going to have to bring her along very slowly. Is there absolutely nothing in the world she feels passionate enough about to fight for it? PM me I might have a suggestion that could work.

Ta buddy

You have mail

Dave

One for example is not to allow people to leave the floor for any reason...be it spewing up, pissing, injuries or fatigue for example. We figure you can't leave in a fight to do those things so get used to it in class.

The fact that i'm shocked by that probably shows just how much work is needed on my mindset!

Paul,

While that is important for correct mindset training do treat it with some common sense. If someone's bone is sticking out through their leg for example I don't make them stay on the mat. If they're demonstrating symptoms of dehydration for example I'm not going to deny them going and getting a drink.

Having said that if you just allow water breaks people will be wandering off everytime they get thirsty or want a drink which is outrageos.

Nick

Nick Hughes wrote:Paul,

While that is important for correct mindset training do treat it with some common sense. If someone's bone is sticking out through their leg for example I don't make them stay on the mat. If they're demonstrating symptoms of dehydration for example I'm not going to deny them going and getting a drink.

Having said that if you just allow water breaks people will be wandering off everytime they get thirsty or want a drink which is outrageos.

Nick

Hi Nick

Just spotted this reply.

I think the idea of this type of training is actually really good. Do you think though that it needs to be resticted to those students who are at a sufficient level of experience or should it include anyone regardless of experience or skill.

We start it from the get go in FIST. I explain to the students the reason behind it in the handbook and occasionally mention it during class.

You can also apply the same training outside of martial arts...
got a report to finish but you're feeling tired? Suck it up and finish
get something in the mail you've been dying to receive? Wait an hour before you open it.
Craving a certain food? Resist the urge to succumb to the craving and so on.

I'm sure you get the idea

Nick

Nick Hughes wrote:We start it from the get go in FIST. I explain to the students the reason behind it in the handbook and occasionally mention it during class.

You can also apply the same training outside of martial arts...
got a report to finish but you're feeling tired? Suck it up and finish
get something in the mail you've been dying to receive? Wait an hour before you open it.
Craving a certain food? Resist the urge to succumb to the craving and so on.

I'm sure you get the idea

Nick

Motivation training, sadly something i've always found horrendiously difficult to do.

I am learning though.

Motivation is easy enough mate...you just have to want something desparately enough.

People tell me they can't quit smoking. I ask "If I walked round behind you with a loaded 12 guage and would blow your head off if you lit one up, would you still smoke?" The answer is obvious enough as is the observation that they're just not sufficiently motivated.

Same thing with other aspects of their lives..."I just can't get up in the morning" Bollocks, if I wired your bed to fry your arse and kill you at seven a.m you'd be out of bed every morning by a quarter to seven.

The trick therefore is to find something powerful enough to drive you to achieve what you want to achieve.

For a lot of people - especially my coaching clients - a dream board is a big help. Take a large piece of cardboard and paste pictures of all the things you want on it. Stick it where you can see it every single day.

Another one I use are sticky notes on the bathroom mirror. I write things such as "I will have a red and black Ferrari F-430 Spyder" under it I have two small check boxes, one says "I will" the other says "Did it"

The ones I've yet to obtain sit on one side of the mirror, the goals I've achieved sit on the other side. (work on ten at a time only)

Nick