June 20^th and 21^st of 2008 marks the date for the 43^rd Annual AKA Grand Nationals tournament, one of the oldest tournaments still running in the United States today.  Adults and kids from all over North America and Europe will travel to Louisville, Kentucky, the site of the event, to participate in this annual martial arts competition and with it just around the corner I can't help but recall debates about competition in the martial arts.  Now there is always an ongoing debate somewhere on the internet about the pros and cons of having such events.  More than not, the biggest complaint I hear over and over from the con side of the debate is that these types of events actually degrade martial arts or causes the martial arts to become watered down.   I recently had the privilege to sit down with six young athletes who participate in sport martial art tournaments, just to see what drives them to do compete. (See upcoming September issue of Taekwondo Times for the article)

The more I spoke with them about competition, the more it reinforced my belief in how competition is very healthy and a much underrated part of the martial arts.   That is not to say that if your school doesn't do competitions, then your school is no good, far from it.  What I am saying is that there are many good things that can come out of competition in the martial arts.  What better way to practice the building blocks success such as perseverance, self confidence, self discipline and respect than to be put in a situation where you have to utilize those building blocks to help achieve victory? 

And remember, victory is not determined on if you win or lose, it is determined on how you yourself have progressed as a person.  When you see that you are able to better yourself in just one area in life, utilizing these building blocks, you begin to apply them in other areas of your life like your job or school or personal relationships.  If you are like me, you are one of the many, many people who hate to do public speaking.  To help overcome the nervousness and fear associated with it, I simply resort to looking at it like a competition.  I practice what I need to present prior to the event so that it becomes second nature to me.  If it is something that will be cause for discussion I think of all the points and counter points that will be brought up.  Then, when the time comes, I just step into the ring and do my best.  After all, if I can jump around and yell in front of strangers wearing those crazy pajamas we call uniforms, then stepping up in front of my peers in a business suit really isn't that hard. 

So if you have the opportunity, join in on a local event in your area, if nothing else just for the fun of it. Regardless if you win or lose, competition can always teach you something about yourself as a person, if you are willing to learn.  Sometimes, it is not always what you would like to learn, but, it will always be something that will allow you to grow. 

Climbing over that Mental Peak for Competition - 5 tips that can help you push past your usual limits by Jeremy M. Talbott

Whenever I am asked, "What can I do to better prepare for the next competition?" I naturally answer train, train, train and when you get tired, train some more.  Let's face it that is easier said than done.  Everyone knows you need to train hard to be good, but, no matter how hard you train, there is always a peak which you just can't seem to get past.  A mental exhaustion where you body no longer wants to go on.  So how do you motivate yourself to train harder, to push your body just past that limit you didn't think you could?  That is the key question. 

While trophies and medals may motivate you to get ready for the next competition, this may not always motivate you to push on when your muscles ache and your body is fatigued and you are drenched in sweat.  Sometimes you just need to "trick" your body and mind into going that extra mile.  So here are five mental rules to use whenever you need that extra push.

1)      Music enrages the savage beast.  Most of the time we hear the old saying "Music soothes the savage beast" and while this may be true, the opposite is just as true.  No matter how tired someone is, they always have enough energy to tap their toes or nod their head when their favorite song comes on.  It is almost instinctive.  Sometimes all you need is some really fast paced music to give you your second wind.  You become revived and ready for another session.

2)      Just one more time.   Repetition is key in successfully executing a good form as well as building up muscle memory to execute good sparring techniques.  So when you reach the state of tiredness, simply tell yourself, "I just need to do this one more time."  Once you do it, and then repeat that in your head again.  Before you know it, you have just pushed yourself an extra 30 minutes longer than you thought you could. 

3)      10 times right.  While repetition may be key, it is CORRECT repetition which is crucial.  If you are going to do something over and over, make sure you are doing it right.  A good start is the "10 times right" rule.  This means that you pick out a combination of techniques that you need to use and execute it, at full speed and strength, ten times.  Sounds easy enough right?  Well there is a catch.  If you mess up the combo then you have to start all over again.  This means that if you have executed the combo nine times successfully and then on the tenth time you mess up, then you go back to starting all over again.  Even when exhausted you will find this drill will push you to stay in the game longer than you expected.

4)      Whatever you are doing, your opponent is doing it more, and harder.  Sometimes you need your biggest rival to motivate you to stay on the mat.  Since most of the time they don't train at the same place as you do, you have to envision that they are always training harder than yourself.  If you throw a single combo once, your opponent has thrown it twice.  If you ran your best form 10 times, your opponent ran hers fifteen times.  If you swam 20 laps, your opponent swam 21 laps.  With that in mind run that form one more time or do one more round of sparring.  Each time you reach that limit and you are about to quit, always remember your opponent had no problems doing it once more.

5)      Let the movies help.  Before an event, it is always nice to relax the body and mind.  So how can you continue your training even when you need to just unwind?  Simple, let the movies work for you.  Prior to a big event simply grab a nice meal and watch a good inspirational movie such as "Rocky" or "Remember the Titans".  Movies that tend to inspire and send out the message that even the biggest long shot can be a champion.  Such movies not only send out a positive message of overcoming adversities, it also reminds you that you can achieve the success you deserve.  What better way to go into a competition than to have that message fresh in your mind.

Everyone has their own physical and mental limits.  Many of these limitations we place on ourselves never really knowing what we may be capable of doing.  These five items are just a few things that can help you push that bar of limitation for yourself a bit higher.  Even if you are able to tack on an extra five minutes of training or execute a form one more time than usual, the mental success you will achieve will reach far beyond the competition floor into your everyday life.