lost confidence in myself

british12

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I seem to have lost confidence in myself where I am thinking of negative thoughts during training (Wing Chun)......im thinking to myself especially whilst doing chain punches that I will not be able to pull this off in a real life situation, I read this article once that said keep the punch on the body for an extra few seconds because this hurts the target more...I was doing this anyway but now I cant seem to do it, its almost as if by reading it im doing the opposite.......im rushing through the punches to much.........I cant seem to get this negative talk out of my head...........I feel im not putting the right amount of power into the punches..............are there any psychologists especially sports psychologists online who can help me? Or better still can you guys help me? Its seriously affecting my training........the only person who is holding me back is myself.
 

KempoGuy06

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I seem to have lost confidence in myself where I am thinking of negative thoughts during training (Wing Chun)......im thinking to myself especially whilst doing chain punches that I will not be able to pull this off in a real life situation, I read this article once that said keep the punch on the body for an extra few seconds because this hurts the target more...I was doing this anyway but now I cant seem to do it, its almost as if by reading it im doing the opposite.......im rushing through the punches to much.........I cant seem to get this negative talk out of my head...........I feel im not putting the right amount of power into the punches..............are there any psychologists especially sports psychologists online who can help me? Or better still can you guys help me? Its seriously affecting my training........the only person who is holding me back is myself.

Reverse psychology. I tell myself that im not doing it right and that i need to work hared, strike harder, faster, whatever it may be. This has helped me to push myself to become better.

If you find that this mentality does not work than stop what you are doing, take long deep slow breaths and calm down. every time you exhale imagine that you are blowing every thought, good or bad, out of your mind and that the only space in their is devoted to your training. Dont tell yourself you are doing it right or wrong only tell yourself that you are going to do it. Then get up and do it. This will work, your mind can control you a lot more than most people are willing to admit. If you get frustrated you will only focus on what went wrong and inturn miss what is good. Try this and see what happens.

Let me know if this works for you. Hope it helps

B
 

Brian R. VanCise

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Just relax and train. Do not worry to much or think to much, just train. In time you will hopefully push through this barrier. Good luck!
 

MJS

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I seem to have lost confidence in myself where I am thinking of negative thoughts during training (Wing Chun)......im thinking to myself especially whilst doing chain punches that I will not be able to pull this off in a real life situation, I read this article once that said keep the punch on the body for an extra few seconds because this hurts the target more...I was doing this anyway but now I cant seem to do it, its almost as if by reading it im doing the opposite.......im rushing through the punches to much.........I cant seem to get this negative talk out of my head...........I feel im not putting the right amount of power into the punches..............are there any psychologists especially sports psychologists online who can help me? Or better still can you guys help me? Its seriously affecting my training........the only person who is holding me back is myself.

First off, as others have said, you need to relax and focus on what you're doing. Gradually, once you get the fine points of what you're doing, start working with a partner and have them add in some speed and resistance. Eventually, you'll get that 'real' feeling.

Mike
 

exile

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BrianVanCise said:
Just relax and train. Do not worry to much or think to much, just train. In time you will hopefully push through this barrier. Good luck!

First off, as others have said, you need to relax and focus on what you're doing. Gradually, once you get the fine points of what you're doing, start working with a partner and have them add in some speed and resistance. Eventually, you'll get that 'real' feeling.

Mike

Listen to Brian and Mike you must, British! The same thing has happened to me in evey single activity that I've ever been involved in—MAs, skiing and ski racing, calligraphy, weight training—the dreaded `plateau' phenomenon. It's normal. Two things in particular are involved: (i) you don't make progress in a smooth continuous curve, but in a series of steep steps interspersed among much more gradual upward curves, or level patches, or even seeming declines in ability. This is especially the case when the skill you're acquiring is complex, with many components interlinked (e.g., strength, balance, speed, technical understanding, etc. etc.) (ii) your perceptions of your own performances are not to be trusted. People often think their performances are either wildly better or dismally worse than everyone elses judges them to be. You must give yourself some slack. I've seen people who were doing really well at something they wanted to get good at become so bummed out by perceived imperfections that they talked themselves right out of the game. Don't do this!![/I]

What you're talking about sounds completely normal and familiar. Be very skeptical of your own negative thinking at this point. There's a part of everyone that is threatedned by success or progress. That's fine, but don't give into it. Maintain a healthy skepticism about your own self-doubts and at one point you will find, almost certainly, that you've moved up to the next level of competence. That's just the way things seem to work....
 

chinto01

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I think that I speak for most people when I that there have been times in my own training that I doubted myself. These are the stumbling blocks on your journey that you must over come. How do you over come them? Train harder and don't think so much about it and you will get through it. Remember if this were easy eveyone would do it. It takes someone special to travel the path of the martial arts.

Good luck and you will get through it I am sure. Train hard!

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob
 

Andrew Green

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Training is supposed to be fun, not stressful. It's ok to not get every little thing perfect, in fact its even expected. Do what you do and enjoy it, quit worrying about what you think you should be able to do and can't. If you expect your body to keep up with your brain you will never be happy with yourself, because it never will. You can always visualise yourself doing things better and faster then you can in reality, this is a useful means to progress, but it can also frustrate you if not taken into proper perspective.

Imagine you where playing tennis, would you consciously be thinking "3 steps at 26' swing a forhand swing at 90mph, on a 20' angle, oh crap he scored...."

No, you just go hit the ball, or in this case, through the punches :)
 

Rook

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The first step to solving any problem is recognizing the problem. I'm going to diverge from the others and say that if you think there is a problem, there is definately a problem.

When I get frustrated, I find that it often helps to break things down into smaller steps. Break down your chain punches into their components and work through each one. Take the speed down a notch to play with the technique. Don't push for immediate perfection, just focus on one or two thing to improve on and improve them first.

If you get frustrated to the point that you can't concentrate properly, take a break from that and try to practice something else. Best of luck.
 

kaizasosei

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power in real fighting is very different than against inanimate objects.

various factors could be disturbing your striking ability.
1. your subconcious doesn't really want to hit the oponent because your force is too uncontrolled and dangerous(like kyokushin-kicks sometimes), your innersenses are causing you to miss or you just simply don't feel strongly enough or too stongly over the issue.
2. when close, hitting someone gets easier-i think you call it critical distance-but when two fighters square off, it is completely different. it seems like both are balancing on a thin wire calculating how to hit or offend the opponent offensively or defensively. both fighters are exremely aware and sensitiviy is hightened. this is when it is hardest to get someone with a solid strike. the only way to do this is in one motion.like perhaps with a backfist. no winding up, not much telegraphing. the more one swings, the harder it becomes to calculate the position of the target in the next little whiel, but is often more devastating than straight attacks that sometimes seem easier to absorb.
whatever the case, being able to strike hard is the result of lots of experience. i would think weapons training to be good. maybe taichi?? one cannot strike well if one cannot make large motions. small motions can be very powerful(more for closerange) also but to practice large motions are better.
why focus on hard hits when in the right position just flick the face with the fingers, or the belly with the knuckles. or just extend your hand as someone walks into it. power comes from good fighting dynamics and positioning and training your tanden. i think swordsmen have some of the most powerful striking arms on earth. it all depends on what one considers powerful. anyone can kick hard but look at all the different kicks a taikwondoka or karateka can do. power also comes from mobility and range of motion.

j
 

terryl965

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We all have had that happen the best advise someone can give you is just work your way though it and it will be fine in the end.
 

still learning

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Hello, Two main things here! You will have to learn to like yourself! Second: You must accept who you are, what you are, and make the best of what you have.

Never compare yourself to others. There will always be someone faster,quicker, taller,bigger.....at the same time there will be people who are smaller,slower, and not as acomplish as you, (those who do not train).

Martial arts is suppose to make you more confident in yourself. (but you have to like yourself first!). Accept yourself for what your are..and make it a little bit better.

Read about successful people..you will find many of them started as dish washers and lots of hard times,before turning there lives around.

Like yourself first..believe in yourself..see the improvements from the time you started..to your present position in your art....I am sure you will see lots of improvements in yourself! .........Aloha
 

Infinite

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I will add simply because part of your negative thought process is regarding self defense.

I would estimate that probably (please others correct me it is a wild guess) maybe 15% of the population (USA) has any REAL knoweldge about how to attack or defend in a hand to hand scenario.

So thinking you will not succeed is pointless you are likely to be far better equiped to deal with a situation than 99% of your friends standing around waiting for the movie to start.

I guess what I am trying to say in a fractured sort of way is, "By stepping on the path you have succeeded." Walking the path is simply the result of stepping onto it.
 

jdinca

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It's only one of many periods of self doubt you're going to have. The question is how you go about dealing with it. You've gotten some great suggestions here.

Have you discussed this with your instructor? If you have a good instructor, that person should be able to help you work through this. That's what they're there for.
 

grydth

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I seem to have lost confidence in myself where I am thinking of negative thoughts during training (Wing Chun)......im thinking to myself especially whilst doing chain punches that I will not be able to pull this off in a real life situation, I read this article once that said keep the punch on the body for an extra few seconds because this hurts the target more...I was doing this anyway but now I cant seem to do it, its almost as if by reading it im doing the opposite.......im rushing through the punches to much.........I cant seem to get this negative talk out of my head...........I feel im not putting the right amount of power into the punches..............are there any psychologists especially sports psychologists online who can help me? Or better still can you guys help me? Its seriously affecting my training........the only person who is holding me back is myself.

First, realize there is nothing unusual or wrong with you. Most long time practitioners can easily recall a form or sequence or adversary that frustrated them. Some, like me, have a distressing number of such memories - but it is so much the sweeter when you break through!

As a key test approached, a good friend of mine was frustrated by a series of moves called "Fair Ladies Work Shuttles"..... he constantly wound up wrong footed, facing in the wrong direction, leaving a move out.... we did extra practices until we worked out a way for him to remember it.

A suggestion - stop thinking and worrying so much. Maybe some quiet pre class meditation will relax and loosen you up so you can function better. We use a Qi Gong set for this, but I'd bet your instructor has something.

When out of class, concentrate on easing up and looking at things eagerly and positively as a child would. I had a section of a form that just would not work, so I went to bed and, freed of my other daily concerns, thought of the postures and the reasoning behind them. All of a sudden an inspiration came at midnight. I flew out of bed down to my dark and quiet living room - it worked! We all plateau sometimes - give yourself an opportunity for a breakthrough.

Remember - when we defeat our own fears and demons, there's not much that can stop us.
 

bluemtn

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Work on each punch- aiming, arm and wrist is aligned properly, what part of your knuckles is hitting- basics. As you work on getting faster, accuracy has a tendancy to not be there like it was when you FIRST started. Accuracy and power do kind of go hand- in- hand, believe it or not. Working on 2 combinations to start helps, then work your way up. Also, you might be a bit too hard on yourself. It's ok to think you can do better, just don't try to say, "I'll never be as good as..." Think of, " ok, I got this much accomplished, great! Now, lets try a little more!" Set up goals. Always feel free to ask your instructor on working on this, too. They will have more insight, and seeing how they're there with you, they're able to tell you what you're doing right or wrong.
 

RBaddorf

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This is good. It means that you are learning. The more you learn, the more you will pick up on your mistakes and be dissatisfied with your technique. Look around you, you will also see others that you thought were great now make little mistakes all of the time. They are actually better then they were before (if they kept training) but now you are begining to notice more. Pay attention, this will also help in your sparring if you can pick up on the other persons mistakes, weaknesses, and "tells" (movements or weight shift that they do before kicking or punching). If you have videos of you doing these techniques several months ago (when you thought you were doing better) compare them to recent video, I think that you will be surprised by what you see.

Good luck and keep training.

Ron
 

cswinsf23

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I can assimilate to your thoughts and frustrations. Once you reach a physical milestone, you must also train the mind to go even further.

Seek out your sifu for additional CHI-training and meditations. Seek out the demons that cause doubt.
 

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