Grappling Tips Newsletter

Last week I promised to discuss some methods and techniques to raise your arousal level and get some serious adrenaline flowing in your system. If you haven’t figured out why you might want to do this then check out the discussion of optimal state of arousal from the previous 3 weeks of tips

There are different approaches to raising your arousal level: in no particular order they might include:

VISUALIZATION

The term ‘visualization’ is an over-used, misunderstood term, but it CAN be very effective both to lower and raise arousal level. Let me illustrate this by talking an extreme use of visualization. Some years ago I met a world-renowned rugby player, known for his extreme intensity and superb conditioning on the rugby pitch. I asked him what he thought of when he was playing, and he surprised me by telling me that he imagined that the ball was his infant son, and that all the other players were trying to take it away from him. Not surprisingly he played as if his life depended on it.

Now at the risk of sounding like a total Star Wars nerd, I should say that dragging your infant children into your visualization is perilously close to using the dark side of the Force. Nevertheless, this rugby example illustrates how powerful visualization can be. With a little imagination you might be able to develop a less extreme visualization that is still capable of engaging your fight or flight reflex to the desired level.

MUSIC

Music is a path to the unconscious mind, and as such it can also be used to raise arousal level. A friend of mine got to watch a world class boxer warm up before a title fight in Montreal. The boxer in question listened to the extremely loud, extremely heavy metal music for 3 hours before the fight, all the while talking about how he was going to decimate his opponent. By the time he stepped into the ring he was almost beside himself with rage.

Unfortunately this boxer ended up running out of gas and LOSING his match. In the post-mortem after the fight his coach figured that it was because he had been too angry for too long before the match. Being enraged is very emotionally and physically fatiguing, so he didn’t have enough gas left in the tank for the actual fight.

The take-home lessons are: a) that music can certainly raise level of arousal, and b) that you want to be careful not to exceed your optimal state of arousal

BREATHING

To use the breath to calm down one should breathe slowly and deeply, relaxing after each exhalation. To use the breath to become more aroused you still want to breath deeply, but a little faster and a little bit more ‘deliberately’. Try to become more and more focused on the task at hand with each breath. Be careful not to hyperventilate.

FOCUS

A characteristic of a low state of arousal is a diffused focus – an ability to relax and to concentrate on everything, and nothing, at the same time. A highly aroused person, on the other hand, has a very narrow focus. In a combative context he will usually only focus on his opponent, and not really see or hear any other distractions (the crowd, the coaches, the noise, the fighters in the next ring, etc.).

To a large extent focus is a consequence of arousal, rather than something you can use to manipulate your arousal level. Attempting to focus in on your opponent if you need to raise your level of arousal can’t hurt though, especially if used in conjunction with some of the other techniques mentioned.

Labels: the mental aspect

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OK, so you’ve examined your performance on the mat and realized that you are probably too tense and have too much adrenaline in your system for optimal performance. To use the terminology we’ve been developing over the past few weeks, your arousal level is exceeding your optimal state of arousal (OSA).

So what can you do about it?

There are many different techniques out there used by athletes to calm down. With experience you will figure out which, if any, work for you. With practice you will be able to modulate your level of arousal so that you are exactly where you want to be.

Visualization: many athletes use visualization to calm their nerves. Some imagine being in a place that has calming and relaxing associations for them – hanging out at their favorite fishing hole, for example. Other athletes simply visualize using the techniques they may use in the match, calmly escaping from bad positions and working towards victory in a step-by-step methodical manner. Both methods of visualization interrupt the debilitating run-away anxiety cycle that is so counter-productive to optimal performance.

Breathing: the rate and depth of breathing has a strong influence on an athlete’s mental state – that is why it is the central focus of so many meditation methods. To lower your arousal level make sure that your breathing is slow and deep, and that you relax fully at the end of each exhalation.

Lying down: if you get the chance try lying down and putting a towel over your eyes to block out the light - now you can concentrate on visualization and breathing, just like we discussed above. The most extreme example of this tactic is MMA fighter Caol Uno, who has a trademark ring or cage entrance when he fights. He enters the ring and then lies down flat on his back, sprawled out like a starfish (a classy alternative to standing in the corner, glaring at the opponent and punching himself in the head).

Music: This is a widely used technique to modulate mental states. Bring your iPod and a headset to your next tournament and listen to something that puts you into your ‘happy place’. If you are trying to lower your arousal then you might want to listen to something on the mellow side, but everybody is unique: if you find that speed metal relaxes you and makes you happy then go for it!

I should make the point that, just like your grappling techniques, these relaxation techniques require practice too. If you are serious about modifying your level of arousal then you would be well advised to do a ‘dry run’ BEFORE you are waiting for your match to start at the Mundials…

Now it IS possible to be too relaxed – I have made this error in my competition career at least once. It was my first match in my weight division at a tournament and I was very relaxed: consequently I underestimated my opponent and swiftly lost that match. Losing this match REALLY pissed off. Being pissed off raised my level of arousal (and my blood pressure) and I ended up somewhere near my optimal level of arousal. As a result I won my next three matches, and collected gold in the Absolute division as a consolation prize.

Next week we’ll cover some methods to RAISE your level of arousal (other than losing your first match).

Labels: the mental aspect

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Last week we introduced the concept of there being an ‘optimal state of arousal’ (or OSA) for martial athletes in general, and grapplers in particular. The point was made that OSA varies from sport to sport, situation to situation, and also from athlete to athlete. The question now becomes how to determine what your OSA is and how to achieve it.

The short answer to this question is that EXPERIENCE is the key to determining your personal OSA. Figuring out your OSA is usually a trial and error process, and you are unlikely to figure it out on your first couple of tries. With repeated exposure to the stress of the situation you WILL eventually get a better idea of where your comfort zone is and where you function best.

One thing I should make clear is that every situation is different. Sparring in the club is NOT the same as competing against Wanderlei Silva in mixed martial arts: consequently your OSA will change as the situation changes. Take a look at this list of scenarios - I have arranged them from lowest to highest stress, and also lowest to highest OSA:

• Grappling in class with a familiar sparring partner
• Grappling in class with an unfamiliar sparring partner
• Competing in a submission wrestling or BJJ tournament
• Competing in an MMA event
• Defending yourself in an all-out street fight

Let’s look competing in a submission wrestling or BJJ tournament. Most fighters usually overshoot their OSA in their first couple of competitions: they are simply too excited and/or too scared and/or have too much adrenaline in their systems to perform their best. With experience it becomes easier for them not to be so tense, and the level of performance goes up. What these competitors are doing is figuring out what their optimal OSAs are, and modulating their level of arousal accordingly (whether they put it in those terms or not). How much more relaxed should they be? Well that is where the trial and error comes in – there is no simple formula because everybody has a different optimal level.

In contrast, some competitors undershoot their OSA and are too relaxed and too passive. This is more common after a competitor has some competitions under his belt and is beginning to feel semi-comfortable (complacent?) about the whole thing. Being at a low level of arousal is also common when competitors underestimate their opponents: they should remember that in competition EVERY opponent is dangerous, and that every person they face has at least one match-ending technique up their sleeves.

So hopefully now you understand the concept of OSA, and have perhaps begun to figure out if you personally need to modulate it up or down for maximum performance. Next week I’ll talk about methods I’ve used, and have seen used, to lower your state of arousal if it is too high.

Labels: the mental aspect

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When I talk about “optimal states of arousal” I usually get one of 2 reactions:

1. disinterest because it sounds too academic, theoretical and boring; or
2. snickering because it sounds like a vaguely dirty-minded topic
   

If you stick with me for a minute I think you will see how this sports psychology concept can actually be very useful and practical, ESPECIALLY if you compete.

Arousal is a psychological term used to describe how mentally and physically stimulated an athlete is. If someone is highly aroused then his heart is pumping, lots of adrenaline is flowing, and the ‘fight or flight’ reflex is going full bore. If someone is at a low state of arousal then they are relaxed and possibly even lethargic.

Each competitor, and each sport, has an optimal level of arousal – at this state of mental and physical excitation the athlete will have his best performance. In some sports the level of arousal should be fairly low: target shooting for example. Most target shooters want to keep their heart rates low and their breathing under control. On a scale of 1-10 target shooters probably want to be at a 2 or 3 (since being at 1 would mean that they are asleep).

In other sports (such as powerlifting) the level of arousal should generally be high. You can see powerlifters psyche themselves up before lifting: slapping themselves in the face and body, screaming loudly, and so on. Some lifters function best in a white rage (which would be 10 out of 10 on the arousal scale). In this state intensity triumphs over finesse, emotion over reason, and tunnel vision replaces keeping an eye on the big picture..

In combat sports (grappling, jiu-jitsu, judo, wrestling, etc.) the level of arousal should be high but not too high. I would guess that most combat athletes perform best at an arousal level of 5 to 7. To use an analogy, you don’t want the general of an army to be in a white rage when he makes strategic decisions: he could walk his troops right into a trap. In combat sports the competitor is simultaneously general AND trooper, responsible for making and executing decisions, so both rational thought and intensity are both required. If a fighter is too aroused then his technique, strategy and endurance will suffer. On the other hand, if a fighter is too relaxed then he might underestimate his opponent or fail to seize available opportunities.

Next week we will look at determining your own personal optimal state of arousal, as well as looking at some ways competitors increase and decrease their arousal for maximum performance.

Labels: the mental aspect

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I have recently added some great new articles to Grapplearts. Please check them out if you haven’t already done so:

• Gracie Magazine’s Jiu-jitsu Manual: 20 Tips to Enhance Your Play
  
• Kneebar Mastery: Fixing the Most Common Mistakes
  
• Breaking Down the Ankle Lock
  

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