Kendo, kenjutsu and HEMA

[Ulrich von L...n]

Joeli,
Thank you for the clarification.
Yes, this medieval visualization stuff from Döbringer Hausbuch is a bit sketchy, but might be helpful. A much better idea is to browse sport psychology books for other sports. It is interesting that people didn't mention own religious practices (prayer, visit to a church ...) as a way to handle competition related stress.

[scholadays]

I must say, in all my years of competition I've always been somewhat bemused by this need to spend time with stress management.

You are simply lucky.

Lucky, how?

Anyway it is a sound idea to practice a little more relaxed attitude regarding competitions.

And in that is perhaps a clue.

See, in addition to trying to relax oneself - to treat the symptom - I assume you have also asked youself why you are stressed?

[scholadays]

Who said logic ever had anything to do with the human brain, Gordon?

Oh come now, in the rather straightforward scenario and simple environment that a HEMA competition presents, the cause of one's stress must surely be explainable.

After all, you're obviously not worried about getting hurt.

And there 'aint no million dollar prize to lose.

[Andreas Engström]

After all, you're obviously not worried about getting hurt.

Weeeell... that would depend quite a lot on the tournament, the weapons therein, the protective gear one has, and one's confidence in one's defensive capability, don't you think? Some tournaments have had multiple cases of injury that required hospital care, after all.. broken fingers, mostly, but also cuts that required stitches, suspected concussion, cracked (though not completely broken) ribs and some other things.. and these have not been limited to inexperienced fighters.

So a total non-worry about injuries would be either a sign of supreme self-confidence bordering on hubris, or of knowing that the tournament is fought with pool noodles.

-Andreas

[Joeli]

I assume you have also asked youself why you are stressed?

So, why you would be stressed*?

I mean, stage comedians get very anxious and stressed, even though nobody is throwing rotten tomatoes at them.



* If you were ever to do such thing, which I am sure you wouldn't, but would be able to imagine such a thing nevertheless if you chose to do so.

[admin]

I believe what Gordon is saying is that one way of not getting stressed is to not care so much. That does not literally mean not caring at all, it means changing how you view the competition. It is not a matter of life or death. The survival of your family does not rely on it. So presumably what people get stressed about in competitions is desperately wanting to win (or at least not do badly), for whatever reason (eg. pride, reputation, ranking, self-esteem etc).

If you can detach your performance in the competition from your sense of self-respect or ego then you will not get stressed. One way of doing that is to simply see a competition as a training exercise, not some magical measure of your worth as a human being.

Personally I like the ego boost I get from doing well in competition and I accept the fear of failure, and therefore stress, that goes with that. I believe that my desperate desire to do well makes me better, though I may well be wrong, because in the past I have generally done better in competitions that I did not care about than in ones I did care about.

[admin]

As a post script to the above, I would also add that I have seen people I know well underperform in competition because they were so stressed and cared so much, but I have also seen them underperform because they were too relaxed and didn't care! There is no perfect answer... you just have to find the balance that works for you.

[scholadays]

Weeeell... that would depend quite a lot on the tournament, the weapons therein, the protective gear one has, and one's confidence in one's defensive capability, don't you think?

I find it more stressful than real fights. It actually helps me think of them as the latter.

After all, you're obviously not worried about getting hurt.

Yes...I do think.

[scholadays]

Thanks Matt.
That's exactly what I'm talking about.

Yes indeed - if one is getting stressed in a mere competition, one is probably riding one's ego a little too hard.

So presumably what people get stressed about in competitions is desperately wanting to win

Yes, such desperation can be so very ... undignified.

I believe that my desperate desire to do well makes me better.

Call it enthusiasm.

though I may well be wrong, because in the past I have generally done better in competitions that I did not care about than in ones I did care about.

Oh, this is so very true.

This was pretty much usually my primary strategy.

[scholadays]

I mean, stage comedians get very anxious and stressed, even though nobody is throwing rotten tomatoes at them.

They get stressed because people might throw rotten tomatoes at them.

What's the downside of losing a HEMA competition?

[admin]

This would lead nicely on to a discussion of the fact that lots of well known HEMA instructors don't enter competitions, and some of them come up with elaborate and funny explanations of why.

[scholadays]

This would lead nicely on to a discussion of the fact that lots of well known HEMA instructors don't enter competitions, and some of them come up with elaborate and funny explanations of why.

But..but..wouldn't that immediately end up in a great big argument...thus conveniently preventing us from discussing it any further?

[admin]

I don't think it would lead to an argument. Most people these days accept that the real reason is cowardice.

[scholadays]

Aaah, you said it!

Out in the open!

Just like that!



You crazy!

[admin]

In fairness, it's not always true. Some instructors do put their money where their mouth it in other ways, such as through martial challenges etc.
Though of course the risk of losing to someone who is regarded as an expert and happens to be your buddy is not quite the same as the risk of being knocked out of a competition by a beginner or through double hits.

Ultimately though, to take this back to the beginning, ego and competition stress do seem to be inexticably linked, for better and for worse. And as you and BD have highlighted, that kind of stress is quite different to combat stress.

[Cutlery Penguin]

I don't think it would lead to an argument. Most people these days accept that the real reason is cowardice.

No, it's just that fighting with a sword isn't a fair test of what I teach. My system is all about fighting with a sword, just in a subtly different way that can't be assessed by actually fighting with a sword against other people. My system is too dangerous for mere mortals.

I would compete but I might kill you.

[Joeli]

What Matt said (off-hand) about being stressed of not doing badly is something that maybe resonated most with me. A competition is an absurd moment of slightly unfamiliar weapon simulators, combined with slightly unfamiliar opponents combined with slightly unfamiliar rules combined with slightly unfamiliar fencing styles. This creates an unfamiliar environment - don't f*ck it up.

No, it's just that fighting with a sword isn't a fair test of what I teach. My system is all about fighting with a sword, just in a subtly different way that can't be assessed by actually fighting with a sword against other people. My system is too dangerous for mere mortals.

I would compete but I might kill you.

I didn't know that Ameri-Do-Te has a weapon combat branch.

[scholadays]

And as you and BD have highlighted, that kind of stress is quite different to combat stress.

Indeed, for if you lose in a real fight to the death then you don't have to deal with the post match analysis.

[Lyceum]

I don't think it would lead to an argument. Most people these days accept that the real reason is cowardice.

Legend. Though I extend that to every sort of fighting art.

[admin]

I would compete but I might kill you.

I have actually heard that given as a sincere reason.