Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Avoiding Mental Mistakes

Mental fatique is much worse than physical fatique. You can push through your body breaking down, but when your mind betrays you, weird things begin to happen. You make mistakes that you normally wouldn't, as in sticking your neck out to have it guillotined like a peasant in the renaissance.

One thing I have found helpful is to envision the worst thing in the world that can happen to you. Then stop being a pussy and realize this isn't that bad. After you've been through some hardcore shit, you realize getting choked unconscious isn't that big of a deal compared to having a bag full of scorpions tied around your head while being submerged in hydrochloric acid. In fact, if your Ambien hasn't been working lately, this could be your only chance for a few moments of deep sleep.

Injuries in Jiu-Jitsu do suck. Getting tapped to an armbar doesn't, however, not tapping to an armbar really sucks. Especially if your opponent introduces the back of your hand to your scapula. I tend to focus on the positive aspects, and don't really worry about injuries. Of course, it pays to take preventive measures. In training:

-Tap right before the joint is extended completely (with experience you will get better at knowing when you are actually finished, and cannot possibly escape).
-When your opponent raises his hand to tap, let go.
-Don't be a spaz.
-Don't jerk on (or off) your opponent.

Just a few ideas to keep safe. I usually hold out for a while on chokes, but I don't play around with joint locks. I need my limbs to do constructive things like play video games, drink beer and Google the meaning of life. All at the same time.

Mental fatigue can create injuries though. So when you are getting sloppy, remember to breath and relax, or your limbs could end up looking like this guy. Sometimes its hard to do this in the midst of getting choked out, as the blood supply to your brain is being limited. I don't really have any advice for that, other than don't get choked out. I never said I was an expert.

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