"Stage-fright"

[Kaos666]

hello everyone,

 

i'll get right to the point:

 

whenever i perform kata in front of a watching audience, i get quite nervious, and sometimes forget certain parts altogether. this cost me dearly at the latest tournament i've been to...

 

i cannot explain it fully, but the closest thing would be to to say that i feel as if i'm not ready to perform, something at all. i don't know what exactly is causing this, i train hard and practice my katas as often as i can...

 

can someone explin this, and possibly provide some techniques or excersises o whatever that may help me??

 

thank you

[battousai16]

i'd say focus and don't sweat it. if you're thinking about the people watching you and screwing up, then you're not thinking about your technique, then you will (screw up, that is).

[Kaos666]

thank you, i am trying that now, and it seems to help me improve lately, although i'm a long way off...

 

just a few days ago i realized that when i'm doing kata by myself i feel absolutely empty, and i was very pleased about that... before i used to be exhausted after kata training, now i just feel relaxed

 

i'll try and achieve that state when doing kata in public...

[aefibird]

Start out by practicing with one or two people watching you - a friend or your parents or whatever. Then, try and progress from there. If possible, ask a few people from your dojo to stay behind after class and watch you. See if starting with a small audience and building up from there works for you.

 

Finally, with competitions start out with really small ones. Practice a lot of relaxation techniques before hand and tell yourself that you are confident and that you CAN perform your kata without making mistakes.

[Kaos666]

Start out by practicing with one or two people watching you - a friend or your parents or whatever. Then, try and progress from there. If possible, ask a few people from your dojo to stay behind after class and watch you. See if starting with a small audience and building up from there works for you.

 

Finally, with competitions start out with really small ones. Practice a lot of relaxation techniques before hand and tell yourself that you are confident and that you CAN perform your kata without making mistakes.

 

yes, that definately helps... but with people in my dojo i am assured of a completely positive environment, it's different outside where feedback may vary, so now i'm trying to gather some friends to play an audience...

[aefibird]

but with people in my dojo i am assured of a completely positive environment,

 

I didn't realise you meant you wanted feedback as well. I just thought that you were trying to become less nervous performing in front of a group of people.

 

Well, how about asking someone who knows nothing about karate? Even though they won't be able to tell if you're performing the kata correctly, then they could tell if you look nervous or if your movements seem weak or whatever. Sometimes an unbiased view can come from a non-martial artist.

[Coco]

I dont seem to have any problems at all, but a slight second of thinking about something else can throw off my whole kata. When doing a kata, I dont think at all, I just go and my body automatically does it. If for some reason I think about something else, its like I get in normal mode again and I dont know what move is next, sometimes I even get katas confused!

 

Well, finally, think of your performing a kata as an overall experience for your life, maybe once you get used to performing katas without being afraid you can show your whole school your awsum kurahtee moves! A good exerscise is praciticing at home, so when you go up to perform it you feel secure of yourself because you know you practiced.

[ramymensa]

After 5 years in the radio business I've learnt to really separate myself from anything else. Just try to NOT see the others. You are there with your kata and that's all. It's your world and try to figure the others are just a realistical picture hanged near you, no real people. Focus only on your katas and think you don'r give a d..n about what those painted faces think. You know what you are doing and are good, otherwise they would be doing kata and you'd be watching.

 

I know it's easy to say and hard to accomplish. The idea is to try ignoring the audience

[HumanTyphoon]

Yes, as said, a very big thing is to ignore and focus your will on performing your kata. If you can't ignore, just think of the people as friends, families, or some person you really want to impress.

 

Everyone feels scared, but the truth is nobody is going to make fun of you and every one of those people are amazed at what you're able to do. Be proud of yourself and your skills, be determined and clear-minded.

[P.A.L]

first of all it happens to best of us.

 

1- I visualize the kata and kiais before performing it.

 

2- I don't do kata with a empty mind , in some katas you need to do some adjustment in order to finish where you want it. so you gotta do the correction in the second half of kata when you comming back.

 

3- the worst thing is to try doing one technique at the middle of the kata correct ,you pay attention not to do the mistake on that one you forget the whole kata right at the middle of performing.

 

4-when you do kata look at the crowd all together and don't make eye contact.