How do you learn to listen to your body?

[SevenStar]

I know you don't want to hear the "practice more" thing - but that's it - practice. when you are new to something, you tend to be overly tense. The more you practice it, the more comfortable you get. The more comfortable you get, the more you relax. Take a student who has just started doing kata - he is tyupically very tense. over time, that fades away. Next, put gear on him and make him spar - his tenseness returns. Why? because he's doing something he's not used to.

 

We have guys in the thai boxing class that have been wrestling all of their lives - when you grapple them, they are relaxed and efficient. When you put boxing gloves on them, they are the exact opposite - they get tense and stiff... they aren't used to it yet. with enough practice, they will relax, just as you will.

 

I know people say "don't think", but i don't completely agree. you have to remain conscious of what is going on. If you and I are sparring, my brain is functioning. If I notice you have a tendency to drop your left hand, I'm going to exploit that. I don't think that the key is to not think at all, but moreso to think quickly. your brain should assess the situation, but your body should be prepared with an appropriate response - that response it what you shouldn't be thinking about. I don't think "he's dropping his left, should I use a hook punch, or kick him in the face?" instead I merely think "hmm, he drops his left", and my body does the rest.

[pineapple]

The result is I am thinking too much

 

Thinking is necessary when learning new techniques. It is through continual repetition that you can execute techniques without thinking about it.

 

Stop worrying about where you are today and feel confident that you will be better tomorrow.