Visualization

[tkdan]

How many believe using visualization is helpful in martial arts? I'm not talking about daydreaming about it but visualizing yourself going through the steps of a form or any aspect of your martial arts training.

[elbows_and_knees]

I believe it's excellent. it's not standalone though - you still have to put in the sparring time, forms training (if you do forms) and other hard work, but visualization is a great technique.

[alsey]

yeah, i agree its a good thing to do. i won't devote time to just visualising though, i just do it sometimes, before or after a kata, or before sparring, but its a spur of the moment thing for me really.

[bushido_man96]

There have actually been studies done with basketball players on visualization. They had a group who would practice so many free throws, another who would practice so many and visualize making the same number, and then a group that just visualized the baskets. All groups showed improvement, and the group that used both techniques showed the most improvement.

I like to use visualization when I can't practice, like when I'm driving down the interstate, or just sitting on my duff at work.

[Jiffy]

I believe it's absoloutly crucial. The best way to train is to get in and fight for real. As this is not always a safe or realistic option, the second best is visualisation.

[bushido_man96]

I have actually used some visualization at work. When just gazing off, I think about getting attacked by a drunk or an inmate, and how I would react, what I would do. I visualize the attack, the parry, then an arm twist and a takedown. I try to vary the attacks as well, and come out with different ends.

The nice thing about visualization is that I always get to win!

[hawkfish]

I feel that visualization is very important. I go through my kata's in my head over and over again. I see each move and make sure that I am doing them correctly.

[tkdan]

I was referring to visualization along with actually doing the training. I too have found it helpful more with forms or upcoming belt test. I have tried it with fighting but the unpredicable nature of some opponents makes it difficult to visualize every aspect of a fight.

[Jiffy]

Bruce Lee used to talk about visualisation in a different way. Rather than visualising an attacker, he would visualise the whole situation from a third person perspective as if he were someone watching. This is something that most can't do, but he believed it was one of the ultimate keys to being an ultimate warrior.

[bushido_man96]

That would be an interesting way of doing it as well. From 3rd person, you could see where the attacker's body is at all times, and from 1st person, you can 'feel' what all is going on.