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Do martial arts *REALLY* promote mental toughness???


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Well, first things first. I'm sorry to hear about your purse, Kickchick. I do hope there wasn't much in it at the time. Sometimes it's the sheer randomness of things that surprises us. You're right, we are human - sometimes painfully so, sometimes happily. Life is a learning curve, isn't it?

 

As an interesting aside, my supervisor is a Sports Psychologist. While staying diplomatically silent about American Football, he's done a lot of work with Rugby League players. Now, that sport is rough!! No padding, either! Once you're down, you're held down and often kicked until the defending team is back in position. (Imagine American football with no gaps between plays). He started on the whole Mental Toughness thing to see what kind of individual gets smacked down by three/four people and kicked a lot before picking themselves up and running forward to repeat the process again and again until the fifth tackle swops possession. It's not much of a jump in my book to consider the martial arts as well.

 

Cheers especially for your thoughts Red J. You are spot-on. Chronic pain - or even sound in the case of tinnitus - is so distressing simply because of the lack of control that the sufferer has over it. However, I wonder how easily I'd be able to pull in a decently-size sample for both groups. Personally, I'm a little deaf and wonder constantly when I should take my hearing aids out!! I turn them off for breakfalling so they don't squeal... :lol:

 

As for all you helpful people who are willing to participate in my little study, thank you so much for your time. First thing I'll do is send on a little 'consent form' e-mail-thingie (coming eventually) and if you reply to that then I'll send you the questionnaire for printing out and filling in. I'm afraid I can't just unleash the thing on the world. The British Psychology Society (BPS) ethics committee insists...

The best thing about being an adult is that you can run with scissors(!)

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I am not a black belt yet, but confidence has gone up alot since white belt.

If you can't laugh at yourself, there's no point. No point in what, you might ask? there's just no point.


Many people seem to take Karate to get a Black Belt, rather than getting a Black Belt to learn Karate.

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For me anyway, martial arts aren't so much as learning how to fight or defend myself, but more of a battle with myself and what i've learned through the years of what i dont think i can do. As i've only been doing this for about a year now and originally joined with my son ( who no longer attends ) i've discovered a few things about myself and have over came a few other obstacles that i personally face. We're faced with ourselves every day when we look in the mirror. I think most of us know our shortcomings and fears. Part of mental strength for me is facing those things and overcoming them. You are who your experiences have taught you to be, mental toughness in my opinion in nothing more facing yourself.
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My hearing loss?

 

Well, to tell the whole story, I lost a little hearing (20dB) in my left ear when I was about four - a severe case of mumps that meant the bones in that ear don't quite fit perfectly together anymore. However, that was never really a problem. At school, I just sat on the left and towards the front to compensate. Thing is, ten years ago - during my A-levels of all times - I suddenly, unexplainedly, lost about 70dB in both ears over a three month period.

 

I'm now severely deaf in one ear and moderately deaf in the other. Deaf enough to have caused speech problems if I was born that way. However, hearing aids are pretty good these days as you'll probably know so I manage just fine. The real problem? I'm high-tone deaf more than anything and it's hard to hear what women say when you're flirting away in the pub!! :bawling:

 

As you'll guess, this also throws up more problems if you're studying a more 'grapply' martial art. There are times - groundwork springs to mind - when they have to come out. It's the one aspect of Aikido that I tend to avoid as I hate not wearing my hearing aids (I've adjusted THAT well) so my knowledge of the art isn't anywhere near as well-rounded as I'd like. That and the fact that I'm too busy to go regularly(!)

 

For that reason, I never go swimming either!

 

Does your hearing loss - or hearing aid rather - cause you problems in the dojo Freestyler?

The best thing about being an adult is that you can run with scissors(!)

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Yeah, my hearing loss causes me problems in my dojo. I'm also particurlarly deaf in the high tone area.. I don't hear everything that's said in the dojo, but that's pretty normal I guess like you'd know, I just ask someone what we're doing, or follow along. I find myself, watching, copying & imitating a lot, so I miss out on quite a bit of explanation. I make up for that by reading up online and what not.

 

My aids don't stop me from grappling... :) I only have the one aid and it does come out sometimes when I'm grappling, but I might feel it coming out, so I'll push it back in, even if it means giving someone position on me. Generally when it comes out, I leave it out. =)

 

I used to swim all the time when I was younger, just took the aids out. I find I can hear pretty well in the water without my aid, I don't know why. Maybe the sound waves bounce off the water... ?

 

You don't sleep with your aids in or anything do you ?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nah, course not...

 

If I did, I'd probably send one of them up my ear and through my ear drum the very first time I turned onto my side. Always thought that would be really painful so I never tried.

 

I guess I just don't like being reminded of my deafness by being forced to take them out at certain points. Being honest, I also find it quite disorientating, especially since I only lost my hearing in my late teens. Was never able to adapt to it.

 

One more thing. Apologies to everyone involved about not getting that questionnaire sorted yet. Have just been too busy at this end as university winds up. I've *so* much paperwork to sort out before I head home to York for Christmas.

 

More on this topic come the New Year. Until then, happy 2003 everyone!

The best thing about being an adult is that you can run with scissors(!)

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whenu study martial arts your mind willbe free and your blood circulation would be faster. because of clear mind, u will have a really low temper and your mind will be sharp. because of good blood circulation, you will be able to move your arms and legs quickly. your power of sensing attacks will increase and your aura shines brightly. :up:

John R

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whenu study martial arts your mind willbe free and your blood circulation would be faster. because of clear mind, u will have a really low temper and your mind will be sharp. because of good blood circulation, you will be able to move your arms and legs quickly. your power of sensing attacks will increase and your aura shines brightly. :up:

 

So, do you actually believe any of that or are you just quoting some master in order to appear intelligent? I know my temper is still quite large, but I know how to control it. As for sensing attacks and auras, I don't know many that can do that proficiently if at all.

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