# So, I need confidence



## Lynne (Jul 31, 2008)

I passed my spotlight last night and I get to test for 4th gup late August 

When Master R was putting my stripe on, he said, "CONFIDENCE!"  I said, "I need some?" He said I think too much, that I analyze too much.  He said analysis leads to paralysis.

I think he was speaking of the combinations.  He'll call out a combination in Korean and we do the combination.  I have no problem with the Korean (he usually says it two or three times to make sure we understand him) but I get nervous trying to do the combination.  Often, it's a combination we haven't done in class. 

Last night we did a middle knife block, followed by a front kick cottonbahl roundhouse kick.  Another was a high block followed by a side kick cottonbahl hook kick.  Those are moves we have been doing for awhile obviously.  We start on the left side, so I do my block on the left and I'm wondering if I do the next two kicks on the same side or the rear leg (opposite leg).  Arggh! Because I''m thinking, I goofed a few of them in the beginning.  I finally get into the flow after awhile.  We usually do 8 or 9 repetitions plus turning.

So, how does one gain confidence?  I do worry about the combinations.  I guess they are my achille's heal.  I suppose practice as many combinations as I can think of?  I don't know.  The other night in class we did a stepping behind inside/outside kick with a back kick and then a middle knife block.  We had never done a stepping behind inside/outside kick.  We'd always stepped in front.  A lot of people probably wouldn't get nervous or analyze combinations, but I do.  I need to reprogram my brain, lol.


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## terryl965 (Jul 31, 2008)

Having faith inyour instructor teaching and having faith in your own abilitys. Confidence is more of, when you do something right you get immediate attention. That way you know for sure you are on the right path.


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## jkembry (Jul 31, 2008)

Lynne said:


> He said analysis leads to paralysis.




Thanks so much Lynne.  My Sensei says the same thing to me.  I have had a very analytical mind for a long time...and for me it has been the most difficult aspect of my karate.  I do find that the more I do kata...bunkai or whatever, the more I get out of my head.  And that, my friend, is a GREAT feeling.


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## MBuzzy (Jul 31, 2008)

This is a problem that a lot of people, including myself, deal with.  I think too much many times.  The only thing that makes it better is practice.  LOTS of practice.  Once the movements are concreted into your muscle memory, you don't have to worry.  

Many people want you to simply move without thinking, relying in instinct rather than thought - which is a level that everyone has to get to eventually.  It just takes time to get there.


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## Kacey (Jul 31, 2008)

Practice builds confidence... confidence leads to more assurance in practice.  The best way to practice for this would be to have someone call out combinations for you, and then just do them; don't stop, don't think, just react, as quickly as possible - _then_ check to see if you've done it right.  Are you going to make mistakes?  Of course you are - correct them and move on.  But don't be so paralyzed by the risk of error that you do nothing.


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## Lynne (Jul 31, 2008)

I like the idea of someone calling out combinations.  I'll ask my daughter to help me.

I realize committing the moves to muscle memory takes awhile, too. I may freeze a bit/get flustered during spotlighting or testing (or even class), but I'm not too hard on myself.  After all, we are learning new material constantly.

Now, wouldn't it be lovely if all the combinations flowed like the basic forms now do? Of course, that's everyone's point -muscle memory.

The good news is that Master R isn't so much testing us on how well we do the combinations as he wants to make sure we know the Korean and to see _if_ we can do the combinations.  If I'd keep that in mind, I might be able to relax a bit.  Maybe.  Maybe not


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## stickarts (Jul 31, 2008)

Analyzing is good when you are first learning a technique (the where, how, and why) however it does break flow when you are trying to react spontaneously! 
Confidence will come from doing it over and over! Keep working it! Repetition is the mother of skill!


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## arnisador (Jul 31, 2008)

Kacey said:


> Practice builds confidence... confidence leads to more assurance in practice.



Yup. Just keep on keepin' on, and have faith in yourself!


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## Brian King (Jul 31, 2008)

*Lynne wrote*



> So, how does one gain confidence?


 
One trick is too occasionally (how often is up to you and your focus) make the difficulty factor higher and more intense. Here are a few examples so that you get the idea. Want to get better at sparring then limit yourself to using one side of your body or shutting your eyes or first exhausting yourself before you begin sparring or spar two or three opponents at one time. All will improve your sparring game. Want to get better at jumping, try jumping with some extra weight and/or jump from uneven surfaces and stacking the jumps (consecutive jumps over objects of different heights) produce good results. 

I have not practiced combinations in many years so I am just doing some quick brainstorming, but perhaps since you have your daughter and as stated having somebody call out combinations might help, I might suggest that you add an extra level of fun/stress to the exercise. It might require a third person but they do not have to be a martial artist just able to flick a light switch or point a flash light. Darken a room (garage) and have the volunteer flick the light on for a count of two or four or what ever. Your daughter while it was dark moved around a bit from her last known location, when the light is on she does some combination, once. The light then goes back out for brief one or two counts then comes back on. When it comes back on you repeat the combination that your daughter threw and when done she corrects any forgotten or out of sequence movements. The light then goes out again and now it is your turn to throw a combination while your daughter searches for you, finds you and observes and remembers the combination that you throw and you observe her and try to point out any missed or out of sequence movements. If the third person is a martial artist they can call out the combination that the first person in the sequence threw but only after the copy cat is finished, perhaps before the corrections are called. All can then train with multiple goals and focuses depending on what they need to work on.

I am sure that you or perhaps others on this thread can come up with other ways of practicing combinations that add some difficulty/stress.


Warmest regards
Brian King


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## kidswarrior (Jul 31, 2008)

All good replies above. :asian: Kacey's, especially, I liked: practice=confidence=assurance in practice. The direct route. Always good.

I might also recommend that if you have a couple of forms that are particularly foundational to the way the art moves, you might practice those a bit more. With forms, more analysis can actually be a good thing, and you'd be ingraining the way your art moves into muscle memory. That way, there's a good chance your muscles would already be moving the right way when your instructor calls out the combinations.


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