for fighters
Every round of sparring is a conflict of interest between the fighters. Beneath the techniques is a wrestling of the minds: who will run the show, how much can they take, and how long before they give in? The body follows this game, the one who wins in the head is the one who wins on the mat.
In the club, different principles and human values meet. Various players tell you what you should do or who you should be: your opponent wants you to trail behind, your trainer wants you to be what they are, and your peers want you to stay at their level. The dojo is a compact version of life, ringing with noise all around you. It’s easy to get confused and lost. Growing into a fighter is the journey of building integrity to stay on your track.
Integrity AKA boundaries: they determine what we allow to impact us as well as what we give away from our values. This is a several layer thick wall that keeps the mess out and preserves our own resources for when we need them. It’s our first line of defence against mental, emotional, and physical exploitation, and as such, it is one of the main components of mental strength.
Note: The other two components of mental strength, self-awareness and emotional control, are discussed in great details in the Tournament Preparation series due to their direct impact on competition performance. Integrity, on the other hand, decides on whether one makes it as far as the championship at all.
The mental training concept described below is a condensed and pragmatic course on building up one’s integrity AKA boundaries, introducing the layers involved and the principles of navigating between them. When you finish, you’ll have an entire arsenal of mental weapons to protect yourself from intrusion and exploitation. The three modules offered are built on each other:
#1. Module
We introduce the concept of general human boundary setting using the Mental Defence Training Model (Ydus, 2022). This will help you build up a framework for your boundary system and form an approach for handling situations of conflict.
#2. Module
The basic practices module presents simple situations portraying boundary intrusions, showing how they operate under the surface. See behind the curtain of general conversations and become aware of the mental games involved.
#3. Module
The advanced practices module delivers a series of complex situations, reviewing the steps that lead to a particular outcome and showing each step as an opportunity to turn things around.
The practices are presented in a graphic novel format due to the extremely impactful nature of visualisation. Discussion or text would have a different impact; no one can learn to swim from a book. The visual experience ensures you can put yourself into the character’s shoes and walk their path, providing professional guidance to help you establish your boundaries quickly and effectively.
LEVELS – BETWEEN £300-£1000
launching soon …
RELATED PUBLIC ARTICLES
- The combat underneath the martial art training – Dare I say: Emotions
- Reasons why some stay lowkey in the dojo – what can go wrong
- What is mental toughness (and what is not) and how to develop it
- Toxic support – Coaching patterns that do more harm than help
- The ‘pressure-pain-danger’ scale (in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)