building integrity
Every round on the mat and every encounter in life is a push and pull between people, with some gaining a little and others losing a little. Beneath the conversations is a battle of the minds: who will run the show, who will leave with a better position, and how long before the other gives in? On the mat, the body follows that game, the one who wins in the head is the one who wins on the mat, too.
In the club, just like in any social context, different principles and human values meet. Various players tell you what you should do or who you should be: your opponent or rivals want you to trail behind, your trainer wants you to do what you’re told, and your peers want you to stay at their median. It’s easy to get confused and lost. Growing into a champion is the journey of building integrity to stay on your track against all odds.
This course is about integrity AKA boundaries: where we draw the line. Our boundary system is made up of several layers that protect us from others’ mess 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 – The mental defence model
We introduce the concept of boundary setting using the Mental Defence Training Model (Ydus, 2022). The model focuses on recognising an attack before it hits in, to be able to respond strategically, instead of going emotional and risking reputation. This will help you build up a framework for your own boundary system and form an attitude for handling tricky situations.
#2. Module – Simple contextual practices
The first practice module introduces simple situations that are often failed to be recognised as issue because they are subtle moves. But we often replay them in our head for weeks, months or even years, still struggling to tell what was in them that disturbed. There will be boundary intrusions portrayed in the context of the dojo, workplace and personal setting, showing how they operate under the surface and how can they be bounced back. You’ll be able to see behind the curtain of general conversations and reflect on similar situations from your own life.
#3. Module – Complex contextual practices
The advanced practices module consist of a series of complex situations, reviewing each steps that lead to a particular outcome and showing each can be used as an opportunity to turn things around. These practices offer insight to those lost battles that are the result of several rounds of push and pull between peoples, specially common within social networks where open conflict is not tolerated so people try to take what they want in a more civilised manner, with mental tripping.
The practices are presented in a graphic novel format due to the extremely impactful nature of visual content. 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 with professional guidance to help you establish your boundaries and mental strength.
LEVELS – BETWEEN £300-£1000
launching soon …
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