Fear in Martial Arts
Fear in martial arts? Sounds like a contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? Well, in practical terms, all martial arts are rooted in fighting or some sort of combat. In training and implementation, there is a fear of getting hit, fear of hitting the ground, fear of defeat or losing and fear of consequences. The goal of martial arts training is to help alleviate those fears so that we can take action. Yet, fear plays a part, possibly a large part, in training for and using martial arts.
For some people, fear is the motivating factor in starting martial arts training in the first place. Fear of being attacked in this increasingly violent society in which we live. These people believe fear and the martial arts go hand-in-hand. They’re afraid, they get trained, they’re no longer afraid. Their fear of vulnerability turned into their ability to feel confident about handling whatever happens in their lives.
For some, the relationship between fear and the martial arts goes in a different direction. These are the people who begin training, learn some good techniques, then freeze up when they are asked to test their skills in training. They begin fearing they’ll injure themselves or someone with their skills, or do them improperly. Thus, they keep themselves from progressing very far in the arts because they never really test themselves and their abilities.
Others run up against this seemingly contradictory issue of fear and the martial arts when they learn what it takes to train and learn the skills. In this case, there may be two ways this fear goes: Either fear of failure or fear of success.
Those who fear failure most of us can identify with. The amount of training, of self-denial, of self-discipline required to really learn a martial art can be significant. Many don’t think they can do it. Thats its too difficult. There’s too much time involved, too much they have to give up in order to learn and train. That it takes countless reps. They don’t understand the “I gotta do this again?” kind of requirement.
Showing up at the school as much as you can and burning reps is the best way you can put an end to all these anxieties and fears. You need to have trust in the training process of learning and be on the mats at least three times a week. But this doesn’t mean you should train like a maniac every day. Instead, be smart.
Those who fear success are different. It’s harder to identify with them. After all, who doesn’t want to be successful at something they start? There are those who fear getting good at something. Their thinking may be, “If others see how good I am, they’ll expect more of me.” Or they may believe others will not like them if they’re successful. Thus, fear takes root.
Where does fear come from? Most of the time, fear comes from our thinking. Certainly, there are times and situations when there actually is a threat to us or someone we love. Fear is a normal response there. But for the majority of us, fear is what we think. Those long-remembered bad experiences when someone told us we couldn’t do it, we tried it, and sure enough we couldn’t do it. Whatever ‘it’ was. When this happens to us at times we’re vulnerable due to age or other factors, it sticks with us. Those kinds of memories don’t always go away.
It takes time for some to overcome the fear of learning and fighting. Like everything in life, it requires energy, patience, and dedication. As martial artists, we have all battled against fear at some point. We all share similar fears, and you are no different. The best way to deal with fear? Face it head on and charge through it. Otherwise, you may begin overthinking it and ultimately talk yourself out of doing whatever it is. So stay focused. Fear is the mind killer! Be brave. Conquer your fears of learning and training! Be a winner!
