7 Ways To Combat Grading & Tournament Nerves

7 Ways To Combat Grading & Tournament Nerves

By JDKJ Martin Ducker

If you’re one of those martial art students who often experiences nervousness and anxiety before any major event, then you are not alone. For many years I personally suffered with the same problem. Over time I discovered that there were certain things that I could do, which would help me overcome those anxious feelings.

Please have a look at seven of my tried and tested ways below, which helped me to combat my nerves before actually stepping out onto the mat. Some of these basic methods can work instantly, while others need a little bit more time and attention.

1.     Correct nutrition. Calm nerves and reduced stress levels are all closely connected with a healthy balanced diet. Nutrition is absolutely fundamental for key performance. A poor diet can often result in increased anxiety and added stress levels, whilst a good diet can increases powers of concentration, focus and memory.

2.     Take time to prepare. This is an obvious one, right. Many people overlook the importance of careful and well-organized preparation. Remember the old saying - If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. If you’re well prepared and have taken the time to study and practice hard, the chances are you’ll be feeling a lot less nervous.

3.     Stretch and relax. Many studies have shown that stretching can actually reduce the feeling of tenseness and apprehension. So if you’re experiencing an attack of ‘nerves’ before a tournament etc – warm up and stretch out, it will make you feel a lot calmer.

4.     Deep breathing. Correct breathing and stretching techniques go hand-in-hand. Worrying about things often creates strain and tension, which will also have a detrimental effect on your overall performance. If you’re feeling the pressure, try taking several slow deep breathes, or perform Ki Cho Jah Ki several times to help regulate your energy.

5.     Positive self-talk. Replacing any negative thoughts with positive ones. You can do this by turning your attention inward. Through internal self-dialogue, try directing your attention on constructive, helpful thoughts rather than critical destructive thinking patterns. With a little bit of practice it will certainly make a difference in your overall performance.

6.     Good posture. Having great posture is essential in our martial art training; it can also help to reduce anxiety as well.  Poor posture and incorrect breathing again contributes to more tension.  Good posture often reflects a good self-image.  A recent study shows that ‘sitting-up-straight,’ just like your teacher used to tell you to do, also gives you more confidence, which should ultimately lead to better results.

7.     Putting things into perspective. It’s often been said that the definition of ‘stress is… giving something more attention than it truly deserves. Most of us want to do well at specific events, but it’s important to remember, there are a lot of more important things in life to be concerned about.  My final words are… to be kind to yourself, be patient and just do the very best that you can.