Spatial Awareness, Focused mInd. Volumetric Adaptation
In a recent conversation - how to handle performance pressure and nerves came up. Ishikawa sensei sent me to my very first tournament when I was just a SanKyu I had maybe practiced one year. The tournament he sent me to happened to be the national championships - I was competing for Mudansha Individuals. Of course, I had never even seen a Kendo Tournament, and to be told that I was now going to compete at a national championship level was terrifying. Ishikawa sensei trained national champions, and he himself was a very powerful force in Kendo. I told him I was very nervous, and that I was very unsure of my ability to compete. He told me I was ready and gave me a great piece of advice. He told me to focus. And that walking into a large gym, when you practice in small dojos will throw off your maai. It will be hard to see the distance to your opponent due to the volume of the room. The fact that your background is further away makes everything seem farther away also. He told me that when you walk in to the tournament, and before your match -- stare at the stitching on your Kote.....then stare at a point as far away as possible....then to the person in front of you, then back to your Kote....then Far away, keep repeating this. It helps your mind absorb and adapt to the change in Volume. While you do this.....BREATHE and Relax your mind.
Its only Kendo. The only fight you need to think about is the one you are in. What happened yesterday, or even in the previous round DOESN’T MATTER. You are fighting THIS match. If you lose, your day is done. If you win you have another match-- FOCUS on your match and forget what happened last time. Your opponent will be different, the match will be fully unique and will not be comparable to the last match. I made it through 4 matches, and lost 3rd place by one point..... I won the Kantosho Fighting Spirit award at the National Championships.