TFS#16: Be In The Moment

The meaning of “be in the moment” can be quite vague.

Whenever someone is telling us to be in the moment, they are not referring to something physical.

Rather, what is being discussed is a frame of mind.

More specifically, where you place your focus.

To be in the moment, you want to be completely focused on the task at hand.

Where you place your attention matters since that is where your energy is directed.

Most people suck at being in the moment.

And it’s not their fault.

It’s not something most instructors will teach, but rather something people discover on their own without further interpretation.

Fortunately, like any other skill, it can be trained.

And when done properly, you’ll find yourself less stressed and anxious.

This is the ideal mental state for competition.

You’ll have to pay attention to four things: your opponent, your coach, the ref, and the scoreboard. The first two being the most important and should be prioritized.

So how do we build up to that? There are a few easy steps we can practice, starting now.

Actionable Items

• Mindful Meditation -- Every night before you go to bed, imagine a full match. The crowd, the ref, your coach. From opening match (bowing, slap & bump, pulling guard/take down), all the way to the end (stepping on the podium, wearing the medal around your neck, taking photos).

• Mindful Walking -- Great cities in Europe design their public parks to allow the likes of mathematicians and philosophers to take their regular strolls. Walking allows your mind to reflect and think while your body moves at a natural pace. And when I say walking, leave the Airpods and phone at home.

• Mindful Tasks -- Do not multitask at work or while doing chores at home. Allow yourself to only think about the task at hand. Make it easy on your brain and help it build the habit of paying attention to one thing at a time.

• Mindful Wind Down -- Don’t go to bed after TV or any electronic consumption. I would rather you go to bed now than to stay up and read this newsletter. 30-60mins of screen-free time helps me before bed. Give your mind the chance to reset. Sleeping needs to be deliberate, not just something we’re “supposed to do.”

Now, let's start rolling...

Techniques To Explore

1. A Low-Risk Method When In Bottom Side Control
The importance of being on bottom side control is feeling what your opponent is doing and where they are putting their weight.

2. Avoid The Sweep With This Easy To Learn Pass
The x-guard sweeps happen very fast and if you’re not “in the moment” you’ll get swept easily. You can capitalize on your opponent’s guard and stay one step ahead to pass.

3. One Simple Way To Prevent Getting Smashed In Half-Guard
Half-guard isn’t a great place to be and it’s also not the worst place to be, so make sure you know how to improve your position when on the bottom side.

Quick Tips

>> 5 reasons why you should spend more time on your strengths

>> 6 ways to re-focus your mind after hard rolls

Closing Thought

Just like training your body, you’ll need to train your mind.

Matches are won and loss because of mental prep, or lack thereof.

If you want to stay in the moment, your job is to focus solely on the tasks you are in control of.

To simply things even further: