overcoming prefight jitters

jacksonheights · 02-16-2008, 07:29 PM

i have a real tough time in my matches, i get really nervous before the fight, so much that i feel light headed and feel like my arms have no strength. then when i get into my matches i am totally unfocused and cant think straight.

what do you guys do to keep your focus and not let the nerves get the best of you?

**Fozzy** · 02-16-2008, 08:08 PM

experience. it's really all there is too it. I get nervous too even the last I got into a fight, you get nervous, you loose your cool and you forget technique, it's natural, there's no big way around it.

~Foz

wildman1717 · 02-16-2008, 08:58 PM

Normal, use it to make yourself a better and more alert fighter. I've seen fighters throwing up before fights.

Ziltoid · 02-16-2008, 09:05 PM

^^^LOL! Like me @ my first fight. I won though, but I was nervous as shit. It's a normal thing I guess for some people. Only time will heal that. The more you train and spar though, the more comfortable and confident you will be and that nervous feeling should start going away, or at least you will handle it better and not let it get to you so much. My 2nd and 3rd fight, I was still nervous, but I started feeling better after my partners kept my spirits high b4 i went out.

Technomad · 02-17-2008, 04:31 PM

I've been wrestling and then doing BJJ for about 8 years total, and I still get nervous. What I do is that I remind myself that being nervous, getting that little hit of adrenaline is a good thing. It keeps me focused and on my toes. You might be thinking that nervousness hurts your preformance, and as a result you're psyching yourself out. Try framing nervousness as a good thing, and see if it helps you feel better

Brad Morris · 02-17-2008, 05:04 PM

Psychological training should be a part of any competitors overall program. I agree that experience helps to lessen nerves somewhat, but if you cannot focus and allow yourself to burn too much energy through nervous tension before a fight then you need to look at ways of calming yourself mentally.

Read good books on the subject, go and see a sports psychologist. The improvement in your overall game once you have a mental gameplan is enormous.

jacksonheights · 02-17-2008, 07:45 PM

thanks for the tips all. will definitely keep up the training but will also try some of your other ideas.

fil · 02-18-2008, 01:54 AM

When I use to compete, my training partners would actively warm me up and keep my mind off of the pending fight.

Bottom line, everyone is afraid until they get in there. It's what you do when the bell rings.

Trained right? Just go for it.

T-MAC · 02-18-2008, 02:09 AM

I just had my first mma fight last night and here is what was going through my head before:

I knew I had worked as hard as possible leading up to this night. There was not one day I slacked off in the gym, or didn't put my full effort in so this was the reason for it all.

It was in my hometown so a lot of friends and family were in the crowd. My fight was 7th on the card so I had some time to talk with them. I think the added pressure of putting on a good performance in front of these people did help me mentally.

I tried to remain calm the whole day, just played video games with friends all afternoon, even when I got to the venue just got my hands wrapped early and relaxed. Ate small regular meals like what I was used to. I treated it just like another day at the gym, in my head looked at it as another sparring session.

I made sure to not warm up too early, so started about 30 minutes before, doing light exercises, hitting pads, rolling getting all warm and ready. Then resting for about 10 minutes before they called me out, just visualizing everything from the walk down the aisle, cage entrance, planned strategy, victory celebration, exit back to the dressing room.

Once I got in, everything went exactly as planned until the ref started the fight. I was suprised when the kickboxer shot on me right away but pulled an armbar from guard in 22 seconds and the rest was just like I had visioned it.

erskine777 · 02-18-2008, 02:37 AM

to me the mental aspect of competing is just as tough as the physical part. I've been doing judo for around 10 years but I still get nervous before a match. What's helped me is two things. The first is to have faith in your training and conditioning. You've already put all the work in and there's nothing left but to reap the rewards. Second, you have to realize that a loss isn't that big a thing. Sure it sucks, but a loss is also the single greatest teaching tool you will ever have. Take what you can from your experience, win or loose, and evolve as a fighter.