Letting go of Self-Consciousness

[randymaga1krav]

Any advice on letting go of self-consciousness while training. I try to just focus on what I am doing, but sometimes self-consciousness creeps in.

R

[mara-jade]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

Yeah I’ve been there – you wonder if you’re doing it right, if everyone’s watching you, you might think you’re way more out of shape than everyone else. It’s NOT a race – everyone starts at different levels.

After the first couple of classes, that got out of my system. Out in the street, the attacker has NO idea if you’re doing it right or not. Your priority is to defend yourself and get the heck out of there.

My self consciousness for me right now comes from feeling like I’m taking way too long to pass level 3. Life’s gotten in the way, injuries, etc and I tell myself the same thing – it’s not a race. Heck, I know some who’ve quit and never came back. So over 4 years later I’m still at my center, so I can’t be doing THAT bad if I’m still paying them to beat the crap out of me:beer:

[kirk]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

No need to be self-conscious everyone else is concentrating of sucking wind and trying not to puke! LOL

[bracius]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

Oh, let’s never let go of being self-consciousness. In fact I strongly encourage it. If you will allow me, here is a list of things you might want to be self-consciousness about in Krav Maga:

1) Am I putting in a 100 and krav percent?
2) Am I sweating buckets
3) Have I pushed myself to my physical and mental boundaries
4) Am I being so intense that I make weird faces and scares my training partner
5) Is my battle cry loud
6) If I have to fart in class….will it be to Krav standards?

[randymaga1krav]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

Thanks for the encouragement. I should just focus on learning to save my life and protect my self rather than what I look like doing a thechniqe, or what others think.

Thanks

[jesse]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

If you can think about anyone else other than yourself and your partner, one of two things is happening. You haven’t started yet…or you’re not working hard enough. rofl2 I notice other people in class normally only during breaks or if they’re asking a question. Then again that may just be a function of how badly I’m bent over sucking wind every time I get a chance.

[uncleruckus]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

quote Bracius:

6) If I have to fart in class….will it be to Krav standards?

bow1

I’m pretty self-conscious by nature, but for some reason in Krav I’ve never really cared too much. It might be because I’m so tired the only things I seem to think are “water!!!” and “ok, it’s been 30 seconds!!!!!”

Try relaxing as much as possible before or while doing a drill. It’s natural to tense up before punching/kicking/defenses. It takes a lot of concentration to relax your muscles. If you focus on that, maybe it’ll help distract yourself until it’s not a big deal anymore.

[bracius]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

quote randymaga1krav:

Thanks for the encouragement. I should just focus on learning to save my life and protect my self rather than what I look like doing a thechniqe, or what others think.
Thanks

Alright, I think we got off on the wrong foot on this one. You asked for advise of letting go of self-consciousness during training.

What I was trying to get across in my normal jovial manner is that your personal safety AND your ability to perform Krav Maga is directly linked to you ability to let go of what other people think and to actually be conscious of yourself. What I am talking about is being conscious of the intensity display. The eternal Krav question is “Did I bring it?” Did I bring that balls to the walls, ape-$h*t aggression that it takes to drive my knee hard enough into that 220 muscle freek that is high on PCP and collapse his lungs?

When it comes to saving your life and your personal protection then how hard you fight is just as important as how well your techinque is. No attacker is going to make fun of you for getting red in the face and having some grostqe facial expression. Its probablly the opposite. If you can unleash the monster inside of you when you are attacked then your odds of surviving rise dramatically. It starts in Krav Maga class

If you read down my weird little list you’ll see it is squarly aimed at intensity and bring your own high standards to class. Even the dumb farting comment….which happens. Hey, if I get a dude in class and he is putting everything he has into the bag and lets a couple slip then he has my respect. I am not going to make fun of him or look down on him. Exactly the opposite. I have a lot of respect for the people that drive themselves to standards so hard that they have to puke or let a fart out or two.

Krav hard, fight hard, fart hard.

[bracius]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

quote UncleRuckus:

EA Mobile Software Engineer

Like Electronic Arts?

If so…… YOU BASTAGES KILL EARTH AND BEYOND! DEVIL COMPANY!

ok, I’m done rofl2

[uncleruckus]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

Lol yup, although not quite the same department.

[nickolas-cook]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

Do what you gotta do to get the techniques down. Seriously, screw what you think you might look like to others in the room. Work hard. Sweat like a farm animal. Wrench your face up, scream when you hit, scare the be-jesus out of the class. But learn the techniques.

[cearball]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

quote Bracius:

6) If I have to fart in class….will it be to Krav standards?

lol This is a often seldom used tool to help creat distance while dealing with multiple opponents rofl2

[uncleruckus]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

Let this be a lesson to me to be careful what I laugh at. I took my first test this past Saturday at the Sherman Oaks studio (which was a pretty hellish experience). I popped one of those power-bar energy shot gel thingies and was elated that it didn’t completely taste like creamy feet like I expected. While it didn’t mess with my stomach too badly, it happened to play with it enough to give me just enough of that rumbly feeling to think of this thread and start laughing. So a sincere thank you for the happy thoughts while getting worked at the exam. :beer:

Edit: The test was hellish, not the Sherman Oaks studio

[pugnax88]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

Having just read this thread, I’m glad I joined this forum. The techniques I’ve learned so far are very similar to what I’ve learned in MMA, so the techniques are there, but the aggression isn’t as much. I’ll be taking this thread’s message with me next time i go to class. Thanks y’all.

To the OP: good topic

[maddogmean]

Re: Letting go of Self-Consciousness

Everyone starts out the same. Just know that everyone…even instructors are constantly learning and evolving.

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