I know there's threads about this elsewhere, but my issues just don't seem to be going away.
Who here has tackled anxiety before class and won?
If I don't keep my mind occupied on training days, I'll get anxiety and feel my adrenalin kick in. I don't understand why this is still happening. I've trained with these guys for a long time. I'm a purple belt and have around 8 years of experience. But, as my life at home has gotten busier with family, I am feeling I want to just go home instead of training after work.
It is really starting to take the fun out of BJJ for me. Once all the rounds are over, win, lose or draw I am fine. But the apprehensiveness before class is really playing games with my head.
I think this is a bigger problem in training than most people admit.
Probably, you have a some level of phobia when it comes to being held down against your will and dealing with the fear of not being able to breath freely.
Do you feel this way after you're heart and lungs warm up completely or just in the beginning part of class?
Do you feel panic when you're being held down or the sensation that you can't breathe?
I occasionally get anxiety walking up the stairs or into the gym, when you first get hit with the "gym smell".
I have been getting hit with "gym smell" since age six at the Tae Kwon Do dojo.
As I slowly trod up the stairs I remember this isn't my first day, and I know what to expect.
I liken it to when I was 16 and me and my boys were headed to the club. We were all a nervous anxious wreck. We went every weekend. Why were we nervous? It was only in the ride there, and only when we were half way there.
Seems like our brain ramps up anxiousness before we do something a little risky that we like.
Good luck, and I think as with most things in Jiu Jitsu, if you just keep showing up, this will pass. Or you will pass.. Lol get it?!?! Who knows maybe you'll end up helping someone with this issue someday.
8 years with this crew, just go and look for your friends, let the rest take care of itself.
I dealt with that for about as many years as you. That feeling dissipated the more I worked my way up the food chain - specifically as my open guard & passing improved- and eventually found my self attending "community open-mats", which become very popular in recent years. This really helped secure my confidence and promoted peer-building relations with people outside my gym. Maybe age and and humor helps too.
It go through something similar. I never experienced it when I trained four and five times a week for four hours at a time. I started having anxiety when the family came and the obligations that come along started to pull me away from training. The last couple of years I haven't been able to train much, first it was surgery for a torn pec and then I got a new job that demanded much more of my time and mental capacity. I would say that I train once a week if I'm lucky. Many times I could have probably trained but I lost the internal battle with myself. I think it the fear of losing and looking bad. I'm a out of shape black belt that struggles to keep up. It fucks with my head.
Recently, in the last month, I've been "getting in shape. Hope it helps out. Also making the most out of the time with the family and not just wasting time on the couch, seems to also help. The other thing I find helpful is to announce my intention of training out load to the whole family so that everyone's expectations of that afternoon are in line.
i found that odd when a few of the people at the gym used to tell me that they got real nervous and shit before class.
what i noticed the most from these people was that they all had a certain level of ego about them, almost like a chip on shoulder because they had to prove that they were as good on the mat as they were in everyday life.
most were quite successful in their day jobs, but fucking sucked at grappling
one guy works at google, drives a porsche, quite high up actually, nice enough guy. but he sucks grappling. whenever he would get his ass beat, he would pout and shit, make excuses. it was mind blowing really.
Anxiety is usually related to having expectations. You feel pressure to represent your belt, or to perform at a certain (possibly unrealistic) level. You feel like you have to get a certain number of taps, or to deny being tapped, especially by certain individuals (possibly even lower level ones that give you trouble). You feel like your instructor is watching you, and if you fail you're letting him and yourself down. It turns into a mental burden, one that creates doubt and anxiety.
The key to stopping anxiety is killing all expectations and being 100% OK with tapping to anyone, even white belts--even when your instructor is watching. No expectations means being willing to let go of positions early, and not getting stuck in grind-out battles. It means training playfully, with a more carefree game.
When you train purely for the joy of training and for self-improvement with no expectations beyond having fun and getting a workout, then there's really no reason to feel anxious. Training becomes something you look forward to.
And a funny thing usually happens: You end up doing better than you did before. The key to great performance is to be relaxed and in the moment. Anxiety is the enemy of that.
I still feel this from time to time. Especially when traveling and training. Not so much at my own club.
MMA sparring or boxing still freaks me out to the extent that sometimes I sit in my car and don't wanna go. But ya gotta do what you gotta do and as soon as the rounds start im perfectly fine. Like most things in life. The hardest part is having the balls to stand up and do something in the first place. No reward without putting yourself out there.
"Once all the rounds are over, win, lose or draw "
You mind set about the rounds are all wrong if you're even thinking win, lose, draw...
Do yourself a favor and change the dynamic of the roll so that it'll be more difficult to think of it in those terms.
Tell your training partner that you'd like to work on escapes or something...or some other positions..preferably one which is considered more of a "losing" position. Just something that would make it more difficult to think about winning or losing.
I used to get it every time I had boxing that day. Then I'd get to class and be fine until the coach would shout out, 'CursedHand, glove up for sparring', then I'd get the adrenaline dump again.Weirdly, it's actually beneficial in a way, as when I had matches for real the feeling of nervousness was about the same and I knew I could go out and perform under pressure because I'd done it loads of times before.Also, if you're training for self defence and never have any anxiety or adrenaline in practice, you're gonna have a horrible shock when it kicks off for real and you get all the adrenaline hit you, so maybe just accept it and be grateful for it.
JamesH - I occasionally get anxiety walking up the stairs or into the gym, when you first get hit with the "gym smell".
I have been getting hit with "gym smell" since age six at the Tae Kwon Do dojo.
As I slowly trod up the stairs I remember this isn't my first day, and I know what to expect.
I liken it to when I was 16 and me and my boys were headed to the club. We were all a nervous anxious wreck. We went every weekend. Why were we nervous? It was only in the ride there, and only when we were half way there.
Seems like our brain ramps up anxiousness before we do something a little risky that we like.
Good luck, and I think as with most things in Jiu Jitsu, if you just keep showing up, this will pass. Or you will pass.. Lol get it?!?! Who knows maybe you'll end up helping someone with this issue someday.
8 years with this crew, just go and look for your friends, let the rest take care of itself.
Same - I used to get that nervous feeling going to the pub too. Used to rty and get into pubs from about the age of 15 so was always nervous going past the bouncers in case I got ID'd. Even when I was old enough to drink, I'd still feel anxious on a night out because my brain had held on to that association.
"Once all the rounds are over, win, lose or draw "
You mind set about the rounds are all wrong if you're even thinking win, lose, draw...
Do yourself a favor and change the dynamic of the roll so that it'll be more difficult to think of it in those terms.
Tell your training partner that you'd like to work on escapes or something...or some other positions..preferably one which is considered more of a "losing" position. Just something that would make it more difficult to think about winning or losing.
This.
When you're in the gym, with your own team, it's about improving, not competing.
I definitely understand work and a family taking up more time. I don't know if I would call it anxiety per se, but I understand what you are getting at. What I've done is since January, every month I just focus on one technigue or concept. If people are catching me I don't care because I am consciously working on something. It makes me feel like I am better utilizing my time.
