Frustration and Training.

"Often we measure the path to greatness in successes and failures. We rejoice in the things we have accomplished and bury the things we have failed at. Can we succeed in failing?"


After a hearty chat about the positive aspects of failure.  Failure to perform a blow properly, loss in fights, etc...the conversation picked back up on the topic of frustration at our last training session.  My squire brother and I were practicing combination drills on the pel with varying degrees of success.  About half way through my second set I was getting very frustrated by the drill.  My knight took the time to point out that this wasn't a negative thing.  Getting to the point of frustration in a practice environment brings you up against your mental fortitude and provides the opportunity to work through the problem in an coach-able environment.

Last night at practice I realized that my lack of explosive power often comes from mind set rather than physical ability.  At practice I tend to think more about how I am performing rather than clicking into fighting mode right away.  To combat this I've decided to fight fewer fights over all.  I'll fight hard with each person about 5 times before clicking into training mode.  This way I can teach myself to trust my instincts more, think less and act more, and adapt to the flow of the fight rather than just think about it.