Focus on What You Want and Not What You Want to Avoid

Have you ever studied a rival’s game at a competition, figured out all of his/her tricks but ended up falling into their game and losing anyway?

Do you have a training partner you can easily deal with, but never seem to tap them?

Do these situations leave you scratching your head, embarrassed, frustrated and wondering what the fridge-magnet is going on?

Obviously, there could be a number of factors in play here:

1. You could be a little delusional when it comes to your level
2. You could be underestimating your opponent
3. Maybe you just suck

OR

4. Maybe you’re approaching the game with the wrong mindset.

Maybe, you’re focusing too much on what you don’t want to happen, and not enough on what you specifically do want to happen.

Part 1: The Downfall of Not Focusing on What You Want

Ok, so the clarify this a little bit more, I’m not talking about those times you think to yourself:

“Oh, I’m not good enough.”

Or

“I don’t deserve to be here, these other people are so much better than me. I’m going to get killed.”

No, the mindset we are concerned with here is the voice in your head saying,

“All I have to do is stop X from happening and everything will be sweet.”

And this is the attitude that pushes you away from your success in a match.

Focusing on your opponent’s strengths, more than your own, changes the goal of the situation

If you have a great guillotine and you feel confident in winning using it, you can go into the match with a clear idea of how to win and the path you will take to get there.

But,

Knowing your opponent has a killer berimbolo, and ONLY focusing on reducing its potential of occurring, is a sure fire way to also reduce the potential of your guillotine occurring.

Now, I’m definitely not suggesting you never pay attention or address your opponent’s strengths, far from it, that would be suicide.

What I am suggesting is you use that knowledge as an accessory to your goal - the goal chopping your opponent’s head off with your guillotine.

Focusing all of your efforts on their wily berimbolo attack may provide you with a momentary stay of execution, but it doesn’t always provide you with an opening to your guillotine.

It does however allow your opponent to continually attempt their special move. And the more attempts they have during the match the higher their probability of success becomes.

Part 2: Rectify Your Thought Process 

The trick is to acknowledge the danger, but never obsess over it.

Think how this would work in a scenario outside of the mats.

It’s safe to say, you probably drive a car or at least ride in one as a passenger.

Knowing the threat and probability of being in an accident, you to take the proper precautions to protect yourself and go on your merry way towards your destination

Now, if you were to obsess so much about being in an accident, you’re mind wouldn’t be able to think of anything else.

Every other person on the road would ignite a feeling of danger inside you. So much so, you'd probably never get in a car, or even walk near a car, ever again

This is like obsessing about your opponent’s strength while grappling.

Rather than set yourself up with the goal of avoiding a loss, set yourself up to win.

Goal of Match:

Don’t get caught in a berimbolo                =          BAD

 

Cut their head off with my guillotine         =        GREAT