We live in a society where there are many stimuli in the public. We have social media, flashing screens, and bright posters that distract us from where we need to be. How do you catch a ball? You watch the ball into your hands, whether it is a baseball, basketball, or football. The moment you take your eyes off the ball, and try to go to the next move without finishing the task, is when you drop the ball. Don't drop the ball in fitness. This blog will discuss calmness and focus in the storm, and how we can apply it to fitness.
Karate students learn quickly, if they don’t focus on the person in front of them throwing punches and kicks at them, they will get hit. Go to any traditional martial arts and watch the Sensei and the students. Students focus on what is going on in front of them. Students trust their Sensei that no one is going to come in and cause them harm, while they are practicing focus. This diligence to focus and presence is what makes karate students unique.
Total 360 adds another level to this type of training. We have distraction classes, multiple group training near each other, and repetitive exercises to train students to stay focused.
Another important aspect of focus is calmness. Remaining calm plays a factor in the success of sparring and self-defense. Karate practitioners want to end an altercation as quickly as possible, with the least amount of strikes. To accomplish this your mind and body must be calm and focused.
When the mind is calm, accurate decisions are easier to make, whether blocking, talking your way out of the situation, or identifying the target you wish to strike. Distractions cause delays in thinking, which can cause a delay in your reaction. Delays in self-defense mean the difference between getting hit and not getting hit. Delays in response in fitness cause you to miss the ball, turn when your feet are not set (injury-inducing), or your opponent passes you.
When the body is calm, the signals to the brain can transmit faster and invigorate the area that needs to respond. Tension slows you down in reactions. Calmness is what makes us smooth and fast. The stillness of our balance determines our ability to react.
Let’s shift the gears for a minute. First responders are an occupation of jobs where they are taught to be calm and focused in a storm. They go into situations, usually on the worst day of someone’s life, or the worst circumstances, and are expected to react, treat and disarm a situation. First responders spend hours working on scenarios with distractions like yelling, screaming, and music, to be able to keep their focus on what needs to happen. Let's take this type of training and bring it to fitness. Try this next time you are working out, what does it feel like to be focused on that rep, the next footstep, the breath? Watch as your focus and calmness increase your results in your goals, life, and success.