The last thing you think about when sparring is relaxing! Your heart races, you may feel competitive, excited, and so on versus kicking up your feet and relaxing. Perhaps one of the greatest martial arts training tips you can ever get is to simply relax and this is because you will gain many benefits from this. Let’s observe some of those benefits which will convince you that when it comes to martial arts, your fight will be enhanced when remaining calm.
When you relax you will not be using up so much of your energy versus being tense and even having some anxiety. You will without a doubt be able to go much longer with staying relaxed. Consider some of the greats such as Chuck Liddell or Sugar Ray Leonard. These fighting professionals were able to fight well into their 40s and still had energy. Why is that? Because they knew how to relax!
Being relaxed will also allow better flow of punches. They will go smoother, quicker, and ultimately lead to more power. A great way to picture this or compare this is to think of a whip. With a simple hand motion, the end of the whip can do a lot of damage because of its strength. Just like a whip, your punches will also “snap” so to speak, because they have power and are quick.
Lastly, defending yourself will also be improved when you remain relaxed. Instead of being overwhelmed with anxiety that can literally take you over, you will not be so vulnerable. It has been shown with people who have anxiety when fighting that they have a development of tunnel vision not allowing them to see all around. In martial arts, you certainly do not want this! You want to be able to relax which allows for better movement, better bobbing, better pivoting, and overall, you will move far more smoothly.
The next question is how exactly do you relax while training? First, take deep breathes whenever you can. This will help to get rid of nervousness. It will prevent panicking and anxiety. Also, stay as confident as possible in your abilities. If you are unsure you will question yourself making you extremely nervous at what is presented in front of you. Tell yourself that you are better than your opponent and believe it!
Once you realize how helpful relaxing can be to your martial arts ability, you will notice quite a positive difference. While you may want to lean the other way and remain intense, this will not help your game. Breathe, be confident, and just relax!
The Martial Arts Training System
This lethal combination of mixed martial arts is second to none, It doesn’t matter if you’re fit or out of shape…or whether you’ve had martial arts training before or not – this training can take you to the next level and it can to it fast!
