“Sword and mind must be united. Technique by itself is insufficient, and spirit alone is not enough.” – Yamada Jirokichi (1863-1930)
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One of the most important benefits of martial arts training is that it teaches practitioners how to maintain focus.
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Martial arts has a lot to do with our mental state in order to reap its full potential. A calm and more focused martial artist is usually more effective than one that is distracted. This sort of mental development also has benefits outside the dojo too.
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When we start to think about something stressful, our amygdala, a section of the brain located in the temporal lobe, goes into action. The amygdala, simply put, is the part of our brain that is responsible for our emotional responses, especially fear. It is great for preparing for threats or competition, but sometimes it kicks in to action and detects a threat where there really isn’t any.
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Thankfully, we can use techniques to break out of this vicious cycle. One such technique is called “grounding”. By re-focusing on your body and what you’re physically feeling, either in your body or in your surroundings, you get out of your head and divert your mind away from anxious or stressful thoughts and into the moment.
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Here are a few grounding techniques that work for me.
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Sit down in a comfortable chair, one where your feet reach the floor. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Breathe in slowly for the count of five, then out slowly. Bring your mind’s focus to your body. How does your body feel sitting in that chair?
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This next technique gets you to use all your five senses to help you to get back to the present. It starts with you sitting comfortably, close your eyes and taking a couple of deep breathes. Now open your eyes and look around you.
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Think or speak of 5 things you can see ….. Next…. 4 things you can feel (your skin, the texture of the material on your chair, clothing)… Next… 3 things you can hear (traffic noise, birds outside, your own breath)……
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The next two are a little more difficult.. 2 things you can smell… and finally. 1 thing you can taste (you can always leave your chair for this one), or if you can’t taste anything try to imagine your favorite thing to taste…… Take a deep breath to end. Repeat if necessary.
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Remember that as a martial artist, the mental aspect of training is just as important as the physical one. Meditation, self-reflection, grounding, these are just some of the techniques that we can use to improve and strengthen our mind. 
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