Adrenaline can be a great resource when it comes protecting yourself from harm or martial arts sparring. After all, we’ve all heard the expression, “I was running on adrenaline,” when it came to pushing yourself to the limit and triumphing in adverse circumstances.
While a healthy dose of adrenaline can be a good thing, there also are times when too much adrenaline can backfire, negatively effecting your ability to properly focus and even causing you to use too much force. In other words, there are times when too much adrenaline can drastically impede your ability to excel in the martial arts.
If you have trouble keeping your stress level—and the corresponding burst of adrenaline that accompanies it—under control, you are not alone. Many individuals, especially those in the early stages of martial arts training, have the same problem. Thankfully there are some tried-and-true methods for controlling your body’s response to adrenaline that will allow you to perform the way you need to.
- Controlled Breathing. There is a natural tendency to hold your breath or breathe in short, rapid bursts when you are under stress. This, in turn, causes an even greater spike in adrenaline. When sparring, it helps to breathe out during strikes, throws and similar moves. If you have time before any sort of engagement in which you think you will become stressed, take long deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Raising your arms up as you breathe in and down as you breathe out also will increase the amount of air you breathe in and help you to remain calm.
- Mental Imagery. When you have the time, mental imagery can help calm you down. Counting backwards or visualizing a relaxing scene are two common ways to combat an unsafe surge of adrenaline. If it doesn’t present a danger, closing your eyes will help enhance the practice of mental imagery.
- Word Association. Select a word that you associate with calm. The key to this exercise is to use the word throughout the day (when you are not experiencing stress) so it becomes like second nature. Every hour or two, breathe deeply and repeat your word. This will make it easier for you to call on that word when you come under stress.
An adrenaline rush can be a good thing and, in some cases, may even save your life. The key is to control how much you produce and make sure you use it constructively.