Concentration

Sometimes I find it difficult to concentrate when I have a lot of things going on at once in my life. Most recently, for example, I found it difficult to concentrate at judo training when I was preparing and studying for my exams. A lack of concentration at training ultimately means that you will not get the most out of your training session. This is because distractions such as fatigue, anxiety, negative thoughts etc detract fro your ability to perform effectively or efficiently. A lapse in concentration at judo training can be particularly damaging during randori. For example, failing to execute a technique properly during randori could result in your opponent countering your technique or even in injury in the worst case scenario.

A useful tip to stay focussed on a particular goal or task at hand is to use a “trigger”. This could be a word or physical action which helps refocusses your concentration on what you want to achieve. At the moment, for example, I am trying to improve my footwork and footspeed so at the beginning of each randori I do a few scissor jumps to remind myself to stay light on my feet.

So perhaps next time you are finding it difficult to concentrate, take it back a step and think carefully about what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it. Try using a strategy like “trigger” words or actions to help refocus your thoughts on your goal or task at hand. It may just work for you!