What is Sport Psychology?

Sport psychology teaches methods to help athletes improve their performance.  Such methods focus on managing intensity levels, enhancing physical skills through mental training, and developing confidence and focus.

Why is Mental Training Important for Martial Arts?

To excel in the martial arts, the martial artist needs to be both physically and mentally prepared.  The martial artist must have discipline, confidence, focus, and self-control.  Although most students will develop these skills eventually through their physical training, psychological skills training provides a more effective and efficient means of learning.

How are these Skills Useful in Life?

The psychological skills are not just about enhancing performance in athletics, but they have many applications to other aspects of life.  The skills help with stress management, with developing life goals and follow-through, with focusing on any task that is undertaken, and with approaching life’s challenges with confidence.

How can I Learn These Skills?

The Martial Arts Center is unique in providing a Sports PsychSkills training program taught by a licensed psychologist, Monica A. Frank, Ph.D. 

On Wednesdays from 7:PM to 8:PM, the Sport PsychSkills class will provide in-depth training to enhance overall performance by using kata.  The katas are ideal for the application of mental training as they require concentration, attention to detail, and perfecting physical skills.  This training is not just for students interested in performing katas in competition.  The physical and mental discipline and conditioning required to perform the katas well will also aid with improving sparring and self-defense skills. The class will also teach focus and visualization techniques as applied to sparring and self-defense.  Students will learn to challenge negative thinking and to develop a plan for sparring whether their interest is competitive or for self-defense.

What Skills are taught?

Students will be taught to manage intensity level so as to perform with an optimal level of intensity.  Breathing, muscle relaxation, thought control, and imagery skills are some of the methods used to help regulate intensity level.

Imagery skills, or visualization, will aid the student with enhancing performance.  These skills will be combined with the physical skills training so there will be an active component to each class.

Confidence and discipline will be developed through identifying and challenging negative self-talk.  Students will also learn to develop individual goals and a plan for performance.