A Question of Motivation - Black Belt - Jan '08

A Question of Motivation

By Dr. Randy Borum



Why do you participate in martial arts? Knowing the answer will likely determine your degree of success and how long you stay active in the sport. There is not a single correct answer, although some motivations certainly will serve your goals better than others.

Motivation is not only important for the “outcome” of how well you perform, but also for the “process” of getting there. It will affect which martial art you choose, how much you enjoy it, how often you will train, how much effort you will devote, how you will handle setbacks, and how you will persist when it gets tough or things aren’t going your way.

What you think and how you feel about participating in a martial art is driven largely by how you interpret, understand or explain your experience. They are attributions – the explanations we create for ourselves about how and why things happen the way they do. Sport psychologists point to three kinds of attributions that will affect motivation.

The first category of attribution is stability – whether your performance was caused by some factor or condition that is stable (or permanent) or unstable (or temporary). Imagine, for example, you are rehearsing a complex kata to prepare for an upcoming belt test, but you consistently make mistakes. You might decide your poor performance is due to a relatively stable factor – like lack of coordination or athleticism – or an unstable factor – like not having sufficient practice or being tired.

The second category of attribution is locus of causality - whether your performance was caused by something you did (internal) – like devoting extra time to practice - or by something external to you (external) – like your instructor being in a bad mood on test day.

The third category concerns the locus of control - whether your performance resulted from something you control – like your preparation – or something beyond your control, like a slippery mat. Your attributions are important because they affect your emotional response to past performance and your expectations for future success.

Psychologists often talk about motivations being intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards are those that come from inside ourselves, like feelings of accomplishment or fun. Extrinsic motivators are rewards given to us- such as prize money, belts, trophies or praise - for our participation or performance. Top athletes in nearly every sport possess a high degree of intrinsic motivation. They may also receive abundant extrinsic rewards, but if those become the primary reason for competing, it can suck some of their enjoyment right out of the sport. A fire needs to burn from within. But different fires produce different kinds of light.

In the 1980s, there was a surge of research in sport psychology on "achievement goal theory." Researchers found two main dimensions of achievement motivation in sports. They are commonly referred to as Task Orientation and Ego Orientation. Those with a high task orientation are motivated by feeling really competent at what they do, giving their best effort, and by constantly improving their skills. Those with a high ego orientation are motivated mainly by feeling they are better than others, showing their ability, and by the outcome of winning.

This is not an all-or-nothing distinction, but most athletes – particularly those who compete - o tend to lean more heavily to one than the other. The worst case is to be low on both dimensions. In some studies, athletes high on both have tended to be the highest achievers. As a martial artist, instructor or coach, knowing and monitoring the balance of goal orientations can pay huge dividends in training and in competition.

British Sport Psychologist Chris Harwood offers a set of statements based on existing sport questionnaires as a rough guide to assess your own achievement goal profile:

When do you feel most successful in your sport?

• - When I'm the only one who can do a certain skill
• - When I'm the best
• - When others mess up and I don't
• - When I'm clearly superior
• - When others can't do as well as me

Athletes with a high level of ego orientation, tend to agree strongly with the statements above. Those with a high task orientation tend to register strong agreement with statements such as these:

• - When I work really hard
• - When I perform to the best of my ability
• - When a skill I learn really feels right
• - When I show clear personal improvement
• - When I overcome difficulties

Here's another way to look at it: when you read the following two sets of words, which one immediately appeals to you more:

• - Learning, Improvement, Mastery

• - Winning, Ability, Superiority

The first set of words obviously relates more to task orientation, while the second is more resonant with ego orientation. The question is not so much whether you have a preference, but whether that preference is balanced in favor of your performance.

Having – or developing - a strong task orientation has some real advantages for the martial artist looking to excel. Research shows that task-oriented athletes are more confident, less anxious, have a more stable appraisal of their sport skills and abilities, set more challenging goals, and are more persistent in adverse circumstances.

From a coach's perspective, developing task orientation is worth the investment because it will cause a martial artist to more actively seek and better use instruction and feedback. Though temperament and early sport experiences may predispose a martial artist to lean in the direction of either ego- or task-orientation, these motivations also can be cultivated in training. Coaches, teammates, and training partners – even the overall atmosphere of a school or of a competition– can affect a martial artist’s perception of rewards, reactions, and sport-related values. These factors shape what sport psychologists call the motivational climate.

Remember why you first started training in martial arts, and reflect now, on why you continue. Let your motivation align with your goals.

Mental Training for Martial Art: Black Belt Magazine- Dec 07

Black Belt –“Mental Training for Combat Sports” Column for December issue

By Dr. Randy Borum



“The possession of anything begins in the mind” – Bruce Lee

As a martial artist, you want to improve, right? Have you searched desperately for the “secret” to unlock your potential and take you game to the next level? Well….there is no secret…not really. But there are some proven strategies for boosting your performance. And I’m not just talking about training harder or practicing more. If you are looking for a new dimension to your training, you might consider working the mental side of your game.

Psychologists started studying sports behavior in the late 1800s to explore factors and conditions that affect performance. Any martial artist, boxer, or fighter who has ever competed or had to defend him or herself knows that victory requires more than good technique. Physical skills are necessary for successful performance. No question. But in a competitive or threatening environment, your ability to focus, to regulate your physiological arousal, and to manage your fears and self-doubts are critical.

Mental factors are equally important in your training. Learning to execute proper technique on a punch, kick, takedown or submission requires a foundation of neural pathways between your brain and your muscles. Mental practice – much like physical practice - can facilitate those pathways. You can practice and improve even when you are not in the gym or dojo. You can learn to get past sticking points in your mastery of a new move and enhance your ability apply it in different situations.

Applied sport psychology is a relatively new area of practice, but elite martial artists have practiced the fundamental principles and skills for centuries. Consider, for example, the following quotes from the legendary Bruce Lee, considered by many to be one of the greatest martial artists of all time:

“Do not be tense, just be ready, not thinking but not dreaming, not being set but being flexible. It is being "wholly" and quietly alive, aware and alert, ready for whatever may come.”

Lee is talking here about a martial artist’s ability to manage anxiety and to control one’s physiological arousal, particularly under pressure. He describes a particular state of mind and body that is optimal for his performance, but in reality, that peak state varies from one fighter to another. The “zone” – as some athlete’s call it – or state of “flow” is not necessarily the same for everyone. This means that fighters and martial artists must determine what fits for them, not just try to copy what works for others. And they must be able to alter that intensity by ramping up or calming down as necessary.

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

Having faith in oneself – Lee knew – is critical for successful performance. It is easy to know that you have learned a move, combination or technique, but have doubts about your ability to execute it effectively when you are under attack. In a match or fight many things can happen to undermine your confidence. But without confidence, you may find it difficult to follow a game plan, to use good technique and to make good decisions. Self-confidence, self-faith – or what psychologists call self-efficacy - is the cornerstone of making your mind work FOR you in motor skill performance.

“As you think, so shall you become.”

Our thoughts are both causes and consequences of our actions. Sometimes we try to tell ourselves what to think. At other times, thoughts – often negative thoughts – seem to intrude. Bruce Lee’s quote here is quite similar to a Biblical proverb: "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 3:27). The notion has been around for quite some time. If you are going to perform complex skills under pressure, you must learn how to eliminate thoughts that distract you and promote thoughts and self-talk that support your best performance.

"One great cause of failure is lack of concentration."

In a combat sport competition, it is easy to get distracted. Negative thoughts on the inside, your opponent and the environment on the outside, all compete for your attention. Even a brief loss of focus can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Lee underscored the point, calling it a “great cause of failure.” Martial artists and fighters must be able to direct their attention in the right way, where it is needed, at the right time for optimal performance.

“When performing the movements, always use your imagination. Picture your adversary attacking, and use Jeet Kune-Do techniques in response to this imagined attack.”

Mental imagery – or visualization – is one of the most powerful tools in a competitor’s arsenal. It can be used to develop motor skills, to self-monitor, and to prepare for competition. It combines the mental, emotional and physical elements of your performance. But there is more to effective imagery that just picturing your hand being raised at the end of a fight.

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

As a masterful teacher, Bruce Lee realized that goals chart a course for success. Sport psychology research shows that challenging – but achievable - goals improve performance and produce results. Clear, measurable goals enhance motivation. Goals should not just be focused on an outcome – like winning - but also on performance and mastery of a particular skill.

As sport psychology researchers and martial art Masters have shown, arousal regulation, confidence building, positive self-talk, focus, mental imagery, and goal setting are some of the foundations of a fighter or martial artist’s mental game. What many don’t realize, however, is that these are all skills. Like any skills, some individuals have more natural talent than others, but almost every one can improve with practice. In the coming months, in this new Black Belt Magazine column, we will tackle these and other topics to help you take your martial art, competition, or fight game to the next level.