Tournaphobia

Malcolmthebold · Post by **Malcolmthebold** » Thu May 07, 2009 3:29 pm

So no $#!^ there I was.

About a month ago we had the good honor of hosting his Majesty of Atenveldt and some of the finest knights in the land at out local event. I was determined to take advantage of the occasion and get some of the best fighting I have had this year. During the pick up fighting I put in a solid perfromance. I fought well, earned my fair share of kills, and even had some moments of greatness. By the end of the day some people were talking about how much the game in Windale had come up. It was a good day.

This weekend I was a partcipant in Queens Champion. It was a Swiss Three in weapon styles I am very familiar with. Round one I fell to an obvious thrust after getting to cocky. Round two I froze like a deer in the headlights and got hit harder than I have been in years. Round three I got out fought and cleft in twain.

the difference? the tournament word. in casual pick ups i seem to fight light years past what i can in a tournament, but the tournament is where my ability should be on showcase. my knight calls it my "tournaphobia" any suggestions on how to get past it?

maxntropy · Post by **maxntropy** » Thu May 07, 2009 3:46 pm

As related topics have come-up repeatedly in recent months -- focused more on plateaus and lack of focus and lack of intensity of concentration than a fear in tournaments, per se --, but I'll repost my prior summary post anyway (please note the links to the threads in the quote), as I think the material on focus and concentration is still appropriate regarding the issue of "tournaphobia":

But seriously, Rowan had started a thread called The Need to Dominate and Competitive Fighting which was based on a post in the thread On training: I'm Done vs. Exhaustion -- all of which generally described approaches to focus/concentration to get you to a mindframe of serious intent (intensity, or domination and ownership of the lists, if you will), which was further discussed in the thread Controlling Your Mind. The more often you fight with extreme intensity and ferocity, I believe the more you will push forward your technique and capabilities. If you fight comfortable (lazy, sloppy), you just aren't going to be pushing yourself forward.

Hope that proves of some value.

Max Von Halstern

Malcolmthebold · Post by **Malcolmthebold** » Thu May 07, 2009 4:08 pm

sorry if i am restating threads. search didn't turn up anything when i looked up tournaphobia. i have seen the other threads you are referring too, and even posted one of my own, but i was hoping the tournament specific portion of the question might turn some new stones.

tvetree · Post by **tvetree** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:25 pm

tournaphobia haven't heard that name for it.I used to suffer from this.I still have it ,now I just don't suffer from it.

The tournament mind set is not the same as pick ups or practice.Your not their to dance you are now trying to win.

But at pick ups and practice you are there for the dance.The need to win is just not the same.
I have not pushed myself to pass this point,It doesn't mean anything to me.(mostly because I'm not going to events).But to pass this point you need to treat every fight as if it was a tournament fight.After you have gone there you may have trouble turning the clock back.

Another thing to do is find fighters outside of the pond you play in,ask you fights at practice for a tourny fight.(carefully don't want to imply they haven't been giving you a good fight).

Late note: I'm basing this off of "My issues I've no ideal if this fits you but it sounds like it might" :wink:

sean of the chipendales · Thu May 07, 2009 5:49 pm

I went through that. It was pointed out that I was too afraid to lose.
By that I mean, I was so afraid of getting hit first, it paralyzed my reactions and did not let me see the fight, or react to targets. I hope that makes scense

Sean of the Chipendales

Dmitriy · Post by **Dmitriy** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:29 pm

Practice fighting in tournaments.

Seriously.

Make one practice a month a tournament practice. Do the full heraldic litany, and make sure everyone who participates knows it's for real, not just practice. In that tournament, as in every tournament, fight to win. If in your kingdom there are no side fights during a tournament, don't allow side fights. If you always salute the crown, salute it. Compete.

St. George · Post by **St. George** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:01 pm

Simply put- people fight differently in practice than in tournament.

You are running into this not only in your own personal performance and expectations on the tourney field vs practice field, but in that your opponents are fighting differently as well. Now that I am a bit out of practice, I lose quite a bit in practice, but I rarely lose in tournament (when I do fight in one), and I think have had some insight into this. I see this happening for several reasons:

1) At practice, I am practicing.

2) At practice, some of my opponents are practicing, others are fighting simply to beat me as they would in tournament.

3) People are willing to risk more in practice than in tournament, so they will go for shots or take chances in practice that they would NEVER take in tourney.

4) Timing is affected by "thought" in tourney that doesn't necessarily occur in practice- Sean describes this situation quite well above.

When I was younger, I used to also have more success at practice than in tournament- I would always stall out around the quarter finals. I realized I was able to beat some of the semi-finalists and finalists in practice, but not in tournament. I know am pretty sure that some of this had to do with the above situation- they were practicing, and I was not.

In short- don't worry about it and continue to practice.

Keep working on getting better, and eventually you will get over it.

g-

Kilkenny · Post by **Kilkenny** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:15 pm

tvetree wrote:tournaphobia haven't heard that name for it.I used to suffer from this.I still have it ,now I just don't suffer from it.

The tournament mind set is not the same as pick ups or practice.Your not their to dance you are now trying to win.

But at pick ups and practice you are there for the dance.The need to win is just not the same.

But, your tournament mind set shouldn't be all that different from your practice mind set. You should be there for the dance. That's what it is all about. The winning/losing part helps tell you how well you're dancing and the more you win in a tournament the more you get to dance.

Don't let the Tournament word change your head

It's just going out to hit people with sticks in one of the most fun games in the world - Enjoy it

There is truth in the observation that part of what happens is that people fight differently in practice than they do in tournaments. People fight differently in some tournaments than they do in others. There are people you may beat at practice, and may beat at ordinary tournaments, whom you may never touch in certain tournaments where they just crank it up to a whole different level.

None of that really matters

You just need to remember that it's fun. Relax, enjoy and instead of *trying*, just let it happen.

If you just fight your fight you'll be fine.

wcanne · Post by **wcanne** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:12 pm

Maybe we should have a tourney at the next practice.
If I'm there, I will be happy to help. Any other volunteers to marshal?

Dmitriy wrote:Practice fighting in tournaments.

Seriously.

Make one practice a month a tournament practice.

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:37 pm

Our local group (mine and Malcom the original poster) is doing one tournament a month now.

Armand d'Alsace · Post by **Armand d'Alsace** » Fri May 08, 2009 1:25 am

I have a similar problem. In my case, I deep down feel that 1. I don't actually deserve to win, and 2. That I need to prove myself in the list.

I believe that I've solved this problem now, and my approach was to look around, find the three biggest "threats" to my performance in the tourney and attaching "Damn this will be FUN, and HARD, and FUN" and wishing to being drawn against those fighters.

When I didn't get them, I went "Darn! but in that case I shall make THIS fight a FUN and HARD and FUN fight for _this_ opponent"

When I drew them, I went " YES!, Finally" This will be etc. etc.

This made me fight better _and_ have a great deal more fun, hopefully also _being_ more fun to fight than ever before.

The key was to stop fearing to lose and start hoping for the great challenge.

Siegfried Hrodulf · Post by **Siegfried Hrodulf** » Fri May 08, 2009 5:14 am

Having tournament practice works. Though for me the crucial thing has been helmet time. The more I am in armour the more it fighting becomes a routine, tournament are just another serious of fights so no stress.

Basicly what I'm saying is that fight fight fight, and it becomes like brushing your teeth. not very stresfull.

Jonny Deuteronomy · Post by **Jonny Deuteronomy** » Fri May 08, 2009 10:45 am

Pretend the tournament is a practice.
Tournament wins don't really matter any more than practice wins do when viewed from the REAL (mundane) world.
Try and have fun whenever and wherever you fight - this brings it's own rewards.

Malcolmthebold · Post by **Malcolmthebold** » Fri May 08, 2009 10:52 am

i think that being afraid to lose is my big problem (that may sound obvious) i have tried to up my game lately, and hopefully start earning the notice of the knights in our kingdom. unfortunatly it seems that in tournaments people are REALLY watching closely. it's almost like stage fright. i can tell when it's happening. i usually notice first that i am out of breath before the fight even starts. then it is like the little man in my head with the rolidex of moves and techniques (we all have one) suddenly speaks dutch. it's kind of like i am thinking too much if that makes sense. i suppose it dosen't help that i only do about half a dozen tournaments a year (something i have already begun to change by way of increased traveling schedule, heavy on tournaments.) mostly it just helps to know that i am not insane.

Jonny Deuteronomy · Post by **Jonny Deuteronomy** » Fri May 08, 2009 11:09 am

Malcolmthebold wrote:mostly it just helps to know that i am not insane.

Well now, don't get ahead of yourself... :wink:

Kilkenny · Post by **Kilkenny** » Fri May 08, 2009 12:05 pm

Malcolmthebold wrote:i think that being afraid to lose is my big problem (that may sound obvious) i have tried to up my game lately, and hopefully start earning the notice of the knights in our kingdom. unfortunatly it seems that in tournaments people are REALLY watching closely. it's almost like stage fright. i can tell when it's happening. i usually notice first that i am out of breath before the fight even starts. then it is like the little man in my head with the rolidex of moves and techniques (we all have one) suddenly speaks dutch. it's kind of like i am thinking too much if that makes sense. i suppose it dosen't help that i only do about half a dozen tournaments a year (something i have already begun to change by way of increased traveling schedule, heavy on tournaments.) mostly it just helps to know that i am not insane.

Of course you are thinking too much. Not only that, but you are thinking about the wrong things. When you step into the lists, establish for yourself a ritual. The purpose of this ritual is to block out all of the concerns about people watching, all of the thoughts about any need to win, all of the extraneous crap that does not belong in your mind when you are about to Fight.

It doesn't matter much what the ritual is, but it should be simple, take no more than a few seconds for you to complete and you should do it *every* time you take the field. Practice it as you practice all your other techniques.

Consider saying these words to yourself as you go through the motions of your ritual:

"At this moment I am here for one thing. I shall face this opponent with all of my skill. At this moment there is nothing else."

Your problem isn't one of fear, but of distraction

Leopold der Wolf · Post by **Leopold der Wolf** » Fri May 08, 2009 12:59 pm

I get nervous a bit in tourneys as well. Its a big difference from fighting one-on-ones with friends. Now you got about 80 people staring at you.

What I did to get over it was just think of it as a practice..but at 100% energy level.