Hi ... I work with a small group of tkd athletes in sport psychology and am doing a bit of research. I am curious to know what people think about taekwondo sport psychology. Has anyone tried it? Did you like it? Was it helpful? Would you recommend it? Thoughts in general?
I'm interested in what you mean by sport psychology with TKD athletes. What does it normally involve?
Hi Liero! TKD sport psychology focuses on helping the athlete stay grounded so they can enter their zone and manage their emotions. Many athletes struggle with fear, confidence, and anger which often prevent them from performing at the top of their game. We also work with coaches to help them understand how they can better train their athletes while helping them manage emotions and maintain focus and performance. In martial arts, meditation is common. We have created specific meditations that help athletes address different emotions as well as combat visualizations to help them get more 'ring time' and used to fighting different types of people. Does this answer your question?
I think sport psychology principles play a MASSIVE role in all combat sports. I used them in my TKD club instructor days, even more so now as a national-level Karate coach. The minds of athletes are incredible things - your choice of words can either give them Hulk-like mental strength or destroy them like a freight train smashing through a house built from Lego blocks. As a player-coach I've seen and been on the receiving end of both these extremes. Mental training is as important as any coaching session or nutritional advice. My opinion is one cannot coach successfully without it.
It's what makes a great trainer. Understanding their athletes. This is the same only with that there book learning
Absolutely, true! The coaches who use sport psychology are so much more effective with their athletes. Their athletes tend to like them even more, too
I compete in taekwondo and work in a clinical psychological setting. I'm always interested in integration of the two. what resources etc have people found useful?
We provide the sport psychology for USAT athletes and have a number of products and services. I tell people who are looking to compete to meditate so they can calm their emotions and clear their heads. Link removed.Some people also use different mental strategies based on the challenges they face when they compete so it depends and varies quite a bit. Please read the rules regarding advertising.
