The Super Mental Training Book (33 page)

Yothers contends that he rarely uses visualization during play, but that he occasionally employs it during the 1-2 minutes allowed between games. Notes Yothers, "During the match you really don't have that much time to visualize because you're pretty much concentrating on the game. The visualization supposedly has already done its work." This observation is in accord with that made by Ken Norton, the ex-heavyweight boxing champion, who regularly practiced self-hypnosis. Norton, as we recall, said that he did not try to use hypnosis during a round because "you don't have time to stop and think during a fight" (see Boxing chapter). The assertion I made in the Boxing chapter—that athletes receiving proper hypnotic suggestions before competition are adequately prepared, and therefore do not have to worry about using self-hypnosis during competition—can be extended to include visualization as well. As Yothers observed, the technique "has already done its work" (properly programmed your subconscious) if engaged in beforehand. So, the main thing for athletes, and you, to remember is this: practice your preferred mental rehearsal technique ahead of time and regularly. Doing this is the bread-and-butter of mental preparation. If you want some frosting—by practicing your favorite mental discipline just before competition begins or during the competition—that is all right. But, make sure you have taken care of the bread-and-butter part first, because that is what is going to carry you to victory 9 times out of 10.

Yothers estimates that visualization improves his game by 20%, and correctly points out that this amount of improvement "can be the difference between winning and losing. I have won a number of matches by only 1 or 2 points." As the athlete climbs the ladder in ability and skill level, improvement comes harder and harder. Yothers turned to visualization for an extra boost to his game, and the technique came through for him. And—most importantly—he improved his game by 20% by doing only two things: 1) he read an article on visualization, and 2) he applied the article's recommendations. The only expenditure Yothers laid out in experimenting with mental training was his own time.

Again, you cannot use cost as an excuse for not learning some mental training strategy. Libraries across the land carry books and magazine articles on visualization, self-hypnosis, and the like, with many of these works geared towards promoting mental disciplines for sports applications. All you have to do is go into the library, check out a book or magazine which discusses a mental rehearsal technique that appeals to you, read it, and then practice the technique. The price is right: free. If you cannot get the mental discipline down on your own, investigate another; maybe the new one will work for you. If you are still unsuccessful, then seek out a sports psychologist or hypnotist, and spend a little money. But, chances are you will probably be able to master some mental training strategy all by yourself, just like so many other athletes making the effort have done.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s racquetball players who did not like to read books or articles were able to investigate hypnosis without spending much money. Charlie Brumfield and Dr. Richard Garver produced and marketed a cassette tape called "Hypnosis Racquetball Tape." Brumfield is a five-time national indoor racquetball champion, and once won a record 20 tournaments in a row. I had heard the report that Brumfield used self-hypnosis, and was curious to hear what he said on the tape. I therefore obtained the tape, and listened to it with keen interest. Dr. Garver comes on the tape first, and starts off by making some general remarks about hypnosis. For example, he states that with hypnosis you can "actually program the correct skill pattern

before you physically use it." One of the tape's main objectives, in fact, is to get you to do this. Dr. Garver then in a friendly and reassuring voice instructs you:

Sit down or lie down in a comfortable position and relax. Just relax and listen to my instructions. You now just close your eyes and relax. Picture yourself on the top of a staircase.

Dr. Garver next tells you to mentally imagine yourself descending the staircase. Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, you are informed, perhaps to your surprise, that "what you see is a racquetball court." Dr. Garver at this point introduces the head pro, Charlie Brumfield, who takes it from there. By now, if you have followed Dr. Garver's instructions, you should be in a light hypnotic state, and presumably receptive to what Brumfield's about to say.

Essentially, what Brumfield does is go over the fundamentals of racquetball. He talks about proper grips, the backhand and forehand, high percentage shots, and so on. Brumfield explains all this so clearly that any racquetball player would gain a lot from listening to what he says. At times Brumfield's insights are ingenious. His discussion of concentration falls into this category:

I find that most human beings are incapable of concentrating for over 7 points at a time. So, when I get an 8 point lead, I'll say to myself, "OK, the game's even. I'm going to play this guy for 7 points." And then I'll go as hard as if it were 0-0 and we're going to 7. As long as I beat my opponent in each of these small mini imaginary games, I'll eventually be the first to 21. So, cut the game down to the basics, so that you can concentrate during the whole time, rather than trying to extend your concentration over a 2-hour match or even a 1-hour game. Concentrate over 10 minutes—7 points—and you'll find yourself much sharper and much better able to cope with the pressures of the match.

Brumfield says to himself, "OK, the game's even. I'm going to play this guy for 7 points." Is this a hypnotic suggestion he gives himself? Brumfield never directly states that he uses self-hypnosis, but he leaves you with that impression. For when Brumfield finishes his talk, he concludes by emphasizing this:

The main thing is first get the visual imagery of hitting the shot. Because you can practice just as much when you're not on the court through the state of hypnosis as you can when you're out there actually pounding the ball.

It is doubtful Brumfield would advise racquetball players to use hypnosis if he himself does not practice the technique. In any case, Dr. Garver now comes back on the tape, and tells you that you can return to normal consciousness by counting to three. He concludes by encouraging you to use the hypnosis procedure to learn and practice the lessons taught by your own club pro—a well-considered touch.

Brumfield and Dr. Garver really produced a first-class instructional tape in the "Hypnosis Racquetball Tape." Unfortunately, Dr. Garver informed me in May, 1986 that it is no longer being marketed. He did say, however, that he was working on a golf hypnosis videotape, and that mental training audio tapes are now, in his opinion, somewhat obsolete. [27] According to Dr. Garver, mental training videotapes, where you can see what you should be doing, are the present state of the art.

There are many ways to tap one's hidden powers, and many hidden powers one can tap. Those who have explored the martial arts can attest to this. (The martial arts are the self-defense sports, such as karate and judo.) We shall now look at one hidden power which most athletes may be well-advised to tap.

David Taylor, in an April, 1979 Blackbelt magazine article, discusses the interrelationship

between chi (the individual's vital force) and the tan tien (a point on the lower midsection). He says in part:

The Taoists defined the chi as breath, blood and sperm, which Marshall Ho'o, founder of the National Tai Chi Chuan Association, has explained means control of the breath by sinking it to a point three fingertip-lengths below the navel (called the tan tien), the control of the mind by sinking that also to the tan tien, and the tapping of the sexual drive.

. . . According to one kendo practitioner, ki (the Japanese word for chi) rises from the legs and collects at the tan den (Japanese for tan tien), but here the tan den is a focal point for the ki, not the origin. From the tan den, the ki goes to where the warrior wills it. [28]

Taylor discusses more about all this than I'll relate here; his bottom line, though, is that superhuman feats are possible if you can harness your chi. The point is probably well taken. One becomes continuously intrigued by weight lifters: 1) emphasizing the conditioning of their stomachs during workouts, and 2) pointing with pride at that part of their body as their source of strength. A pertinent example is the massive stomach of Vasily Alexeyev, the Soviet giant, who set innumerable records in the superheavyweight division. Sports commentators frequently noted that Alexeyev's awesome midsection was the secret to his incredible strength. Whether true or not, it is worthy of consideration. As Taylor observes, "there are many who dismiss the concept of internal energy as myth because Western study of it is limited. Nevertheless, there are too many powerful people practicing these internal-energy arts for these arts to be easily explained away by Western science."

In the April, 1978 issue of Blackbelt, Robert Stewart goes into considerable detail about what proper body positioning, as it relates to the tan den, accomplishes. It turns out that sitting in the full lotus position (sitting position with your feet placed on opposite thighs) is vital for the successful practice of zen meditation, also called zazen. Zazen, Stewart informs us, develops the martial artist's "attitude of alert no-mind—of moving without awareness of self." It "promotes deep abdominal breathing so necessary for the focus of punches," and also "helps in concentration of energy in the tan den, a point below the navel which is considered the body's center of gravity in all karate stances."[29]

Stewart then elaborates on the main advantage of the full lotus position: it places your body's center of gravity at the tan den. This being the case, the cerebral cortex in your brain can be stimulated to what Stewart calls wakefulness, "a kind of natural 'high' or feeling of great inner peace and oneness." This stimulation of the cerebral cortex occurs when you breathe deeply (abdominal breathing) while sitting in the lotus position. Stewart gets quite technical at this point, but suggests an easy test for you to try:

To test this process, try the following experiment. Using a watch with a second hand, attempt to keep all thoughts and ideas out of your mind for one full minute, breathing normally. Next, take a deep breath and expel it by contracting the abdominal muscles. When the breath has been entirely expelled, hold the abdomen still without breathing and concentrate on keeping all ideas and thoughts out of your mind.

You will discover that as long as you keep from breathing you will keep your mind clear easily. Without the tension produced by holding your breath, however, a host of ideas begin invading the clarity of your consciousness, no matter how hard you try to keep them out. [30]

I have tried this test, and had others do it as well. It does work. No doubt the abdominal breathing while sitting in the lotus position would also work, bringing on that inner peace medita-

tion provides. Unfortunately, some people are unable to assume the full lotus position for various reasons—such as, their leg muscles being too tight. Stewart presents a practical alternative for such people:

Ideally, one assumes the full lotus position. But most beginners find it impossible to place the feet on opposite thighs. A compromise is to place the right foot under the left thigh. The result is called hanka fuza, half lotus, which, since it is asymmetrical, tends to be unbalanced. Gradually with practice, most people eventually are able to assume full lotus.

This half lotus position is easily accomplished without much difficulty. Asymmetrical as it is, one can sense some of the good feelings Stewart talks about, for your center of gravity in the half lotus position is still located near the midsection. Everything will seem concentrated right there.

You might still be wondering what zen meditation has to do with athletics. Stewart says that zazen "is an effective tool for coordinating mind and body." Therefore "a few minutes a day of zazen practice will help the martial artist bring mind and body into closer coordination, the ultimate aim of both zen and karate." Assuming zen meditation helps coordinate the mind and body, every athlete could benefit from practicing the discipline; for there is not a single sport which does not require substantial coordination of the athlete's mind and body.

Though the exception rather than the rule, a few martial arts instructors teach hypnosis to their students. The most noteworthy case on record of this was reported in Blackbelt magazine (October, 1973), in a marvelously captivating article, "Hypnotism in Self-Defense." The article features James DeMile, a Honolulu kung-fu instructor, who both hypnotized and taught self-hypnosis to his students. Several remarkable pictures appear in this article. One is of DeMile hypnotizing his class (all the students are in a trance). There is also a series of pictures showing De-Mile practicing his moves with his eyes closed (supposedly he is in the hypnotic state). DeMile, who at the time of the article's publication was on the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Clinical Hypnosis Association, explains why he advocates hypnosis for the martial artist:

Through the process of hypnosis, a student can conquer tension—the enemy of all athletes. He can heighten his manual dexterity, develop more fluid movements, react more swiftly, shorten the time span normally required to learn a given technique, and achieve a very high level of self-confidence. When confronted by a stress situation such as a street fight, the practitioner finds himself more relaxed and thereby reacts in a more efficient manner. [31]

DeMile was one of the few students of the immortal Bruce Lee. This unsurpassable experience was not lost on him; for DeMile's teaching reflects Lee's emphasis on internal growth, as opposed to external fighting skills. Says DeMile:

Today, I use a modern scientific approach known as hypno-cybernetics. Hypnosis is a vehicle whereby information is fed back to the subconscious. We follow a step-by-step program based on the latest scientific studies of hypnotic techniques, suggestion formulation, and personality research. Wing chun do along with hypno-cybernetics is an opportunity for my students to grow and become better people by realizing their inner potential. Emotional conflicts, distorted ideas, or a faulty self-image may be stumbling stones in my student's search for self-development. By working closely together, we can clear the path and help a person to resolve his own conflicts, correct his self-image and reorganize his personality and approach to life. This, to me, is the "building of character" often stressed in martial arts training.