Imagine the moment a karate knockdown fighter steps onto the tatami of an international karate knockdown tournament: his heart races, his breath quickens, and his muscles tense. But what is going on in his cognitive mind? What's going on in his somatic mind? How will he react?
In this article, we'll explore the three minds of the creative and generative warrior of a knockdown fighter: the cognitive mind, the somatic mind, and the relational mind, and how they work together to help him succeed or lose in this intense and challenging knockout combat sport.
1. The MIND OR COGNITIVE FIELD is the part of the fighter's psyche that deals with conscious perception, thought, and decision making.
In the moments leading up to a fight, the cognitive mind is in full operation, assessing the opponent's movements, predicting their intentions, and strategizing for victory. This requires a high level of situational awareness, mental agility and adaptability. The fighter's cognitive mind must be focused, lucid and open-minded to make split-second decisions that can make or break the fight.
In Kyokushin knockdown fighting, the cognitive mind is responsible for evaluating the opponent's movements, predicting his or her intentions and choosing the appropriate response. This requires a high level of situational awareness, mental agility and adaptability. Training the ability to remain focused, clear-headed, and open-minded, even under pressure, is essential to improving the cognitive mind. Mindfulness techniques (such as meditation and centering techniques), visualization (inner and outer), and mental rehearsal and simulation techniques can help develop a strategic mindset and improve cognitive processing speed.
2. THE SOMATIC MIND OR FIELD is the part of the fighter's psyche that deals with automatic, non-conscious processes, such as reflexes, motor skills and body awareness.
In the moments before a fight, the somatic mind also works hard, preparing the body for action. The somatic mind of the fighter must be strong, agile and precise, able to execute techniques with speed, power and accuracy. This requires a high level of physical conditioning, muscle memory and proprioception.
In Kyokushin KO fighting, the somatic mind is responsible for executing techniques with speed, power and precision. This requires a high level of physical conditioning, muscle memory and proprioception. To improve the somatic mind, it is essential to train the ability to move with fluidity, relaxation and economy of movement. Strength, flexibility and coordination training can help develop a strong, resilient body and improve somatic efficiency.
3. The MIND OR RELATIONAL FIELD represents the systemic intelligence around us, is an important component. It manifests itself in many aspects of our lives, such as culture, family, personal history and politics. It is collective intelligence.
In this perspective, the knockdown karate fighter develops a relational mindset by being in harmony with both himself and his environment, including his opponent. This involves cultivating a deep awareness and connection to oneself, one's body, mind and emotions, as well as an understanding of and connection to the intentions, movements and energies of the opponent. The relational field is related to the state of zone, or flow.
The application of the relational field in the relational mindset of the karate knockdown fighter could lead to greater creativity and adaptability in fighting techniques, better management of emotions and stress in a fighting situation, and a greater ability to adapt and learn new strategies.
In Kyokushin KO fighting, the relational field is responsible for managing emotions, communicating with the opponent and maintaining a respectful and honorable attitude. This requires a high level of emotional intelligence, empathy and self-control. Training the ability to remain calm, centered and respectful, even in the heat of the moment, is essential to improving the relational field. Breathing exercises, mindfulness practices and role-playing can help develop a positive and constructive mindset and improve interpersonal skills.
See this article from our blog which explains the field and the relational spirit in Knockdown Karate: https://www.lavoieduguerrier.com/en/post/how-to-use-the-relational-field-on-the-mat-to-dominate-your-opponents-in-karate-knockdown
The importance of unifying one's three minds (3 mind centering)
When a fighter steps onto the mat at an international karate tournament, the three generative minds join in a complex and dynamic dance. The cognitive mind evaluates the opponent's movements, predicts his next move and strategizes for victory. The somatic mind prepares the body for action, generating adrenaline and refining reflexes and motor skills. The relational mind manages emotions, maintaining a respectful and honorable attitude, even in the midst of intense competition.
To succeed in knockdown karate, a fighter must integrate all three generative minds into a coherent and effective performance. This requires training and practice in all three areas. By developing a strong cognitive mind, a fighter can make split-second decisions that can turn the fight around. By developing a strong somatic mind, a fighter can execute techniques with speed, power and precision. By developing a strong relational mindset, a fighter can maintain a positive and constructive attitude, even in the heat of battle.
In conclusion, the mind of a karate knockdown fighter is a complex and dynamic system that involves the cognitive, somatic and relational minds. By developing and integrating these three generative minds, a fighter can succeed in this intense and challenging martial art. Be sure to check out our next series of articles on the mind of the knockdown fighter, in which we will explore each of these areas in more detail and provide tips for improving your knockdown karate skills.
Gaëtan Sauvé