Presence on the mat

"In every discipline, the ability to be clearheaded, present, cool under fire is much of what separates the best from the mediocre...Those who excel are those who maximize each moment's creative potential- for these masters of living, presence to the day to day learning process is akin to that purity of focus others dream of achieving in a rare climactic moments when everything is on the line...

The secret is that everything is always on the line. The more present we are at practice, the more present we will be in competition, in the boardroom, at the exam, the operating table, the big stage. If we have any hope of attaining excellence, let alone of showing what we've got under pressure, we have to be prepared by a lifestyle of reinforcement. Presence must be like breathing." - The Art of Learning, pg 172

This passage really struck me.

It extends far beyond the mat, and begins to touch on how I think life ought to be lived.

I recall many moments where people haven't always "been there" with me. A non-committal hand shake that really doesn't acknowledge my being. A conversation where they seem to just be nodding along while really thinking about something else. Or even on the mat while drilling moves, they seem to just be going through the motions without any sort of awareness of their movements or the subtleties of details.

In life, many people can go through years, or sadly, their entire lives without really being aware of the present moment. They are projecting ahead or mulling about something in the past, never fully engaged in what they are doing. But they are missing so much!

On the mat, this has serious consequences. In a match, a mental block could result in your guard getting passed or being sunk deep into a submission. This spells disaster in a game where the dynamics of the situation are changing at every moment, and failure to recognize and opening or your own potential weakness could begin a chain of events that brings about your demise.

Even in training, there are so many details that can be picked up to the attuned student. An instructor might only say so much about a move, but by watching him perform it and paying attention to hip movement, hand placement, timing, etc., the game is opened up to a whole new level. They might not even be meaning to transfer that information, but it is there if you are present in the moment and receptive to it.

My goal is to be more aware of myself at all times- on and off the mat.

Gotta step up the mental part of the game.