Long story short, I went through some stuff awhile ago and I now am dealing with trauma-related issues. It's impacted various aspects of my life, but one I can't get a handle on is in martial arts.
I'm a brown belt and I used to be pretty good at staying in the moment during a roll / competition / fight. I could capitalize on my opponent's mistakes, make plans on the fly, strategize and set traps.
Now I can't do any of that stuff because I'm always playing catch-up or being reactive. I can feel that I'm no longer in the game and I can't get back in.
@@JBerg one thing that I've done the past 5 to 9 years is really work on being extremely proficient in my guard retention and sweep prevention. By honing these skills a lot, it give me the ability to stay present and focused. This is because I worry a lot less.
If your guard retention is good, you can be present while playing guard. If your sweep prevention is good, you can be present while passing guard.
Hope that makes sense!