How Do We Meet Challenges?

[benos]

In the end, anxiety and fear destroy our body’s ability to execute simple, familiar tasks. But fear has its roots in expectations and ideals, which are born with desire. In this case, we want to shoot to a certain level of competence in the next match. That’s the beginning of the problem. But you might say, "If I didn’t want to do as well as I can, then what would motivate me to do my best?" Look out a new window.... Imagine you’ve trained your skills so thoroughly that you have no doubts whatsoever about anything you might have to do in competition. Now capable of responding objectively to challenges, instead of desire and fear driving your actions, you operate matter-of-factly, just doing exactly what needs done ... nothing more, nothing less. If there is no concern about the future, there is no fear. If you can truly reach this realm, good or bad, failure or success, are ideals with which you will have nothing to do with. Instead of meeting challenges with uncertainty, indecisiveness, expectations, and fear – simply do what needs done.

Apply this to life. If you do just what needs done - completely, totally – at each moment during the day - you won’t waste time worrying about tomorrow. At this point living takes on an entirely new significance.

Now I’m not saying don’t plan. I am saying - beware of being late to notice your degree of attachment to your plans. There are plans, and there are expectations – and they need not have anything to do with each other.

be

[Sixgun]

I think Brians post merges very well with Pat Harrisons post. I'm thinking they are saying the same things, but in different ways and applying them to different sports/areas of life.

"what I learned was, that by getting a directed focus on something specific, all the little nagging questions and thoughts were filed away. I knew the lines, I knew where to brake, I just had to get past all that and just drive." Quote from a Pat Harrison post

Ray C.

P.S. It's absolutely amazing what you can do when you just live in the moment.

[Loves2Shoot]

You the man BE! Learning to shoot well has definitely impacted my everyday way of looking at life. Thanks again for everything you share BE, and for making better shooters and people of those around you.

[pwalker]

Brian,

Very deep and insightful. Clearly comes from Buddhist philosphies. I also try to follow the lifestyle teachings of Buddha, in a modern context.

I have also tried applying it to shooting sports. So far, I have had good results applying it to target shooting. I can achieve a detached state-of-mind on the shooting line and avoid many of the internal and external distractions. I watch the gun fire, almost in slow motion, as if someone else is pulling the trigger. The results show that it works.

But, I find it harder to apply it to IPSC style competition. I run into 3 problems:

1. The starting beep completely jars my mental state back into one of anxiety;

2. I am so relaxed that I float through the stage at a ridiculously slow pace, scoring double As all the way, but way too slow;

3. Because I spend the last minute after the LAMR preparing my mind and not rehearsing the stage plan one last time, I forget my stage plan and do something stupid like missing a reload.

I guess that I am not attaining the right mental state. Maybe I have not yet honed my IPSC skills so that I can be confident that I know how to do everything.

But, these Buddhist techniques definitely work when applied to lifetsyle. How else would I be able to drive through Bangkok's traffic everyday and remain sane.

Regards

Peter

[BrianH]

That one's worth printing!

[38supPat]

1. The starting beep completely jars my mental state back into one of anxiety;

2. I am so relaxed that I float through the stage at a ridiculously slow pace, scoring double As all the way, but way too slow;

3. Because I spend the last minute after the LAMR preparing my mind and not rehearsing the stage plan one last time, I forget my stage plan and do something stupid like missing a reload.

Ahhh beeper anxiety, chances are you are already wound up before it sounds, and the beep triggers a release. Practice with a timer, get used to acting on the beep. Instead of using the delay beep, get a buddy to time you, have him hold it at random...sometimes for long periods...like over 15 to 20 seconds. You'll likely find that in the 3 to 5 second window you'll get increasingly keyed up, maybe even go for the gun. just stand relaxed for long periods and have your buddy hit the timer when ever he feels like it.

Drills like Bill Drills, The Twenty, etc will help somewhat. You have to want to go fast. Being relaxed doesn't nessecarily mean you have to be at the point where you're going to fall asleep. Being relaxed means having a calm mind, not having it tied up with a million other thoughts that have nothing to do with the shooting. To me, when you say you are so relaxed you just stroll through the stage shooting double A's, I see it as your attention is not directed at the task. Same with things like grip tension, there has to be some, just don't apply more than is needed...but also don't use less than is required.

Use the time you spend preparing your mind to visualize the stage. This is probably why you have problem #2. You spend so much time clearing your mind, you clear it of the task you are facing. Instead of just doing exercises to wipe your brain, run through the stage in your mind...in real time...while doing a breathing exercise. But direct your attention to the stage. Your speed is determined by how you see it before you shoot. If you plan it out and visualize it in slow motion, then go through a mind clearing exercise, your brain will revert to the last entry made, and you'll execute slowly. If the last entry made is "relax"...then thats what you will do...the only problem is you should be shooting the stage.

[38supPat]

BTW...really cool post Brian!!!

[benos]

The starting beep completely jars my mental state back into one of anxiety;

Man, for me that was the king of trouble, and one of the final barriers to transcend, as well as the realm from where the most improvement was gained.

In later years, I assembled what I called "the set," which, in a nutshell, was a way of maintaining a state of calm, total attentiveness, right through the buzzer until the first shot was fired. After that, I found "the set" maintained itself, unless or until I had to move or change positions. Then I'd do the same thing at the new position - re-establish "the set" - before firing the first shot.

You spend so much time clearing your mind, you clear it of the task you are facing.

That's killer.

If your mind is properly prepared, you will never attempt to exceed your capacity, nor will you ever shoot complacently. Impeccable activity springs from a state of complete readiness.

be

[shred]

One question, since I've never been there. Is it still "fun" shooting in that mode?

[tightloop]

shred

viewing the results are FUN..

[mcoliver]

One question, since I've never been there. Is it still "fun" shooting in that mode?

What's probably fun is trying to figure out what you did right afterwards.

[ErikW]

After that, I found "the set" maintained itself, unless or until I had to move or change positions.

Cool, that's what I do. I'm in a meditative state, acting unconsciously while shooting. But as soon as I break that last shot in an array, it's like somebody throwing a bucket of cold water on me, waking me from my slumber.

[38supPat]

Impeccable activity springs from a state of complete readiness.

be

I like that, I might put that on a decal on my car

[SiG Lady]

Be a pro. Execute. Ommmmm........

Seriously good thread. I needed it. My life is too hectic to relax; can't relax-can't shoot--can't sleep--can't think. The whole nine yards.

[pwalker]

Continuing this discussion about the importance of mental state, let's also consider the impact of an "audience" at the match.

Humans, being very societal animals, place great stock in social acceptance. This leads to one of our major fears: the fear of looking bad in front others. Therefore, when we have an audience, even if it is only just our fellow squad members, this generates another fear to course adrenalin through the veins and distract from the task at hand.

I am sure most of us perform much better with no one watching. I know I do...

At the start of a stage, when facing down-range, it is possible to try to forget that people are watching you. This approach is not very successful and becomes very difficult when doing an up-range start. You can always start up-range by staring at your shoes but this is not going to help much.

The zen solution is not to care what others think about you. But, as this fear is ingrained into our conscous mind from birth (I blame my mother ) and is probably a strong part of our subconscious mind, ignoring it is very difficult to do and takes Buddhist months many years to achieve. I am not sure that there is an answer for IPSC - maybe just increase one's confidence through training and preparation so that you can convince yourself that you are unlikely to embarrass yourself.

Pat: Thanks for your training and pre-start suggestions. I do all those things. But I think that you are focusing on these issues in a mechanical sense, instead of exploring the underlying mental issues. My understanding of this thread is that it is discussing the state-of-mind and its impact on shooting. This is a topic close to my heart because I am looking for an edge that may help overcome my lack of physical speed and my relatively late-in-life entry into this sport. Of course, all the mechanical things are important and, for example, I do train with the starter set to random, but I think that the paydirt is somewhere beyond that for me. I know that I can not physically beat the hot young shooters, but if I can find a mental game that gives me accuracy and efficiency on every stage, I might be able to pin back some of the gap in the overall results.

Brian: I think there is a lot of validity in your comments about the "the set". In looking back at good performances verses less-than-good performances, I find that the first shot is often critical. An accurate, fast, first shot sets a pattern that usually lasts for the rest of that stage. This supports your assessment that the mental state between the timer beep and the first shot is probably the most critical. Finding the right pattern that puts the mind in the right state is the challenge.

Regards

Peter

[38supPat]

Actually, there were no mechanics there, the drills suggested are geared towards "state of mind" or "relaxed readiness" because technically they are not difficult at all.

You will not be as fast as the hot young shooter...only if you believe this to be true, some of the toughest competition I have faced was from a good friend who is in senior class now. BTW he is on Team SVI and has won the Canadian Nationals as well as many high finishes at the US Nationals.

What you are discussing now is ego. Ego is a killer in any sports performance. Some of this is determined by your personality type. I have shot some of my best stages with TV cameras, other shooters (including my closest competition) and a large audience of others, it just doesn't bother me. Once you realize that what they think of you has no direct bearing on your performance, you'll learn to put it out of your mind and direct your attention to what matters.

Also, you must get past the idea of "the mental game" and "the physical game"

They do not exist, there is only the shooting. Top performances come from your mind and body acting as one, they cannot be seperated into different categories. If they are your performance will suffer.

And not to be cruel or offensive, but claiming too old/too fat/can't run doesn't wash with me. I see them merely as excuses for not putting in a real effort (and this is not directed intenionally at you, as I hear it constantly, but since you mentioned it...) Some of the best shooters I know are too old/too fat/can't run. Hell just tell someone like Ken Tapp he's too old to shoot fast, or Chuck Bradley he's too big...then stand back and watch them shoot circles around the competition.

[BSeevers]

a version of this thinking that helps me is if I win HOA or I am in last place, its what happened, no more no less.

[Flexmoney]

Awesome stuff!

As I am reading this thread, ESPN is on TV in the background. They are doing a story on Dallas Cowboy star Emmitt Smith..and his becoming the all time leading rusher in the NFL.

To get there he had to beat Walter Payton's record. They switched over to Walter for a while...talking about what made him great. Walter said...

- I know I'm not the fastest.

- I know I'm not the biggest.

- I know I'm not the strongest.

The question became...what is it then?

They cut away to a shot of his eyes...completely stone-cold-focused. All you hear on the audio is the thump-thump----thump-thump----thump-thump of a heartbeat.

[benos]

Flex,

Cool stuff - got chills reading it.

Pat,

If I was going to "sticker it," I might edit to "Impeccable activity springs from complete readiness."

(I think "a state of" weakens it slightly.)

Shred,

It's true bliss. And comes uninvited and when least expected, whenever there is a total lack of desire. Like when you are wiring in a new hot water heater, in a 120 degree weather in a dark pit under the house, dripping with sweat and wrapped up in spider webs, and when there are a million other things you "should" be doing, but for whatever reason, you totally, completely, surrender to the present moment.

And as described by Bodhidharma, from "Text no. 3: First Letter":

"The wise one, upon suddenly hearing the eight characters, awakens to principle."

("Eight characters" - a verse, chanted to The Buddha (in a previous life), eight characters in length.)

"All dharmas are impermanent and are arising-extinguishing dharmas. Arising-extinguishing having extinguished, quiescence is joyful."

[kevin c]

Not meaning to be flip, but how about:

"Just do it"

[Singlestack]

"All dharmas are impermanent and are arising-extinguishing dharmas. Arising-extinguishing having extinguished, quiescence is joyful."

Is that English?

Care to translate for us not-quite-so-enlightened folks? I guess I should know better than to try to define words in a Zen phrase, or even try to understand them. They are what they are. I can't help but to try and find the message that you ment to teach with it and how I can use that as a tool.

[rishii]

And not to be cruel or offensive, but claiming too old/too fat/can't run doesn't wash with me. I see them merely as excuses for not putting in a real effort (and this is not directed intenionally at you, as I hear it constantly, but since you mentioned it...) Some of the best shooters I know are too old/too fat/can't run. Hell just tell someone like Ken Tapp he's too old to shoot fast, or Chuck Bradley he's too big...then stand back and watch them shoot circles around the competition.

Pat,

you're right, there are no excuses, I once was beaten by local hot shot in a rifle match, whats the big deal about that.

he had a blown out knee from a motorcycle accident, need a crutch to walk, 2 hand to hold the rifle and hopped on 1 leg between boxes and he beat everybody.

[Sam]

It's true bliss. And comes uninvited and when least expected, whenever there is a total lack of desire. Like when you are wiring in a new hot water heater, in a 120 degree weather in a dark pit under the house, dripping with sweat and wrapped up in spider webs, and when there are a million other things you "should" be doing, but for whatever reason, you totally, completely, surrender to the present moment.

Brian, I'm so glad you mentioned this! This happened to me a couple of days ago while working on something very intensely. (I think your mention of it will help it to return in another form.) The feeling of total solitude and rightness in what I was doing just came out of nowhere.

Expectations are the killer. All of our lives we have been programmed to expect. It's as if "not expecting" is somehow irresponsible. I believe this is why we know so many people who achieve lofty goals, but are left feeling empty. Yes, we should train toward a goal. But the goal should be to find our own unique completeness in all that we do. The activity, be it a job, or hobby, or just walking down the street is just the vehicle that takes us where we are supposed to go.

Think about something you have lusted for. A new car, your hands tremble slightly when they hand you the keys. A promotion at work, a first date with that special person. Adreanaline hits and the ride begins. It's great for a while, maybe weeks or months, but then the emptyness returns. Satisfying our ego never satisfies us for long. There is more.....

[benos]

Sam,

Yes, when everything (mental) stops, the result is quite different from our daily activity, normally spent thinking about everything. And then to have that feeling overtake you in the midst of intense activity is just the shit.

SS,

To better grapple with the verse, it helps if you have a clear understand of a few words/terms....

The word "dharma" is difficult to translate, and often misunderstood. Early translators tried over 40 words... But I think the best way to think of it is "anything held to be true." So there is a table dharma, a computer dharma, a person dharma, and so on, forever. Wherever you find belief you find dharma.

"Quiescence," describing mind, means "still or inactive."

"Arising-extinguishing" point to the truth that nothing has an existence of its own. Whatever is appearing - whether a sound, an object, a thought, or a belief - depends on what is "not-appearing" for its "appearing" reality.

Basically, the verse is attempting to communicate two things.

Anything held to be true is not only impermanent, but devoid of any sort of permanent reality as well, because, without exception, what is appearing depends on "what is not appearing." Or, in English, a coin is defined by both sides. It is difficult to fathom the depth and significance of this truth. If you apply this understand to everything perceivable, "appearances" take on quite a different meaning. Everything we know is described by the first sentence of the verse.

Then the last sentence hints at a "truer reality," which, in sense, "reappears," should the predominant "arising-extinguishing" reality extinguish. Which, for me, is always characterized by a total, complete lack of any form of desire whatsoever.

be

[SiG Lady]

..."Expectations are the killer. All of our lives we have been programmed to expect. It's as if "not expecting" is somehow irresponsible..." (Sam)

I need this tattooed somewhere where I can read it frequently.

My own expectations of my performance have been high--and, perhaps, have thusly resulted in actual progress--but those 'expectations' have also been the source of emotional tension and anxiety which, as we all know, IMPEDE progress to an equal degree. It's a fine line in there somewhere........