Dealing with stress during sparring

[frostman]

Hello, I often train boxing and other martial arts with my father, which includes regular sparring. During the sparring itself, the stress I usually experience skyrockets, and I'm unable to do the most simple moves properly, let alone fight. I was wondering if anyone has a similar experience, and most importantly any methods or strategies for dealing with such situations? They need not apply just to this one scenario, but to any incredibly stressful situation.

P.S. After inspecting the available sections of the forum this one appears most suitable. If there is a more appropriate section for this sort of post please let me know. Thanks

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

Maybe this isn't really a good field for you. What kinds of things do you actually enjoy?

 

[lunarious]

I heard, in my experience: Offense is the best Defence.

So you want to learn to fight. You want also to choose your battles. In the end "violence doesn't solve anything".

By learning to fight you are learning to control "violence". (edit) sucking away the toxity of the evil in your life, and maybe the life of friends.

PS: I'm 38 y.o. white-belt Karate

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

@frostman After reading your other post, have you considered studying engineering rather than forcing yourself to do boxing and martial arts?

 

[TBRS1]

Do you begin with a mental centering/calming/focusing meditation or ritual?

If not, doing so before a practice or match is common in martial arts, and may be helpful (it works for a lot of things. I do this before I play my harp, for the exact same reason).

Use search words "centering meditation," and try one you like.

 

[Outdated]

Hello, I often train boxing and other martial arts with my father, which includes regular sparring.

In a way this is also another team sport, there's a social factor involved in the interactions. This is traditionally not an area where autistic people do well.

Throwing a ball makes a good example of this, something I was always hopeless at. I can throw stones incredibly accurately and with great force, but throwing or catching a ball with someone else is usually embarrassing.

 

[lunarious]

I used to fight my father (and play with him). For me it was a real fight, but in Reality my dad treated me like a Lion cub or kitten. He was strict but gentle.

 

[Outdated]

Physically how?

I can throw a ball AT someone, where I struggle is throwing a ball TO them. Catching I'm not so bad at.

 

[lunarious]

I deleted my question. Bad question.

 

[frostman]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for your replies so far. It was suggested that I should consider perhaps letting go of boxing and doing something I like, which I already do. However I’m afraid that I forgot to specify that boxing (though not necessarily with my father) is something I consider essential for myself, and not doing it or another form of fighting would result in even greater stress and anxiety for me, so quitting isn’t really an option.

With this in mind, I want to focus specifically on ways in which I can deal with this overwhelming stress and restore myself to a functioning state in these situations, especially since the circumstances in which I feel this type of stress aren’t just limited to sparring, and are certain to arise in the future.

Of course I shall also try the methods suggested here.

Thanks again

 

[Hypnalis]

Can you be more specific about the source of the stress?

Are there one more more specific aspects of sparring that trigger it?

 

[Judge]

I'd hate to envision this scenario as simply a father who loves boxing and son who does not.

One that can only spiral downwards for the both of them. When one person may amount to an emotional "punching bag" to the other is bad enough, but in literal terms it's even worse IMO.