JitsCast #44 features Sam Antonen, a mental performance coach who specialises in Jiu- Jitsu for both elite competitors and recreational practitioners. He has worked with several of the biggest names in the sport over the years, like Kendall Reusing and Vagner Rocha. He has years of experience behind him and has helped guide competitors to victory on some of the biggest stages in the sport, focusing exclusively on the psychological element. As Antonen explains, his role is to act like a personal trainer for the mind in order to get the best possible performance out of an athlete once they hit the mat.
Jits Magazine spoke to Antonen about how he would teach a recreational competitor to deal with their first competition, and the anxiety that surrounds it. He spoke about how to focus exclusively on what you can control, and put more value on the performance itself rather than the results of it. Antonen also went on to talk about how vital that is for juvenile or child competitors in particular, and how much of an important role their parents will play in the process. He also shared his advice for parents and coaches of young children, explaining how they can best support young athletes as they develop.
Antonen also went in great depth about some of the more specific mental battles that athletes face during a Jiu-Jitsu match. The first that anyone faces is obviously being able to act first and force the opponent to play your game rather than being dragged into playing theirs. If that fails and a competitor ends up being taken down or put in a bad position, the next mental battle is to overcome the early deficit and get back into the match. Antonen explained how to go about breaking down the comeback into more manageable tasks and why having a sense of urgency is vital in this situation.
JitsCast #44 with Sam Antonen is now available to watch on the official Jits Magazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out the interview below:
