Fear of getting hurt badly in Kickboxing-is Judo/Wrestling more my style?

Hey guys, i've done this question/similar questions several times now-basically i've been kickboxing on-and-off since 2005-the kickboxing is based on Lau Gar Kuen and we do both sport karate (points) and kickboxing (kicks above waist/no knees or elbows).
When I fight teens and women i'm alright but when I fight grown men i'm afraid of getting hurt badly. I was fighting with faceshield until last February-then I fought without it until June-I won a sport karate match in the competition in May but in June I was ready/confident and thought it'd be like in the movies that i'd come back with a gold in both sport karate and kickboxing-alas I lost 2 matches. After taking time off in the summer I returned in September (with faceshield due to lack of confidence) and won in sport karate but still no gold!

I have only had my nose bleed once and it was 7 weeks ago when I got kicked there.I am fighting without faceshield again after wearing it to rehab my poor face.

My fears

* Getting my nose broken-I subconsciously turn my head away even though it's bad to do that!!! Is there any exercises that keep me facing opponent?
Still keep turning even though people say it's not good to!

* Getting ribs broken-rib shots hurt but i've never had them bruised or broken.

* Getting comatosed/killed when K.O'd-I only do light contact but when I get hit with a heavy punch, it rattles my brain-I was told heavy punches don't K.O you but only wear you down-I still back off though

* I also back off if I get hit with a stinging kick to the leg/back in sparring and my opponent doesn't wear foot protection!

Started competitions November 2009-done 8 since then-7 of them local. Been training at 1 club from 2005-2010, trained at University alongside from 2009-present and joined a new club in place of my old club in 2010.

My sport karate record: 3-0-8
kickboxing: 1-0-8

Is Judo/Ju Jitsu and/or Wrestling easier to get used to? I have dabbled in it for 2-3 months last year/was only worried of getting thrown hard by the big people-my breakfalls aren't perfect/I get winded by big throws and I only took time off of Ju Jitsu to focus on kickboxing.

 

You have two different threads yet they are basically asking the same thing. You will get rocked in Judo or wrestling if someone manages a good throw or takedown. If you're scared to get hit in the face and getting hurt ribs then I'm sure you'll be afraid once you get thrown hard.

I'd say you need to toughen up and get over that fear of getting hurt. Because more likely then not, it will make it easier for you to be injured.

 

For something totally different... try BJJ. Many times I have students who just aren't really cut out for striking... but really seem to come into their own in grappling... especially in BJJ. Give it a shot. If nothing else... it's a nice break from stand up.

You really have far too many worries about being hurt. This will impede your progress. Try to change up your MA and see if a move towards a ground game doesn't suit you better.

 

Fear of pain is normal, it's a response designed to keep us alive. However (in my opinion at least) we now live cushy, comfortable lives with a minimum of hardship. As such even the thought of the smallest level of hurt can have a huge psychological impact on a person, because we are so unused to it. In effect we've gone soft.

You need to realise that you're not made of glass. The human body is actually really resilient to damage (think how few people get beaten to death in fist fights really). Sure there are risks, but those are risks you have to accept. If you learn to master or harness your fear, you're in the wrong line.

I used to be very nervous when I first started to spar, and the first time I fought multiple opponents I really thought I was going to die. I got badly hurt but it heals (and I didn't make the same mistakes again).

A few years after that I learnt a very important skill, to put my mind somewhere else. You just turn off the brain and focus on the task, there is no room for fear or worry, or thoughts of victory or defeat, you just get in and do the job.

So in short, you have to just suck it up.

 

It could be you're not made for it, or it could be you're just not used to it.

If you really want to do striking, ask to keep going with light contact until you're completely okay with it, and then slowly build up.

 

Well I started in kung-fu and Muay Thai for years (a but of MMA). Worst I ever got was bruises and cut nose, lips and eye area, I think I been nearly KO'd (I cant remember..which probably means I have been KO'd)

I then started wrestling and within 2-3years I ripped my knee off twice, crunched my wrist and shoulders a bit.

 

With you Mushroom in that grappling is just as dangerous. I did various striking styles since age 13 and the worst injury I ever got was a few nosebleeds. I went to a short course in judo and got my shoulder dislocated first session (granted, it was my fault for not letting go of a headlock in time).

 

Its just bad luck. Striking has broken hands, feet , jaws, retinas etc. I got friends who gave up MA because they needed to protect their hands as their jobs were in design/similar and broken hands can mean end of career.

A good example would be the fella in Miami Ink, Ami James. Who practiced MMA and having a constant sore back wasn't the issue, it was that if he hurt his hand that means he couldnt work.

To the OP, theres always a risk of injury in any sport. In Tennis you get Tennis Elbow as the saying goes.

 

I think it could be you need to stick to light contact until you get your confidence. And trust in your partner might be helpful in over comming this. Maybe you will never get your confidence and always have to stick to light contact...who really cares as long as you are having a good time. In the long haul I don't think it really matters. I love kick boxing, I personaly enjoy the sport and work out of it more then actual contact, but I am in my 40's and do it for self fulfilment and not a career choice, I guess the best thing I can say is don't over think it, stick with a level you enjoy and feel confortable with, you wont continue if you are not feeling confortable.

 

fear of getting hurt never truly leaves us is what i like to believe. Personally i'm a wussbag in that area too =P i hate body punches cuz i have the tendency to relax my stomach once the fight gets intense.

I suggest do some conditioning drills with a partner. start slow and build it up session by session. eventually light contact won't be a problem for you. =)

 

All combat sports carry the risk of injury so you can either

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y[/video]

or put on a skirt and learn to dance

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=990kdheTIOY[/video]

Oh stercus it looks like some ******* son of a donkey and a poxy whore has taken the video down. A plague upon his house and may he be doomed to fornicate with himself.

 

I get used to light contact but fear creeps back in if a) I get hit hard in the nose b) I get rattled with a heavy hit or c) I take more than a month of competing (but I still train though)

 

Balance....
. ...is key

What are your strengths? Which ones do you want to improve most?

What are your weaknesses? (already established) Which ones do you want to conquer?

Then I will recomend a style...

 

erm... he is scared of being hit and taking damage. He wants to become accustomed to being hit and taking damage. He needs to take a style that will have him being hit and taking damage.

It's not rocket science.

 

No actually he never said he wanted to become accustome to those things so my question is still vallid.

 

Just get hit more.

Then man up.

 

"Manning up" and being stupid are two very diffrent things.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbX6AiUX33I"]YouTube - Boxing Should Be Banned / Educational Video[/ame]

His fear might be in the permnant damage that will effect the other parts of hi life. And... if the significant risks really do exist in these martial arts I think it would be a realistic choice to switch styles.

Edit: I'm not saying that I agree with the video. I just wanted to give an example of the possible risks that officials think exist.

 

Light contact isn't the way to go. Light contact may even be making it worse. Everyone gets scared of taking a hit for a while - but it's not usually scared of being injured, it's usually much more basic - fear of pain. Whenever I've been feeling really tense in sparring and taken a heavy head shot I immediately spar much better - because i makes me relax a bit and realise that it's only pain. Fair enough pain that I want to avoid if I can bu not necessarily the end of a fight.

This is different. This constant fear of broken bones and injuries etc. borders on the obsessive compulsive from the way he's describing it. Every gym had people who're scared of pain but like I said earlier - it's not usually injuries theyre worried about.

And no martial art that actually teachs you how to fight, whether it's wrestling based, grappling based, striking based or weapon based is free from pain. Pain, you might say, is our business. For lack of any less macho sounding term. You don't wanna get wet, don't go swimming. You don't wanna get hurt, don't fight.

Sounds harsh but I mean it in the nicest possible way.

 

I'm with master Betty on this one.

As well, if you've never taken full contact, full power hits, if and when you do whatever training you have goes out the window.

And a broken nose is no big deal. Personally I've never broken my nose. Others have done it for me six times It's not even especially painful.

Broken ribs? So what. It happens. You can go another round with broken ribs though you tend to favour that side

People take pain very personally which is understandable but it's not exactly the end of the world.