It was a sunny August day some years ago when a young man with black shoulder length hair stepped onto the karate kumite tournament mat in front of a large audience. It was his first karate tournament. He had trained in karate for several years previously and was a senior grade.

However, what makes this story so unusual is the fact that he had not trained in karate seriously for 5 years beforehand. Yet, he not only won his kumite match but also the tournament in his category against experienced fighters who tried to stop him from doing so. But he managed to eliminate many of these good fighters on his way to overall karate champion. So what then was the one element that helped him achieve this? Visualization.

Back in the 1970s, athletes in the Soviet Union began to practice a technique that soon caught on across the world. These athletes would purposely think about detailed performances on the field. They would let the images play in their minds and practice mentally in their down time while their bodies were resting. The art of visualization actually helped these athletes to hone their reflexes and perform better on the field, and ever since then, it has become a popular technique for many martial artists and athletes across many varieties of sports. Why? Because it works.

You see, our brains are supercomputers that are specially designed to help us to accomplish our goals on a day-to-day basis. By harnessing the power of your mind and learning how to tap into it so that we can start to survive in the world. Visualization can turn your goals into reality. Our subconscious mind is a powerful place, and when it is working in our favour rather than against us, the potential for us to achieve is unlimited.

You don’t have to have a good imagination for visualization to work, although it may help. But what you do need to do is to be able to picture a scenario in your mind’s eye and to see that scenario going as well as it possibly could. In doing so, you are preparing your mind for events that are to come, and because it has run through this event already and has seen how it should best be performed, it has already become primed to respond to the future events in a productive and helpful way.

If the brain can see your plan, then it can make the necessary allowances to help you to achieve your goals Visualization works in a way that repetitive words and lists and plans don’t. Plus, it works with people who have physical limitations giving them options in self-protection using visualization techniques it just requires forethought and practice although, there are no absolutes.

Be aware of your surroundings – open your eyes and put the phone away

From self-defence point of view consider the following; No special training is needed for this. Picture in your mind someone who wants to do you harm even kill you or a loved one, not a nice thought is it? Next, picture in your mind’s eye how you are going to protect yourself. Because, what you see on TV or read in the newspapers regarding random attacks and assaults even murders on innocent persons perpetrated by other people may just as easily be you tomorrow. You must be of the mindset that you will defend yourself or loved one at all costs. Have the mindset of a warrior cold-blooded, ruthless and train accordingly.

Practically, think of various scenarios and work out how to deal with that situation. Then physically drill it with or without a partner using the principle of slow practice visualizing each step this will also prepare you mentally should a situation arise. Please understand like any other form of training visualization will require commitment, effort of application and forethought a small price to pay for the overall benefits visualization training can give you even more so, if you consider the alternative to not preparing mentally for a violent encounter. This article is only a small overview on the subject of visualization, there is very little that we can’t achieve if we simply begin to harness the untapped potential within our own minds unlock your subconscious mind and tap into your own powers through visualization. Remember, every journey starts with a first step. Why not begin now.

Stay Safe.