At Zenshin Dojo we enjoy these moments pretty regularly and it’s great to see. Unfortunately we also see and feel something else much more often. It’s teacher's’ worst nightmare. It stops learning, its stops happiness, it stops progression. It damages self esteem, slows down physical healing and affects mental health.Lack of growth mindset, negative mindset, low self esteem - or as I like to call it ‘I’m rubbish’ thinking.
I know what your thinking - ‘over react much!’ but unfortunately it is not an over reaction, it is something which can really negatively affect a person. For some people this is not so much of a worry. You get along fine, meeting challenges, staying positive and being successful. But I think it is still important to be aware of the negative mindset, because it can take you by surprise. It can be as easy as thinking ‘I’m rubbish’ after only trying something once. For a classic over thinker like me however, it can often be a daily struggle to stay in the growth mindset and not get sucked into a negative one or worse depression.
I work with pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. I also have suffered with and taken medication for depression in the past. I, along with plenty of other people, experience stress from work and personal responsibilities. Others in the club may have more personal experience of other types mental health illnesses. Mental health is important for everyone to acknowledge, talk about and defend against as it can damage relationships, ruin lives and kill people.
‘karate is not just self defence from others, it can also be defence from the self’
Words of wisdom from Rob Jones at the 2016 Zenshin Dojo Summer School. Rob joked about defending against ‘lethargy’ and ‘drinking too much’. My first thought was ‘defending against the effect of eating too much cake’. All these things are important to defend against individually. But look a bit deeper into these habits to defend against and you might find the ‘I’m rubbish’ demon lurking behind all of them.
‘Another drink won’t hurt’ (I’m not social or funny enough without a few drinks)
‘I’m too tired’ (my energy should be spent on others - work/children/house - not myself)
‘that was rubbish’ (anything less than perfect is a failure)
Karate is a martial art, a physical self defence sport and a mental defence from the self. At Zenshin Dojo there are many aspects which positively affect the physical and mental health of its members. But I would like to focus on the mental.
The social events and friendly atmosphere is an important part of our club’s ethos. It is acknowledged, practiced, celebrated and easy to measure, through the growth in numbers, the smiles and the strong, international links with other clubs. Humans are social creatures and being part of a group can be a powerful tool in the defence against mental health. A new member at Zenshin Dojo feels welcomed, at ease, not judged for making mistakes and is given special attention and support, making them feel safe and therefore come back. People with injuries or who are less fit or have other health setbacks are included and encouraged. Higher grades are given responsibility and are asked to pass on knowledge. All members are valued and respected which encourages value and respect for ourselves.I often find my head full from a busy day with a ‘to do’ list as long as my arm, grumpy, stressed or just in a negative mindset. A good practice in the dojo changes that. I have found that by focusing on the physical shapes and movement allows me to quiet my mind and forget about everything else. This has the added benefit of putting problems and negative thoughts in perspective. After practice when you can return to ‘real life’ the small stuff has been filtered out, real problems are now ‘challenges’ and the overwhelmed feeling is replaced by ‘bring it on’. This effect is well documented, all sport and exercise allows endorphins to be released in the brain which has been proved to improve mental health and self esteem. But there is something about Karate, possibly the repetition, the physical contact or the risk of getting hit, that satisfies the cave-dwelling brain in all of us.
Rob often talks about the karate ‘journey’ - the recognition that everyone is on the same path, but at different points. The journey is the important part - not the destination. The journey should be measured in the distance you have travelled not where you have started from or the time it has taken. All these aspects of the analogy support the the theory of growth mindset. There is always something to improve on whatever grade, what ever age. When you are able to accept that and continually use it, in karate and daily life, you will also be able accept, overcome and move on from challenges in life whether they are personal, work related, physical or mental.Zenshin Dojo has has helped me get more physically and mentally fit. It has helped me overcome challenges, including unemployment and questioning whether or not I should continue teaching. It helps me deal with stress at work and enables me to keep calm and defend myself when dealing with challenging pupils. These are personal experiences which some people may not relate to, but if you reflect I think you will find the mental health benefits of Karate in your own life. So however you’re feeling, put on your gi, get a sweat on, choose a positive mindset and embrace the ‘ding’
