For the last two years, one of the most difficult challenges I’ve faced during competitions has been focusing on my bouts. On the one hand, you don’t want to focus so hard that you start thinking too deeply about every action you’re doing as you are on the strip. On the other hand, you don’t want to suddenly snap out of a daze and realize you have no idea where you are, whether you ate anything that day, or even which hand you fence with (which unfortunately has actually happened to me). What I’ve discovered is that a lot of your mindset during the day is influenced by your preparation beforehand.

This season, my coach brought in a sports hypnotism specialist. At first, I thought the idea was absurd. However, I would say that at least 50% of fencing, if not more, has to do with the mental condition and attitude you bring to each point. While some of the techniques I learned from the hypnotism were beneficial, not everything was to my liking. At the very least, though, using hypnotism techniques helped me evaluate how I like to prepare myself for a day of competition. I figured I would share a few of the things that work for me, in the order of my typical tournament schedule.

1) Wake up with a lot of time to spare.

This can be especially hard for collegiate fencers. We’re used to waking up five minutes before class and sprinting there with a cup of coffee in hand. I’ve noticed similar occurrences when my teammates head to the venue or the bus to get to the venue. Waking up at 6 AM or even more ungodly hours can be a pain in the ass, but giving yourself time to shake off the cloud of drowsiness is extremely important.

2) Eat a gradual breakfast.

I’ve never been one for breakfast, but it’s really important to make sure you have eaten something before you fence: firstly, so that you don’t pass out, and secondly because it has an effect on your mental well-being, too. Some people load up on food all at once, but I prefer to eat a bunch of small things as I wake up, otherwise the food will make me feel a bit gross as I think about the prospect of physical activity before I can fully digest. This step is completely my personal preference, but it is highly recommended that you eat something before you compete.

3) Think positively about the day.

This step contains some of the stuff I learned through hypnotism methods. Only “thinking positive” isn’t good enough. You have to think about times when you have been successful in the past, not even necessarily during fencing, and how you can achieve it again. Envision yourself winning. But don’t make this a chore. Open up your imagination and subsequently feel your mind opening up to its full potential. I usually do this when I’m in the shower, eating, or traveling to my competition- times when I am still very relaxed and not worried about anything yet. Imagining the day going well will help you when you actually start fencing.

4) Put yourself in “the zone”.

This is different from thinking positively in that you try to get your body into its reactive mode. This is something I’ve discovered mostly by myself. You don’t want to have to think about anything except your strategy during bouts, so try and pump yourself up to feel purely physical before and during your warm-up. A lot of people put on some music in order to achieve this effect, but it is different for every person. I like to go warm up away from everyone else so that I’m not distracted. The longer I am around anyone else right before getting in “the zone”, the less easily I am able to focus on myself for the whole day.

5) Boost team morale.

A step that is unique to competing on a team. It’s important to make sure your teammates have your back, and vice versa. After all, they are probably the ones who will help you during timeouts, and they are definitely there to cheer you on. So after you get in the zone, reconvene with your teammates/squadmates and do a few stretches or warm-up exercises together, and talk about what you hope to accomplish for the day. This furthers the individual positive thoughts as well as increases team spirit. It also reminds you of your mindset during practices, which is where you’ve been working on the skills you need to use during your bouts.

These are the steps I follow to make sure my day goes well. Depending on the competition, not all of these are feasible, but I try to follow the outline as best as I can. Positive thinking is the most important part, and it is the easiest to do. Once you have a positive outlook for the day, a lot of the other steps will follow.

There are a lot of similar techniques that you can use during bouts as well, which I may detail in a later post. But for now, you get a look into how my tournamornings usually go (… and I should probably stop with the tournament puns). Do you have any pre-tournament habits or tips that ensure success? Feel free to add anything that you think is important!