Mental Rehearsal- What do you all think?

[TarekF]

I was reading an article about MMA and mental rehearsal training paired with physical training, and was wondering if anyone has added it to their at home training in martial arts.

So you all know, I am a judoka, blue belt rank, and have started to train at home with uchi komi (with and without bungee cords for resistance). But obviously it is easier to practice karate or boxing at home because in judo you are lost without a partner. Thus I was thinking that adding mental rehearsal, since it allows one to create a dynamic partner to practice with. So you can mentally work on timing etc. I am sure it won't hurt my training, but I was wondering if anyone here has tried it with success or are the benefits not worth their time?

I will try it in the next few days but i'd like to hear if its bogus before i put like a month of time into it!

Much Appreciated
TRF

[davidboxen]

Mental training is never a waste of time; and it comes in many different forms, not just mental rehearsal.

Just one quick example, it's been shown in scientific studies that imagining that you are working a muscle against resistance increases the strength of that muscle.

[TarekF]

Just one quick example, it's been shown in scientific studies that imagining that you are working a muscle against resistance increases the strength of that muscle.

Do you mean Isometric exercise? If so I have heard of it, like training muscles without moving and only using imaginary resistance.

But mental training does sound compelling, because the theory goes that since our minds do not discriminate from real or imagined events, neural pathways can be created for the motions we want to enhance and re-enforce and weed out unwanted motions.

I actually just finished reading an article about this by a UFC fighter, he even includes a personal anecdote

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/17098/mixed_martial_arts_training_visualize.html?cat=14

[davidboxen]

Isometric exercises actually involve contracting the muscles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isometric_exercise

I'm talking about not contracting the muscles, but simply imagining/visualizing them lifting/pushing/pulling etc.

Here's a fun experiment:
1) stand beside a wall with one arm flat against it, and try pressing the arm into the wall as hard as you can. Hold a few seconds.
2) Step away from the wall, relax that same arm completely and imagine that you are doing that same press without any actual muscular contraction. Hold a few seconds, then let go of the image.
3) Repeat step 2 a few times and see if you can feel any difference when you call upon the image/sensation and when u just completely relax

This is a small taste of how evoking sense memories is important mental exercise.

[davidboxen]

And if you want some more discussion on this topic try this link:

http://rumsoakedfist.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4907