One of my favorite periodicals, Brain in the News, reprinted an article about the science of why people choke under pressure. It's written about golfers but, like many things, you can mentally substitute martial arts for golf. One point the article makes is that choking most often happens when people try to think about what they are going to do. If you've been in the arts for a while you can remember your instructor telling you not to think-just do.
They also mention the quiet mind and how you can learn to do that. No wonder meditation is taught with the arts, eh? Another point is that kids don't seem to have the same problems with choking. They say that's because they don't have the weight of expectations and previous screw-ups. The ancient Chinese said "Be like a child". Damn, right again.
In addition they describe the difference in performance between a control group that practiced with an audience and another who did not. Uh-huh, the first group with an audience did better under pressure. So your teacher who had you do your thing in front of the class was onto something!
Here's the link to the article in the New York Times. http://onpar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/when-golfers-overthink-the-science-behind-the-choke/
And to get a subscription to Brain in the News go to www.dana.org. It's free, ya cheapskate.
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