Got called out by a kid

We have a Chinese New Year's celebration every year. Some students volunteer to perform and our instructors also put on a demo.

One of the kids, a 11ish year old girl I talk to (she comes to my work as well) did a great job in her part of the demo. I congratulated her on a job well done and she politely said " why weren't you there?" I was confused and said I was there, that's how I saw the performance. She politely said "I mean, why weren't you part of the performances.??" Say what??????

I mentioned that I am recovering from injuries, but would next year.

But you know what? She is right. The year before I wasn't hurt and didn't volunteeer, and I may very well not have this year if healthy. Truth is, I have confidence issues and while I don't mind doing forms in front of my school when doing tournament preparation classes, performing at an exhibition scares me! I find ways to say I am not good enough, but when I honestly assess things, I could do it. I want to hide behind being older, but we had a couple do a double staff set that are almost 70!

So, I am going to tell my instructor about this at my lesson tonight, so she holds me to performing next year. If I tell her I will do it, she won't let me back out. I am one of the most regular students at my school and I am high enough rank that I should be setting an example.

-aaradia

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I must not fear.Fear is the mind-killer.Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.I will face my fear.I will permit it to pass over me & through me.& when it has gone I will turn to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.Only I will remain.F.Herbert

I have 600 bikers in our group that I give a speech to like that a lot. The nature of people is what are you doing for me and you want me to what?

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You are not where you have been and you are not where you are going you are only here.

That's a common issue with a lot of martial artists when it comes to performance.
Never had it myself, luckily, but a KF Brother had it terrible to the point of messing up his chain whip form and cracking himself in the head and getting a huge welt as well as throwing up and having a serious case of the shakes right before.

Best way to manage it is to have someone goad you into it, practice in front of as many people as you can who are not training mates but don't know you either so wont say much, that way you kinda go through the same thing as a performance, just on less a scale. Only do demos that are part of a group performance so you don't feel singled out as much and imagine that everyone is in there underwear



Whatever you do or course you decide on, you'll manage just fine and shouldn't feel ashamed of not joining in, there are many martial artists that don't do demos/performances and that's perfectly acceptable.

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Oh THAT'S how that works!

demo of anything is tricky but we can't have dlist members getting shown up by kids so we expect to see a vid of your demo up on the list this time next year.

Good luck with your preparation.

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Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you
High mountains are a feeling
I don't need to sell my soul, he's already in me

That's a familiar reaction to performance. Especially when in front of a bunch of other guys in your style. Now if you were up in front of a bunch of say, south mantis people, it's mostly fine, because they're not sitting in judgement.

Most people watching performances do not know what they are looking at. If you mess up, oh well, they dont know. It really just means you can look back and laugh at it later with your classmates.

train hard
tigerklaw

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Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.

Aaradia

Confidence is a characteristic that anyone can learn.

Most people care so much about themselves that there not really judging you how much you think they are. It's probably a limiting belief that you learned from Tv or some other social programming.

Relax for a second and ask "Was there ever a time when ____" You weren't scared of doing something in front a a group of people, I'm sure unconsciously there was and that's a resources and emotional state you can use for the future.

Another technique that's fun to use is Disassociation. Future pace yourself to the tournament or whenever you're preforming next and disassociate from you're body. See yourself in front of the crowd of people in full color with as best of detail your mind understands. Disassociation is a powerful technique.

There are a million resources you have to use there just hidden unconscious make no mistake they are there just not being used.

You're probably much more resilient than you can imagine.

My food is getting cold

Take Care, ibl

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Deal with difficult tasks while they are easy.
Act on large issues while they are small.

The more you do it, the easier it is. Although it's never totally easy, and you're never not nervous. (If you're not nervous, you're an idiot.)

I don't know if this helps, but the first time I do something in front of an audience I almost always screw it up. In fact I really screwed up a performance on Saturday night, you all would probably howl if you saw it -- but I digress. You screw up, you get through it, bow, pace around backstage for about 5 minutes going "F_!" "F_!" "F_!" under your breath. Then you get on with things.

It does get better. But only if you grit your teeth and jump in there.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

imagine yourself doing the demo naked

so that when the time comes you will be so happy that your not doing it with no clothes on

that it will be a breeze

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"...any theory that satisfies the facts demands assumptions which are completely absurd."

Aleister Crowley

“	Originally Posted By: Pope_Wingnut imagine yourself doing the demo naked	”

Or, just do the demo naked. Guaranteed, your performance will be the most memorable...

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Man for Sale: House-broken, current vaccinations, almost never humps your leg.