Martial Arts Training Guided Imagery for Kickboxing or Muay Thai

Guided mental rehearsal of various punching and kicking techniques for martial arts training to help prepare for a Kickboxing or Muay Thai martial arts competition. Enhance your athletic abilities and be calm, focused, and energized when you compete.

This script will provide guided mental rehearsal to allow the techniques to occur naturally and automatically when you compete. This exercise does not provide instruction on how to do techniques. It is necessary to be familiar with kickboxing or Muay Thai techniques to do this relaxation exercise.

Mental rehearsal improves physical abilities. Your physical martial arts training is complimented by this mental martial arts training. Mental martial arts training can be as effective as physical practice in improving your abilities. Improve your speed, reactions, and skills with this mental martial arts training.

Begin reading the script here:

To begin this martial arts training script, find a comfortable position where you can relax and focus for about half an hour with your eyes closed. You may want to sit in a chair with your back supported, or lie down on your back on a flat surface.

Allow your eyes to close as you focus your attention inward. Concentrate first on your breathing. Breathe slowly in…and slowly out. Focusing all your attention on the air moving in…and out…

In…and out…

Keep breathing slowly like this. Your breathing allows you to focus…now, as you relax…and later when you train and when you compete in a martial arts competition. Your breathing centers you. Your breath energizes you…provides power and speed…physically and mentally…

The air you breathe is the fuel for your mental and physical performance.

As you breathe, allow yourself to settle into a state of deep relaxation. You can achieve this relaxed state by first relaxing your eyelids. Notice how heavy your eyelids feel…so heavy…so very heavy that it feels like you cannot even open your eyes…but it is a pleasant feeling…a relaxed and calm feeling of heaviness…with your eyes so pleasantly closed.

Allow your arms to relax as well. Relax from your shoulders to your elbows, your elbows to your wrists, your wrists to your hands…all the way to your fingertips. Allow your arms to become filled with relaxation all the way from your shoulders to the tips of your fingers…so heavy…so relaxed…loose and relaxed….

Relax your legs now from your hips to your knees, your knees to your ankles, your ankles to your feet…all the way to the tips of your toes. Relaxation fills your legs completely from your hips to your toes.

Allow your whole body to relax…unwinding…letting go of tension.

Now let’s focus the mind by counting. Slowly count from ten to one, finding that each number doubles your relaxation. Begin at ten…relaxing…calmly…peaceful…becoming twice as relaxed as you reach nine…continue counting on your own now…all the way down to one…down…down…becoming twice as relaxed with each number…

When you reach one…count back up with me from one to five, becoming just a little bit more alert with each number.

One…

Two…

Three…

Four…

Five.

Good. Now count back down from five to one, becoming twice as relaxed with each number…more and more deeply relaxed as each number doubles your relaxation.

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

Okay. Now count with me back up from one to five, becoming more deeply relaxed with each number…twice as relaxed with each number…every number doubling your relaxation.

One…

Two…

Three…

Four…

Five.

So deeply relaxed. Pleasant…peaceful…relaxed.

(Pause)

Now in this relaxed state I would like you to visualize yourself doing martial arts training. See yourself practicing a variety of techniques…completing martial arts training. Fully engaged in martial arts training. Seeing yourself completing the physical martial arts training, only right now you are doing martial arts training in your mind. Martial arts training in your mind is very effective. You are doing good, effective martial arts training right now.

Imagine the punches you can do…each one with excellent speed and power. See yourself practicing both the right and left with perfect technique…effectively blocking with your back hand at the same time as you execute each punch. Breathe with each technique…inhaling before you strike, and exhaling as you complete the strike. Complete three quick punches for each technique.

Imagine yourself practicing the left jab.

Imagine yourself practicing the right cross.

Jab, cross.

Practice the right jab.

Practice the left cross.

Jab, cross.

Imagine yourself practicing a left front hook.

Imagine yourself practicing a right back hook.

Front hook, back hook.

Practice the right front hook.

Practice the left front hook.

Front hook, back hook.

Imagine yourself practicing a left front uppercut.

Imagine yourself practicing a right back uppercut.

Front uppercut, back uppercut.

Practice the right front uppercut.

Practice the left back uppercut.

Front uppercut, back uppercut.

Now continue this mental martial arts training. Imagine practicing any other punches you do…practicing both front and back, both sides right and left, to the head and to the body. Imagine whatever punching techniques you decide, such as invisible punch…spinning back fist…superman…

Practice punches now, mentally seeing yourself completing each one. See yourself using perfect technique…breathing…blocks…speed…and power.

(Pause)

Now envision yourself completing kicks. Do each kick with excellent speed and power. See yourself practicing both the right and left with perfect technique. Breathe with each technique…inhaling before you strike, and exhaling as you complete the strike. Complete three quick kicks for each technique.

Practice push kicks…remembering to steal a step for each push kick and keep your hands up to block your face. Breathe out each time you land a kick, and pull each kick back quickly after you strike.

Left front push kick.

Right back push kick.

Front push kick, back push kick.

Right front push kick.

Left back push kick.

Front push kick, back push kick.

Now practice cut kicks…remembering to swivel and snap each kick, pulling the kick back quickly after you strike. Do a fan block with each kick. Breathe out each time you land a kick.

Left front cut kick.

Right back cut kick.

Front cut kick, back cut kick.

Right front cut kick.

Left back cut kick.

Front cut kick, back cut kick.

Now practice hoon kicks…remembering to swivel and snap each kick, pulling the kick back quickly after you strike. Do a fan block with each kick. Breathe out each time you land a kick.

Left front hoon kick.

Right back hoon kick.

Front hoon kick, back hoon kick.

Right front hoon kick.

Left back hoon kick.

Front hoon kick, back hoon kick.

Now practice roundhouse kicks…remembering to swivel and snap each kick, pulling the kick back quickly after you strike and resuming fighting stance. Lean your upper body, like a pendulum, allowing your kick to achieve the proper height. Do a fan block with each kick. Breathe out each time you land a kick.

Left front roundhouse kick.

Right back roundhouse kick.

Right front roundhouse kick.

Left back roundhouse kick.

Now practice side kicks…remembering to swivel and snap each kick, pulling the kick back quickly after you strike and resuming fighting stance. Lean your upper body, like a pendulum, allowing your kick to achieve the proper height. Do a fan block with each kick. Breathe out each time you land a kick.

Left front side kick.

Right back side kick.

Right front side kick.

Left back side kick.

Now imagine practicing any other kicks you want to do…practicing both front and back, both sides right and left. Imagine whatever kicks you decide, such as crescent kick…reverse side kick…

Practice kicks now, mentally seeing yourself completing each one. See yourself using perfect technique…breathing…blocks…speed…and power.

(Pause)

Imagine the knee and elbow strikes you can do…each one with excellent speed and power. See yourself practicing both the right and left with perfect technique…effectively blocking at the same time as you execute each strike. Breathe with each technique…inhaling before you strike, and exhaling as you complete the strike. Complete three quick strikes for each technique.

Front left rising elbow.

Back right rising elbow.

Front rising elbow, back rising elbow.

Right front rising elbow.

Left back rising elbow.

Front rising elbow, back rising elbow.

Left front horizontal elbow.

Right back horizontal elbow.

Front horizontal elbow, back horizontal elbow.

Right front horizontal elbow.

Left back horizontal elbow.

Front horizontal elbow, back horizontal elbow.

Left front downward elbow.

Right back downward elbow.

Front downward elbow, back downward elbow.

Right front downward elbow.

Left back downward elbow.

Front downward elbow, back downward elbow.

Clinch and left front knee.

Clinch and right back knee.

Clinch, front knee, back knee.

Clinch and right front knee.

Clinch and left back knee.

Clinch, front knee, back knee.

Now imagine practicing any other knees or elbows you want to do…practicing both front and back, both sides right and left, to the head and to the body. Imagine whatever knee or elbow strikes you decide…such as reverse elbow…flying knee…side knee…

(Pause)

Now that you have rehearsed the basic martial arts training techniques, imagine yourself in a martial arts competition. Imagine facing your opponent. See yourself moving with your opponent…responding at the same time as your opponent moves.

See yourself moving and circling…evading your opponent’s strikes…

See yourself block kicks and punches, and as you block, executing offensive moves of your own…

Imagine blocking effectively as you strike, refusing to leave any opening for your opponent to strike you…

Visualize yourself striking with fast, powerful, effective combinations. See each blow landing exactly as intended to…wearing down your opponent…scoring points…each strike moving you one step closer to winning the martial arts competition.

See in detail the combinations. Imagine confronting your opponent with combinations. Breathe with each strike. Block effectively with each strike. Keep circling. Eyes open when you block and open when you strike. Deliberately timing your blinking. Fully in control. Maintain good fighting stance. Use your back foot to come in, and your front foot to get out. Move in and out quickly with each combination…moving in with each strike, and then moving out and circling after the combination is complete.

Imagine push kick, jab, cross.

Excellent technique. Eyes open.

Jab, jab, front hook, back hook.

Keep breathing…blocking…moving…get in fast…get out fast.

Jab, cross, hoon kick.

In and out quickly…circling…good fighting stance.

Front cut kick, back cut kick, cross, uppercut.

Speed and power…focused and confident.

Hook, uppercut, uppercut.

Breathing with each strike. Getting quickly in and out.

Clinch, knee, knee, knee, break.

Moving quickly. Agile. Focused. Powerful.

Hook, cross, horizontal elbow.

Breathe.

Now imagine other combinations that you can use to attack your opponent. Imagine responding to each opening you see…striking when your opponent is open.

See yourself anticipating each movement your opponent makes. Before your opponent can land a strike, you have already moved…already blocked…already used a strike of your own.

Imagine using combinations.

(Pause)

Let’s relax for a few moments as you allow the martial arts training techniques and skills to become permanently stored in your memory.

Just relax. Focus your mind completely on these words. Breathing calmly…doubling your relaxation with each breath.

Sinking deeper…floating…relaxing…drifting…

Feeling so pleasant…so comfortable…completely at ease…confident…

(Pause)

Now think about areas of martial arts training that have been challenging for you. Perhaps a particular technique has been difficult in the past. Maybe there is a habit you have been wanting to change. Identify a martial arts training area that has been difficult.

Now see yourself with a new, positive habit. See yourself perfectly completing the technique.

(Pause)

You use this technique perfectly every time. With precision. Speed. Power. Control. This former challenge has become your new strength.

Thinking about this former challenge causes you to be filled with a feeling of confidence.

Assuming a fighting stance and doing kickboxing or Muay Thai moves causes you to perform each movement with precision…causes you to breathe effectively…to keep your eyes open during the movement…to utilize effective blocks.

Entering a ring in a martial arts competition causes you to be energized, confident, and strong.

Your kicks, punches, knees, elbows, movements, breathing, and blocks come naturally, automatically, and easily.

You are in tune with your opponent, responding before your opponent even completes a movement.

You are fully confident and highly skilled.

Training causes you to feel energetic. Each exercise you do causes you to feel wonderful. Every moment you spend training causes you to feel great.

(Pause)

Doing this relaxation exercise causes you to feel confident and calm and to pursue your scheduled training with confidence and motivation. Each time you do this relaxation exercise you do relax twice as quickly and deeply as the previous time. Listening to this relaxation exercise causes you to feel wonderful.

Now you have completed this martial arts training guided imagery. It is time to reawaken your mind and body so you can resume your regular activities.

In a moment I will count to three. When you hear the number three you you are completely awake and alert, filled with energy and confidence.

One…

Two…

Three.

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