Pilsung (Certain Victory)- is a phrase used by many Taekwondo fighters to express their expectations when competing. However, victory requires more than making a statement; it takes commitment. Just because you win, it does not mean you are victorious. Victory is much more than winning. To help insure victory, practice the following:
Train
Train your body. Use weight training, plyometrics, aerobic activities, proper diet, and sufficient rest to keep you body in top condition. Stay drug free.
Train your mind. Keep learning new things, tackle new challenges, develop discipline and self-control, and learn to concentrate on the task at hand.
Control your emotions. Do not let your fear, anxiety, and uncertainty control your thoughts. Channel your thoughts into the 3 C’s of Conviction, Courage, and Confidence.
Maintain your spirit. Be empowered by your religious beliefs.
Find the “zone.” When you are “on” and in the “zone,” learn to recognize the status of your mental, physical, emotional states and spiritual energy at that moment, so you may duplicate them, when the need arises.
Prepare
Maintain balance in your life. Do not let any one thing, even Taekwondo competition, take control of your life.
Maintain a solid support structure. Keep family and friends around you who care about you as a person, not your abilities.
Visualize. At various times during the day, visualize yourself competing. Live the entire experience—the sights, the smells, the sounds, the feel, all of it, from beginning to end, from the time you wake up in the morning of competition, to the point where you raise your hands in victory.
Manage your life
Set long-term goals. Always be working toward something. Once you reach a goal, cherish the moment, and then set another goal.
Do not dwell on the past. Any mistake or bad decision is in the past, so do not dwell on it. Learn from it and move on.
Live for the moment. Delight and compete in the moment. Savor and enjoy the moment, it is what you have worked so hard for. Do not let losing get in the way of enjoying the experience.
Eliminate hindrances
Lose weight, if needed. Lose the extra pounds of fat that hinder your movements, require extra energy, and put unnecessary stress and strain on your joints.
Eliminate negative thoughts. If you think you may fail, then you are harboring that possibility. Accept failure when it occurs and deal with it, but do not let negative thoughts cloud your mind.
Be friends with your competition
Hate slows. Desire the best for your friends, and have them desire the best for you. You will improve each other’s abilities to levels you never would have reached otherwise. When you compete with a friend, you are relaxed and much quicker in your thoughts and movements. What would be better than always finishing #1 and #2 with your best friend? When you lose to a friend, you are disappointed in yourself, but happy for your friend.
Recognize difference between winning and victory
Winning is temporary, victory is eternal. Victory is being able to win and lose with honor. Victory is learning and improving to higher level after a loss. Victory is gaining respect from the competition.
Live a legacy. Pass down your experience and knowledge to someone else, and it will return to you many times over.
Balance ego and humility
Find the best balance between ego and humility for you and your competition goals.
