How To Make Progress By Wasting Time

I teach this concept to my competition team to train them how to control the clock during sparring matches. To understand exactly why wasting time is a good thing, you have to understand the following:

1. If you are planning on winning, you will probably fight a few matches.

2. The more active you are in a match, the more fatigued you will get.

3. The more active you are in the match, the less control you have over the score.

4. Athletes who are more active in the match usually do more attacking and attackers are more likely to get scored on than score points of their own.

5. The more active you are in a match, the less time you have to think and plan.

Hence, the concept of wasting time. I developed this "definition" specifically to use when training kids because they seem to really grasp the concept and can put it to work quite easily. If you are an adult, just think "clock management."
To be as successful as possible, an athlete should have complete control over where the match is going. The best ways to control the match are:

1. Maintain critical distance.

2. Use your body properly throughout the three different ranges.

3. Waste time.

I will be writing separate articles about critical distance and the red zone, as well as using your body properly throughout the three different ranges.

My definition of wasting time is "any point at which the clock is running and the athletes are not actively engaging." You could be at critical distance, you could be clinched, you could be at extra distance, or you could be using non-attack body posturing and motions, such as feints and cuts that keep the opponent confused or physically at bay. If you aren't following any of these terms or concepts you'll just have to subscribe to my page so you can get the follow up articles and get back on track. :) Keep reading though - it gets easier.

Let's assume that you understand the concept of wasting time and how to do it. Now let's go over when you should be wasting time.

1. When you have the lead.

2. When the score is close [in the first round].

3. If you feel you have control of the match and there is no urgency to win; to save energy for the next fight.

Wasting time has an obvious use when you are in the lead. Every second that ticks off the clock puts you a second closer to a win. Wasting time when you feel you are going to win no matter what is also obvious, as long as you have made a correct evaluation of your opponent.

But, you are probably wondering why you would want to waste time in round one if the score is close? I call round one the feeler round; you feel your opponent out and get a good idea of his game plan and his skill level. Round two is where the business happens (or round three in some black belt divisions). You want to escape round one with no more than a basic knowledge of who you are fighting; the score matters not as long as you have kept the match close, which you have done if you have wasted time properly. This can also catch your opponent off guard if you switch from zero urgency to being aggressive in round two. However, I would still suggest that you stay calm in round two and simply focus on exploiting the weaknesses you found during round one. Just make sure round two ends with you in the lead.

Many times athletes are always in a rush to regain a lead. I teach my students to be comfortable with a one or two point deficit, to stay calm, and control the clock. It requires that you are skilled as an athlete to be comfortable in this situation because you have to have the confidence and the experience to ultimately score the points needed to win. But if you have the confidence, the experience, and the skill, it shouldn't bother you to be down by a couple points. Athletes who panic or fight with too much urgency end up kicking right into a three, four, five, or more point deficit because all strategy has been thrown out the window in an attempt to "catch up." I teach my students that if you lose, you lose because your opponent was better, not because you stopped thinking.

Winners make clock management a huge part of their strategy–make sure you do too. If you know when, why, and how to waste time I think you'll quickly notice that you win more often and win easier!