Kho-Kho:Rise of Sixth Sense

Kho-Kho: Rise of  Sixth Sense 

 You are thinking about what is that Sixth sense and how it is connected with Kho-Kho. So, I try to explain through my pen it's the power of understanding beyond the five senses called intuition.

It sometimes a very powerful pike of a player as he already knows in advance what to be next. It's an intuition that you feel in matches and acts in advance to overcome the opponent's next move.

“His sixth sense warned him to be cautious.“

As a player or a coach, do you ever have a feeling that you know what’s going to happen next?  Or after something has happened, thinking “I knew that was going to happen!”  Do you ever make decisions based on a “gut feeling?”  That’s the kind of sixth sense I am talking about. It’s more about seeing things before they happen.

Kho-Kho has helped players to develop these types of guts feeling in a better way as a player I feel so. Sometimes extraordinary record-breaking performance in a match. Those unforgettable moments are all about performing beyond the body.

So what exactly is the sixth sense of sports?  Assumption, Confidence, Anticipation, Intuition, Trust, Faith? A combination of these?  And can it be developed?

We think so.

Let’s take a look at some other “Senses” – Sense of humor, sense of balance, sense of fairness

Like these, the sixth sense in sports, well, makes no “sense.”  A sense of humor is just that – a sense of what’s funny. It’s not all the same for all people and there is no formula to it.  Kapil Sharma has a certain sense of humor, and so does.  He is very funny but in different senses. But these senses can be developed – timing, observation, studying, practicing, and of course, the experience can all help.

Sport psychology techniques to help grow your “Sixth Sense of Sports” as Kho-Kho is based on it.

1) Circle Breathing and Defending – part of sensing what’s coming next is being fully present at the moment. Circle breathing is a slow, deep, controlled breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth.  It is used to relax, calm, and re-focus.  Try it now, take 3 circle breaths………   What were you thinking about? For most people, the answer is “nothing.” It clears your mind to be more in-tune with the present moment. It’s impossible to simultaneously focus on breathing and worry.

Defending of Kho- Kho player involves various ways of running during a match like 3-3-2, Ring game, single chain, etc. This provides more focus and real-time concentration that shows the real calmness, quickness of action, and more clarity of mind and with time develop to judge the moves of attackers in advance that evolves gut feeling.

2) Positive Self-Talk and Kho-Kho – being an optimist, and controlling your self-talk is a big time to develop a sixth sense. For things to go your way, you need to have a mindset that is open to any possibility. When your mind is open, you are more likely to take opportunities that present themselves, no matter how unlikely. Kho-Kho when played with total devotion and sacrifice it helps the player to stop chattering of unnecessary thoughts and helps the player to focus on the present situation and develop a sixth sense with time.

3) Visualization and Its impact on Kho-Kho– Using this sports psychology technique helps to build what I refer to as “emotional memory.”  We all know muscle memory – when you practice a skill so much that your muscles remember the movements.  Emotional memory is when you have practiced, re-lived, or felt the experience of success so much that you remember what it feels like. proper visualization uses all 5 senses: sight, hearing, feeling, smell, and tasting. The sum of all these senses creates not only provides experience mentally, but can bring up all the emotions mentioned previously: belief, trust, anticipation, calmness, and more.  It becomes more than the sum of the 5 senses to help create and strengthen your “sixth sense.”This Visualization when you experienced during the Kho-Kho match makes a more positive impact during the play against opponents and provides unbelievable results.

As it is clear from the above text that Sixth Sense can also be developed and rises through Kho-Kho.

Written By 

Voice of International player

Pankaj Malhotra(India)