Andy Burns knows how important mental preparation is in top-level judo. The Glasgow-born Commonwealth champion works closely with a sports psychologist as part of Great Britain squad sessions in Sheffield.

“Psychology is huge in judo as it’s a combat sport,” he underlines, “It has definitely helped me and is a big part of the sport.

“I’ve learned such things as how to control my level of arousal and how to psyche yourself up and also you learn how to read your opponent.

“It’s important to try and break your opponent mentally and you need to be able to read the signs.
“You know yourself that when you start to falter, then you can be broken and you have to look out for that.

“Any advantage you can get over your opponent can be vital and psychology is especially important as, at this level, you can face the same person a few times and you must learn to read their weaknesses.”

Burns, 23, has been based at the University of Bath since he was 18 as part of the Team Bath sports programme and he graduates this year as a BA in Coach Education and Sports Development.

He apologises for his lack of a Scottish accent, having left Glasgow at the age of 10 to move to Blackburn, Lancashire, but he still has relatives in Scotland who keep a keen interest in his progress.

Burns has a big year ahead of him as he seeks a medal at the World University Games in Belgrade, having finished fifth in the open weight category two years ago.

He is seeking to drop down to compete at Under-90kg level which should give him more opportunities for success and he is also hoping to make the Great Britain team for the World and European Championships.

His eventual target is to do well at London 2012 and has already shown he is prepared to make the necessary sacrifices.

Just over a year ago, he spent three-and-a-half months at Tokai University in Japan as part of a rigid training regime which involved two three-hour sessions every day.

That included Christmas Day which Burns admits, he found difficult but knew that the overall experience would benefit him in the long run.

“It was hard doing two three-hour sessions every day but you are working with some of the top players in the world,” he outlines.

“I felt I had to go over to learn the different Japanese style and it really helped. I originally intended going over for a year but my visa ran out and, by then, I felt I’d achieved what I’d set out to do.

“I went out on December 21 and, because the Japanese don’t celebrate it, Christmas Day was just like any other with sessions in the morning and afternoon.

“I just lived on rice when I was out there and it could be difficult at times but I knew it would help me in the long run.

“When I came back, my results weren’t too good at first as I was getting used to a different style but, within a few months, I’d won a bronze medal at the European Under-23 Championships so I knew that the Japan experience had worked.

“The contrast between the Japanese and European styles is one of the aspects that makes judo so compelling to watch.

“The European style is more about grappling and you can see a bout between, for example a Japanese and a Russian, swinging one way then the other.”

Burns looks to have his future mapped out with funding in place for the GB team to improve on what was a disappointing performance at the Beijing Olympics.

“The funding has remained the same for 2012 and that is my ultimate target. This year, I am looking to the World University Games and hopefully the European and World Championships and next year I will be looking to medal at World Cup events.

“The goal is to be in the top 10 in the world by the time of the London Olympics in 2012."

RM
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