Zoning Out During Competition

[Hushigoshi]

To sum it up just think in terms of fuck everything else in life and just play the game. Worry about anything else when it is over.

This is key. Worry when it has happened, and it's long over. Don't worry about a million hypothetical situations beforehand. Analyze the one situation that does happen, after it has happened.

zoning is something that just comes with time, you will just have to keep doing your sport until it starts happeneing.

This too. It took close to 5 years of competitive sport karate before I was able to zone out before/during a fight. Now it comes naturally and I can do it at will for anything; homework/studying/training/doing dishes. Of course, when asked "how do you do it?" I always respond with "iunno, it just kinda happens". At least for me, I can't explain the sequence of events that takes place in my head to zone out; one second I can see and hear everything, the next I'm in a silent, pitch black world with just myself and my opposition.

[Brill Weave]

I usually have a pre-decided song stuck in my head that I focus on.

[Zhais]

Relax, and don't worry about anything else around you.

I've been fencing competitively for two years now... just had a competition this weekend as well (took 2nd in one event). Once we start, the only people that exist are my opponent and the ref.

The best way to get used to it, is to just keep competing. Eventually it will come to you.

[Bingbong]

Practice, practice, practice. There's a reason pro's do it everyday.
Muscle memory is a powerful powerful thing. Once you can start to make the motions and movements of your chosen sport without having to think about them, then you're on the way to drowning everything else out.

If you have to think about how you're moving on ice, grass, turf, whatever, it's part of your concentration spent up in the movement. Freeing up that space in your head will allow you to easily concentrate on what you need to to keep the "noise" out.