Mental Aspect

[MarksMan]

was just wondering how do you guys mentally approach gettin in the ring? do you see it more as a sport or as a fight?

[daniels_co]

I think it is rather a fight!


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[RightHooker]

It's kinda funny. Befor the fight, I'm very relaxed and I tend to see it as a sport, in that it's not like I'm trying to go in there and hurt/kill the person. I feel the same way as when I used to play soccer or football.

But then when the bell goes, it's a fight and I'm trying to knock the guy out or punch a hole in his ribs. As soon as the fight is over it goes back to being a sport and I shake hands/show good sportsmanship that kinda thing.

I like seeing the different attitudes of guys before fights. Before I fought myself I worked the glove up table at one of our gyms shows and got to see everyone just before they fought. Some guys were so intense ready to go, other guys you could tell were nervous/scared, and some guys were just chilled out.

It certainly wasn't a scientific study, but the guys that were really intense and really scared seemed to have mixed results, and the guys who were relaxed and chilled out won most of their fights.

[selk]

I think of it as both

[j]

well, i will be honest and tell u i have only had a few competitive fights aside from streetfights, hard sparring, and testing martial arts legends.

because of my fighting, and my being known to fight anyone, i have always maintained a calmness in any kind of fight or sparring.

if i went into a match with a complete fighting/self defence attitude, i am sure i would have been in the news for killing or severely maiming a person.

i find this to be a good, and interesting question. in my fights - a heigthened awareness with ruthlessly calm mindset is not something i want to bring during a sparring, comepetitive match, or even a street fight to be honest.

but, i can say for sure that having calmness in the midst of a fight or match is better that going ape-crazy 8 or 9 out of ten times. it depends, as everything does.



btw, mental approach encompasses for more than just attitude. it embraces the clearness of the mind, the structuring of it, and so much more.

this can be an interesting question - i wish it was phrased a bit better and more specifically though.

[j]

while this post is on mental spects, i will tell you that having an accute awareness is a very desirable skill. this leads to skills like sticky hands, and that unique vitali klitschko skill of being able to avoid a punch while countering at the exact same time.


how u develope this awareness i can only show u, not write about.

good training fellas.

btw, to make this clear, my competitive fights have not been sanctioned by any authoritative sactioning body. but i assure u i have fought in a competitive forms and have had real streetfights. and some fights which weapons have been involved against me. thankfully, i have never lost so far. however, i do not mind losing as long as i learn something from the fight or match. and, of course, i spar. so i am not some armchair critic - only few on this board know about my training. but, feel free to ask me via PM. or read my blogs.

regards, j