Examining: LOSING

The following are my thoughts about losing, it doesn't mean all fighters feel the same. The spectrum of emotions from fighting win or lose is so broad that it can't be defined by one persons words. I can only give you a glimpse into what happens physically and mentally. All that being said losing is one of the strangest and most humiliating things that can happen, however it can also be the trigger that ctapults the fighter to new heights.
First, I think most people believe that losing is something that happens after the fight is over. In reality losing starts in the ring or the cage or whatever setting the competition is set in. I believe somewhere in the fight everything starts to seem a little surreal. Your body seeoms to be working on autopilot. It's doing everything you tell it to do but nothing seems to be effective. Meanwhile your opponent is living out some sort of Van Damme fantasy fight. If you're anything like me, you throw back everything but the kitchen sink but with no luck on this day. Your heart started sinking in the first round when you took the first hit or maybe the middle of the fight when the pace seemed to catch up with you or maybe right at the en d when you were throwing haymakers as a last resort. Somewhere in there you just know it's not your day. That's just the beginning because now you have to see all the people not just in the stands but your friends and fmily that came to support. I become very apologetic. I always feel like I let them down. I know that's not the case but I think it will always be that way.
You've made it through the gauntlet of family and friends etc. and now you start to feel doubt in yourself and what you do. That accompanied by the guilt of letting people including yourself down plus the increasingly painful bumps and bruises, cuts and other from the fight can make for a very powerful cocktail.
Losing is your defining moment in life in any form of competition or just in life itself. It is the choice, the choice to lay down and turn the other direction or stand up and embrace the loss as a part of your education. It is the ability to face fear or turn tail. It can also be as simple as the realization that this may just not be for you or it might just be the thing you had been waiting for your whole life. In any case, losing is one of the places you wish you hadn't been but one of the places that teaches you the most. You never forget losing. I know who I am, I know what I do after a loss. Who are you? What do you do?

Warrior mindset

How do you think when you train? Are you concerned with your belly fat, is it about lowering your cholesterol, or are you just fulfilling your New Year's resolution and just staying in shape. If you believe that when fighters train they think like you think you would be sadly mistaken. We have a "warrior's mindset" when we train. I work the heavy bag and mitts with purpose. Every movement is calculated and executed not with reckless abandon but with instinct and speed. Fighter's don't force or try to create power, power is the bi-product of technique and training. While most are losing weight and toning up their love handles we are preparing for battle. I have to believe that when i'm not training, my opponent is. I have to push harder and do more than he is doing because once the bell rings everything is exposed. The If you haven't adopted or developed a warrior's mind in training that also will show as mental lapses and weakness. Oliver McCall cried in his corner, Victor Ortiz after being hit by Floyd Mayweather looked for the ref to save him. The flipside of that is if all the training is sufficient and mind made strong during training in the event of a losing scenario, we never quit. Bernard Hopkins proclaimed that he would fight with a dislocated shoulder after being tossed to the mat during a fight, Tim Sylvia, after having his arm broken by Frank Mir also wanted to continue. Another product of having strong mental power is insinct, Chiek Kongo was getting a beat down from Pat Barry before dropping barry with a punch surely thrown on instinct, Scott Smith has multiple finishes in fights where he looked like he was on his way to a loss. When you sharpen body you must also sharpen your brain. It will show in your performance.

"If you were the greatest warrior for your people and you were on your way to battle and got caught in an avalanche and got broken ribs. Would you get back on your horse and go home and lose the battle for your people or continue on and help your countrymen fight?" -Jex Fontaine

"I would continue on and fight" -LUCKY Lloyd Walton

"Good, then get in the ring" - Jex Fontaine

A little motivation

Getting back to your roots

Hey guys, hope all is well and your 2012 is already bringing you blessings. In the past I wrote about how you're not alone going into fights and that your team is in there with you. I recently found out how important that really is. 2011 was a losing year for me on many fronts, but what affected me the most is not having a team to support me. I don't want to take away from the people that helped me get prepared for the fights but up until last year I always had a team of at least 7 guys all shooting for the same goal. Last year I was spending a lot of time searching for that connection and support. Something about a group working hard together makes it easier on the hard days. As of yet I haven't put together or joined a team but I have started getting back to things more familiar to me. I went and trained with my close buddy Max at the gym he trains at. I also have started training with a group of fighters that I work with on a semi-regular basis. I already feel better. It has made a huge impact already on the level of effort I put out. I know in my heart that 2012 will be a winning year partially because i'm going back to some of the things i'm used to. I believe it's better to add on to the things that work for you. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water if you will. Now that i'm training with a hall of fame mentor and I am back training with an old friend I feel like fantastic. If you feel lost in training or in life, think about when you were happiest or most successful and try to get back some of the things that made you that way. it's like being reborn.

The Reem

I know a lot of you were unfamiliar with Allistair Overeem before he sent Brock Lesnar into retirement so here's a quick recap on "The Demolition Man"!

Part 2: EGO!

In the last post we spoke about humility. It's only right that we discuss the opposite of being humble, and of course, that is the undying larger than life ego that some fighters carry around. Unfortunately, some fighters deem it necessary to maintain this "I'm kickass" attitude outside of the ring or cage. I believe that you have to hold your skills in high regard to be successful in combat sports but where does it stop? When does it start to affect the relationship with fans or family? A prime example came on national television when the egos of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sr. clashed on the behind the scenes documentary 24/7. What started as a small disagreement ended with a full fledge family arguement that the two have yet to recover from. This is of course unusual only because you seldom have two egos that big in the same room, let alone the same family. When you have egos like those two, who needs enemies?

One of the largest egos to ever enter the ring, and everyone surely knows, belongs to none other than,"the greatest of all time". That's right! None other than Muhammed Ali, who once claimed that he flipped the light switch and was in bed before it got dark, when explaining how fast he was. Other than his meaness to Joe Frazier it seemed that Ali would do more joke cracking and rhyming about his upcoming opponents, than egotistical s@%t talking. I had the opportunity to speak with Khalila Ali(Ali's former wife), who is a regular at the gym. She told me that Ali was very humble when in public and that he had sort of a cocky humbleness. As we know now, Ali has become an ambassador for Islam, the underprivileged, and this country as a whole. I'm not sure the other fighters that carry that cockiness around will ever evolve beyond the fighter mentality into the humanitarian world. Can Mayweather Jr. do that? Not likely!

What about the new cocky, the young and so far unbeatable, Jon "Bones" Jones. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jones. He is a nice guy but I didn't detect an ounce of humbleness. Although he may seem humble in some of the interviews, it is becoming more evident from things that I have heard from other fighters and seen for myself, he is becoming less humble with every victory. I don't think you should hide your feelings about how great you might be. All I contend is, there is a time and place for everything. Maybe taking a step back and realizing that some aren't as fortunate, blessed, or even in some cases, as lucky as you.
Know when to leave your ego at the door and remember that we all put on our pants one leg at a time. You'll want your fans to still be there when the flame starts to fizzle and at some point it undoubtedly will.