Determination, it's a conscious choice

       
           What's up people? I hope this finds you all well and good, healthy and happy. I wanted to touch on something that is more than necessary when entering into contact sports and that is summed up best in one word, "Determination". This is a conscious effort to decide to do something no matter the difficulty. When it comes to fighting I believe the only way to approach the training and competition is with complete and utter determination. You can wear all the brand name gear, and buy all of the top quality gear but that doesn't make your focus any stronger. Committing to the idea that whether it's an amateur title or a world title, a gold medal locally or world championship in another country, you can't achieve your goal by part timing it.

Rewards of my decision!

           If your expectations are high then the work you put in has to equate to what you want. You can't be the last one with your gloves on or the first one to your water bottle. I've seen men and women cry during training and i've seen some play around and joke about it. The truth is I would rather train with the ones that are breaking down and continuing to train, those are the fighters. The ones that want it so much that they are willing to give all of themselves to the evolution of their craft. I would even go on a limb in a lot of cases and say if you haven't pushed to the breaking point then maybe you don't want what you think you want.
           I listen to people everyday tell me of their goals and expectations of themselves and in return I try to help them set a path towards those goals. The path I lead them on is one that will require hard work, pain, and little room for laziness. It is up to the person to make the choice on how to deal with it. I myself have far outreached anything I thought possible. I was a late starter into Muay Thai and initially thought of MMA. I have won some amateur titles and some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu medals and I am not done. I was inspired by seeing the accomplishments of others and made a decision that I will have what I want and nothing will stop me. I was working until 5 or 6 a.m. and getting up walking to the gym and training by myself for at least two years, maybe more. I was and still am determined to accomplish more. I didn't even know exactly what I was looking for. I didn't know how to get a fight, how to train properly, or the names of techniques I was doing but it did not deter me. I lost some friendships, probably strained some relationships etc.. These things are called sacrifices.
             The reality of this path is if they are your friends, then they will be supportive and at your side through the journey. You can't expect everyone to understand it, it's your journey not theirs. Be prepared to make sacrifices, deal with scrutiny, injury and aggravation because the road to greatness is cluttered with obstacles but you can make it if you so choose.
            What is it that you want? Not what you see on television, in real life. Pick some goals to shoot for and as you accomplish those goals, the future goals of world championships, gold medals and legacy will start to become more real an attainable. Just remember that the goals are all in reach. All you have to do is be determined.

de·ter·mi·na·tion

 noun \di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən\

: a quality that makes you continue trying to do or achieve something that is difficult

: the act of finding out or calculating something

: the act of officially deciding something

Are you willing?

Hello all, I hope this blog finds you well. I had a great Muay Thai camp last week and I'm really enjoying watching everybody progressing and growing as Nak Muay and  martial artists. It is very humbling and I am honored to be a part of their journeys as they are a part of mine. I wanted to speak on willingness and how it shapes you as a fighter also as a person.
          One of my students came and asked me, "How do you get inside on somebody taller with a longer reach?". I responded, "You have to be willing". It's a very simple concept that applies to everything we want in our lives. What are you willing to do? World championships, a better job, or getting inside on a longer fighter. It all lies in the hands of the person facing the challenge. Now I'm not saying that chance doesn't play a part in all things, but as the old adage goes, "Chance favors the prepared mind".
          Are you willing to sacrifice some sleep to study harder for a test, or stay late nights at work in pursuit of a higher position. A championship of any caliber in sports is a huge undertaking. In order to win one, you have to give a piece of yourself. Literally blood, sweat, and tears will fall as you chase your dream. Some people just aren't ready to sacrifice any part of themselves for any reason, they are content in being on the level they are on. "To each his own", but they might be missing the point of the game.

        I think people believe that the medal, higher paycheck, degree, etc. is the biggest prize of the process. However, this is not the case. Although, the prize is important as Floyd Mayweather so eloquently put it, "I'm a prizefighter, that's what I'm supposed to do, fight for a prize. Duh.." Well that may be true, but one thing you know for sure about Floyd, he has won plenty of prizes but there's one prize he's still after. Retiring undefeated as maybe the best ever. He gets it. See the real prize is yourself. It's looking back and saying I was willing to push myself to the limit and test the boundaries of what I thought was possible. I tested this body and mind and I now realize what many won't truly know and that is that the limits are boundless. We are indeed capable of greatness.
        Are you willing to sacrifice time, friends, the luxuries of life,

and yourself to truly find yourself? If you are not then, then you should be. The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train. It is evolution, elevation, and enlightenment. So cry through the pain, physical and emotional, believe when they doubt, and become your dream. It is all up to you. What are you willing to do?