Measuring and motivation

    What is really good people??!! This was on my mind and I couldn't quite hash it out in my manic brain so I decided to try to do it here. The question is how do you measure success and if you do so by comparison to others, at what point does that become detrimental. When it comes to fighting we are often compared to or making comparisons to other fighters. We as a combat community often take cues from those that innovate with a spectacular knockout or technique in competition.

Soon after Anderson Silva used a front kick/teep to the jaw of Vitor Belfort the front kick to the face became a regular staple of mma fighters much the way people are using Saenchai's cartwheel kick regularly now. These moments how we grow in skill and community as well as evolve our independent artforms on an international scale. As fans we compare fighters and accomplishments to determine who is the best. As fighters we see others in positions either better or worse than our own. With the right training, mindstate, diet, recovery, coaches, training partners, will, promoters, and a dash of luck you can be one of the few fighters that reach the pinnacle of your sport. Clearly it won't happen for everyone. So when we look at this on a more personal level, how can you compare yourself to someone else that has everything you believe you are missing? The simple answer is that you cannot. The better answer is to try and have a different perspective. The phrase quality over quantity comes to mind first. I will forever believe that you must be great at the tools available to you. It means to buy in on the things you are good at and double down on them while adding other skills to compliment that base. If all you have is a jab, then work extensively on that while learning the technique of the cross. Step by step increase your base tools and expand. Your contemporary could have been blessed with athleticism that you do not have. Either you live in mediocrity or you work hard on your personal gifts to find your greatness. As fighters and martial artists the fastest way to get to place of non-growth is not using what we lack as motivation. As fighters we are sort of bound by the idea that we can beat whomever is in front of us. It is often said that if you don't believe that, you should not be competing. I believe this as well. The very idea that someone is considered better than you, can do more, or accomplishing more should be a clear motivation to get focused on your craft. As a human being you can toil at a job for years and never get that promotion, even worse you can watch the new guy get it in a year. Life is not fair. It is irrelevant, do not get stuck on fairness but do get stuck on forward momentum. Don't just stay in your lane, if you want a clearer path then you must build more lanes. If you do this, nothing can get in your way.

Peace, 

L

Peaks and valleys

         Hola people! I hope everyone is enjoying life and living to their best potential as we face a crazy election and some instability in the communities throughout this great nation. One thing I know for sure is that the fighters will keep training and keep fighting because it is our way to deal with life and find our own perspectives. It is our way of communicating and finding balance within ourselves. That being said it is not always so clear cut. As martial artists constantly trying to master our craft it can be challenging when we go through a period where our training isn't going as smoothly as we would like. I often find myself having these amazing sessions where everything is flowing, my low kick is gliding effortlessly into my opponents thigh as a result of a snappy jab and clinching feels as if I'm the bigger guy even when my opponent is 20 pounds heavier. On these days a person can't help but feel like the mountain top is within reach. It's the same feeling some days on the mats, I can feel the my sensei Jorge Pereira's Jiu Jitsu flowing through my very being and transitions and control feel second nature and finishes come easy. On the peak days it is like being completely in touch with my very existence. You can see this in all sports, it is a flow state that allows the unconscious mind to manifest itself in a conscious form. It can be this way in life as well. There are moments in life where everything is happening without hiccup, work is going great, the boss loves you, your relationship feels like it is out of a 1movie, there's money in the bank and life is beautiful. However, the flow state is rarely sustainable for long periods of time and as the title suggests we all must go through peaks and valleys.
         I can start trying to put together the same combinations, use the same footwork, shoot that same snappy jab and follow it with that low kick and in this case it gets blocked and countered. In the clinch I'm getting thrown and swept and pummeled with knees and I feel as if it is the first time I ever strapped up a pair of gloves. I can go to Jiu Jitsu and literally get tapped and strangled from every position even through my defense. These my friends are the valleys and they are for everyone. None of us are immune to having bad training days or bad days in life. So how do we manage these bad days? The answer is they aren't bad, they are learning days. If every training day was good we would never learn anything nor would we know what an amazing training day or fighting day would look like. Let's not look at the "bad days" as worthless or a reflection of our true selves in the ring, on the mat, or in life. Let's instead look at those days as useful in figuring out what we are capable of and what our potential can be. Life is hard, there are no manuals, instructions, or absolutes. We must learn on the go and from training partners, friends, family, and experience. Don't get discouraged by the off days, embrace them and make them part of your growth. If training and fighting were easy everyone would be doing it. The same goes for life, everyone isn't living life because it's not easy, some people are just walking through it. About to head into training and either way it will be a good day. Love you all keep your hands up and never give up your back. Peace and blessings.

The year

           What is up people! I have had some time off from the blog as I navigated through the holidays and have slowly come down from the high of fighting professionally which is still a trip for me to think about. I am about to get back on the mats for my own personal growth and also looking to grow as a coach by branching out and getting my fighters outside of Florida. I've watched them develop so much and they deserve to have the opportunities that weren't necessarily available to me. Goal smashing and hurdle jumping are key for the LMT brand and if you are a supporter I suggest you save some money for tickets and gear because things are about to get exciting. This isn't for the new year, this is for everyday. I Love that everyone prepares themselves for the new year with resolutions to do better than the year before it's a beautiful concept. I would offer a different perspective on personal growth whether that be physical or mental and that is that you tackle each day like it's the new year. Last year was brilliant and there were a some dreams that were realized and some that have been deferred but regardless of this time will not stop. We are chained to the clock so to speak and as many of us have seen with fighters in every combat sport the ones that don't progress in their craft tend to fall by the wayside. So this year we will take on a new mantra as it concerns fighting and in life. Everyday is a day for progress and some steps back are actually a giant step forward. 

          As we prepare for the first of many fights this year, the entire LMT team wishes all of you that have supported us happiness, health, prosperity, and most importantly progress.

How pain builds and destroys champions

       Hola my friends! Just got back from beautiful Costa Rica with the family on a much needed vacation. I desperately needed a break and a moment to breath and clear my head. Now that I'm back it's time to get ready for October 9th at the Bradenton Convention Center where I will be putting my Muay Thai skills to the test against Aaron Conway. Hit me up for tickets if you need them I'm stoked to fight someone with a similar mindset like mine, I'll write about that at another time but for now let's get into this. 
       Pain breeds champions and it also destroys them. When I mention the word pain it naturally gives the connotation of a physical trauma of some sort but I'm talking about mental and emotional pain. The pain of sharing clothes between 2 or 3 siblings, of violence in the neighborhood, losing a friend or family member, domestic violence, the kind of pain that starts a fire that can only be extinguished by accomplishment and success beyond the comprehension.

I mean Mike Tyson made 300 million dollars between the 80's and 90's. That type of money was unfathomable for anyone coming from his type of background. A street kid from Brooklyn committing petty crimes with no real chance of a future until he started boxing. Emotional suffering is as much of a motivator as it is a shackle. It is this feeling and the ability for those affected by it to inflict their pain on others whether consciously or subconsciously.

    Most underprivileged youth and even adults don't have the resources to get mental health care to deal with the pain. Counseling is so far out of the realm in some places that it is even frowned upon. The question becomes then, would we have the greats like Bernard Hopkins, or even Johnny Tapia if it wasn't for the struggle of an unfortunate background ie. the pain. What about the Muay Thai greats and there are many and as much as the sport has grown worldwide Thailand is still a very poor country. Children are fighting in Thailand at an early age to earn money to feed their families as chronicled in movies like Buffalo Girls. Sylvie von Ittu recently wrote that her friend Phet Jee Jaa, who my

daughter Nin was named after, was until recently sharing a mouthpiece with her little brother. Phet Jee Jaa is such a good fighter that she was at one point banned from fighting boys. In my experience the Thai people are always smiling and happy but there must be something to the fact that some of the best all around strikers in the world come from one of the poorest places.
    When we discuss why inner city kids don't really get into games like golf in this country it always comes back to economy. Golf is expensive, you have to buy the equipment, the balls, not to mention you can't even get on a course if not dressed properly. Fighting is cheap, you have all the equipment you need attached to your body. Obviously gloves etc. would come in handy but as I remember it growing up in Chicago some of the best fights I ever saw were out in the streets. I can't even remember how many times I or another friend uttered the words, "let's play karate". It didn't cost anything for us to wrestle or kick the crap out each other for an hour.
    Sorry, started to ramble..lol. The truth is that pain, emotional distress, anger about growing up in an unfortunate situation can push a person to the limit. Take a fighter like Ronda Rousey, the other female fighters in her division are all good athletes but having lost her father/best friend to suicide at a young age has pushed her to be better then everyone else. She was a bronze medalist in the Olympics at Judo and started off her MMA career by finishing all of her opponents by throws and armbars but just recently she face planted Bethe Correia with a right hand. Bethe made the mistake of mentioning suicide when trying to build the fight. That punch that put her down was partially solid technique and part punishment for having the gall to involve herself in the pain that built Ronda.

If you are ever faced with having to fight a person that comes from a painful situation there are several ways to go about the mental battle with that person. You can bring up there personal life and issues to try to get them to be emotional and out of their game or you can simply let them know that your skills are better. It's often been proven that the latter way is the better and more honorable way in other words, don't poke the bear.
          Fighters can start to feel unstoppable and sometimes they are. The downfall of course comes later, but not always. It definitely depends on the person, but it also depends on their circle of friends and whether or not they have dealt with the pain. I feel like that need to release the built up anger and emotional destitution sometimes just doesn't get quenched. You can be on top of the world with everything you ever wanted and the ability to take care of your family but behind your smile and beneath the scars of battle the pain is still their. Drugs and alcohol often become the crutch for fighters when they can't release that pain anymore. Look at a champion like Oscar de la Hoya, he ended up with a cocaine problem and some unsightly photos floating around on the internet. Maybe it's the you that nobody else sees. The part of you that you can verbally share and even shed a tear about with friends but they can never actually understand unless they had a similar upbringing. So when people say things like "I can't believe he blew all his money" or "why does he keep getting in trouble it makes no sense". They should actually step back and evaluate the person for where they came from or what they might have experienced. Fighters and other athletes that come from places most people would be scared to walk through carry with them a deep cutting pain that's hard to get away from even in the midst of success. Now I know it doesn't apply to everyone but do some research on your favorite fighters and other athletes, I think you'd be surprised at what you find.
        I've spent years trying to get past the pain of my youth. I started fighting late but I don't know how to live without it. Once I found out how to win I couldn't stop competing. When I do stop I feel incomplete and like I have to do something to get that feeling back. It's where I feel the safest, when it's not safe at all.

Peace guys, don't forget to support me in my October 9th fight. Message me for details and I always appreciate comments.

The night we introduced LMT, again.

The team after an amazing night

What's up family? Hope you guys are having blessed days and amazing nights! It has been a great start for the LMT team this year so far. We started our first competition with four fights and four wins. The fights were competitive and exciting which made the victories even more fulfilling. Watching the fighters train so hard and then apply the knowledge they learned and techniques they worked tirelessly was absolutely mind blowing. They deserved the glory and we made a huge statement fighting some of the biggest Muay Thai gyms in Florida.

Felipe throwing a hard overhand 

     As for me, it was my greatest accomplishment as a coach to have all of my fighters win on the same night and I am stoked. I have been working at this for some time and I pride myself on studying. I might not be the most experienced, but I study as hard if not harder than a large majority of coaches. I study everything all the way down to the smallest detail of every technique. From fights to padwork etc. but I also study the minds of the masters. Genghis Khan, Sun Tzu, and Miyamoto Musashi. These three to me are the foundation to having the proper mentality to combat, sports and real world. I could sit here and spout of a bunch of cliche quotes that I might have just googled but that is not how I perceive what I have read. To be successful at combat on any level you must first accept your fate. I relate this to my students first and foremost. From that point forward we can't believe that there is only one road to victory but that the road forks several times and each fork offers a new opportunity to display a new set of skills. You must also be prepared to do so.

Jennifer with a nasty uppercut

    Being aware of my fighters abilities, gifts and mentalities

Sarah throwing her jab over the top 

has allowed me to choose in what fashion we can attack our opponents. The thing I am most proud of for myself in these fights is that I had laid out separate and unique strategies for each of the fighters and they went out and believed and applied. I spent time meditating and visualizing on what we would do and when. I had come up with a new way to get my point across in the corner in between rounds and it was more effective than the previous way I had done things. It allowed me to make adjustments without messing up the flow the fighters had. Making adjustments must be done by fighters and coaches and in this case it was happening fluidly. We had worked extremely hard and put ourselves through the ringer during the training camp for these fights and it showed.

Romeo dropping bombs on his larger opponent

This was the most organized I had ever been, I have taken different aspects of strategies for training and fighting from the masters of the past and the coaches of now ie. Greg Jackson, Faras Zahabi, and Duke Roufus. I am finally feeling like I am becoming the coach I really want to be and the fighters are starting to come into their own. I will continue to out study the opposition and give my fighters the best chance of winning. We won't win them all but they will remember us without a doubt. I Love this team. I am so proud of where we are and we are going.

Be inspired!

Happy New Year to all of the LMT readers, fighters and folks that just like to the stuff I write, which still blows me away. I hope you all are ready for a blessed and beautiful new year. I stopped doing resolutions a long time ago an started just creating goals regularly that way I am constantly in pursuit and never disappointed by unrealistic expectations. So on that note I had a great 2014 doing just that. I had a beautiful daughter.

Me and Nin

I was able to win my 3rd belt, compete in Jiu Jitsu,  watch my fighters bring home some awesome victories, and help some people reach their own goals in Muay Thai. I was able to get on Sean Fagan's kick ass Muay Thai Guy podcast and and make contact with Duke Roufus and Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu. I felt like i'm finally getting to be part of the bigger community furthermore I felt successful as a coach and a fighter but then something else happened. I got extraordinarily inspired by how hard they work at their art.

Duke Roufus

I am at the gym teaching or training an average of 5 to 6 hours five days per week and compared to what they have accomplished I feel like i'm going so slow that i'm moving backwards. I can do more and I can accomplish more so my goals for the future are to do just that. I plan on being inspired by those that work harder than me until I can inspire others the way they do. I have heard plenty of fighters talk about how they work really hard to promote the growth of the sport and as I look deeper I realize that as usual a lot of people just talk.

Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu

I have to say that though I write this blog, it's not enough. If we expect Muay Thai or kickboxing to become more mainstream so fighters don't have to work full time jobs while trying to train for a fight that might or might not happen because of the lack of promotions, we have to do more.

    Though I just ranted about growing our sport I want to remind all of you and on a daily basis myself, that we have to be inspired in our lives. Allow the passion you might find in others that are making steps to accomplish their goals be the spark that lights the fire in your own passion.

Sean Fagan

When I was on the Muay Thai Guy podcast Sean asked me how I deal with haters and I don't really have many but I try to ignore them when they do pop up. The truth is don't focus your energy on those that are offering negative energy but focus and embrace those that are providing a path to follow with their positive energy. It's a great thing to be challenged but don't be challenged by ignorance be challenged by constructive criticism. 

     So that's it the first blog of the new year is a thank you. Thank you Sean, Sylvie, Duke, my family, fighters and friends that provide me with a vision of passion fueled by hard work. My goal is to be more like you as I pursue my goals. Peace and blessings. Big fights and big things coming soon.

Here are links to Sylvie and Sean's websites:

Sylvie- http://8limbs.us/

Sean- http://www.muay-thai-guy.com/

Evolution through coaching!

What's up people, hope all is well out there . I know it's been a minute but the LMT family was focused in preparation for battle. We had three fights in Tampa in the Muay Thai classic. We came back with one victory and two losses but we came away with the respect of the other teams and some new fans! We made a big statement for our team which really set us up for future success.

 

Will getting some coaching

Felipe pre-fight

 In my case, as a coach over the last couple of camps and fights I've noticed a personal evolution. I've dedicated the  last 14 years of my life to muay thai and just as it did as a fighter, it's starting to happen as a coach. I'm beginning to be able to do a couple of things with confidence. First off I've been able to coach each fighter to their ability. When I first started out as a coach I believe I just wanted the technique to be correct. Now I've started to pull each fighters strength to the forefront. Each person utilizes different techniques in different ways and it's important to be able to put the fighters in the best possible position to be successful. For instance in Sarah, my female fighter's debut I thought for sure that with her soccer background that her legs would be key. I had told her that before the fight she could end the fight with her knee. In the first round she dropped her opponent with a knee and nearly finished the fight. I based that theory specifically on the training we did and the power in her legs. Which leads to the next thing I noticed about my coaching evolution. Making adjustments on the fly.

Sarah "La Pantera" post victory

Watching my fighter's opponent for holes in their game that we can exploit throughout the fight. In the same fight I noticed that Sarah's opponent wasn't using her jab to keep Sarah from advancing and because Sarah is a southpaw we had worked on staying on the outside of the lead leg. I yelled to Sarah to throw the lead hook and follow with the cross. She later told me she didn't know why I asked her to do it but she bought into it and it worked. At one point she threw it 3 times in a row and the girl couldn't defend it or figure it out. This has been the newest addition to my coaching game. I left the fights extremely happy for the growth team and very happy with my progress as a coach.

Post fight celebrations

It is a constant learning experience. Each fight, fighter and opponent is different. I am focusing on the organization of the growth of the team. New techniques, better conditioning, sound fundamentals, and recognizing opportunities within the fight. The best thing about all of this is that I've seen my own Muay Thai game evolve. I'm seeing things differently and applying the knowledge I'm gaining as a coach to my own growth as a fighter. I'm looking forward to October when my team fights again and being in the ring later this year to put it all to the test. Thanks for all the support and donations, the podcast is on the way and the sound of the LMT chant is getting louder and louder.  Peace and blessings don't forget to follow is on social media: @luckysmuaythai

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

Have a vision

         Hope all is well with each and every one of you. It's been an amazing year and as we come closer to the end of the year I want to touch on the subject of Vision. I'm talking about foresight and why it's so important. Going into the forthcoming year, we'll all start doing the usual goal setting for ourselves. But

are our goals empty promises? This isn't about setting a goal, this is about envisioning the goal as you undertake the process of reaching it. Setting a goal is not enough, you have to see it in your own mind. If you can't do this, accomplishing what you set out to do will be extremely difficult. You'll have a hard time convincing other people of what your going to do if you don't first believe it yourself. There is something to be said for imagination. Everything that has ever been made from human beings started first as a product of someone's imagination. In that same frame of mind, everything you want to achieve in life has to first start in between your ears.
          As far as sports go, it is often heard in interviews throughout the season,"our goal is to win a championship". These teams have their eyes on the prize as a collective unit. However, some extra ordinary players often have visions of  hitting game winning shots ie. Magic Johnson's hook shot in the 1987 NBA finals
to propel the Lakers over the Celtics. Magic has publicly stated that he had dreamed about beating the Celtics in this way and he believed it. You can still go out to the basketball court on any day and see and hear guys counting down and imagining hitting the buzzer beater game winning shot. There are many variables that have to fall into place in a team sport for the championship run to all work out. Unlike in the combat sports where a lot of the success one has starts from within. It does take a team of trainers etc, but the real idea of where a fighter wants to end up is solely based on his or her personal desires.

         At UFC 162 everybody got quite a shock when, who many people believe to be best fighter in the

world, Anderson Silva was knocked out by Chris Weidman. It was a surprise to everyone but Weidman and his coach, both of whom proclaimed victory long before the fight was to even happen. Chris Weidman had visualized beating Silva and even in the faces of the media and naysayers he stuck to his prediction and in the end, it worked out as he had envisioned it.
         Having a vision or spending time visualizing your goals is not some new concept to the world, but I doubt we do it enough. It is a great tool to prepare you for any goal being pursued and at least when it comes to getting kicked in the face or choked unconscious it's better to have as many tools as possible. So take some time before, and during your personal quests to see in your mind the future that you desire and then take those visions and run with them. The more you see it the closer it is to being accomplished!
        

Where's your head at?

You often hear the phrase in most sports that "this game is 90% mental". Doesn't really matter what sport you throw in there most will agree that without great mental focus and concentration it's almost impossible to compete at a high level in any sport. Very few people are so extraordinary that they just have this built in, most of us have to learn different techniques and really work on keeping our concentration sharp. I myself have on occasion used mantras, not sure why I did but I would look in the mirror and repeat the same thing over and over again. I stared at myself said over and over again that I was going to knock out my opponent before I did it. I believed it after I said it so many times I never thought about losing. Now mantras aren't for everybody, again still not sure why I use them but they work for me so i'm not stopping.
Maybe for you it's meditation. Sitting legs crossed concentrating only on your breathing and allowing the thoughts to come and go. I feel like this is a great way to center yourself and I know of a lot of successful fighters that meditate daily. It's also a good way to learn to control emotions which can get away from even the best fighter during combat.Prior to fights you can always see fighters sitting quietly listening to music. Some are pumping themselves up and others are calming themselves down but all are trying to find the best place in their head for the upcoming battle.
Some seek out a sports psychologist to help weave through the muck when training for a fight or even after a loss to help recover mentally and emotionally. Sometimes a set of unbiased ears to listen to thoughts about an upcoming event or past one can shed new light on those thoughts and keep you a little more centered.
Getting centered is very important. You'll often hear me tell people i'm training to, "find it...find it" especially in between rounds where its necessary to slow down your breathing and heart rate in order to refocus your brain and make adjustments for the next round. You must find what keeps you grounded because when you lose control you lose technique, power, balance, you start to leave yourself open to take unnecessary punishment and an almost positively a loss on your record.
Its the same in life as it is in combat, keep a cool head because "cool heads prevail"!