Article in Muay Thaimes

[Swellin]

My instructor brought in his copy of Muay Thaimes for me to check out tonight. I was flipping through the articles and ran across something that really pertains to anything you do in life. This fits you power lifters or body builders too! I have to say that this guy is right on...100%.

LESSON 1: If you want to be a fighter then you must schedule a FIGHT.
I know it sounds simple. But if you don't schedule a FIGHT or some other type of competition, then your training will never go from just a Workout to a Combat Training Session. When you schedule a FIGHT, you don't miss workouts; your focus get serious; you step up a level in training; and when you get tired, you push yourself to a new level of fitness. When are going to FIGHT, you choose not to go out drinking with the guys; you choose to eat right; you quit anything (smoking, coffee, drugs, etc) that will stop you from becoming the best you can be; you choose to get some sleep (plus you are tired); you make a DECISION to get Combat Ready. Why? Because you are going to FIGHT! Not only do you change, but also the people around you change. Your training partners and your coach all change. Why? Because you are going to FIGHT! Do you want to experience something that only 1% of our society ill ever experience in their life time? Then schedule a FIGHT. It really doesn't matter what kind of FIGHT it is. If you want to be a fighter then you must schedule a FIGHT!

I found this very interesting. It's true. I look at it and I see the very things I've been thinking. As soon as you sign up for a fight, everything changes. Your name is on the card and you think about nothing except representing yourself, your family, and your gym to the best of your ability. You change everything you do to reflect that goal. I have noticed my half-assed approach to training and laughed about how I didn't do that while getting ready for a fight. So, I am going to fight in July. My instructor got the call today about some fights going on in Florida and they asked if he had anybody ready to fight. He told them he had a couple of folks that were ready but needed a little cardio work. So I might take a fight in June as a warm up for the world challenge in July. That way it tightens my focus. It's risky in that I could break a hand or a nose three weeks before the big tournament....but so what. It's time to fight. I started my diet this week to cut 30 pounds in 10 weeks. So I will have to fight out of my weight class in June...but that's not the point. The experience and the focus is the point.

For those of you who compete in body building or power lifting, I guarantee you you understand what this author is saying. Competition completely changes you.