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Martial Arts Question of the Month - Overcoming Fear
by Sachet, Team IronLife.com Staff Writer & Admin @ www.ProActiveHealthNet.com
I read up on several fighters prior to their full contact fights because I was told that every fighter has their own personal strategy, although it changes slightly depending on their opponents. I also wanted to learn which area was their strongest area, such as boxing, wrestling, etc.
Then I watched some of their fight videos and you could see some of their technique coming out, but most appeared to be extremely cautious and a little scared.
So I asked some of my fighter friends about it and they replied that when they are in the ring, they're petrified to get hit and they end up screwing things up because of their nerves. That's a reasonable answer considering it only takes one strong punch in the right spot and you're in la-la land.
How do you overcome fear so you're able to execute your strategy?
Muay Thai Guy - Admin www.IronLife.com
Firstly you train your arse off in the gym prior to getting into the ring
and every time I get out on the streets to hit the road, I wake up earlier, and I say to myself my opponent probably doesn't wake up earlier to run.
When I'm training in the gym I do extra rounds on bags, pads and sparring, my opponent probably doesn't.. at the end of the training 6-week cycle, mentally you feel like you've done enough work... more than your opponent has and that eases the fear. .. obviously the night before the fight you get zero sleep and the lead-up to the fight your nerves are on edge but you remember that you've put the work in, you're prepared and if your opponent has put in more time in their training than you, then they [roblably deserve to win but the chances of that?
You use fear and nervousness to your advantage really...
I remember my last fight (Almost a bloody year ago ) I was nervous but so was my opponent and I used that to my advantage by just intimidating him when I saw him walk past me to his changing room. Then during the face off when the ref tells you the rules, I stared him dead in the eyes and as soon as he looked down, so did I ... to see his knees... I could smell his fear and that helped overcome mine"
Mr. Beelzebub - Member www.globalmma.net
"I don't think I have ever overcome fear during a fight, I think the key is controlling it. Usually after I get clocked a couple times, usually jabs, I loosen up a little' bit more. Fear and adrenaline make up for a good mix."
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kcfman - Member www.globalmma.net
"I guess fear of getting hit plays a big part on your nerves. Especially if your opponents outweigh you by 40 lbs. or more. Back in the late 90's, I had a fight, which was held in a weightlifting gym. The first fight, I went against a 6'2", 235lbs or so, opponent who won a Toughman tourney in Louisiana. I am 5'6" and weighed 186 at the time. I used my speed and techniques to keep away from his strikes but then I came in and took him down and the fight was over as he tapped just by me mauling him and not letting him have any offense. I did use the glove over his mouth so he couldn't breath. Yes, I didn't want to get hit by him.
My next opponent was 5'9" and weighed 250+ pounds. His legs were like telephone poles and I saw him choke a guy out with his legs. I was afraid to go to the ground with him. I started by keeping my distance and then all of the sudden, BAM!, he caught me square in my mouth. If he caught me on my jaw I would have been out. I remember it as being a jarring blow. But after that hit, I had no jitters or fear. I rushed him and picked him up and slammed him into a Bench Press. I didn't mean to do that but he was heavy and I went with the flow. I split his scalp open and blood was running all over the place. The fight was stopped.
At the end, I was the loser because that one punch cracked my front tooth to the root. It cost me 8 grand to fix it with a bridge and that ended my fighting. It was too expensive and it will break again if I get hit. I am too pretty! hehehehe!!!!"
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Justinian - Admin www.MA-Skills.com
"I haven’t fought that many MMA matches but before the matches I fought I didn’t have a lot of problems overcoming fear, because I did not have (a lot of) fear about getting hurt. I only worried about the outcome of the match, because I hate losing. It also has something to do with the team around you. A good trainer can make you feel very confident about your self. Your sparring partners can do the same.
I think a good team (trainer/sparring partners) will help you overcome your fear."
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Jochem Branderhorst - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"Well, I don't know about the hitting part (haven't been in full-contact contest where that's allowed ) but, When A friend of mine whom I train with asked Remco Pardoel about tactics and stuff he replied "Well, you walk up to the guy, throw him on the ground and submit him."
And I thought about that in the week before the fight and it helped me a lot, I went in without fear, just hunger. (first fights that day)
Of course, as I said no hitting in that competition, but still people get scared.
So, I think u are right when u say it is very important to have a good team around you. (also during the fights I got good tips from Frans van casteren and Jordi, sparring partners at Pardoel Sports in Oss)
greetz"
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Nick - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"By being well trained I guess, you should only step into the ring if you and your trainer think you can pull it off. If you're having any doubts you shouldn't fight. I myself haven't fought yet, but I know that every one is nervous. Mike Tyson claimed to be nervous before each fight.
And some people mess it up by becoming aggressive after taking one punch to the face. But fear? Then you aren't prepared enough IMO. A bit of nerves isn't that bad, it keeps you sharp."
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Remco - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"I'm not an experienced ring fighter. I've trained for some five years in Muay Thai and boxing. In my opinion, the key is: BEING PREPARED.
That means that in training, your gym needs to make you ready for absorbing impact. The Muay Thai gym I trained (Mejiro Gym Amsterdam) maintains a four level education. In the first level, the sparring pupils only get to box to the body. In the second, kicks to the body and legs are added. Sometimes boxing to the head is permitted, but always with caution. In the third group all tools are legal, but still, caution to the head! High impact to the body is stimulated to let pupils get used to punishment at places with the least harm. The final group is the ring fighters-group. Training there is to prepare for upcoming fights, or to have the stable in top condition. When fighters train for a fight (two months in advance, is preferable) higher impact to the head is beïng introduced. Shortly before the fight, sparring should be 'sharp' (for example let the fighter compete against 5 of his stable mates, who give their all in one on one and are replaced in a minute by the next fresh fighter).
That experience makes you aware of some aspects of what to expect in a fight. Losing the fear of getting hit gives you the confidence to rely on your own capabilities and enables you to perform well.
Another fear is that of the exposure a fight in front of an audience brings. Concentration and confidence of the fighter, in my opinion only solve that."
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Raziel - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"It's not only in the ring where you have to be careful, also during sparring among friends it goes ruff sometimes. Me and I think a lot of other members had the honor of getting a firm hit or kick in the head during sparring. I can't say you get used to it because it sucks every time you're head is spinning. So I am very aware and especially when I don't know the person I'm training with."
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The Specialist - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"If you trained hard, have a good team around you and people in the corner you can trust. Nothing can happen. The guy you are facing has 2 arms and 2 legs just like you so why get nervous...You trained hard, you did a lot for just this fight and maybe more important you did not do a lot because of this fight.
Just think that you will be victorious, you WILL win and you WILL do anything that is necessary to succeed! That's it, nothing more, nothing less.
Don't ever think too much about the other guy’s strengths but think more about your strong points, play your game and always is at least one step ahead of your opponent!
Good luck,
Osu
Martijn de Jong"
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Hunter - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"In my opinion fear can be real a positive thing. Even for the smallest judo fights I always am quite nervous. Not because of the fear of getting hurt, but more because of the simple fact that I don't want to lose. This is the tension I need to fight well. If I don't have that nervous feeling before a match, there's no adrenalin and my reactions are slower.
In MMA there are obviously more chances of getting seriously injured, but that's a thing you should get used to in training. It's a part of your preparation for the fight. So some tension is good, sometimes necessary, but when you have too much of it I think you're not fully prepared to fight."
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Fr3ddy - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"Experience"
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Remco Pardoel - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"Just train hard and train for the day that you will meet your waterloo.
This is the fight you just can't win if you are prepared for that day ... you will be prepared."
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Shootomaniac - Member www.MA-Skills.com
"You need a lot of sparring experience. If you spar all the time with alot of different opponents, you get used to the idea of facing someone unknown. If you can, it's smart to once in a while train at a different dojo than your own. You could do this twice a month. This way you meet different opponents with different styles. And you will overcome that anxiety of fighting a strange person."
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DANABOLIC - Member www.ChemicalFitness.com
"You can't overcome fear. If you do, it will catch up to you eventually. Fear is an instinct. The fastest and most successful animals survive because of instinct. Fear feeds good defense-, which is necessary. Fear can trigger an attack-an instinctive attack. An instinctive attack is almost always fast and superior. A FEARLESS attack will almost always be squashed by a good defensive fighter."
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Illusionsize - Member www.ChemicalFitness.com
"Get hit. Seriously, most new fighter appears timid and overly cautious because they haven't had enough ring experience. It's why a more skilled fighter can lose to a more experienced fighter. The newer guy is thinking" What if, " scenarios and focusing on what MAY happen. To further complicate it he's thinking in both offensive and defensive modes. "What if I land a right roundhouse? Should I follow with a spike kick or close the gap and throw hands?" "What if he's a better boxer than I am?, Then closing the gap would be bad, right?"
All these thoughts run through your mind as you enter the ring, as you fight, as you wait in the corner between rounds. Thinking too much, leads you to anticipate incorrectly or even worst, freeze. And that worst case scenario in your mind becomes harsh reality.
Knock-knock. lights out!
Danbolic is correct. Fear must be present, but you need to control it and use it. Allow fear to keep you aware but not incapable of fighting with your (for lack of a better term) "Ring instinct". And the only real way to cultivate ring instinct is to spend time there, a lot of time. Look at fighters who appear timid(not cautious) but actually nervous to throw anything and then look at how many fights they have had. I bet it is under 10.
Now look at guys like Maurice Smith.. 100's of fights and always collected and focused in the ring. Cautious yes, especially when faced by a superior grappler, but not timid or afraid to capitalize on his strengths and his opponent's weaknesses.
Remember when Smith knocked out Conan way back in the 90's with that roundhouse.?
He stayed cool even when faced by a technically superior ground fighter in the midst of a ground fighters game(cage match) Different fighters have different ways to focus and control the fear. I get mad at it and use it to my advantage.
" I'm scared, I know I'm scared and dam it, that won't stop me. Now hit the guy!!!"
Of course this also led to Illusion having a few broken noses, and the occasional loss by knockout...lol."
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Trip - Member www.BeyondMass.com
"IMHO, it's the same no matter what endeavor or game, or business, or social situation, it's all the same: PRACTICE - DRILL - REHEARSE.
These 3 steps are designed to reduce and eliminate the emotional stress of dealing with first the unknown, and then the reality.
IMHO, when they first walk into a situation and it doesn't go how they thought it would, first thought that jumps into their head like the fourth of July fireworks is, "Damn I should have prepared more!!!"
They say that, cause they know in their heart of hearts, ( most people are fairly honest with themselves, even though they may not communicate those thoughts to others ) they didn't do the homework before they got the test, meaning they ain't got the answers.
And thus, fear spreads internally, which we as spectators see externally in body language ques.
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92stangman - Member www.Nokaut.com
"Since I've never entered an NHB fight yet, I cannot give you an exact answer, but will try to give you an answer of what I would 'think' I would do and how my team mates train when they're getting ready for a fight.
Usually when you have an amateur NHB fight, you'll know your opponent's name but not their fighting background. In some cases, you may have to know the certain people who have trained with him or know him enough to tell you his weak and strong points. If I were going to be fighting the individual, I would compare my strengths and weakness along with his. If my grappling skills are a weak point and his grappling skills are a strong point, most of my focus going into the fight would be working with my grappling. If his kickboxing is average and so is mine, I will train that much harder in kickboxing to see if I could end the fight early. If not and we go to the ground, I am ready for his ground game because my pre-fight training had focused on that direct situation.
Last summer there was an amateur NHB fight in Lexington, KY where my buddy participated in. He knew his opponent's name but had no clue on his background other than he was 18 and into BJJ. We assumed that possible he had wrestled in high school and after graduation, he wanted to get back into the sport and chose BJJ. It's an assumption and in no way able to tell if you're correct. One of our instructors was a great high school wrestler informed us that wrestlers will sometimes give up their back since it's fine to do in wrestling, but one of the worst situations in BJJ. I sparred some with my friend who was fighting in Lexington and he worked on tacking my back, going for the choke, also worked on side-control. He's a blue belt under Royce Gracie so he felt comfortable going to the ground in the fight but wanted to work on taking the back and anything he felt his ground game lagged.
My friend won the fight in 1:48 of the first round. I was pretty happy because even though his skill level is higher than mine, when we rolled together, I didn't feel like I was too far behind at the time.
Going into the fight I can only assume on what would happen and my reaction. Some people like to psych themselves out, get mad, angry, not speak to anyone and then as their adrenaline builds up, the bell rings and they're ready. That's perfect if it works for them but I'm more of a quieter person. I would prefer to be by myself, let me collect everything and focus on the fight. I wouldn't walk around with a pissed off look or veins bulging in my body from it being so tense, but focused on one thing -- the guy across the ring.
You're in there for one thing and that is to win.
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Maverick31 - Member www.Nokaut.com
"You don't overcome it... you utilize it."
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Sinister - Member www.Nokaut.com
"You work the fu*k out on your defense and just fight alot."
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Papagaj - Member www.Nokaut.com
"I get nervous before the fight but as soon as it starts I forget everything and just focus on my opponent and "roll with the punches" As for being scared to get hit...there's no need b/c you're going to get hit anyway so just go with the flow and do what you do best. In addition, you get popped so many times sparring in class that when you fight your expecting to get hit instead of avoiding it."
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Jdraves - Member www.Nokaut.com
"I use a lot of psychological training so that I am able to stay calm and relaxed before my fights, which saves energy. Once the fight starts and that first punch is thrown, I just go into autopilot.
Good question."
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Crocopf - Member www.Nokaut.com
"The best thing to do is to not worry at all. Just focus more on winning than getting hit by your opponent. Just be sure that you will, and have some faith in yourself. Train your mind not to be scared of losing and you will win."
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Ninjafighter - Member www.Nokaut.com
"I feel scared like hell before the fight. But as soon as I step through the ring ropes and shakes hands with my opponent, all the fear is gone.
I get focused instead, it’s a special feeling everything except for your opponent disappears."
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Goldberg - Member www.Nokaut.com
"Don't forget that the guy in the ring with you has some fear also. Also if you are a good fighter with a reputation for being a hard hitter or just a tough s.o.b with an impressive body, you can intimidate many fighters. Fear can always be your ally against the fearful."
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K.I.L.L - Member www.Nokaut.com
"From my streetfighting memories, I think fear is a problem only until the fight starts. Then it's just action."
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Kinetsudragon - Member www.Extreme-Athlete.com
“Don’t overcome it... you just have to use it.
When you're afraid, you're anxious, when you're anxious you're nervous, when you're nervous you sweat.. all of these things being about natural instincts.
IMO fear is not a bad thing at all.. using it to your advantage, well that's a more difficult thing to do, than just fake yourself out of fear..
I don't have a lot of in ring experience, but I've been in more street sh*t than I care to discuss.. I was afraid every time.. the only time I slipped was when I got cocky. I got rocked, then got up thinking I was f*cked.. that's when fear set in.. guess what happened?"
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Thank you all for responding to the question this month.. your replies are fantastic! I'm seriously disappointed when I reach the last reply and there are no more!
One other thing I'd like to mention is that I recently found out that Trip from beyondmass is a success coach. It's funny because at times when I'm reading through his posts, I think to myself 'this guy's too good to be true!' It all makes sense now!
kcfman.. you crack me up!
Til next month, stay safe~
~lacey
* Article by Sachet, Team IronLife.com Staff Writer & Admin @ www.ProActiveHealthNet.com.
* Back to This Issue's Frontpage
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