Preparing for a Fight: A Fighter’s Perspective

For a combat athlete, fight preparation is both trial and tribulation. Though laborious training for a fight needs to be more than just physical, it also requires development of one’s mental toughness and cultivating the ability to improvise.

All fighting: cage, ring, street etc. is challenging mentally and physically. A fighter is the charged/tasked with accepting, meeting and overcoming &surpassing the challenge before him. In order to facilitate this, a training ‘camp’ or program is required to provide an environment and an opportunity for growth.

The physical aspects of the training can be easy depending on your point of view. The athlete must train or work to become physically faster, stronger, more athletic, coordinated and agile. Perhaps it is unfair to say that the physical training is easy but it must be realized that ANYONE can do the physical work. The physical training is sometimes monotonous, often arduous, very demanding and absolutely necessary. The physical training of a combat athlete must include but is never limited to the following- strength training, speed, agility, cardiovascular conditioning, and reflex training.

Strength Training or better yet functional strength/combat strength training. This type of work builds a different type of muscle tissue and fiber. We are not talking about aesthetic looking muscles, we are talking about muscle tissue that is responsive and can be engaged in a multitude of ways at different times. Muscle tissue that engages ON COMMAND. An example of this is how a bench press may prove useful but being able to throw a heavy bag by 10 feet or more is more combat specific.

Put simply, “Speed Kills” and it is a nightmare to the fighter that doesn’t have an answer for it. Physical speed increases the Hit percentage of all of your attacks. Speed will enable you to evade or pursue, it is a major factor that helps control a fight. Speed is a Bitch
to deal with offensively and defensively; in fact, the only thing that can overcome Superior Speed is Superior Timing.

Agility is that very necessary attribute that enables us to engage our muscles with athleticism and coordination; without agility we would move awkwardly and clumsily. When applied with well developed muscles, agility gives us the ability to create, to move to move with style and grace, to be dynamic and extraordinary. Without well developed agility, accurate, multi strike combinations are not possible.

Cardiovascular Conditioning is invaluable to say the least, if you can’t “Dance for a long time you will be in for a very long night or a very short one. The long night is when you just don’t have enough to push the pace or keep up. Sure you have enough to stay in there But Not Enough to Take Control or maintain control. When this happens the end result is a nice Loooong Ass Kicking.
At the other end of the Bad Cardio Spectrum is when you “gas” early. This type of problem produces one very undesirable outcome – you get Knocked the F@ck out!
You will need Strong Cardio Endurance to fire lots of Multi Strike Combos, to be Evasive and Aggressive for multiple rounds, to compensate, manage and overcome adversity. Cardiovascular Fitness is what enables us to fight long and finish strong. Having Superior Cardiovascular Conditioning gives us an extra element and enables us to establish control in a variety of ways.

Reflex and Response Training. Of all of the physical training aspects, Reflex and Response training is perhaps the hardest one to train. Probably because reflex training is as much mental as it is physical. Actually we should call this Perception and Response training. First we perceive stimuli, either and attack or an opportunity to attack (mental) then we address and respond (physical). That is how our reflexes work in fighting. All combatants must train hard to be able to observe and be aware of stimuli and data, once this is accomplished we then engage our muscles and put thought into action. To React and Respond effectively for fighting we must have a very well developed and maintained nervous system coupled with a sharp yet relaxed mind.

The Mental Training is equally, or more, challenging. The mind must be strong to begin with because only a strong mind will be able to push the body beyond it’s limitations. The mind of the fighter must be sharp, able to recognize options and opportunity. It must be expanded in order to be able to create options and opportunity. The Athlete must be quick of thought to be able to make split second decisions and even quicker to change his mind if necessary. Most importantly the mind of fighter must be Clear AND Focused. Free and Clear to absorb information, date and stimuli without a bias or emotional involvement. Clear to Control and use his emotions to accomplish the task at hand. Focused, a focused mind can follow a path or plan and not get derailed or sidetracked and in the event of such an occurrence a focused mind can get back on ‘Track” or perhaps find an alternative route, a better route to the same destination. It must also be mentioned that throughout history, Athletes and Heroes have performed amazing feats and damn near impossible tasks. Such examples like walking on hot coals, lifting a heavy object off of a loved one, fighting with a broken arm, on combatant versus many; Fighting is mental and physical.

Conclusion:
Fight preparation is challenging and grueling. A journey that most are afraid to take or they aren’t equipped for it. The Path Of The Warrior will leave the body battered and bruised and the mind will be drained and taxed. This trip will take you to the deepest corners of your mind, things may break, you may break. If you take the journey you may lose yourself only to find yourself changed. In many cases some take this journey never to be seen or heard from again, they are replaced by a Warrior that bears a striking physical resemblance