I want to fight

Recently I have had a few people ask me about fighting. The usual questions are: when would I be ready? How would I go in a fight? And more. Fighting is one of those things that you don’t quite know until it happens.

First of all, having the intention to fight, and actually mentioning it is the first and biggest step. This decision can be made for a number of reasons, but I can guarantee you that everyone that fights has something deep inside that provides the motivation. You have to understand your reasons and what you are trying to prove. Some people want to prove something to themselves and others want to prove something to someone else. Either way it definitely helps if you understand your motivation for fighting.

When it comes to training for the event, thing you want to see from a fighter is their attitude. Technique can be taught but you either have the right attitude or you don’t. Since fighting can be a dangerous sport, it is good to find that out before you step in the ring (to the best of your ability anyway). There are undoubtedly various ways to find this out, but at Lockdown we have something called the pressure test. This is where we get someone that has fought to pick up the intensity in sparring against the hopeful fighter. This does not mean they hit harder. Rather, they pick up everything else. Every time the potential fighter moves, they have something right in front of them, every transition has an effect. Basically, they are playing catch up the entire time. At some point one of two things happen – the potential fighter gets frustrated and goes into defensive mode or they get pissed off and they attack. Personally, I like to see option 2 – the best fighters I have seen push back when things get rough. They still might get beaten but they go down swinging. Once you see that attitude the rest is just technique and game plan (easy right).

In terms of the build up to a fight, one of the big changes we made was the shark tank. Previously, we would get 5 people to line up against the fighter and there would be a new opponent every minute. It took me far too long to figure this out, but all that system would do is teach a fighter how to lose. The fighter would do well for the first minute or so, but sooner or later fatigue would set in and they would be on their back getting a beating from their training partners. Seeing the effect this had on fights, we changed it so we would have the same people coming in every minute, however, the fighter would practice winning. This means that the first minute could be striking, the second minute they are working double legs from striking, then single legsagainst the fence then groundwork after that ground and pound and keeping position when fatigued. The results were much better, and mentally helped many of the fighters.

There is not one sport on the planet that you want to practice losing or failure. It is a lot different working bad positions and defence, as you can still win/succeed in that situation. Just like the saying “practice how you play” or “practice makes perfect.” Therefore, if you practice getting hit, taken down and getting bashed on the ground then guess what will happen in the fight. The other thing “practice makes perfect” needs a little tweak “perfect practice makes perfect” when you are working and drilling techniques, your focus should be on perfection because this will flow on to the fight. Fitness and strength run out when fatigued but technique is always there and you can rely on it when everything else falls apart.

The physical side of fighting is the easy part, any fool can get fit and throw a punch. The tricky part is doing it better and having the mindset behind it. This means that even the fitness training is mental training. Everyone gets tired but then what? Do you back off, do you keep the throttle pinned and see what happens or do you need a rest? Training is like fighting where you pick your spots, there are times when you need to give it everything and there are times where you need to regain your composure. This can be replicated in training. When you go to the next exercise instead of taking that 2 second break for a big breath, start the exercise and that all adds up to wear down your opponent. When you know you can trust your fitness, you know that if you are tired then your opponent is likely tired too, and this is when you pick it up to really make them feel it. As anyone knows, when you are feeling it being in the offensive position is 10 times better than being on the defensive end.

When you want to fight, every training is gold. You have to make the most the most of every minute. Practicing winning and pushing that little bit harder can make all the difference. The physical side is relatively easy as your mind will play tricks on you. Some nights you will feel like a world champion, and other sessions you will feel like the worst fighter ever. The key is to understand that this is all part of the process and you have to be pretty good to have a bad session. Fighting is hard so understand your motivation, talk to people that have been there and done it, and learn from their mistakes. Train hard and give hell, and anything worth doing is worth over doing.

Gareth Lewis

Head MMA Instructor