Identifying the keys to what separates a good MMA practitioner from an excellent one is more than difficult. I’m sure you can identify a plethora of things, just like I can, but there are four principles that I’ve found self-evident, and four principles that come up time and time again, no matter what sport you’re coaching. These are the principles I want to share with you right now.
The hardest thing to do in sports and in research is to create a system that is repeatable and as foolproof as possible. It’s almost impossible to do, but you should try to keep the constant iterative process that needs to be invoked if you want to become a champion and stay a champion. One of my old judo coaches from California, Nori Bunasawa, used to say, “Rhadi, in Japan, if you win something once, we count it as luck. If you win it two or three times, we say you’re better.” competitor.” That didn’t make sense to me at the time, but it does today. Everyone knows that it’s harder to stay on top than it is to get to the top. So the question is, “How do you stay on top? the top of your game?
Well, here are four principles to help you get to the top, and if you’re already there, stay on top.
Principle #1:
Maximize before continuing.
One thing that competitors tend to do is start looking at other options and situations before maximizing your current situation. For example, I was training a person who did not have many financial resources and this person said: “I need to train in another place that has the equipment I need to improve.” As a former competitor, current coach, and business owner, I could understand where she was coming from. We all want the latest and greatest tools to help us succeed. But I had to confront her on a couple of points. I told him the following:
“Wait a minute. I understand you want to move, but you haven’t taken full advantage of everything here. This gym has Brazilian jiu-jitsu 6 days a week, which you’re already paying for, but you only go 3 times a week. First go to 6 classes.Then put on your shoes in the morning and go for a run.Running or even walking for 40 minutes every morning is more than what you are doing now and will give you added benefit.There are heavy bags in your gym which you don’t even use. Your footwork could always improve, but you only jump rope to warm up. Why don’t you jump rope before or after class for 15-20 minutes? All I’m saying is I understand you want to go somewhere else, but the fact is this: you don’t have the money to go and if you do go, you haven’t maximized what you can of this place before moving on.”
Let’s look at this concept in terms of motion. Good competitors max out their moves before resorting to new ones. I am a person who believes in mastering a move before moving on to the next move (especially in the beginner phase). I don’t give a damn how long it takes to learn a move. You learn it until you own it, and once you own it, it’s yours to keep! Maximize the move before moving on to the next. Squeeze all the juice out of the fruit before throwing it away. Or, as my parents used to say, “Don’t throw away that bone, there’s still some meat on it!” Remove all meat from the bone before throwing it away. There’s some more food in there for you, your game and your career.
Principle #2
Diversify your training partners (portfolio).
Of course, you can see that this principle is a great business principle. If you’re an MMA competitor, you should diversify your training partners, not your training ground! The training ground has to be filled with competitors who have been carefully selected to imitate a certain style or to satisfy your need to fight a certain style of the opponent you are facing. What I’m talking about is diversifying your training partners. At the Olympic and elite level of judo and wrestling, what we usually do is go to different countries to train and compete. Competition is often the reason we travel, but the most important part of the trip is training. It is where we can experience different styles and see how our game and our level improve exponentially in a short time. To mimic this travel scenario locally, I recommend visiting different schools and clubs in your area. If you’re in a school that takes a dim view of such inter-school exchanges, MOVE! This exclusivity has no place in martial arts and is selfish and adverse to his growth and the growth of his school. If you go somewhere and train and then come back, not only will you improve, but everyone at your school will improve as well.
Principle #3:
Remember your mishaps.
Big competitors remember their mistakes and use them as a platform to grow. Big competitors also use them as reminders and key stories so that others don’t repeat the same mistakes. As a competitor you have to be willing to identify your mistakes. The one thing I could never understand and still can’t to this day is why people who still compete refuse to watch videos of their matches. I mean, they love to see when they win, but they don’t want to see the games that they lose. YOU HAVE TO! If you don’t watch your missed games, you won’t be able to identify your mishaps so you can remember them and make sure you don’t repeat them or the behavior that caused them. Remember, as the great Dr. Phil says all the time: “You can’t fix what you don’t recognize.” As a competitor, you can’t make the same mistake twice. It is expensive. Very expensive.
Principle #4:
Change, but do it conservatively.
I’m all about changing. I believe in change and I believe in adding tools to your current toolbox. However, these additions should be done conservatively and in harmony with your core competencies. For example, I think a flying arm bar is a great move and I used it very successfully when I was a competitor. But just because I think it’s a good move doesn’t mean I would recommend it to Brock Lesnar or Andrei Arlovski to perform or even spend their time practicing. It’s great to have an open mind, but stay open in a conservative way. In my game, the only thing I get really radical about is the basics! I get radical about going back to the gym and solidifying the jab, going to the gym and putting my gi back on for 6 weeks, going back to the gym and going back to the basic style that is my forte. I get radical with it. When it comes to making big changes to the game of MMA, it’s not better to lead than to follow. It’s best to look at the most successful practices, look at the current data available, and make an intelligent, conservative decision about what changes to make to your game. For example, I worked with Brandon Vera and his trainer Lloyd Irvin to do all the things Brandon should have been doing, not add anything new. Now Brandon has a fresh perspective on his career that could possibly bring him the financial return he’s looking for. It’s a conservative investment that can pay sweeping dividends.
Closure
Every competitor, coach, and fighter believes that this day is different than the days of yore. The honest truth is that the game hasn’t really changed, only the players have changed. The same principles that were used in warfare in ancient times are used in business today, and these same principles and practices are the foundation for mental and physical preparation. What we need to do is use the information that is available to grow as competitors, practitioners, fans, and enthusiasts.
