Many of our blog posts up to this one illustrate what it takes to find your inner Warrior. We have explored momentum, overcoming hesitation, trusting your intuition, training hard, and much more. All of these concepts lead us to the point of finding our inner Warrior!
Coach Bob always says he never knows what he is gonna get out of a fighter at their first competition. No matter how hard you train and how great your sparring comes along during your training camp many times how you show up in competition is a surprise.
Will you dig down deep and leave everything in the ring? Will you let the fear take over? Will you follow your coach's instruction? Will you choke? Will you keep moving forward? Will you find your inner Warrior and fight?
These questions are most often left unanswered until you compete for the first time and learn a little something about yourself. No doubt there is anxiety, nerves, fear or whatever you want to label it before your fight but it is what you do with those feelings that matters.
"The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It's the same thing, fear, but it's what you do with it that matters." ~Cus D'Amato
A Warrior fights. A Warrior faces his fear. A Warrior stays focused. A Warrior tests himself.
This weekend we had the pleasure of seeing a fighter be born. Our newest Warrior. As a coach you go into a fight uncertain about what you will get out of a first time fighter. You have more confidence in some of your fighters than others based on their skill level, fitness level, how the train, etc. Yet you still never know how they will handle the stress of competition. So when our guy stepped into that ring this weekend I wasn't sure how this thing was going to go. Would he step up? Would he fight? Would he follow Coach Bob's instruction? The uncertainty and lack of control is more nerve racking than competing myself.
What did our fighter do? He found his inner Warrior! He fought! He tried his hardest to execute the instruction he was given...he moved forward and didn't quit! I was so proud of him! I didn't care if he won or lost. And though he did lose, I learned something about him and he learned something about himself. He can do this! He can overcome nerves, anxiety and fear and compete. He can fight. He can stay focused. He can dig down deep when he is exhausted and leave it all in the ring without regret! This is priceless. When you discover that you can trust yourself to handle stress and overcome you find your inner strength. This builds self-trust, self confidence and pride. Win or lose...you test yourself, you do your best and you change! In and out of the ring you realize you have more power and strength inside you than you ever knew.
Coach Bob always says competing teaches you something about yourself. You learn what you do under pressure, you learn what you can handle, you discover your inner strength and confidence. It is an amazing thing to see a fighter find and experience this. I felt like a proud parent watching our fighter stand in that corner after the contest and realize on a deep level that he can do more than he ever thought he could. He tested himself and he found his inner Warrior!
That is what this is all about...growing as an athlete and a person! Achieving your personal best! Knowing that you have no regret, that you have given it your all and that is what matters! It takes courage and strength to test yourself in and out of the ring, but it is always worth it! I truly believe each of us has much more strength than we recognize or give ourselves credit for. That's why at Warrior Fighting Sports & Fitness, we don't just develop fighters we develop Warriors! Individuals that challenge themselves, grow, improve, and change.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment