So you want to fight? You see those guys on TV beating the hell out of each other and something about that excites you. Your adrenaline kicks in, you get excited as blows are exchanged and you decide I want to do that. Awesome. You go to a gym, check out the training and decide to jump in. Training is exciting.
You feel powerful as your body becomes a weapon. Pretty soon, you get a chance to spar…and then youget punched in the face and you realize it just got real.
I don’t like getting punched in the face. I don’t know too many people who do. In fact, I don’t know anyone who does, but I know people who can take it. The bottom line is, if you desire is to participate in combative sports, getting hit, kicked or punched in the face is almost guaranteed.
So, the best thing you can do is prepare yourself for it. How? Let someone punch you in the face. Seriously. First off, you’ll realize that you WILL survive. You might discover that it’s not as bad as you thought it was…or you’ll decide that martial arts is not for you. Either way, you’ll live.
Glove up and try this. Find a GOOD sparring partner. Not one who tends to be overly aggressive but someone who is willing to work with you, give you pointers and who’s skill set is better than yours. They’ll expose your weaknesses and be able to teach you how to be defensive. And more importantly, when you work with someone better, you will rise to the challenge they bring.
Let them press you. Let them back you up against the ropes or the cage. Let them punch at your face and head. At first it will seem overwhelming. But you should have your hands up to protect your modeling career (Timbo :)). When they do sneak one by and they will, because they’re better, you’ll survive. And you’ll learn. You’ll learn it’s not that bad. You’ll learn to keep your hands up. You’ll learn how to bob and weave to avoid the onslaught. You’ll learn how to watch through your gloves. You’ll learn how to explode out. Most importantly, you’ll learn that this is something you can do. Don’t get angry or emotional, it’s martial arts. It’s supposed to happen.
Bottom line. This sport is more mental than physical. If you can push your body beyond what it’s feeling, you’ll survive, in fact you’ll thrive. And if you’re prepared to get hit in face, you have an advantage. When you eat a blow to the face and look at back at your opponent and smile, it will totally demoralize them. They’ll have to rethink their game plan, because whatever they thought they could do, you just took with a smile and you kept on coming at them.
