Being prepared...putting in the work

On November 7, 2009, two of our fighters competed at the FCFF Rumble at the Roseland 47 in Portland, Oregon. Both of these fighters are veterans of MMA, Judo, and submission grappling. Both of them are skilled athletes with a boatload of talent.

Matt LaRocque lost via unanimous decision. Jessee Filan lost via split decision.

While watching the fights, I could see that they definitely had the tactics and strategy to win their fights. Their minds were sharp and they understood their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Mentally, they were prepared....physically, they were not. After the fights I had a lengthy conversation with them as to why they lost their fights but it all boiled down to one reason...they didn't train.

I have seen this happen many times. The fighter has better skill than the opponent, yet they still lose. Why?

Combat sports such as MMA, Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Boxing, etc. are all based on capitalizing on your opponent's mistakes. The biggest mistake any athlete can make is not being prepared. You have to be able to look across the ring or tatami at your opponent and be able to say to yourself, "I know I trained harder than my opponent and that I am the most prepared I can be." If you can't do this, in some way you have already lost the battle.

In martial arts, it is the loss that helps us to be humble(a martial artist should be humble), and it is from our losses that we learn the most. We can also learn from the losses of others. Pay attention to the work ethic of those around you. Are they just going through the motions or are they putting in the extra effort that makes a champion? Now ask yourself which side of that scenario are you on?

We are all guilty of being lazy sometimes (I know I am), but when you set a goal for yourself, you reach it with effort, not by sitting and waiting for it to come to you. They say that if you want to be a champion, you have to train like a champion. Kimura would have likely said that if you want to be a champion, you have to train twice as hard as the current champion.

Remember, you get out of it what you put into it. The formula to martial arts success is fairly simple. It is very similar in all sports...Proper nutrition, do the work, and rest. If you want to be a top competitor, this has to become a lifestyle, not something you try to do a few days before an event.

As an instructor, it is my job to teach my students the skills they need to accomplish their martial arts goals. However, I cannot do the work for them.

I am very proud of both Matt and Jessee. They did well in their fights. They displayed heart and left an impression with their opponents and fans. They never gave up and fought to the end. I have known them both for years and know their potential.

See you at the dojo,

Sensei Larry Keith