What I've Learned From FIGHTING In A Cage

I’ve probably had hundreds of competitive sport karate and amateur kickboxing bouts. As a professional MMA fighter my record is 4-2. I think this ratio of wins to loses means that while I mainly win, I do know what it’s like to handle defeat. I had my first MMA fight at the age of 31 so I was always able to view my MMA journey through the eyes of an experienced adult. Why did I fight? It wasn’t because of a violent streak. It wasn’t because I wanted to prove my manhood. I didn’t fight because I enjoyed hurting people. I did want to quieten the naysayers but mainly I simply loved the competitiveness. It felt like extreme competition that forced me to understand my mind, body and emotions better. Competing for me was only a by-product  of my years of martial arts training. You don’t have to compete or fight to gain from my experience and hopefully I’ll save you the bruising. These lessons are not exclusively about fighting and they can be related to life, business and goals in general.

• Have A Thirst For KNOWLEDGE

In order to achieve your aim, you will need to seek out the best instruction and mentors you can find. I spent a lot of money travelling in order to receive the very best training possible. You must fully immerse yourself in your subject matter in order to get the most out of it. Constantly invest in yourself and your education.

• Assume CONTROL

The only way to do this will be to take responsibility for every aspect of your life. As harsh as it may sound, you are where you are at because of your actions and life choices. That shouldn’t be a negative statement, especially if you use that mind-set to spur yourself on to a more successful future. Stop making excuses.

• Be Your Own HERO

Nobody is coming to save you. It can be a very lonely place when that cage door locks. Don’t make the mistake of living your life in anticipation of someone swooping in to bring you success and happiness. That person doesn’t exist and isn’t coming. You must handle it. The same also goes for living an unfulfilled life but hoping to win the lottery.

• Be More PREPARED

You haven’t prepared enough. You may think you’ve learnt your craft but if crisis strikes, you may realise that you are under prepared. Fighters must know their strikes, techniques and strategies at a subconscious level so that when the conscious mind lets you down, the muscle memory will take over. Keep drilling past the point of conscious memory.  

• Have Faith In Human Biology

There comes a point when all the preparation is done and you must let the natural process take over. You’re stronger than you think. Once the decision is made, have faith that we as human beings are hard wired to survive and succeed. Your adrenaline process is a perfect example of this. The ‘fight or flight’ response is ever present during nervous situations. Life, business, sports, public speaking and many other pastimes can trigger your fear. Having faith in your biology can often stop you from panicking and making mistakes. 

• It’s Normal To Become SUPERSTITIOUS

I’m not a superstitious person and yet, competitive fighting can bring out superstition in people. When you’ve made up your mind to do something and you’ve done all the preparation to the point of having to let the universe/higher spirt decide the final outcome, it becomes normal to look for signs. It also becomes more normal to look for patterns of control e.g. wearing your lucky item of clothing.     

• Winning May Not Make You HAPPY

You might not have been expecting this point but sometimes even the win isn’t satisfying for 3 reasons:

1. you weren’t happy with the way you won
2. you immediately focus on the next achievement
3. you don’t value the win - it may have been a false goal

• Losing DEFINITELY Won’t Make You Happy

This one might sound obvious and a true competitor will never really make peace with losing. However, managing your emotions after any fail is of utmost importance. You should learn from failure and continue forward towards your success goals.

• BEWARE Of Energy Suckers And Hangers On

An energised and motivated person moving towards a large goal can be positively infectious to others. Some people will want to be around you just to attempt to benefit from your enthusiasm (or money!). This is why many celebrities have a large entourage. Not all of these people will be a positive influence to you. This is why you need to be selective about the company you keep.

• The More You FIGHT, The More Hits You Will RECEIVE

The same is true for the more you try to do in life. You will get knock backs in every direction you attempt to succeed in. In fact, if you feel a bit war torn, it probably means that you have many goals and ambitions. This is why so many people are afraid to aim for a goal. The fear of criticism holds many a good idea back.

• You Are Your Own Worst ENEMY

We can all be very hard on ourselves. When fighting, if you can encourage your opponent’s frustration, this can lead to victory. Fighting is a battle of wills as well as a physical battle. Getting into your opponent’s mind is a massive advantage. Therefore, strengthening your mind is a necessity. This is partly done by not overly focusing on each small outcome and remaining in the present tense. Many top fighters aspire to be very evenly tempered and to avoid any emotional spikes or dips.

Sometimes life can feel like a fight but you can win and enjoy it.

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By Roundhouse Rob, The Success Sensei

Robert Devane is a serial entrepreneur and experienced investor as well as a former martial arts multiple World champion and professional MMA fighter with over 20 years of coaching experience.

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