What I am working on

So, what's next in terms of training? Right now I am focused on improving my mental game and on some specific aspects of my skills. I am still looking for a specific training regimen for the mental game so more on that later. In terms of skills, I am focused on my kicking game and on more effectively fighting while going backwards. I have different reasons to focus on each.

The focus on the kicks come directly out of my fight experience. When my opponent was retreating or even just maintaining distance, I struggled to put any kind of kick on them. Kicking is the weakest aspect of my Muay and in an actual bout with opponents who wanted to deliver outside kicks it was remarkably challenging to move and kick together. The only good kicking work I did was when we exchanging low kicks and relatively static. This is a problem because I think it even impacted my kicking counters, which I did not use for fear of handing my opponent an easily countered move. 

The problem is really two fold. First I lack confidence in the kicking game and second I just have not done the reps to make it effective. The first problem is the greater one, I lack confidence because I lack the flexibility to confidently deliver kicks without overbalancing or taking too much time on a kick. So I am pursuing the "Limber 11" program, as suggested by an instructor, and I am pursuing it aggressively. If there is one thing I can do is follow a well-organized program with consistency. So hopefully this will help with flexibility and ability and thus, confidence. In terms of reps, I am working line drills with countering kicks off of angle changes and leg checks. I am also adding some pad work with my training partner to work the same thing. Regardless of where my flexibility is, I should be able to pursue this and get the practice in while simultaneously improving my flexibility.

The problem of going backwards is a case of the dog that did not bark. In my tournament, I was able to maintain the initiative to the point that I got to fight going forward the whole time. When I have gotten pounded in sparring I was inevitably going backwards. The trouble is when facing Muay Thai fighters I expect that I will not always be the most aggressive person in the ring and once you start rolling downhill bad things are likely to happen. So I need to be able to fight meaningfully backwards (as opposed to retreating). To do this, I am drilling punching and my teep while retreating against an aggressive pad holder. I feel like doing this as pad work will be more effective than in sparring because (again) what I need to do is put in the hours and make the movements automatic (as opposed to getting smacked around while sparring backwards). I am 100% sure I don't want to be trying to figure out what to do whil in the ring, I want to just do what needs doing.

There are a dozen other things but those are my focus for today.

Lessons understood: The mental game

I was really struck during my recent tournament by the importance of the mental game in fight sports. Its important in any difficult athletic activity but a couple of factors make it particularly critical here.

First, fighting is compressed into a remarkably short time period. Most fights, even without a knockout are going to be done in 15 minutes, many in 10. This means that virtually everything is preparation. You have trained for months. You have waited for hours. You have probably warmed up for longer than you'll be in the ring. Your body has to be at a peak when you step in, but even more importantly you have to be in as close to an optimal mental state as you can manage. All while preparing for...

... the physical danger of confrontation one on one with another determined individual who enters the ring with the sole purpose of knocking you down. This is what we have been evolved to avoid, its foolishly high risk to confront an equally matched foe. Fight or flight should be flight if you aren't sure, but we choose to fight.

So there are all the normal distractions that cause you to shank a golf ball, the time pressure that makes a gymnast's hand sweat when they grab the bars, and all the fear of that ape-man getting ready to fight (plus pain when you do get hit). In that state, you have to find your flow and execute a strategy and all without letting your opponent see your pain or fear.

I have not paid enough attention to my mental game.