accepting the inevitable

[uki]

unless SHTF, i am gonna end up entering a match - i know this because i know myself... i cursed people for years about how evil it was to smoke marijuana and now i smoke everyday... LOL... so anyhow, what's the best way to get started being humbled?? where do i sign up to get my a$$ kicked by McMA knuckleheads??? it could be a KFM reality series: uki versus everyone else. no seriously, i am serious... i have to see if i am all the **** ya'll think i think i am. i'm in pa - where can i sign up?? :D

[David Jamieson]

seriously man, you have to focus.

But anyway Let me google that for you (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pennsylvania+mma+clubs)

[uki]

But anyway Let me google that for you (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pennsylvania+mma+clubs)whoa... like cool man - i didn't have to do anything... it did it all for me. nice... is fighting anything like this??

[David Jamieson]

robot fu is yes.

also battle bots and rockem sockem robots.

[MasterKiller]

Well, there are multiple approaches.

If you want to train for the fight, find a local MMA club and let them train you.

If you just want to see if you can hang in a fight, go to an MMA event, talk to a promoter, and see if you can get on a local amateur card.

Be advised, depending on local Boxing Commssion regulations, you may need bloodwork done in advance, and you will possibly be p1ss tested for drugs the night of the fight, which could result in you not being allowed to participate.

I would STRONGLY advise you get your cardio top notch. People think 2 minutes rounds sound like nothing, but fighting hard taxes you.

Even if you think your cardio is fine, it isn't.

[David Jamieson]

Even if you think your cardio is fine, it isn't.

True. Breathing in a fight is not like anything else.

It's not like bagwork, it's not like drills or sets or mitt work.
It's a whole different dynamic experience all it's own.

It has it's own qigong. :D

[uki]

Even if you think your cardio is fine, it isn't.i went for a routine dr. visit this week and i was 110/56... i just got a heavy bag today and worked it for about an hour in the basement dust(last time i had one was years ago and it was on a 20 ft rope for increased swing... i am being serious here - i don't want no one to train me, i just wanna jump in and see how i do. :D

[MasterKiller]

i went for a routine dr. visit this week and i was 110/56... i just got a heavy bag today and worked it for about an hour in the basement dust(last time i had one was years ago and it was on a 20 ft rope for increased swing... i am being serious here - i don't want no one to train me, i just wanna jump in and see how i do. :D

Good, but it's not enough. Seriously.

You need about 6 weeks of serious work before the fight to be competitive. I suggest starting an interval program, but working by yourself you need to ensure you push yourself hard. It's easy to cheat when no one is looking.

You might not want to do all that, but the other guy will. You'll also need to think about cutting weight, too. Possibly 10 to 15 pounds. Again, you might not want to, but I can guarantee the other guy will.

[uki]

Good, but it's not enough. Seriously.

You need about 6 weeks of serious work before the fight to be competitive. I suggest starting an interval program, but working by yourself you need to ensure you push yourself hard. It's easy to cheat when no one is looking.you seem to be missing the point... i intend to do this the uki way... i have been juggling three 9lb iron balls for over two years now on top of my masonry job and martial arts practice... it's about seeing if what i do is good enough for fighting, not what other people tell me.

[MasterKiller]

you seem to be missing the point... i intend to do this the uki way... i have been juggling three 9lb iron balls for over two years now on top of my masonry job and martial arts practice... it's about seeing if what i do is good enough for fighting, not what other people tell me.

That's fine. But I've see a ton of guys who think the same thing, and it almost always ends exactly like I expect.

If you don't cut weight, you'll be fighting a guy who walks around 20 pounds heavier than you. So, you're at a disadvantage.

If you don't train your cardio, you'll be fighting tired against an opponent who is not, again putting you at a disadvantage.

Your tenacity will serve you well, but once you gas it will be out the window. If you want to be competitive, you need to train to be competitive. But then again you might get lucky and get matched against some tomato can.

[David Jamieson]

mmmm tomato can, easy win.

[taai gihk yahn]

you seem to be missing the point... i intend to do this the uki way... i have been juggling three 9lb iron balls for over two years now on top of my masonry job and martial arts practice... it's about seeing if what i do is good enough for fighting, not what other people tell me.

I think it's plenty good for fighting; but, as you so often like to point out, "the ring" is not "fighting"; I mean, it is, but within a sporting context; and this context is constructed to essentially eliminate many if not all of the qualities that you personally have been developing through your own training;

in general, the fighters who win in these venues are the ones who are more coachable than the next guy; but you wrestled, you must remember all about that stuff;

also, you may not even pass the PE to be allowed to fight, given your history of head trauma...

anyway, not trying to rain on your parade, just my 2¢...

[Scott R. Brown]

Good Luck with your goal uki....my 2 cents.....remember ring fighting is a duel, not a street fight, so you must use different strategy and tactics and therefore train a bit differently!:)

The element of surprise is, for the most part, eliminated!

You want a street fight to be over soon, while a ring fight will last longer against a skilled opponent. Although in your first fight it is at least possible it will be over quickly, for you!:eek:

Cardio and muscular endurance are best conditioned using circuits and complexes in additions to actual fight skills training!

[Dragonzbane76]

WTF... i'm scared to go out the door today now... it's the end of days i tell you... THE END OF DAYS..... pigs flying in hell, blood in the sky, that kinda sh!t.

[TenTigers]

WTF... i'm scared to go out the door today now... it's the end of days i tell you... THE END OF DAYS..... pigs flying in hell, blood in the sky, that kinda sh!t.
relax, Man. Once he finds out he has to shower, it's all off.:D

[uki]

thanks for the input guy's... althought the alcohol has warn off, the idea is still here.

remember ring fighting is a duel, not a street fight, so you must use different strategy and tactics and therefore train a bit differently!LOL... i think i train a bit differently than the majority of people out there.


The element of surprise is, for the most part, eliminated!suprise comes in many shapes, forms, and from a wide variety of sources.


You want a street fight to be over soon, while a ring fight will last longer against a skilled opponent. unless you can knock em out. :D


Although in your first fight it is at least possible it will be over quickly, for you!i hope so... LOL... i want to work on my one hit wonders. :p


Cardio and muscular endurance are best conditioned using circuits and complexes in additions to actual fight skills training!ok... what do you mean by circuits and complexes??? LMAO!!! i mean i know i have some complexes of my own already. :)


I think it's plenty good for fighting; but, as you so often like to point out, "the ring" is not "fighting"; I mean, it is, but within a sporting context; and this context is constructed to essentially eliminate many if not all of the qualities that you personally have been developing through your own training;adaptation is an assest.


in general, the fighters who win in these venues are the ones who are more coachable than the next guy; but you wrestled, you must remember all about that stuff;or the ones that lack sponatenous creativity under duress.


also, you may not even pass the PE to be allowed to fight, given your history of head trauma...that would be enough to send me into a biligerent rant... i wanted to join the military, but my ears were shot - once i was given an interview for a laboring job and the guy asked me my height, weight, and he determined that at 165 and 6'2" i was not strong enough to handle the job. LOL as for my head trauma, big deal - i whacked myself in the temple with a 21lb iron bar without being knocked out, though sometimes i muse that a big giant blood clot will free itself and send me into a stroke where i die before i hit the ground... seriously though, i have had TWO people break their hands punching me in the head or face during altercations in the past and BOTH times, i had no bruise and they had a broken hand. :p


anyway, not trying to rain on your parade, just my 2¢...i walked in the rain for seven days while i was hiking on the appalachian trail, so no worries here mate. :cool:

[Scott R. Brown]

ok... what do you mean by circuits and complexes???

Perform 3-6 sometimes 8 if you can handle it, large muscle group exercises one after the other before you rest about one minute. You may need to work down to the one minute rest. Start with 3 mins rest and reduce it as you get into better shape.

For people without weights it would me something like:

Jumps 5-10 immediately followed by
Pushups 10-20 immediately followed by
Pullups/Chins 5-10 immediately followed by
Sittups immediately followed by
One legged jumps etc

This is just an example there a many different things you can do. Some people use sand bags or punching bags and pick them up and slam them to the ground or sprint short distances with them as well,

You could also do

Step ups,
Bar Dips,
Bench dips
Handstand Pushups
Press ups (with a bit of practice these are easier to do that handstand push ups)
Box jumps (jump up onto a box then down, or sideways back and forth over a box, etc.
variations of Pullups
variations of Pushups (i.e. incline, decline, clapping one arm elevated, etc.
rope climbing

The main point is to do your 3-6 larger muscle group exercises one after the other and quickly before you rest.

You will suck air for sure and want to puke after 2 or 3 sets if you are not used to it!!

Trust me....I call these my "Suck Air" workouts! :D

[Scott R. Brown]

WTF... i'm scared to go out the door today now... it's the end of days i tell you... THE END OF DAYS..... pigs flying in hell, blood in the sky, that kinda sh!t.

Did hell freeze yet?:eek::D

[uki]

relax, Man. Once he finds out he has to shower, it's all off.show me rule that says i have to shower before a fight. :mad:

part of my strategy. :p

[Lucas]

I'll be your fan bro-ha

[Lee Chiang Po]

show me rule that says i have to shower before a fight. :mad:

part of my strategy. :p

You could always spray aged urine under your arms and around your body so that an opponent will not want to take you to the floor and roll. Pass a rumor that you might have Hep C or Aids just before the fight and that could help you too.

[Yum Cha]

Go one better...
Drape yourself with chicken guts, gouge out an eye and knock out half your teeth.

Nobody can stand up to a Zombie alone...

[dimethylsea]

Uki,
If you are doing this to "test the Uki way" then let me suggest that
1.) You do need cardio
2.) Cutting weight won't tell you nearly as much about what you are capable of as fighting at your walking around weight.

The reason you need cardio is the element of surprise is eliminated in the ring.. and fights tend to last MUCH longer than a real confrontation usually does. You have to be cognizant of the type of "arrangement" it is.
No surprise = more cardio. More surprise=not so much need for cardio.

Cutting weight to make yourself stronger per pound won't tell you as much about what you have in a street fight.

Keep in mind this is "Uki way logic".. and not "competitor logic". If you are going to compete and win under any honorable method (per the rules) you need to follow Masterkiller's advice.. or better yet.. find a good coach and spent 6-12 months training for the fight.

In my opinion you will find out far more about what you can do in your street fight by seriously training to compete as a competitor though. But you must follow the "Uki Way". :D

[uki]

i don't know about cutting weight... i have been hovering at 165 for the last 15 years now or so... i believe i would have to hone my cardio, as it is pretty good already from years of masonry work and other activities in my highly active lifestyle. the one thing that i noticed about most sport fighters is that they exert and waste alot of energy by hopping or dancing around... i do not intend to do this... stand like a mountain, blow like the wind. it's all about intent mon... anyhow, one thing at a time... i just got my first of three heavy bags - been working it about an hour each day now on top of other training. thank goodness for dales dit da jow stuff - that sh!t works wonders on me sore bare arms and hands. :D

[MasterKiller]

i don't know about cutting weight... i have been hovering at 165 for the last 15 years now or so... i believe i would have to hone my cardio, as it is pretty good already from years of masonry work and other activities in my highly active lifestyle. the one thing that i noticed about most sport fighters is that they exert and waste alot of energy by hopping or dancing around... i do not intend to do this... stand like a mountain, blow like the wind. it's all about intent mon... anyhow, one thing at a time... i just got my first of three heavy bags - been working it about an hour each day now on top of other training. thank goodness for dales dit da jow stuff - that sh!t works wonders on me sore bare arms and hands. :D

Fight cardio is different than any other cardio. You might have awesome endurance, the kind where you can swing a hammer for 8 hours, but fighting contact occurs in quick bursts, which is why interval training is better for ring fighting than running 10 miles.

At the very least, work the heavy bags for 2-minute rounds with a 1 minute break between them to get your body accustomed to rounds. The last ten seconds of each round, hit it as fast and hard as you can.

As far as cutting weight goes, my point is that you might walk around at 165, but the guy you will fight at 165 is likely to walk around at 180 and just cut to make weight. So, if you don't cut, you will more than likely be at a disadvantage in that regard.

I weigh 165 but compete at 155. I made 149 once, but will never do it again.

[uki]

At the very least, work the heavy bags for 2-minute rounds with a 1 minute break between them to get your body accustomed to rounds. The last ten seconds of each round, hit it as fast and hard as you can.what would be the a nice maximum?? what do you find ideal??


As far as cutting weight goes, my point is that you might walk around at 165, but the guy you will fight at 165 is likely to walk around at 180 and just cut to make weight. So, if you don't cut, you will more than likely be at a disadvantage in that regard.yet from an oppositional perspective, a person could fight at 165, but carry the power of 180 or more... no?? this position would also generate an element of suprise. :D


I made 149 once, but will never do it again.this because you were among the lightest in the weight class??

[MasterKiller]

what would be the a nice maximum?? what do you find ideal?? You'll most likely be fighting amateur, which is usally 2 or 3 minute rounds. I would just work in that time frame, getting your body used to that pace. Some people like to train 5 minute rounds if they plan to fight 3 minute rounds, but I find doing that throws off your internal "clock."

However long you like to hit the bag, just do it in 2 minute/3 minute rounds, with a 1 minute break.

Anything more complicated, and it might not be Uki style anymore.;)


yet from an oppositional perspective, a person could fight at 165, but carry the power of 180 or more... no?? this position would also generate an element of suprise. :D Yes, some people just hit hard. If you do, that's an advantage for you.

Not everyone cuts, especially at the amateur level. When you get matched up, it's common to ask about your opponent and his normal weight to see if he is cutting a lot to fight you. That information can help you decide what you want to do.


this because you were among the lightest in the weight class??No, I was among the heaviest. I cut from 165 to 149 to make the 140-149 division, and by the time I competed and rehydrated, I was back up to 160 or so.

But, it was a hard cut and since it's just a hobby, I won't put myself through that again. I can sweat out to 155 easy. That last 6 pounds really kicked my @ss.

[Drake]

Fight cardio is different than any other cardio.

And you ain't just whistlin' dixie!!!!!

[kfson]

Uki, do you have someone in your ear?

[uki]

Uki, do you have someone in your ear?yeah... they live inside my head - a whole forest of little trees. :)

[Yum Cha]

Uki,

Check this out bro, perhaps you might find some new strategy in here...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1Ggcf28w4A&feature=channel

[taai gihk yahn]

Uki,

Check this out bro, perhaps you might find some new strategy in here...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1Ggcf28w4A&feature=channel

dude, you've got it all backwards - that would only serve to diminish his power (it's like a Samson / hair thing...)

[David Jamieson]

seriously, how about this one then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE&feature=channel

[uki]

dude, you've got it all backwards - that would only serve to diminish his power (it's like a Samson / hair thing...)mayhap ancient people are smart and have trasmitted their knowledge - samson took a donkey jaw and killed a thousand armed men... those in control of humanity do not intend to have these genetic traits flourishing in the rural countryside... worldy news make soooo much sense these days. it's all about the DNA mon. :)

[Frost]

you seem to be missing the point... i intend to do this the uki way... i have been juggling three 9lb iron balls for over two years now on top of my masonry job and martial arts practice... it's about seeing if what i do is good enough for fighting, not what other people tell me.

if you want to do it your way why ask for advise?

just go to a local event sign up and fight

[Frost]

You'll most likely be fighting amateur, which is usally 2 or 3 minute rounds. I would just work in that time frame, getting your body used to that pace. Some people like to train 5 minute rounds if they plan to fight 3 minute rounds, but I find doing that throws off your internal "clock."

However long you like to hit the bag, just do it in 2 minute/3 minute rounds, with a 1 minute break.

Anything more complicated, and it might not be Uki style anymore.;)

Yes, some people just hit hard. If you do, that's an advantage for you.

Not everyone cuts, especially at the amateur level. When you get matched up, it's common to ask about your opponent and his normal weight to see if he is cutting a lot to fight you. That information can help you decide what you want to do.

No, I was among the heaviest. I cut from 165 to 149 to make the 140-149 division, and by the time I competed and rehydrated, I was back up to 160 or so.

But, it was a hard cut and since it's just a hobby, I won't put myself through that again. I can sweat out to 155 easy. That last 6 pounds really kicked my @ss.

Very good advice from MK: cut weight (the other guy will and it sucks fighting someone a lot heavier than you), get in condition and when you are entering the rounds/interval part of your training programme make sure you do work rest intervals that mimic the length of the rounds you will fight. Conditioning is very specific to the fight and the length of the rounds you are doing, 3 minute rounds will have a much more anearobic feel than 5 minute rounds so you need to train accordingly for this.

conditioning for a fight is something you have to do, first make sure you have a good aerobic base, a low resting HR is usually a sign of this as is the ability to recover quickly between rounds (if your resting HR is in the low to mid 50's and you can get your HR down to 130bpm in a minute between fast hard paced 3 minute rounds on the bag) if you are there then you are good to go with interval training and the other harder conditioning sessions, if not build this base first and then add the intervals in when you are ready for them

[Dragonzbane76]

my first piece of advise would be, don't take your conditioning lightly. You might think slinging mud and block all day is good enough.... IT'S NOT. It's a totally different type of cardio.

[uki]

ok... you guy's are killing me here with your advise - it's advice... advise is used as the verb and advice used as the noun. :p

i am not against advice - i welcome it... what i mean about doing it the uki way is simply that i am my own trainer and practioner... no school, no external teacher, nada... just me, some iron balls, an iron bar, an iron ring, a wheelbarrow, a heavy bag, some rocks, cinderblocks, bricks, and a whole lot of creativity. :)

[Frost]

ok you wanted to know how best to do it, go to a MMA school that produces fighters and challange them, say you want a full contact fight to test yourself


If that does not work just go and sign up for a local show


No go and do it, stop posting on here about thinking asbout doing it go and do it

[MasterKiller]

i am not against advice - i welcome it... what i mean about doing it the uki way is simply that i am my own trainer and practioner... no school, no external teacher, nada... just me, some iron balls, an iron bar, an iron ring, a wheelbarrow, a heavy bag, some rocks, cinderblocks, bricks, and a whole lot of creativity. :)

Then all you need to do is all that, but in a smart way. The smart way is circuit training.

[uki]

No go and do it, stop posting on here about thinking asbout doing it go and do iti understand... it's all about timing and watching for the signs - periodically there are local events in our area, so i will continue to train until the appropriate circumstance arises. i feel i should have atleast some time whacking the heavy bag as a pre-requisite to any form of planned competition fight where one must refrain from the natural urge to tear or crack trachea's, fish-hook jawbones like samson(imagine grabbing someones jaw and giving it a little coiling dragon twist with the intent to tear it off), or otherwise go postally primal as in an actual self-defense situation where ones family and/or self is in jeporady. i am sure most any sport fighter on here will say that one needs some degree of focused training before entering a match. :)

[sanjuro_ronin]

i understand... it's all about timing and watching for the signs - periodically there are local events in our area, so i will continue to train until the appropriate circumstance arises. i feel i should have atleast some time whacking the heavy bag as a pre-requisite to any form of planned competition fight where one must refrain from the natural urge to tear or crack trachea's, fish-hook jawbones like samson(imagine grabbing someones jaw and giving it a little coiling dragon twist with the intent to tear it off), or otherwise go postally primal as in an actual self-defense situation where ones family and/or self is in jeporady. i am sure most any sport fighter on here will say that one needs some degree of focused training before entering a match. :)

Good luck with all that.

[uki]

Good luck with all that.why thank you... how nice of you. :p

all this advice is really helpful in my assimilating processes involving the martial arts. :)

[MasterKiller]

have your daughter hold pads for you

http://i43.tinypic.com/289bn6u.gif

[Lucas]

lol wtf....teach her to hold a pad first haha

[Pork Chop]

most people's first competitive fight tend to be a complete mess anyway.
in your first fight your training's going to go out the window.
most come away from it with a lot more awareness of what fighting really requires and they tend to completely change up their training as a result.

I'm not saying go in there without a tool box.
You want to make sure you have some decent punches & kicks that can do some damage.

In my situation it was a case of:
get in the gym, obsess over weight class, overtrain in an attempt to get (back) down to a weight class, get injured, miss the fight, rinse & repeat.
the one time i did make weight to fight i was so weight drained that i was literally done after 30 seconds, didn't get out of the way of a shot I saw coming, and ate the canvas.
if i had it to do over i think i would've fought more when i was younger and stressed over training & weight classes less (at least until i had a significant number of fights under my belt).

Yeah, you want to make sure you're in pretty good shape.
I always had little tests to gauge where i was at - like if i could do 20 burpees non stop, then I was doing pretty good.

Like the others said; stop talking about it, get in there, and mix it up!

[sanjuro_ronin]

In boxing and Judo I never cut weight, never had to, the increased intensity leading up to training always took care of that.
In Kyokushin there was no weight limits so it was irrelevant !!
LOL !

[uki]

In boxing and Judo I never cut weight, never had to, the increased intensity leading up to training always took care of that.
In Kyokushin there was no weight limits so it was irrelevant !!this approach seems best - becoming comfortable at your natural weight as the byproduct of training... forcing the body to do something it doesn't want to do doesn't seem like the best course of action... as i said before, my walking around weight has been a near constant for many years now.

[sanjuro_ronin]

this approach seems best - becoming comfortable at your natural weight as the byproduct of training... forcing the body to do something it doesn't want to do doesn't seem like the best course of action... as i said before, my walking around weight has been a near constant for many years now.

When you increase your level of training as you prepare for a fight, you will naturally lose anywhere from 5-10 lbs, depending on your current level of activity.
Of course diet is adjusted accordingly,
BUT, if you truly want to gauge your "martial effectiveness" without going outside your regular routine, which is in my view the bets way to gauge your everyday Martial ability, then training for a fight any different than you train now MAY be counter-productive to your goals.

[Pork Chop]

In boxing and Judo I never cut weight, never had to, the increased intensity leading up to training always took care of that.
In Kyokushin there was no weight limits so it was irrelevant !!
LOL !

see, i didn't enjoy that luxury.
my body doesn't drop weight easily and everyone told me i didn't have the physical tools to compete in any weight class within 50 or 60lbs of my normal walk around weight (which is kinda nuts when you factor in the fact that I'm just under 6 feet tall with a 75 inch reach, there have been multiple heavyweight champions smaller than me).

i would always have to push training beyond what my body could handle in order to lose weight, or starve myself with an unsustainable diet, so I'd always end up sick or injured.

last year was the closest i've ever gotten to getting the formula right; because i no longer gave a cr@p about my weight class, and i still ended up with broken ribs that ultimately kept me from competing. the only solace i can take is that the guy who broke them has beaten the living p!ss out of everyone else he's fought and that I was still bringing the fight to him till the end - a round and a half after my rib cracked.

i agree with what you said about how uki's training should be in line with his daily training and not something grossly out of the ordinary if he wants to really see how well his daily training is preparing him for fighting.

i would go further to say that i've been better served by training to be able to meet performance goals for myself than by training to fit a certain weight class, by training to sheer exhaustion, or trying to meet other peoples' standards for training.

i think all to often people training for fights focus too much on training for exhaustion instead of training for performance. i consider over training a real thing. The old school blood and guts mindset will push you through things you didn't think you could accomplish, but it may not be the best path for longevity or peak performance.

[uki]

i agree with what you said about how uki's training should be in line with his daily training and not something grossly out of the ordinary if he wants to really see how well his daily training is preparing him for fighting.the only variable i have added to the equation is the heavy bag... man i love this thing - in 12 years of training, i had a heavy bag only for a few months in the beginning... it is interesting to see 12 years of form work manifesting on a heavy bag.

what are the implications of being able to go at moderate force for 30 minutes non-stop on the bag?? i have been discovering all kinds of whacky combos - just today i was working on roundhouse to headbutt and vice versa... i have seriously been linking strings for an average of 15 minutes non stop... today i did about 30 minutes worth in one go.

[Lucas]

time for you to go beat some azz :p

[uki]

time for you to go beat some azzgotta love the delusions of granduer. :D

[MasterKiller]

what are the implications of being able to go at moderate force for 30 minutes non-stop on the bag?? i have been discovering all kinds of whacky combos - just today i was working on roundhouse to headbutt and vice versa... i have seriously been linking strings for an average of 15 minutes non stop... today i did about 30 minutes worth in one go.
Moderate on the bag lets you work form, going hard lets you work power. Both are necessary, imo.

[Pork Chop]

Moderate on the bag lets you work form, going hard lets you work power. Both are necessary, imo.

what he said

[goju]

have your daughter hold pads for you

http://i43.tinypic.com/289bn6u.gif


:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

[sanjuro_ronin]

see, i didn't enjoy that luxury.
my body doesn't drop weight easily and everyone told me i didn't have the physical tools to compete in any weight class within 50 or 60lbs of my normal walk around weight (which is kinda nuts when you factor in the fact that I'm just under 6 feet tall with a 75 inch reach, there have been multiple heavyweight champions smaller than me).

i would always have to push training beyond what my body could handle in order to lose weight, or starve myself with an unsustainable diet, so I'd always end up sick or injured.

last year was the closest i've ever gotten to getting the formula right; because i no longer gave a cr@p about my weight class, and i still ended up with broken ribs that ultimately kept me from competing. the only solace i can take is that the guy who broke them has beaten the living p!ss out of everyone else he's fought and that I was still bringing the fight to him till the end - a round and a half after my rib cracked.

i agree with what you said about how uki's training should be in line with his daily training and not something grossly out of the ordinary if he wants to really see how well his daily training is preparing him for fighting.

i would go further to say that i've been better served by training to be able to meet performance goals for myself than by training to fit a certain weight class, by training to sheer exhaustion, or trying to meet other peoples' standards for training.

i think all to often people training for fights focus too much on training for exhaustion instead of training for performance. i consider over training a real thing. The old school blood and guts mindset will push you through things you didn't think you could accomplish, but it may not be the best path for longevity or peak performance.

I was younger then so...
Longevity and peak performance are crucial for people making fighting their livelihood and even for the occasional "banger" its a good idea too.
At the same time, the old school stuff is needed to build up the "intangiables".

[Merryprankster]

Here's what people don't get:

Stepping into the ring is easy. Preparing to step into the ring is the hard part.

Why anybody would compete without preparing is something I don't understand, for a variety of reasons. None of them have to do with winning, incidentally. Winning is a side effect.

Pork Chop - I'm sorry to hear that people were telling you you had to cut a bunch of weight. We all come in different shapes and sizes. Cutting weight is a part of all this, but it's not a prerequisite. Form follows function. They should have focused on making you a better fighter, and as you GOT better, and competition quality increased, you'd be surprised what happens - you start eating better, running more, etc. I know you have difficulties losing weight, I'm just saying that all of that plays out in the long haul.

[Pork Chop]

Why anybody would compete without preparing is something I don't understand, for a variety of reasons. None of them have to do with winning, incidentally. Winning is a side effect.

While I agree that not preparing is a mistake, I think that if you've got XX number of years doing dedicated training (though maybe not fight-camp-level), jumping in the amateur ring to see where you're at is not out of the question.

Yes, many guys even at the amateur level run almost pro-level training camps for fights.
Many of these guys also will have countless smokers (aka unofficial, unrecorded bouts) before their first official amateur match.
But the amateurs should be where you pick up some experience.
Unless you're training for the olympics (or an amateur title) it shouldn't be so cut throat.

I think that's kinda why I'm starting to prefer boxing & the way things are done there.
It's harder to build a career of smokers before your first amateur bout and other forms of sandbagging are much harder to get away with.
Weigh-ins are same day, and there are repeated weigh-ins for multi-day tournaments so weight cutting isn't as outrageous at the amateur level.
You can get your feet wet in a safer environment.


Pork Chop - I'm sorry to hear that people were telling you you had to cut a bunch of weight.

I don't mean to be such a whiny b**** about it; i just wish i hadn't wasted what little youth i had listening to those people.
Finding any coaches that really believe in me has been very difficult.
Hoping to finally get my chance in the ring in a couple years when i finish my degree and take a stab at the over-35 golden gloves.

[Merryprankster]

While I agree that not preparing is a mistake, I think that if you've got XX number of years doing dedicated training (though maybe not fight-camp-level), jumping in the amateur ring to see where you're at is not out of the question.


That's kind of what I'm talking about. If you don't prepare, if you don't work hard, if you don't have people working with you who understand competition and what it takes, you aren't even going to "see where you are at."

You're either going to get really lucky (unlikely), or you're not. Either way, you learn nothing, unless it's:

Hmm. Better prepare next time.

Cuz if you get lucky, then you're going to have a false sense of where you are at. And if you don't get lucky, the only lesson you could learn, reasonably, is that you weren't prepared.

By contrast, if you've prepared, then there's all kinds of lessons to learn.

Finally, most of the reasons I would never compete without being fully prepared revolve around the mind set required to do your best. And if you don't have the will to prepare, then trust me, you don't have the mind set. You will perform at some level well below what you are capable of (across the gamut, not just conditioning)

[Pork Chop]

... Either way, you learn nothing, unless it's:

Hmm. Better prepare next time.

Cuz if you get lucky, then you're going to have a false sense of where you are at. And if you don't get lucky, the only lesson you could learn, reasonably, is that you weren't prepared.

By contrast, if you've prepared, then there's all kinds of lessons to learn.

...

That's the thing though, it's the first fight.

I've seen many guys come through these practically professional-level training camps, but still go into their first fight swinging like a toughman contest, gas in 30 seconds, and win or lose mainly based on luck.

It's the first fight, the lesson from it SHOULD be "oh, that's what it's like. now I know what I have to do to get ready next time."