Why fighting Angry Is Bad – CONTROL IT!

Why Fighting Angry Is Bad – CONTROL IT!

Mike Tyson: “Everyone thinks it’s the tough fighters, the surly fighters [that do well] but that’s not true. It’s mostly the guy that’s relaxed, and just happy to be in there and happy to be doing what he does’.

Help or Hindrance?

I see way too many fighters often allowing themselves to lose their cool, letting anger take them over and ultimately hinder their performance. Of course, boxing is essentially fighting but boxing is an art, and in the end it’s the guy with the most skills that’s usually going to win, provided he trained as hard as he should have. Any champion understands that in order to perform at your best, then it’s absolutely necessary you work towards controlling your emotions in the ring, so that you can remain logical and clear- headed, and then you will remain smart.

Manny Pacquiao is certainly a happy fighter

Uncontrolled emotion is bad

Anger is an intense emotional response, and it is quite natural to feel it at times. But it is quite possibly the most difficult to control and most times, it is the emotion which is most likely going to control you and your actions. It certainly can drive people to do things that they later regret. In many ways, anger is like fire. Fire can be very useful if you use it right, but if you fail to do so, then the results can be destructive. So, if you don’t learn to control it, it’s almost definitely going to control you.  Before it has a chance to control you and potentially ruin you, you must learn to prevent this from happening. An elite champion will invest time and effort towards this goal, knowing it’s vital to maintaining effective performances.

Tyson was focused in his prime

Gain Control

The first step towards suppressing anger is simple: You must make a conscious decision, telling yourself that you will not allow it to control you and that YOU are in control of YOUR mind. You must make efforts towards redirecting any emotion into an energy that serves a purpose. A champion builds up a resolve and resilience towards that are most distracting, and uncontrolled anger is one of those things. However, controlled intent can be useful, simply because the intensity can be very electrifying and empowering. So what can you do to control yourself?

Relax

Soon after you make the decision to not allow it to control you, you must use focused concentration and breathing to help you manage the intensity. Being able to achieve a state of relaxation is key. Combine this with positive self- talk, and tell yourself (and subconscious) what is you want it to be. Remember,  your brain will work towards producing the results you want it to, as long as you show it the desired goals you expect. Tell yourself things like : ‘I’m in control’, ‘be cool’, ‘stay calm’, ‘be relaxed’, and this will help you stay in control. Forming positive images and movies in your head in a relaxed state is extremely helpful when managing the intensity of emotions such as anger. Imagine yourself being in control and making the correct decisions, even in despite of the feeling of anger being there.

Put these actions into common practice and you I’ll eventually gain more control in time. If you find yourself getting hit with a shot in sparring and you feel the anger arise, IMMEDIATELY shut it down and just tell yourself: ‘I’m still going to do well, and I don’t need to lose control’. How many times have we seen a champion get hit, and he smiles? A lot of the time, commentators say that a fighter is trying to show that they aren’t hurt, but I disagree. Rather, when a champion gets hit and he smiles, he’s saying that although it did hurt, yet it’s still not enough to stop him. He’s still confident in himself, he’s still not discouraged, and knows he’s going to win. This can be very discouraging to a fighter who hits a guy with his hardest shots and he gets smiled at.  A champion refuses to lose and he almost finds humour in his opponent trying to break his will: Tyson – ” How dare they challenge me with their primitive skills, they’re just as good as dead”. Egotistic yes, but you  cannot help but appeal to a man with this level of confidence.

Are Positive Emotions Good?

You may wonder, if negative emotions are bad, does this mean positive emotions are good? There is certainly a case to be made that positive emotions will do you much better than negative emotions, such as uncontrolled anger and fear. However, many times, positive emotions can be distracting for a fighter. This is a problem because all mental energy needs to be redirected to calculation or planning, in terms of what the next strategic move should be against your opponent. This can particularly be a problem with fighters whose internal system of emotions are relatively easily influenced by the external environment, which would be the case of most fighters today. This means that they can be easily swayed by the cheer of the crowd. And it can often be the case that the crowd’s desires may not be in total alignment with what you need to do next strategically. It is much better to simply fight with no emotions, and thus, no distraction.

Shaolin monks meditate for clarity of mind

Focus 

Activities like meditation and the practice of mindfulness can be great in achieving this goal. Ever wondered why Shaolin monks and martial artists meditate often? It’s because it teaches them self-control over their emotions. They understand that an emotionless mind is a clear one, in which intent can be found deep inside, and the fighter can perform acts with the sole focus of doing everything for victory. Emotions can cloud this objective, and anger is the best example of this. In boxing this is even more significant, because boxers always have a rampant crowd watching them, which contributes towards fuelling emotional spikes which are sometimes overwhelming for the fighters. Practice meditation, or at least, focused concentration or mindfulness, in order to enhance your brain’s ability to stay focused under pressure. Such a state can also be performed in training too.How? Simply focus on the task at hand for the full duration of your activity. Don’t get distracted, and don’t let your mind wonder!

Final Note

Take note, a true champion combines controlled anger with their passion for the sport, expectation to win and great belief in themselves. Champions always do more than their peers and while the others allow themselves to be distracted from their emotions, a champion will not only prevent themselves being distracted, but they will go a step further and use what was initially a potential distraction as a tool to help them succeed. To do what the others are not, this is what it means to be in the elite. So work towards controlling your anger, and be a part of a rare group of fighters who also do the same.