If you’re seeking to compete in mixed martial arts events, you can’t just concentrate on the physical side of MMA conditioning. Mental conditioning is just as important to producing champions as building your physical skills.
There are many men around who simply have big muscles. You can see them just about anywhere, even on Jersey Shore. Guys with big muscles who know what to do with them, and who know what to do when faced with another guy with even bigger muscles, are more rare. Many of them can be found mixed in the ranks of the leading MMA competitors.
Physical strength, endurance, and heart are required in large amounts for this growing sport. No big brain, small bodied man will last a second in the ring. But a physically competent fighter can learn to exceed his physical limitations by perfecting his mental game.
By including a mental aspect to MMA conditioning, good fighters can become great fighters and great fighters can become legendary fighters.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to mental conditioning for fighting, there are some elements common to most successful MMA conditioning programs. These elements include:
Motivation
The fighter who wants to win, will find a way to win. No matter what.
Counter-intuitiveness
Taking a punch instead of blocking one as expected will throw your opponent off his game, and put you in control of the match.
Emotional intelligence
Gaining control over your emotions will help to make you a better fighter. Learning to manipulate your opponents pride, ego, vanity and fear will also give you an added advantage in fights.
Self-awareness
Understanding how far you can push your body is important. Also knowing how and when to execute all the holds and moves you’ve learned in your training is also key to MMA success.
While average people tend to catagorize fighters as big and dumb, in reality the best fighters are generally the more intelligent ones. Knowing when and how to execute moves and how to use your body as a single unit takes discipline and knowledge that comes only with intense and rigorous training.
MMA conditioning is more than just lifting weights. It’s also lifting your consciousness and intellect to a new level that allows you to see all the angles and take advantage of this knowledge to win.
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