I’ve found that when we are having a hard time wrapping our minds around something that has happened or is happening, we tend to frame it into a context that we are familiar with. For me that framework is fighting.
I’ve found that when we are having a hard time wrapping our minds around something that has happened or is happening, we tend to frame it into a context that we are familiar with. For me, that framework is fighting.
An important lesson I’ve learned from a lifetime of fighting helped me come to terms with today’s challenges, the unknown can be terrifying, but the monster is never as big and bad as we make it out to be in our own heads. Anyone that’s fought as a pro or even an amateur will tell you that the weeks leading up to a fight are just nerve-racking. You build your opponent in your mind, you put him on a pedestal, you expect them at their best. This could be a good thing because it really motivates you to train hard.
I’ve been in the cage with some really, really great guys. Tough opponents. I had and still have the utmost respect for them. No one else really knows how you feel with the nerves, the weight cut, the stress of a training camp, like your opponent. He is the one that has had as close of an experience as you have had leading up to the fight. I’ve been stopped a couple of times, I was chocked unconscious in a fight and had my humorous (my upper arm) shattered into three pieces. But in general, the opponent that stood across the cage was never the monster I created in my own head.
So try not to overthink, be intentional about living in the moment. Love yourself, it will be hard for you to love others if your own love meter is low.
Stay strong, be a light in the darkness. Lift up and empower others.
About the author:
Amir Khillah is a retired professional fighter, holds a Master ‘ s degree in Human Performance, a Bachelor ‘ s degree in Exercise Physiology/kinesiology, a Police Academy Subject Control Instructor, a police officer, and the founder of Centurion Moderns Subject Control. For more information about officer Khillah or Centurion Modern Subject Control, please visit www.CenturionMSC.com