Courtesy of MMANewslink.com
The TapouTVTC.com team was in Albuquerque recently, shooting some technique videos with one of, if not the best coach in the game, Greg Jackson.
In between takes, we were chatting with Coach Jackson about what it takes to become a great mixed martial artist, and he insisted that there was one trait above all else that can take you to the top of the mountain. Without it, it doesn’t matter how physically gifted you are, you are not going to succeed.
That trait is attitude.
See, attitude is the foundation that the rest of your training is built on. Without that foundation, your house is going to crumble and you will never realize your MMA dreams, regardless of what those dreams might be.
In order to make sure that you get the most out of your training, we have compiled a list of five ways to maximize results from your time in the gym. These are not physical secrets, they are mental strategies. Train your mind to do these five things, and your training will be immediately improved.
Come prepared
Most of us only have a limited time to spend at the gym each day, so every minute of training time is precious. Don’t waste time when you walk in the door. Change, put on the equipment you need for that session (and you have no excuse for not having proper equipment, since there is already a handy list made for you), and start warming up.
If you arrive five minutes early to class, don’t take that time for granted. At the first martial arts academy that I taught at, each class started five minutes before the previous one ended. The students of the next class sat silently on a special section of the mat, mentally preparing for class, and when it finally came time for them to start their training, they were noticeably sharper and more energetic.
Take five minutes before class, and use it to get your mind right. If you have been having trouble with a certain technique, drill it over and over again in your head, envisioning yourself doing it perfectly every time. If you’re still stressed from a long day at the office, use that time to clear your mind and settle yourself down.
You will be amazed at the difference in the quality of your training sessions with this simple preparation. It only takes a few minutes, but taking the time to mentally prepare will turn a good session into a great session every time.
Be selfish
It’s true. When I am at the gym, I am a greedy martial artist. I want to learn everything, want to squeeze every scrap of knowledge out of my coaches, and I want to get the most of my training so that I can be better than I was when I came in the door an hour earlier.
Of course, this tip comes with an exclaimer. I’m selfish, but not at the expense of my training partners. I expect them to be as hungry for knowledge as I am, so when it is their turn to drill, I give them 100% as a partner. When you help your partners, they will help you in return, and everyone grows as a result.
You are investing your time and your money in the pursuit of this sport. Why would you go through all that just to give a half-ass effort when it comes time to train? If you want to look cool, there are plenty of less painful, less expensive ways to do so. But if you want to grow as a fighter at an explosive rate, be selfish in your training.
Ask questions
When I’m coaching, nothing drives me crazier than when I finish showing a technique and ask if there are any questions. No one raises their hand. Not two minutes later, after everyone has partnered up and spread out across the mat, someone will call out, “Wait, what is the first thing I do?”
I’m going to let you in on a secret. If you are watching a technique, and you have a question, I guarantee that five other students have that exact same question. But instead of asking it, all of these students go off to try and figure things out on their own, and I inevitably have to pause the class and address what everyone is doing wrong. That wastes time, and we have already established that training time is precious.
I don’t understand why students don’t ask more questions. Maybe they are embarrassed, like they don’t want to look like the only person that doesn’t immediately understand a complicated technique after seeing it once. The truth is, MMA is a complicated sport, one where every single technique takes years of drilling to perfect. There is nothing embarrassing about asking questions, and your coach will appreciate you for bringing up something that the rest of your peers were probably also wondering.
It’s cliché, but there are no dumb questions in the gym. Ask to see the technique at a different angle, ask to see it again, ask if there is anything that you are not clear about. By asking questions, you avoid making mistakes, and your technique will be all the better for it.
Take it slow
Most of the injures I have occurred over my years of MMA have not come from hard sparring, or grappling, or competition.
No, most of my injuries have come from training with a new student, who puts on a submission that he has just learned faster and harder than he ever should in a practice environment.
See, these are the types of new students who are more concerned with looking like they know a technique than actually understanding the mechanics of it and committing them to muscle memory. And while every new student is not like this, a disturbingly high percentage of them are.
Doing a technique slow serves two purposes. First, it lets your body know what it feels like to do the technique right. As you continue to drill, and as your boy becomes accustomed to the movements, you can slowly start ratcheting up the speed. Your technique will be much cleaner, and you’ll have a greater chance of hitting the technique during a live session, because your body will react instinctively.
The second reason is that practicing slowly keeps you and your partner safe. Just last week, a female student I know was training with a new male student. He put her in an armlock and cranked it. He didn’t need to, but he hadn’t learned the technique well enough to use proper body control when applying it. Now her arm is broken in two places, and she can forget about training for awhile, thanks to a partner that felt like he had something to prove.
I am never impressed with how fast a student can do a technique. Speed is irrelevant while you are learning something. I am impressed with a student that shows self control, and does the technique correctly. Those are the types of students that are in this sport for the long haul, and that is the type of student that you want to be.
Have fun
Just like any kid in any other sport, I started doing martial arts because it was fun. 14 years later, I still look forward to going to the gym every day because it is fun.
People train MMA for a lot of different reasons. Some want to fight professionally, others are just trying to get in shape, and still others just want to better understand the sport that they watch on TV. But no matter what your reason is, you should still be having fun while you’re doing it.
Don’t confuse ‘fun’ with ‘easy.’ There are going to be times that are challenging, where you are pushed to your physical and emotional limits and have to learn to dig deep and fight on. In a strange way, that is part of the fun. There is no greater feeling in life than the moment after you’ve just completed a workout you didn’t think you could make it through. It’s a feeling that a lot of people will never experience, and it is addicting.
Bottom line, love your training, and enjoy your training. Mixed martial arts is the most rewarding activity I have ever been a part of, and it can be that for you too. Take your training seriously, help you partners, and above else, have fun doing it!
Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC
