The first day that I walked into an MMA school, I got the crap beat out of me by 3 different people. I was too big, too bulky, and not nearly fast enough to hit these nimble and experienced fighters.
I missed literally 100% of my punches and I got hit so hard that I couldn't touch my teeth together for days. I could summarize this experience as "not fun... but educational."
In the midst of the beatdown, I pressed continuously forward... like an oversized Rocky Balboa, eager to absorb a cartoonishly impossible amount of punishment, as punches ricochet off of my head.
When it was all over, the owner of the gym tossed me a gatorade and said something that has stayed in my head since... "You have heart... and you can't buy a heart at Ringside.com. You should train with us."
The concept of "heart" is one that is difficult to explain to the lay-person. It's about refusing to give up. It's about taking damage and continuing to press forward. It's about pushing yourself through things that you would have previously believed to be impossible.
The boxer in today's video shows us the definition of heart... in an amazing display of mental and physical perseverance.
30 seconds into the final round of a heavy-weight bout, Danny Williams throws a right cross at his opponent... and his shoulder dislocates. His shoulder is visibly mangled, and his useless right arm just hangs down to the side.
With 2:30 left in the final round, he is left with one arm (in agony) fighting a powerful challenger.
Click the link if you want to see what happens...
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