The Pinnacle of Fight Mentality...
Newsletter - May 12th, 2023
I recently listened to an interview with Cory Sandhagen, who is the #4 ranked bantamweight Mixed Martial Artist in the world, and I believe that he has achieved the ultimate 'Final Form' when it comes to the mental side of fighting.
I personally hated fighting. It kinda ruined my life.
My obsession with being 'as prepared as possible' drove me to break my body. Amidst the self-destruction, I was also unable to fully escape self doubt, no matter how hard I worked.
Of course, sometimes I would feel like a God... and those moments were spectacular.
Other times, I would be plagued by glimpses of each and every possible way that I could lose.
Cory talks about all of this stuff... the fear, the doubt, and how he actually managed to conquer it.
He too was not 'enjoying' any part of his training experience, or his life as a fighter. He was forced to discover that 'hatred' and 'anger' are not sustainable sources of motivation.
Even minutes before fighting, Corey would be plagued by self doubt. He taught himself how to 'observe' his negative thoughts without judgement, and to allow them to just float on by.
(I kinda wish I tried that.)
He also talks about how he achieved a level of CALM during his most recent fight that made it feel like an out of body experience.
Imagine just being able to 'observe' yourself fighting.
I believe that this level of 'heightened state of awareness' is truly the pinnacle fight mentality.
When you're separated from the emotion, it's just a matter of execution.
Listening to Cory makes me regret not conquering these mental hurdles the way that he did.
But I never heard anyone speak of 'fear' back then... or the unrelenting shift of one's mentality. I wish that more fighters were brave enough to talk about the things that plague their minds.
Sometimes having our problems put into words by a peer can help us to understand them a little bit better. When we know that we're not alone, our hurdles become a little bit easier to jump.
Have a fantastic weekend!
-Trav
