Fight Club Part 2

Tough go in Panantukan last night. At one point I ended up sparring with Max. He's about 25 years younger than me, strong, tall, lean, and well-trained. Max would be a challenging opponent even when I am at my very best. After two hours of boxing and into a 2:30 sparring session I was tired. I was sloppy. My guard dropped. Boom. I took a brilliant roundhouse kick right across the bridge of my nose.

A step back and shake of the head, and I expected a fountain of blood from a broken nose. Somehow, it held together. No break. A few lessons learned though.

1) Have A Strategy
I just went in there swinging, without a specific game plan. This is despite my post a few days ago on dealing with bigger/taller guys. Just wasn't thinking. Boom. I deserved it.

2) KEEP YOUR GUARD UP
I dropped my guard and gave Max the perfect opening. He took it.

3) Know Yourself
Pay attention to when you are getting winded and becoming sloppy.
Recongnize what is happening and adjust for it.

4) Go to the Ground
If you are getting hammered standing up, go to the ground. Take the man down and check his ground game. Very few fighters are truly versatile.

5) Take a Shot
I have been knocked out, choked out, tapped out more times than I can count.
It is important to have felt these things (hopefully in the safety of the dojo) so you are not intimidated by them. In a fight, you can get hit. It happens. Get used to it.

Many times, victory is all down to who has more willpower. Make sure it is you.

I don't feel bad about getting kicked in the face. It has happened before and will happen again.
The most important thing is to try to learn from every situation so you can improve.

I guess my modelling career is over, though :-)