Everyone is Fighting Something

 The Fighters Mind by Sam Sheridan is a very insightful read. It details the various philosophies that amazing fighters and athletes employ to read such a high level of success. Here are some of the fighters mentioned.

Dan Gable is a wrestling icon. He is mentioned for his fanatical drive and relentless training ethic. He solemnly believed that the harder you train the better your results will be. He is cited as training "five or six times a day and he ran from class to class with ankle weights strapped on." No wonder he went on to have a record of 183-1 in high school and college. He also was a gold medalist at the Olympics in 1972 without yielding a single point to his opponent. I think he embodies the true nature of determination. He never settles for ok. He raises the bar until its sky high and then raises the bar even higher.

Mark DellaGrotte, a Muay Thai Kickboxing champion, discusses the ability of a fighter to accept who they are in the ring. He makes the very valid point that you can't lie about skill, speed, or strength in the ring. When you comfortable in your own skin and relaxed then you are able to do some real damage and achieve what you set out to achieve. Phrased differently, once we accept ourselves as we are, then we are liberated to do what we want and reach our true potential. Being honest to yourself and others frames things in a real way so that we aren't confused when things occur to us.

Marcelo Garcia is currently the pound for pound best Brazilian Ju-Jitsu champion of the world. He has won the gold medal in many Abu Dhabi events (like Ju-Jistu Olympics). Now what separates Marcelo from many other athletes is that he does not do it for the glory or the fame. He does it out of a pure love for it. I truly believe that if you love what you do, you will be successful. From a guy that is always smiling and is very pleasant to meet, he is quoted as saying "Maybe I am not better than my opponent, but I know for sure I love my training more"  I have personally trained with Marcelo, I can testify that he is by far one of the nicest people to train with. He carries himself with such humility that his dominance on the mat is completely surprising and breathtaking. He is a true master in his craft and also an incredibly inspiring individual.

Randy Couture is an All-Star in the UFC.  He has won the heavyweight Title numerous times and is considered a legend for being able to compete and dominate opponents for so long in the octagon. His stats before the UFC are also incredibly impressive. He was NCAA- All American in Wrestling. His key to success seems to be his view on life.  His defining philosophy is to accept defeat and learn from it. He doesn't spend time worrying about past defeats. He learns from it and moves on. He is quoted as saying "The first thing is perspective. I frame things in a positive way and stay reflective. It's almost  a cliche', but in the grand scheme of my life, if the worst thing that happens to me is I lose a wrestling match, even if  it's the Olympic finals, then I'm doing pretty damn good". He doesn't slack but yet doesn't put pressure on himself. He chooses reflection over anxiety. Its always easy to beat yourself up over past failures/defeats. It takes strength to accept it, learn from it, and move on.

These are just a few of the many athletes mentioned. I don't do the author justice by these quick excerpts. I certainly think this is a good book for any athlete and for anyone in particular because as the author states "Everyone is fighting something".