Reflections on a war

WOW! what an excellent weekend of Martial action at our clash in the capital at the Edinburgh Open. A very slick and well organised event indeed with competitors from across Europe. This did cause the day to drag on quite a bit, but no one can be held responsible except the sheer volume of competitors(maybe it needs to be split over two days next year?). I think it is safe to say that this was some of the toughest battles my guys have come up against in quite a while, and man did they do me and themselves proud! It really took me back to the old fights I competed in when I was younger and hungrier. I enjoyed watching the events unfold before me and it got me to thinking that things haven't changed all that much. There were some stylish fighters, some not so stylish (but efficient none the less) there were bum calls from judges, there were good calls from judges, there was skill, there was will, there was hatred and there was respect. Awesome what a sport to be involved in. Despite the nature of the beast i.e (and on a very base level) you are there to punch/kick someone more often or harder than they do you, most folk are pleasant and grounded. It is hard to get above yourself when there is a queue of folks waiting in the wings to bring you back to earth more often than not with a definitive bump!
One thing I have tried to drill into the guys I am lucky to have in my fighting squad is to never, ever judge an opponent by the way he/she looks. I have, and have seen others, fall foul to "the idea of a fighter" before a punch has even been thrown. Big guy, young guy, athletic guy, pretty guy doesn't make the slightest bit of difference. I have seen them all crumble when they are caught in the solar plexus with a perfectly executed side kick, I have seen that look in their eyes when the plan they had falters at the end of a 12oz glove with their face attached to it. Likewise I have seen the skinny guy, the sheepish guy, the not so pretty guy drop to a knee grit his teeth and rise. Two arms, two legs that is what most of us have in common, that is why no matter what style we practice we are a brotherhood, a sisterhood a martialhood. Most fighters know this. Brawlers don't but that is why they choose their targets/victims carefully and out of fear. A fighter is not afforded that luxury, they face the guy/girl two metres across from them at the given moment in a small act of bravery. It is not the fighter that needs to know this, it is the role of the officials to watch the fight and not the fighter. That is the toughest battle we face. I have seen referees shout "fight!" then I have watched as their eyes drift to the guy in the flash suit, the big guy, the loud guy and I have seen them think "I wonder what this guy will do he looks like he knows what he is doing" And while that is happening I have seen that same guy getting scored upon. We cannot blame them as I have seen fighters do exactly the same thing. I have seen more than capable fighters diminish, tighten up and play it safe as they think "I wonder what this guy will do he looks like he knows what he is doing" As a coach the best advice I can give any tournament fighter is "fuck that, stop that". You are not here to wonder what your opponent will do, you are here to make them do what you make them do. Don't look at who they are, look at what is scoring, what technique is landing and keep doing it.
The greatest truth that any tournament fighter should know is that you are only ever as good as your last fight. Not even that, you'll only ever amount to your last training session. There is not a single fight or fighter that can't be beaten. We must face only one opponent, if you have doubt then you also face yourself as an opponent. What odds do you prefer, one on one or two on one?
If we are only ever as good as our last fight then I am lucky enough to have some serious talent in my ranks. Well done team.