Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Quotes, thoughts, observations from “A Fighter’s Mind,” by Sam Sheridan

“A Fighter’s Mind” is a look at the world of mixed martial arts and the competitors who have achieved great success in that sport. Get past the language and the raw emotions of the men featured in this book and there is a lot to be gleaned. 

Here are some of the quotes and notes that I took:

“Pain is just an illusion.”

As a coach, “I’ve made adjustments for a whole range of people. … You learn the number one thing – it’s about making guys feels good about their future and the direction they are going.”

First, believe in your players.

Losses can be fuel. 

Rather than giving up on kids that don’t have it, surround them with kids that DO have it.

“If I believe I can do something, I acquire the ability.”

Takes 10 years of dedication to be world class.

“There is something very durable about that fatalistic acceptance of third world survivors.”

“Entity (people who think they are a sum of their talents) were brittle; when they lost, their faith in their talent was shaken.  The incremental kids, who believed in the power of labor, would keep digging in the trenches, even if faced with insurmountable problems.

“ .. the great champions are those who can accept, internalize, and understand defeat.”

Too much time to think can clutter thoughts.

With no pressure, nothing to lose, and being content, can fight and not get tired.

With the inexperienced, just train (rather than explaining) the plan.

Too much info is paralyzing.

Coach’s mental approach and nervousness can carry over to players.

Make other side fight your fight.

Losing doesn’t make you a loser.

You keep at it.  Some day, you make a breakthrough.

“Be honest and humble enough to learn from everybody.”

When a teacher actually cares, it makes a big difference.

Unconditional interest – students and players can tell.

“You grow or you die.”

“Every style has a counter.”

“Key to competition is to accept.” 

“Take the pressure off, and you will do better.”

Have everything in your arsenal to compete and win.

“Maybe I am not better than my opponent, but I know for sure that I love my training more.”

The great ones are fanatical students.

Being angry makes you tired.  Anger is different than intense.

You have to believe in yourself, but … have that belief tempered by humility.

Train like you fight.

Defining moment for competitor is, rather than victory, how he deals with defeat.

Guy who is able to face the truth is a dangerous guy.

One fighter spent 20 years preparing to throw a specific punch.

As guys get mentally stronger, they tend to get physically stronger.  They go together.

Being hard-nosed necessitates outworking an opponent.

When heart rates reach a max level, you lose certain motor skills.

Focus on what you are gonna do and make opponent be good enough to stop it.

Mentally convince yourself quitting is no option.

Scrappers typically have a certain background.

Fighters are born in the dedication of repetition.

You have to love the journey.

We need sincerity for our training to take on meaning, a kind of life-or-death intensity.

“Another man’s sword is your sword.”

Most important thing is perspective and knowing that defeat will not be fatal.

“When I am done learning, I am done winning.”

Smiling and laughing changes our brain.

“It never always gets worse.”

“The harder you train, the more you train, the better you’ll do.”

To teach, you have to entertain.

“The body can always do more than the mind thinks it can.”

Have to push through pain to understand you can conquer it.

“This too shall pass ...”

Phil 4:13

“We all could be great, but we have to open our mind to the way in which we could.”

“The ability to make fear work for you is essential …”

True students of the game learn more from those teaching/interacting with than the other way around.

Conceive, replicate, do … then evaluate.

Depth over breadth … dive deep into small pool of info.

There can be a dramatic moment in a competition when the character/nature of the game shifts.  Be aware of this.

Train like “everything is always on the line.”

“In every discipline, the ability to be clearheaded, present, cool under fire is much of what separates the best from the mediocre …”

“I am just like everyone else. My work can be great but I’m nothing special.”

Mental toughness is learned. 

“If you have motivation you can acquire mental toughness, it just about what your body gets used to putting up with.”

“Nothing worse than getting into a protracted war because you have lost the initiative.” Stay at it.

“As soon as anything becomes a big deal you will have problems with it.”

Just another game or fight … Keep that perspective.

Don’t just suffer for nothing.  “See much, study much, suffer much is the path to wisdom.”

“He borrowed what worked and didn’t discriminate.”

Stop worrying about legacies and records.

Teacher always putting little pearls in the brains of students …

Fights in the past aren’t tough any more.  Look to the next one.

You can learn from defeat.  You only fail by not learning.

Need a supercool effort.  Fear and anger are motor inhibitors.

The better you get the simpler things get.

“Considerations of success or failure don’t enter the mind of a master when the chips are down.”

Trying to force an insight can inhibit it.  “Concentration comes with the hidden cost of diminished creativity.”

“There are no shortcuts but a lifetime of study.”

“Once you have devoted a lifetime of study then the important thing is to get out of your own way and not screw yourself up by thinking.”

“God has me here for a reason, He’s in control of everything and His will will come to pass.  My job is to work hard, give Him all I have in preparation, and leave it to Him.”

“We choose things against our own best interests because the freedom to make that choice is more important than those interests.”

Good stuff, huh?  Here’s to continued learning, growth, and development, as players, coaches, and a program, too. 

See you on the field,