Identifying the keys to what separates a good mixed martial arts (MMA) practitioner from an excellent one is more than difficult. I’m sure you can identify a plethora of things, just like I can, but there are four principles that I’ve found to be self-evident and four principles that crop up over and over again, no matter what sport I coach. These are the principles that I want to share with you right now.

The hardest thing in sports and research is creating a system that is repeatable and as foolproof as possible. It is almost impossible to do, but you should try to maintain the constant iterative process that must be invoked if you want to become a champion and remain a champion. One of my former judo coaches from California, Nori Bunasawa, used to say, “Rhadi, in Japan, if you win something once, we count it as luck. If you win it two or three times, we say you’re the best.” competitor. “That didn’t make sense to me at the time, but it does today. Everyone knows it’s harder to stay on top than to get to the top. So the question is,” How do you stay on top? top of your game? “

Well, here are four principles that will help you get to the top, and if you’re already there, stay on top.

Principle # 1:

Maximize before moving on.

One thing that competitors tend to do is start looking for other options and situations before maximizing their current situation. For example, I was training a person who did not have a lot of financial resources and this person said: “I need to train in another place that has the equipment that I need to improve.” As a former competitor, current coach and entrepreneur, she could understand where she was coming from. We all want the latest and greatest tools to help us be successful. But I had to confront her on a couple of points. I said the following:

“Wait a minute. I understand the urge to move, but you haven’t maximized everything here. This gym has Brazilian jujitsu 6 days a week, which you’re already paying for, but you only go 3 times a week. Go at 6 a.m. classes. Then put your shoes on in the morning and go for a run. Running or even walking for 40 minutes every morning is more than what you are doing now and will provide an added benefit. There are heavy bags in your gym that you don’t even use. Your footwork can always improve, but you only jump rope to warm up. Why not jump rope before or after class for 15 to 20 minutes? All I’m saying is I understand that you want to go somewhere else. But the fact of the matter is this: you don’t have the money to go and if you go you haven’t maximized what you can of this place before moving on. “

Let’s look at this concept in terms of movement. Good competitors maximize their moves before turning to new ones. I am a person who believes in mastering one movement before moving on to the next (especially in the beginner phase). I don’t give a damn how long it takes to learn a move. You learn it until you have it, and once you have it, it is yours to keep! Maximize movement before moving on to the next one. Squeeze all the juice out of the fruit before throwing it away. Or, as my parents used to say, “Don’t drop that bone, it still has some meat on it!” Remove all meat from the bone before throwing it away. There is some more food for you, your game and your career.

Principle # 2

Diversify your training partners (portfolio).

Of course, you can see that this principle is a great business principle. If you are an MMA competitor, you should diversify your training partners, not your training ground! The training ground has to be filled with competitors who have been carefully selected to imitate a certain style or to satisfy your need to combat a certain style of the opponent you are facing. I mean the diversification of your training partners. At the Olympic and elite level of judo and wrestling, what we usually do is go to different countries to train and compete. Competition is usually the reason we travel, but the most important part of the trip is training. It is where we can experience different styles and see how our game and our level improve exponentially in a short time. To mimic this travel scenario locally, I recommend that you visit different schools and clubs in your area. If you are in a school that views such exchanges between schools unfavorably, MOVE IN! This exclusivity has no place in martial arts and is selfish and adverse to your growth and the growth of your school. If you go somewhere, train, and then come back, not only will you get better, but everyone at your school can get better too.

Principle # 3:

Remember your setbacks.

Big competitors remember their mistakes and use them as a platform to grow. Big competitors also use them as reminders and as foundational stories for others so they don’t repeat the same mistakes. As a competitor, you must be willing to identify your mistakes. The one thing I never could understand and still can’t to this day is why people who are still competing refuse to watch movies of their matches. I mean, they love to see when they win, but they don’t want to see the games that they lost. YOU HAVE TO! If you don’t watch the losing matches, you won’t be able to identify your setbacks so you can remember them and make sure you don’t repeat them or the behavior that caused them. Remember, as the great Dr. Phil says all the time: “You can’t fix what you don’t recognize.” As a competitor, you cannot make the same mistake twice. It is expensive. Very expensive.

Principle # 4:

Change, but do it conservatively.

I’m about to change I believe in change and I believe in adding tools to your current toolbox. However, these additions should be made conservatively and in harmony with your core competencies. For example, I think a flying arm bar is a great move, and I used it with great success when I was a competitor. But just because I think it’s a good move doesn’t mean I’d recommend it to Brock Lesnar or Andrei Arlovski for acting or even spending their time practicing. It’s great to have an open mind, but stay open conservatively. In my game, the only thing I get really radical about is the basics! I get radical about going back to the gym and solidifying the jab, going to the gym and putting the gi back on for 6 weeks, going back to the gym and going back to the base style which is my strength. I get radical with that. When it comes to making big changes to the MMA game, it’s no better to lead than to follow. It’s best to look at the most successful practices, look at the current data available, and make a smart and conservative decision about what changes to make to your game. For example, I worked with Brandon Vera and his coach Lloyd Irvin to do all the things Brandon should have been doing, not to add anything new. Now Brandon has a renewed perspective on his career that could possibly give him the financial return he is looking for. It is a conservative investment that can pay off dramatically.

Closure

Every competitor, coach and fighter believes that this day is different than the days of yore. The honest truth is that the game hasn’t really changed, only the players have changed. The same principles that were used in warfare in ancient times are used in business today, and these same principles and practices are the foundation for mental and physical preparation. What we must do is use the information available to grow as competitors, practitioners, fans and enthusiasts.