Sunday 29 March 2015
Final fight from Four men tournament at Fightmax12
Four men tournament
Saturday 28th of March.
After few fights cancelled, for different reasons, past couple of months.
Finally I was going to the Fightmax 12 show pretty confident that I will have chance to test my improvement.
Confidence was due to the fact that I was taking a part in four men tournament which I originally wasn't really scheduled for. I have been asked by the promoters if I wanted to cover that as one of the guys pulled out. As I have mentioned quite few of my recent fights were cancelled so obviously after confirming with my coaches I have agreed to be one of four competitors.
I knew all three of my opponents pretty well.
One of them was my really good friend, my training and sparring partner few years back.
I fought the second one couple of years ago, when I have lost on points.
Third one was very tough and experienced fighter from local gym, which I had chance to see at number of occasions.
Anybody could win that competition.
I don't think there was any kind of favourite.
However I don't really think people would expect me to win. For many different reasons. First one and the biggest would be that they don't really know me.
They don't know how much I work for it everyday. All of this guys were longer in the game, heavier and two of them much taller.
At the beginning of the show we would come up to the ring where we got introduced to the spectators, the winners prizes got presented ( Title and 1000£ cash). Then we also had a lottery to decide who is going to fight who.
Out of all the guys I was really hoping not to meet with the first one who was my good friend. I purely found it bit emotional fighting against him. But it couldn't be any different as the other two guys names were pulled out of the first two envelopes. I was facing number 1.
Here we go.
No hard bit of emotions took over at the beginning of the fight and I have started a bit stiff. I haven't worked my distance and I believe I made my opponent look better.
Last 30 seconds of the first round I have started catching the rhythm.
My coach and corner man would give me couple of tips which would make my observations complete.
And I have came back for the second round with a plan. I have improved a lot and at the end of second round I believed that I am in control.
Third round surprisingly has finished pretty early as in a process of executing my plan I have managed to stop my opponent.
So I was through to the final where I was facing very fit, tall and experienced opponent which I have lost with in past.
My plan was simple.
Don't start it from the first round, make it as a fourth. As I have been progressing round after round, all I had to do was continue it and move forward.
Which happened to work great as I have managed to win the final in the first round.
So glad that I could have make my friends, which came to watch me feel proud. So glad that I made proud my team members who also got busy lifes and gave it all to be there with me.
So glad that my hard work and preparation for previous cancelled fights pays off.
I have earned more respect, Fightmax champion title and 1000£ which 25% of it I am going to share with "Good life foundation".
Foundation dedicated to help children all over the world to get they everydays basics and better life.
There is no better feeling than improving in my life, improving in my passion, making my team,friends and family proud.
At this same time Beeing able to help others those less fortunate.
If I could only carry on for the rest of my life doing this while Beeing able to support my family I would be the happiest man in the world.
Great thank you to my mentors and coaches from GMMA Academy.
Monday 23 March 2015
Train your subconsciousness mind
Everyday we hear and read inspiring quotes that can bring some spark to the moment we are in.
Especially when it comes to social media.
We are flooded with images and videos that meant to change our lives.
I do love them myself and I have personally subscribed to quite few interesting pages and websites that I do always share with my friends.
I believe they are good and they can help us by educating and giving new ideas.
Or simply reminding us who we really are and where we are going to.
But we all need to realise one very important thing; it doesn't matter how much you work in order to get something by your conscious mind if your unconscious mind goes opposite direction.
As Bruce Lipton, great biologists and book writer says; only 5% of our everyday activities and decisions are made by our conscious mind.
95% is what we have programmed in our unconscious brain.
Even though we constantly thinking,planning and making decisions.
It is still mainly dictated by what we have programmed ourselves for.
Breathing, walking, driving, speaking, observing, eating, drinking, sleeping and many others actions we take through the day are taken without over thinking.
We can train our innerself in everyday life just like in the Martial arts and fighting sports. That's the reason why we are endless practicing techniques which can be used at the event of danger or in the ring during the competition.
In the fight there is no time to think.
On the street, split second can decide of a outcome. Your body need to react spontaneously. Your muscles stimulated by the brain ( part responsible for sight ) are going to use their memory.
They are going to react the way you prepared them to. In the ring rules are this same. The only difference is that in the sport fight mostly it goes over longer period of time. But then again you are still going to react the way you train yourself.
Especially when you are tired or under pressure, bad habits you were hiding while you were fresh are going to come out.
Apart your physical reactions, this form of actions are also great test for our mental attitude. Are you programmed as a winner? Are just survivor? Are you giving up when the hard times hit you?
I work on my subconscious mind everyday, at work, in the training, at home, in my relationship as well as in the fighting experience.
I believe this is the only way for me to become better and help others.
Monday 16 March 2015
Unnecessary stress
Recently I've been watching some interesting channels on the YouTube about psychology, emotions, nutrition, self improvement.
All of them had something in common.
They were describing destructive power of the stress.
We do stress everyday and a lot of us do it excessively.
Bit of stress can sometimes help us think and react sharper.
Make some sudden decisions which normally we would take us ages.
We can't forget that like any other animals on the planet earth we got developed survival instinct. At the event of danger adrenaline kicks in, all our muscles and brain works extremely intense to take us to position of safety.
Our problem as a human is that we overuse this ability and stress over small things. As well as we stress long before (thinking what if) and long after (again, thinking what if and why).
I've heard one very clever comparison watching one of the interviews. Gentlemen was saying that we should look at the gazelle, chased by the lion she runs for her life. When she feels safe after around 10, 15 minutes she is back in the field eating grass and enjoying sunshine.
When we as humans will think about for the rest of the day.
I do really believe that we are over thinking things and create a lot of problems ourselves.
Our brains are activating our nerve system to protect our selves.
Over stressing causes a lot of damage and create diseases on our brains and body.
As a fighter I have experienced destructive power of stress on myself.
Even after quite few years of experience in the ring I still go through different emotions when it comes to the fight.
In general I can tell that I have improved.
At the early stages of my career I have been making different scenarios in my head weeks before the fight. Then it decreased to days. Now I usually become nervous in the changing room.
My recent experience has given me another lesson and example of how stress can affect your performance.
I was in the competition where I had to face one of my old colleague and training partner. I suppose it was a bit emotional experience for both of us.
Only when I turned off the thinking I begun to put things together and started feeling comfortable. Begun to do what I was train to.
I still have to remind myself every now and then that this is something I love, this is something that makes me improve.
Whatever the outcome it helps me and I can help others with my experience.
So why should I stress over that.
I believe that as long as I train and work hard. Being honest to myself and others.
I shouldn't stress at all.
Should you my energy on getting better.
Obviously I do try to bring all that knowledge and experience to my everydays life too.
www.GMMA.co.uk
Saturday 14 March 2015
After winter must come spring
8When I first came to UK, I could barely make an conversation in English.
I was able to put few words together, but had real problem with understanding as I found so many different accents so different to those I have studied back in Poland.
So whatever I was going to do for leaving in here I had to improve my English.
Evening classes, reading books and newspapers, talking with others. All that was my way of development.
There was one thing I have always loved and it helped me a lot in catching up the phrases. It was listening to the music.
Translating the songs, understanding the meanings and remembering whole sentences. I would memorise the lyrics and make use of them. Especially those bits which I would find interesting, motivational or rich in contest.
One ofthe examples that stayed in my head was lyrics from Lauren Hill song "Everything is everything "where she sings that "after winter must come spring".
I would remember these words when things wouldn't work right for me.
As with our form, we cannot be at the peak at all times.
So with other parts of our lives, we cannot have it alway the way we would like to.
There is always ups and downs.
It depends on us how we go through those 'winter days'.
Believe me.
It is much easier when you remember those simple lyrics sang by Lauren Hill.
Be positive, focused,always do your best and you going to enjoy those sunny days in your life.
Just like we do past few day in UK.
Friday 13 March 2015
Three minutes = 180 seconds
When you stepping into the ring.
Standing face to face with your opponent. Referee briefly remind you rules, then asking you to touch gloves and return to your corners.
Ring bells and three minutes of the truth begins. Every second counts,every second can change final results.
You loose your focus for a bit and that can cost you an early stoppage. You freeze for some time and that will surely be noticed by the judges and can cost you loss by the decision.
Three minutes of your precious life, three minutes of an exam. Three minutes =180 seconds.
No more, no less. In those three minutes you both giving it all. Winner becomes the one who wants it more, who is mentally stronger and is willing to put more work from the beginning, right to the end.
How do you prepare so you are able to perform on the highest level for those three minutes in the ring?
By being honest to yourself in the training. Skipping, shadow boxing, bag work , sparring, circuit, running all those simple routines can be done two ways. Can be done so you benefit out of it or can just be done. Hard and honest training is one and very important way to prepare yourself for the event of fight. Making sure that you work hard from beginning of the workout right to the end. Not looking for the short cuts, not buying the time.
When you working with the clock work for all the time you supposed to. Three minut rounds lasting three minutes not 2 minutes and 50 seconds. If you are working by the repetitions, ten reps should really mean ten. Not nine and half.
That's the only way forward.
When the bell rings you got to stay busy and focused right to the final bell.
There will be no excuse if you switch of ten seconds before it ends and your opponent use it and give you the stoppage.
www.GMMA.co.uk
Monday 9 March 2015
What would you do if you weren't afraid?
What will they say ? How will they react ?
What if they disagree ? Can I really do it ?
Maybe I am not fit for it ?!
Am I not to old ?
What if this and what if that ?!?
So many questions and doubts comes to our heads every day.
Conversation with our innerself is never ending.
In sports, career, everydays life. If we allow our innerself, nerves, emotions take control of our reactions and decisions we might miss great opportunities and and go through our lives to cautious.
Not achieving our best, not allowing ourselves to live our lives.
Of course, we can't jump of the boat in the middle of the ocean without the life vest and not being able to swim.
But at this same time not doing things because they might go wrong is a bit like; not getting of the bed because at night we are going to go to sleep again anyway.
Physical exercise has always been great motor to my life, even before I gave started with fighting and martial arts.
It has always been great tool to work on my mental strength and confidence.
Of course I do still ask myself ( obvious ) questions like; "can I really?" and "what if?".
I ask those questions in my sport career, professional career as well as in my private life.
And trust me I do fear and I do do doubt.
When emotions begin to take over I simply try to turn of and try to think "what would I do if I weren't afraid? ".
I try to think what has brought me this path, what am I hoping to achieve and where am I going to.
I do train hard and devote my life to become better fighter, martial artist and instructor. I do work hard to become successful in every aspect of my life and being able to share with others.
Even I do feel tired I've got great believe in myself and my abilities and my plans.
But like in the fighting career.
In a sparring and preparation I feel sharp,strong and able to move mountain.
I do look for the way and plan how to get titles and be a winner, how to develop for myself and for our team.
Then when it comes to the fight day;
I I still question myself if I have done enough and "what if this?"or "what if that?". I suppose it is natural.
It is related to our survival instinct which should help us make the decision at the moment of danger.
But do we not become to cautious at some point?
We do wanna get better job, but we are afraid of changes.
We do wanna travel, have lots of adventure and achieve big things but we are not willing to risk.
If I weren't afraid would become a world champion in kick boxing, I would educate myself in psychology I would become successful in all aspects of my life to be able to take care of my family as well as help others. Still getting more out of my life, achieving my goals and passions.
What would you do if you weren't afraid?
www.GMMA.co.uk
Monday 2 March 2015
How to handle the Bullies
He seems to be intelligent, and very open minded person with very low self confidence.
He has asked me, as a fighter for some advice of; how can he handle out when gets bullied?
I've told him straight away; if he thinks that knowing how to fight and challenging everyone at the moment of disagreement is the way to solve the problem.
He is not thinking right.
You can't fight everyone and everywhere.
Your friends at school, your boss at work, your relatives or your work mates.
You will always get some trouble with people, because we are all different and seeing things differently.
Bullies are usually trying to hide their weaknesses behind their acts.
What I have experienced many times; kindness can often be taken by weaknesses. Then you will become a target of those weak people who wants to lift themselves up by putting you down.
Fighting them,( unless they putting physical force on you ),would only bring you down to their level.
Training Martial arts, if it's done right way should bring you well above that.
In my case it gives me more confidence, focus, self control, better judgement and finding the solution under the pressure.
As a young Polish lad,with very basic English, working in construction, around London, in the past. I have been in many different situations when I was put in a test.
The better I become in my training and fighting career the better I began handle those people and situations.
I would always explain to myself that this people know nothing about me and I know what I am made of because I test myself every time I step to the gym or into the ring.
 | Krystian Ozog Instructor/Trainer/Fighter, GMMA Academy |
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