What we can see is just a top of an iceberg

Being an athlete / fighter and coach is an amazing journey.
I can't imagine better way of learning about human  psychology and abilities of myself and others.

Learning and developing physical skills is an essential part of the improvement for an athlete.
But what I have learnt from my own experience is that what we can see is just a top of an iceberg.
It is obviously unnecessary to have certain skills and abilities to compete amongst other professionals.
But the factors that going to make you float steadily on the huge territory of the ocean are hidden deep under the water.

Factors like persistence, physical and mental stamina, will power and never give up attitude/attitude of a warrior.
These are what you learn along the skills when pushing yourself to the next level in any sports. These are the values that can help you stay alive when the storm or heat hits you. These are the real reason why I have decided to dedicate my life to fighting sports.

It is important to have a vision of where you wanna get to and remember how far you have  already gone.
As sometimes it is only you who know how much you are going through and how many obstacles from the bottom of the ocean you have avoided.
Even when you get caught by some rock sticking out which is going to stop you for a while.
Current of your desire and wind of your faith is going to pull you out and help you to get back on the right track.

Obviously I do understand that if the top of the iceberg is not very attractive, if it hasn't got enough space to rest on for others. No seagull or penguin will find it useful and doesn't matter how much it has hidden underneath, it will not have value to the society.

This is exactly how I see my career as well as most of the professional athletes.
My fight record and titles are only my CV.
I value the most all the experience and what I have been learning along.

Of course I wish to have only defeats on my records. And it would be great if they all have been achieved before the time again the top fighters.
But the truth is that; when crashing with other huge icebergs in the middle of the ocean very few of them will crack after one single hit.
They all have they own story and hidden depth.
As long as I am going right direction with right harmony and respect to others who are floating around they own way. I know that I will get stronger, wiser and bigger.
What is going to create more space to the society to rest on and help them with theirs existence.

www.GMMA.co.uk

Krystian Ozog Fighter/Instructor, GMMA Academy 07928093841 | KrystianGuruMuayThai@gmail.com | http://www.gmma.co.uk/ | London/Great Britain

Dealing with negative thoughts

Have I done enough work?
Was I working on right aspects and strategies for this particular event?
What if after all this work and sacrifices I will make some silly mistake which will make me loose?
What is my opponent capable of ? What does he know ? Was he working harder than me?

Have I had enough rest? What if I am a bit rusty as I haven't fought for a while?
What if I haven't had enough recovery time since my last bout?
What if my Injury will get worst during the fight and I will loose or match will have to be stopped?

These and so much more crosses my mind before the fights.

Questions, doubts and self talks are inseparable part of our existence which intensity grows up along with the importance of happening that we are overcoming.
I don't think that it matters how old you are or how much experience you've got we are always going have this kind of thoughts in our heads. I think that it is in our nature.
To stop this kind of thoughts we would have to stop our brains which one very wise men Sadhguru has said cannot be done as long as we are alive. He said that our brains cannot stop working just like our hearts cannot stop biting and our livers cannot stop functioning.

The only matter we have some impact on is; the way we deal with overcoming obstacles.
The way we see ourselves in particular situation and what benefits we or others going to get out of it.

I have seen recently some bits of TV reality show "Special Forces - Ultimate Hell Week" and full episode of "Discovery secret of human brain" ( you can watch it on You Tube ), where both resources where showing what makes human being stronger, faster, more responsive and adaptive to a world under pressure.
In both episodes they were showing some extreme training of special forces aspirants which have been trained and examined under extremely difficult and stressful for human beings circumstances.

After all, most of those aspirants ( especially those who succeed ) realise that they are capable of doing things that they would never think of. They realise that all the worries were created in their heads and the only way to fight it back is to conquer their own negative minds.

Watching and hearing  this kind of stories makes me think that what this people find in their extraordinary training, many of us find in every days life, battling with some difficult life situations.
Makes me think that my way of training my brain and getting through the life has always been sport challenges and for a long time it has been my Martial arts and fighting experience.

It doesn't really matter how strong your body is. If your brain gives up you cannot do nothing.

 www.GMMA.co.uk

Krystian Ozog Fighter/Instructor, GMMA Academy 07928093841 | KrystianGuruMuayThai@gmail.com | http://www.gmma.co.uk/ | London/Great Britain

Confidence and humbleness

I will never forget when in 2002 back in Wroclaw/Poland, I have attended, as a viewer my very first kickboxing show. It has brought a great impact to my life, especially two MuayThai fight fights presented on the day. Both of those bouts were involving young( teenagers ) fighters from outside the country. Experience of those Thaiboxing fights was quite different from all other matches on that show. I found it more interesting, deeper in meaning and more artistic than the other, even the main event fights.
Boys walking in to the ring fully focused and without any spectacular body motions.
Traditional outfit, Wai Kru dance accompanied by traditional MuayThai music. Both boys looking down while meeting in the middle of the ring and hogging each other before the fight starts.
The moment when fight begins you can hear from the distance, powerful kicks and punches slamming on their bodies. Amazing techniques, looking for openings in every possible situation and trying to score from every possible angle. Amazing will power of both young fighters and great respect given to each other before as well as at the end of the fight made all experience very attractive and impressive to me.

Right from very first of Thaiboxing class I have took at GuruMuayThai, I wanted to grow and learn exactly this same way as boys which i have seen on the show.
I wanted to learn the skills and absorb everything that fighting and martial arts practise brings along.
I wanted to build up my confidence but stay humbled and respectful at this same time.
I wanted to become I can possibly be...

Stepping up the level, becoming full time fighter and instructor has made me put my improvement on hold few times. Thinking of where I should be and where I currently am, forgetting about the journey I went through and setting up very high expectations to myself. Watching some of the greatest fighters and criticising my own performance in comparison with theirs.Working out to reduce the weight more than to improve my skills. Being overconfident with some aspects of my abilities.
All this and I suppose few more things has been my setbacks at some point of my experience.

But coming back to my vision right from the beginning of my journey always brings me back on track.
Believing in yourself and fact that you can achieve whatever you choose as long as you stay focused, humble and take every possible step towards your goal.
That is the best you can do for yourself.
Stay passionate, stay focused.
Stay confident, stay humble. 

www.GMMA.co.uk

Krystian Ozog Fighter/Instructor, GMMA Academy 07928093841 | KrystianGuruMuayThai@gmail.com | http://www.gmma.co.uk/ | London/Great Britain