http://www.dictionary.com/ 23rd Definition of Losing:Losing; to suffer defeat or fail to win, as in a contest, race, or game.
You get hit in the head once, twice, again, again, and again...! You are thinking, "I have to get him back for those shots!" Suddenly over committed and reckless punches and kicks begin to fly on your behalf.
Forget about real fights, anyone who have ever sparred full contact know what I'm talking about. No one wants to lose, and in fighting, getting hit equals losing. Or does it? When you get caught up with results, you are no longer in the moment nor are you completely focused on the intricacies of the fight. You are expending useless energy acting on a variable that you cannot directly control. When your mind is occupied on the results and points during the bout, you are simply allowing these external variables the power to control you.
Think of fights and sparring in terms of quality, effort, and a learning experience. After every sparring match or fight, ask yourself; "was that a quality session?" "Did I give it everything I have?" "Did I fight with my heart?" "Were my intentions sincere and honest?"
You may never entirely eliminate the fear of losing or the desire to be victorious. In fact, having a moderate amount of these will keep you sharp and concentrated, so long as you do not fixate or obsess over them. You may recall the saying, "Training is the hard part; fighting is the easy part." This is because when in battle, you are simply just 'doing. There should be no room for nervousness, worrying, fantasizing, speculating, or any obsessive thoughts. Just focus, concentrate, and do your job. Have fun in there.
Remember that your absolute max effort will always be greater than any result. No one can ask for more from you.
2 comments:
i think sometimes a "I don't want to lose" mentality is not a bad thing in a sparring situation. So long as your response is executed intelligently as opposed to wild and wreckless strikes. It's likely that the person getting hit is running on adrenaline and acts instinctively rather than with calculated movements. If the person is able to complement mindfulness with their "I don't want to lose dammit" aggression then it can become an asset. I feel a person must have some degree of 'not want to lose' syndrome in themselves in order to formulate a response at all, or else he could probably just cower and succumb to his/her opponent's will.
about having a "good quality session"; it's hard not to walk out of each class without feeling like you can take on the militaries of the top 3 world powers simultaneously, the warm-up alone is pretty brutal stuff (for me)
I certainly agree with your post. There are no absolutes. Essentially not wanting to lose is closely tied to the fear of losing. Fear of losing can definitely motivate you to take action. The question is, is fear the most optimal motivator? Is it not more optimal to look at it from a more positive perspective? Instead of, "I don't want to lose," how about, "I want to win." When you say i don't want to lose, you are limiting yourself to just "not losing."
Another point I would like to add concerns the issue of aggression. I believe that aggression should be used as a tactical maneuverer in a bout. "I don't want to lose dammit" as you stated does not necessary indicate why one must be more aggressive. If however the fighter feels that he is being too passive and it's causing him to lose, then that would be a more justified reason to summon aggression.
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