Going back into competition after many years

[Red Elvis]

I would also ask if you have a coach/trainer for this tournament or are you doing your own training?


The tourneys I have lost I failed to correctly prepare. One element of preparation is to have the right people around you so that you can train correctly. People who can push you. People who can correct you. People who support your efforts.

IMO 3 weeks is not enough time to make much of a difference if you aren't actively competing and in shape. 3 months is enough time in that case.

I have, over the course of my tenure here, posted various tidbits of advice about how to prepare, or rather how I prepare, for tournaments. I am a staunch believer that you need 1 incredibly difficult, make you want to puke, hands shaking, unable to lift your arms kind of workout per week. You cannot do that without an experienced coach. I have also espoused the need for cardiovascular fitness. That means sprints. I hate sprints. I really do. But there is no better simulator for the kind of lungs-on-fire-unable-to-catch-breath feeling you get while fighting.

Finally - don't go in with an attitude of seeing how you will do 'win or lose'. Go in to win or don't go at all.

Good coach. Exhaustion training. Sprints. Win.

Mental note... Find someone like Yrkoon9 to train with pre-fight in November.

[Ronin.74]

I would also ask if you have a coach/trainer for this tournament or are you doing your own training?


The tourneys I have lost I failed to correctly prepare. One element of preparation is to have the right people around you so that you can train correctly. People who can push you. People who can correct you. People who support your efforts.

IMO 3 weeks is not enough time to make much of a difference if you aren't actively competing and in shape. 3 months is enough time in that case.

I have, over the course of my tenure here, posted various tidbits of advice about how to prepare, or rather how I prepare, for tournaments. I am a staunch believer that you need 1 incredibly difficult, make you want to puke, hands shaking, unable to lift your arms kind of workout per week. You cannot do that without an experienced coach. I have also espoused the need for cardiovascular fitness. That means sprints. I hate sprints. I really do. But there is no better simulator for the kind of lungs-on-fire-unable-to-catch-breath feeling you get while fighting.

Finally - don't go in with an attitude of seeing how you will do 'win or lose'. Go in to win or don't go at all.

Good coach. Exhaustion training. Sprints. Win.

Absoloutely correct. I have been preparing for this for at least 3 months now, a lot of time has been spent in cardio, pad work, conditioning, contact sparring, etc. I do have a coach here that has been guiding me along and helping me get ready. The biggest obstacle I faced from the beginning was my weight, I was at 186 lbs and ideally should have been at 155. With only 3 weeks left I am shooting to at least make it 165, I am 169 right now. Thanks for the advice on wind sprints, I'll add those in right away.

I am definitely going in with the attitude that I am going to clean house. I just wanted to make it clear that if possible I intend to post video. There are some people who come on here and talk a lot **** about what they're going to do but then never provide vid of what happened and never talk about it again. I don't want to be one of those people.

[Yrkoon9]

Overall conditioning level > weight.

Other than that if you are doing what you need to do then my only other advice is not to get hurt just weeks before the fight.

[Ronin.74]

Thanks for the advice.