Motivations

Updated: Jul 3, 2023 Share

A collection of things I think about as I prepare. Both in my training and as I walk to the ring.

• Rocky: "it's not how hard you hit"

  Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!

  Clip via YouTube

• The Peripheral (series), hospital fight scene

  The hospital fight scene (stabby scene) from The Peripheral S1E7 (The doodad), time: 13:17

  That dude was stabbed at least a dozen time, and did. not. stop. coming.

• Fall down 7 times, get back up 8

  "The assholes of the world always think it just means who can punch the hardest—they forget or never knew that it’s more the ability to take a punch and get back up. Or to get knocked out and try again. To keep going, to endure, to work with people instead of simply running roughshod over them. That’s far harder than simply throwing temper tantrums."

  - The Transcendent Green

• Every breath is special

  Every breath is special. How do you want to spend it? How do you want to tell people you spent it?

• Get a case of the “fuck it”s

  Get a case of the “fuck it”s. Fuck the crowd, fuck the stress, fuck the pressure, get in there and fuck. shit. up!

• You have six minutes to make your point, go tell your story

  You have six/ten/fifteen minutes to make you point.

  You have six/ten/fifteen minutes to tell your story.

• We always learn something

  TODO: add thoughts/explanation

• “I advance” (Lindon, from Will Wights Cradle series)

  In the Cradles series, at the higher levels of advancement you need to realize truths about yourself. At this specific level ("Overlord"), an understanding of your ultimate motivation is required. Several other characters realizations are discussed and explained. Things like protecting others are common at this point. Lindon's is that he simply advances. He continues to improve, discover, and increase.

  I was asked a very similar thing by my first kru after I'd had four fights. He explained to me that just doing this as a hobby will only take you so far, and that you need to discover and understand your motivation for fighting. What that motivation is, and how strongly you hold it, will determine how far you'll be able to go.

  I realized that my motivation is very similar to Lindon's. I never want to stop learning. I never want to stop advancing. I don't know if that'll take me a title, but it's enough for me. I advance, and that's enough.

• Anxiety and Excitement are two sides of the same emotion

  Anxiety and Excitement are two sides of the same emotion. Think and focus on the things you’re excited for/about.

• It all comes down to a choice

  The "Batman: Wayne Family Adventures" is a particularly wholesome webcomic. It is full of surprisingly good advice, and this comic specifically helped me in preparing to fight.

  In the two part comic, Spoiler has been dealing with a lot of doubt and uncertainty. She ultimately decides that she is going to trust that Batman chose her on purpose and that her abilities are enough to succeed. That decision to believe that her strength, speed, skill, and technique helps her finally stop hesitating and holding back. And ultimately complete a training program that she had been struggling with.

  Deciding that my kru has prepared me for whatever is going to happen is empowering. Uncertainty was causing me to hesitate and doubt. Trusting my kru, my team, and myself helped me relax and give my 100%.

  It all comes down to a choice, to trust.

• It is the one and only time I can truly let rip

  This is a bit more specific to my experience, but a full Muay Thai rules fight is the only time I feel truly free. I'm constantly having to think about how my words and actions impact others. In regular interactions, in games, at work, with family, with friends, always. But Muay Thai feels so natural to me. Unlike western boxing, where I have to hold myself back from kicking, or kickboxing where I have to hold myself back from elbowing, Muay Thai is naturally what I want to do. I have no natural instinct to grapple, so MMA never had a draw to me. But clinch? Oh yes, that feels just right.

  Thus, a Muay Thai fight is the one, and only, time in my life when I can truly let go and do what feels natural. When I can truly let rip.

• Every fight could be the last

  Life is tricky. COVID certainly taught us that. You never really know what is going to happen. A pandemic, a slipped disc, a family emergency, you never know if life is going to pop up and mess up all of your plans.

  In the interest of making the absolute most of life, treat every fight like it could be your last one. Because it may be.