First Fight
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Mistya81
Posts: 29 Member
How long did you train before your first fight? How do you know if you are ready?
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I am in Taekwondo, and once we hit green belt, they put is in the ring against other belts. Are you ever truly ready? No, that's why you get in the ring and find out just how well you do. The more you spar, the better you get.0
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How long did you train before your first fight? How do you know if you are ready?
Are you talking about sparring or competitive fighting like a boxing/MMA match? If it is sparring, then it would more than likely be the instructor's/coaches call. We tend to have our students rolling/sparring with senior students/instructors within a couple weeks of training. If you are talking about competing in a tournament, then it should be a combination of if your coach/instructor thinks you are ready and you feel like you are ready to try it. If you are trying to compete in an actual match, it should be a combination of the above and if you have the time and determination to put in the work needed to get physically ready for that.0 -
Thanks, this is a great answer! I do Muay Thai. I've been sparring for a few months now. (tonight was particularly humbling...) My instructor asked if I wanted to fight in a tournament but I said that I don't feel ready yet but love the idea of trying it out! I think I still have some weigh to lose first. They say it doesn't matter but I think it will affect my confidence.0
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Does your gym ever participate in in-house fights? ("smokers", for the Americans.) A lot of fighters do these before moving on to tournaments. They tend to be a bit less rough because they won't add a win or loss to your record, and often have stricter rules about things like elbows, knees to the face, etc.
One piece of advice though; go to an event as a spectator first to get an idea of which gyms are there to compete in the sport of Muay Thai and which ones will just try to knock your block off, technique be damned.
Also, many associations will count them toward your class ranking, so if you want to stay in novice class for your first tournament, you need to limit how many you do.0 -
Is it like a Tiger Balm Tourney? Those are great for beginners. Not as intense as an amateur fight in the ring. There's so much going on you get distracted and don't really have time to freak yourself out
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Your last line is probably the most important compenent of being "ready" to fight. Confidence. "How do you know if you are ready?" Only YOU will know if you are ready, because you will want it. You will feel 100% confident in your mental readiness. The fortitude to step in and compete is a mental preparation, not a skill-set readiness. No one ever reaches a skill-set peak, so dont wait for that to come. Even with a sub-par skill set, someone can be ready to fight. It seems your coach feels like the skills are there at a minimum, so you are ready when you WANT it.
You want to step into the ring knowing you were prepared to win, lose, or draw... because not everyone wins. Remember, its NOT about being ready to win... its about being ready to fight. I knew I was ready to compete when I realized I was ready to accept defeat, and I was NOT willing to accept not trying.Thanks, this is a great answer! I do Muay Thai. I've been sparring for a few months now. (tonight was particularly humbling...) My instructor asked if I wanted to fight in a tournament but I said that I don't feel ready yet but love the idea of trying it out! I think I still have some weigh to lose first. They say it doesn't matter but I think it will affect my confidence.0 -
My first fight was in Japan. 1975. It was a tournament. Win and move up the ladder; lose and go home. I had just acheived my black belt. Travelled with another friend of mine.
As a person progressed up the ladder, you could watch the progression and make an educated guess as to who you might face. One guy was watching me fight, turned to the guy next to him and said "If he (me) wins, I'll be fighting him next round." The guy next to him asked, "You think you can beat him?' Guy said, "No problem. Just have to avoid his right foot. That's all he's got."
The guy standing next to him was my buddy, Bill, who, of course, told me.
Sure enough, we met up. Bowed, Faced off. I threw a basic right front snap kick right at his belly, He dropped both hands to block, but I never finished the kick. I stepped in with an over head right and knocked him out.
The fighter I beat approached me after our fight. Congratulated me and told me I hit like a truck and he never saw it coming. I didn't have the heart to tell him about Billie.
I made it to the finals and lost. I was hooked, though, and always loved competing. I competed at an International level until 1987. I was getting too old.0 -
That's great that your trainer asked - they wouldn't if they didn't think you were ready! Unless he's a real jerk, I mean he doesn't want his own school to look foolish putting someone in a fight that isn't prepared but most importantly he is sure you will gain something from doing it. Take time to consider it, even if you're nervous.0
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You are never, ever going to feel ready for your first, or second, or third..... Until you have fought enough that it's a routine and it's just 'one fight of many' your going to feel that anxiety. Look at your first fights more as training for your future fights more than anything. The first few times you step out there everything you know tends to fall out of your head anyway. But it's just like sparring, you just have to keep up at it till it's just what it is and not a make-or-break moment in your life.
Let the coaches tell you when you are ready, they have a better perspective than you do.0 -
I was never ready for my first sparring match in competition and have never felt ready for any sparring match! I do Tae Kwon Do (TAGB) and we can start sparring in competition from 9th kup (Yellow stripe).0
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I trained for about a year and ahalf before my first Muay Thai fight. You will want to fight but that doesn't mean you're ready. Talk to your trainers. THey'll know when you're ready.0
