My first fight - advice?
jesusHchris
Posts: 1,405 Member
Hey everyone,
I'm fighting in my first small local invite-only muay thai smoker this Saturday. I only had 5 days notice and really hadn't planned on fighting outside my gym for at least another 6 months, but screw it. I was wondering if anyone had thoughts or comments on the following:
- Weigh in is a couple hours before hand. I'm 170 now and hope to walk in at 165 to get a better match up. I don't want to fight dehydrated, and actually just interrupted a bulk to do this. I'm eating at a deficit right now and strength training 3x this week, 4x kickboxing, and a couple of days of yoga. Thoughts on making the 165 without hurting my performance?
- I don't believe there will be judges tallying points, but I would like to knock the guy out or have the ref stop the fight because his eyes are bleeding. These local smokers get rough. Tips on a quick destruction? Punches, kicks, and knees allowed - no elbows.
- Nerves - how do you deal with them? I'm not afraid to fight, but I do get weird with a bunch of people watching me.
Thanks!
I'm fighting in my first small local invite-only muay thai smoker this Saturday. I only had 5 days notice and really hadn't planned on fighting outside my gym for at least another 6 months, but screw it. I was wondering if anyone had thoughts or comments on the following:
- Weigh in is a couple hours before hand. I'm 170 now and hope to walk in at 165 to get a better match up. I don't want to fight dehydrated, and actually just interrupted a bulk to do this. I'm eating at a deficit right now and strength training 3x this week, 4x kickboxing, and a couple of days of yoga. Thoughts on making the 165 without hurting my performance?
- I don't believe there will be judges tallying points, but I would like to knock the guy out or have the ref stop the fight because his eyes are bleeding. These local smokers get rough. Tips on a quick destruction? Punches, kicks, and knees allowed - no elbows.
- Nerves - how do you deal with them? I'm not afraid to fight, but I do get weird with a bunch of people watching me.
Thanks!
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Replies
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Just remember to breath. The adrenaline dump after the first round is intense, and if your cardio isn't there you'll be hurting bad.
Enjoy the experience.0 -
Just remember to breath. The adrenaline dump after the first round is intense, and if your cardio isn't there you'll be hurting bad.
Enjoy the experience.
Thanks! My cardio is top notch, the fight is only three short rounds and I can do that full force non stop without getting winded.0 -
Let me know how it goes. I was in top shape for my first MMA fight, and after the 2nd round I learned what an adrenaline dump was. In 11 years of playing sports, that had only happened once before, after the first quarter of my first start my freshman year in college.0
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Just wanted to pop in and give you the thumbs up for your fight this weekend..let us know how it goes!
I can't answer your other questions..but as for the nerves..I am just somehow able to totally block out everyone & everything except for the sound of my coaches voice when I am fighting. I am full of nerves right up until fight time and then they are gone..so I just try not to worry about it.0 -
Thanks! Did some sparring with a more experienced and much larger dude yesterday to prepare. Got a little banged up but still have time to heal before Saturday. I will let you know how it goes. Weighed 169 this morning.0
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i don't know the experience of your opponent, be the aggressor, this is a thai boxing match?
My first fight I won via americana, but I let my opponent be the aggressor and got me in a couple dominant positions before I decided to stop being so tight and think0 -
Well, the fight was today. I worked pretty hard to cut down to 165 as that is what I registered at. There was some last minute shuffles of match-ups and I ended up getting paired up with someone who was 250 pounds - 85 pounds heavier than me.
I agreed to the match. I did notice that I got winded MUCH quicker than normal - I'm not sure if that was due to the headgear, the heat, the beastly punches I was eating to the head, or the adrenaline dump mentioned previously. Probably all of the above.
Much of my technique went right out the window as soon as the bell rung, but I did remember a bit of strategy we agreed on when finding out who I was fighting. I think I did so-so for my first fight and am just happy that I got out there and did it. I'm looking forward to watching the video and seeing where I can improve. I would like to be able to step into the ring with someone of that size and destroy them. That's how it played out in my head before the fight. Damn reality.
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hey man great job on the fight, firstly you dealt wtih the nerves and you stepped up to a much bigger opponent which takes courage. My first (and only) international TKD I fought two black belts as only a green belt and it's not easy walking into that ring and going for it.
If there's a youtube clip of the video be sure to let us know! As for the headgear and heat I totally feel you it increases the adrenaline if you don't train with it on because it's how you know it's for real. And it also affects you because technique devolves. Which happens across the board except for the greats jsut because in a fight your brain can kind of reset to a more primitive level you don't have time to remember technique, you just gotta train and hope that what comes out of you in those moments is close to technically good because of practice.0 -
The best advice i can say is DON'T LOSE! And make sure your opponent knows you aint gonna lose. The moment you believe you've lost is the moment you give up.
Best of luck ^i^0 -
It is definitely hard giving up that much weight without a lot of speed an precision work. I have been in the martial arts my whole life, ran two schools, heavy weight kickboxing champ, and all I have to say is I have lost fights due to training for one type of fighter to o nly come and fight a heavier or taller opponent. Either you gas out, or your strategy goes to crap as soon as you start. Mad props for stepping into the ring. It looks simple as a bystander. Totally different picture when you have to be the one fighting. Keep it up!!!0
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One of the best things a person training can do is loose. It is how a person responds to a lost match that determines if they will ever be able to win one. Keep it up. Learn.....Make your training turn into muscle memory. Keep it up.0
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Yikes 85 pounds? That is extreamly unfair. You didn't mention it, but I assume you lost? I dont think I've ever fought someone (outside of sparring) with that kind of advantage on me.
Weight classes are there for a reason, I would have rejected the fight....but oh well..learning experience.
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I'm sparring for the first time on Friday! Any extra tips? I feel like all the drills and things I've learned and worked on are going to go out the window the first time I eat a kick to the leg or get punched.0
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Keep your guard up! (I need to remember this!) When you get hit or kicked you probably wont feel it that much because of the adrenaline, so you just get in there with your next move. Maybe that's just me lol.
Enjoy it, it's not as daunting as you think. To be honest everything does go out of your head when you spar, it's different to pad drills, you've got a moving target so you've got to use instinct and hope for the best. You'll be fine.
I've got my second competition on Sunday and I'm looking forward to it this time. I'm still nervous but I know what's coming so I don't mind. Unfortunately all the women seem to go in for points and thats what I'm rubbish at! Oh well!0 -
Keep your breathing under control, and keep your arms up.I'm sparring for the first time on Friday! Any extra tips? I feel like all the drills and things I've learned and worked on are going to go out the window the first time I eat a kick to the leg or get punched.0
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It wasn't that bad, but I definitely dropped my guard a little too much and paid for it!0
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Congrats on your first time! Now, the next time will be easier.0
