WHY YOU NEED TO HAVE AN EGO IN SPARRING!!?? 🥊🥋

What's up, guys? Today, I wanted to dive into the topic of sparring and the importance of toughening up certain people in the gym. A lot of kids come in, eager to fight, get better, and become martial artists. While not everyone aims to be a UFC fighter or a top-tier kickboxer, they still aspire to take fights and relish in the pride of calling themselves martial artists.

The Path of a Casual Martial Artist

Some may have just a few fights in their lifetime, but that's enough to tell their grandkids stories, show them footage, and cherish the achievement. Being a martial artist at any level is incredible. But today, we're focusing on the importance of having pride and a mean streak in your practice.

Pride Over Toughness

It's more about pride than toughness. It's essential to have pride and a bit of ego when sparring.

When people say don't have an ego, they should really mean, don't get mad if you're losing. But absolutely, you should want to win every round of sparring.

This doesn't mean resorting to dirty tactics - be ethical in your approaches, but stay competitive.

Ethical Sparring

Even in headgear, where intensity is agreed upon, maintain ethics. Avoid knee stomps or mid-sparring dirty tactics just because you're upset. Instead, focus on outperforming your partner within the agreed boundaries.

Even casual martial artists should maintain a sense of pride. You might not be a street-hardened fighter, but having pride will push you further in your journey. Encountering tough guys in sparring who may not even be mean themselves shows that pride can often be more about upbringing and personal experiences than just natural toughness.

Learning to Get Mean

To cultivate a mean streak, engaging in hard sparring can help. It's vital to stay ethical during sparring sessions:

Don't elbow your partner in the face.
Do round kick hard, as long as both parties agree to go hard.
Don't knee someone in the face without pads.

Turning up intensity will naturally bring out your competitive edge, leading you to victory.

Sparring Examples

Sparring with tougher, more egotistical partners like street fighters can significantly aid your development. Growing up in hard circumstances, like in a poor country town, inherently teaches toughness and confrontational skills.

Kids with rougher childhoods have ingrained pride and mean streaks. It's often about ego and pride developed from early street fights and arguments.

Transition From Casual to Hardcore

Casual martial artists aiming to share sparring stories with pride can benefit from adopting a tougher, more competitive mindset. This task is daunting but achievable with dedication and perseverance through repeated sparring sessions.

Continuous testing against harder opponents can transition your mindset. You start as the nail, but eventually, you become the hammer.

Emotional and Mental Benefits

Moreover, maintaining pride and ego during sparring sessions fosters emotional resilience and mental toughness. It reinforces your commitment to maintaining an edge over your peers and keeps you from becoming complacent.

Remember me and my teammate Sodiq Youssef? We pushed each other hard. We aspired to knock each other out because it boosted our competitive spirit.

Having partners who spur intense competitiveness can greatly enhance your skills and preparedness for real fights.

Building Confidence and Pride

Competitive pride and ego serve to build confidence, a critical trait for any martial artist. Even if your ultimate goal is a couple of fights, maintaining pride will keep you focused and driven.

Regardless of your fighting level, you will encounter highly competitive individuals striving for victory at all costs. Preparing yourself for such encounters is essential to hold your ground and emerge victorious.

Skills and Mentality

While physical skills are crucial, combining them with a determined prideful mentality ensures you fight harder. As mentioned earlier, it's not about being the toughest on the streets but applying pride, ego, and skills during training and actual fights.

Progressing as a Martial Artist

Encounters with alpha males in the sport will demand that you bring forth your best skills and an indomitable spirit.

Tell your grandkids you fought! Continue working hard, starting as a white belt and aiming for that black belt.

To push past limitations, engage regularly in hard sparring with individuals who are tough, mean, and ready to challenge you. This practice ensures you transition effectively from being on the receiving end to dishing out the hard knocks.

Encouragement to Fellow Practitioners

Keep working on your technique, toughness, and, most importantly, cultivate a meaner, more competitive mentality.

Some of you guys have the potential but need to get meaner. Spar hard, get those ass-whoopings, and eventually, you'll become the hammer.

In summary, nest your pride and ego deeply in your martial arts journey. This drive will carve your path to becoming a formidable opponent and a respected martial artist.

Conclusion

Embrace the journey, endure the hardships, and let your ego and pride propel you toward excellence. Remember, it's all about showing up, keep sparring hard, and developing that competitive edge that will make all the difference.

Keep working hard and stay strong. Until next time!