I am the best and I will win at all costs mentality gets one so far - but there is a flip side and sometimes a cost.

Reality is no one is the best - I find it fascinating to watch a fighter with 1 or 2 fights or a handful, win a match and proceed to act like he is number 1 and the best in the world.

Or 'pros' loose and throw tantrums or fall apart at the decision.

Tough guy, will win no matter what, I'm the best and anger are all ways, in my opinion and experience, to over come fear - and to a degree to help performance.

But when a 'win at ll costs/I'm the best attitude' is focused on and the fighter starts to get rocked, beaten, is loosing - mentally the fighter often breaks down because his reality bubble is popped.

The ego is very dominant in western fighters and I think it is benefitial to work at training!!! and competing with less ego controlling perspective and action.

Also I think that "I'm the best" attitude lends for less flexibility - (as does training combos and one way as the main form of training imo&e). When things aren't going so well with what you are doing the thing to do is change it up. Having a game plan is wonderful and powerful but if it isn't working doing more of the same and hoping for a different result is, in Einstein's words "insanity" lol

Fighting to win is the main focus of many trainers and mental coaches - in my opinion there are way more powerful reasons to fight and to motivate a fighter to perform at or near his potential - this leads to the best chance of winning but winning as a byproduct not the primary focus for performing your best.

In this world we seem to be governed by "relative polar opposites" (yin/yang) and my understanding of the mind says to me that the focus on winning has a strong subconscious focus on loosing (not loosing actually but the subconscious doesn't get the "not" part as "not" isn't anything - "don't run" the mind must think of running to think about what not to do - consciously we get this but the subconscious just gets the image of "run").

Win win win tends to have a subconscious fear of loose loose loose.

One thing I suggested to some young guys before a fight is to look at fighting as a rights of passage - winning or doing well doesn't mean you are a man per say but it is a symbolic test. The man agrees to fight and that means come prepared and to perform no matter what. The test is an example of sticking to your word and taking on a challenge that you will complete and put your all into. It is a reminder and a training for everything else - work, relationship, life, parenting challenges etc Its a way of saying ok here is the test about who I choose to be and I have chosen to be here and to fight - it is a test of my word and my action and though it may get tough I will follow through with my whole heart. If you have a family this is also for them (if I were to fight again I would put my daughter on my back in training and the fight - nothing and no one will get through me to her - making sure not to use her as my power - the child cannot hold such a responsibility - using my choice of parenting her and protecting her as a focus and motivation. Though in the ring she is not at risk per say it is a reminder and motivation for me to test and challenge myself and no one will get to her....

Just some thoughts and examples on motivation for fighting that I feel and think goes way beyond the ego needs to win - ego needs to win to be worth whhile or good enough.

But I believe that will give me a way greater chance of winnning than just the goal to win...

Just my opinion and thoughts at this time.


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The better a fighter gets and the more experience the more likely they will tap into the reality that there are many fighters at their level and often many more greater.

needing, wanting, focusing on winning is much weaker than many other forms of motivation I feel