The BEST Fighters Do What Needs To Be Done…Not Always What They Feel Like Doing.

by Corey Beasley

We live in a quick fix society...fast food, take a pill, convenience stores, packed schedules and endless amounts of noise and distraction.

Athletes are constantly seeking the best program, the coolest workout or other way to gain the advantage over their competition.

What supplements should I take?

What fancy jiu itsu technique is going to give me the edge?

What crazy workout is ___________ doing right now?

We all wanna improve, but typically strive to find the most complicated, advanced stuff we can get our hands on.

That's just human nature and all of us are guilty of it.

I believe that this is a huge fault in our society and the reason why so many struggle to get ahead, improve and make progress towards our goals.

We want to run, before we can walk.

We want to learn flying arm bars before we learn proper positioning and control.

We want to do the craziest plyometric workout we saw on Youtube.

You get the idea...

The lesson to learn here, is that success takes blood, sweat and tears.

There is no easy way to the top, period.

You must put in your time...show up early, stay late, help teammates, struggle through some adversity, build some character, wrestle with injuries, stay consistent and work...for years, until you are prepared for whatever opportunities arise.

Lots of people like to post quotes, but few really want to do whats really necessary.

Colin Oyama is a world renowned Muay Thai and MMA coach that has worked with Ian McCall, Shane del Rosario, Tito Ortiz, Rampage Jackson, Rob McCullough and just about every other MMA star from Southern California.

Here is what he had to say>>

"I think the biggest mistake wanna be fighters make is they cannot deal with the grind. It's instant gratification or they are over it. They aren't willing to build a foundation. Strength, speed, coordination and fighting skills all take time. There is no other way around the fact that it takes time. Also think more is not always better. Some guys "train" all day and get nothing done. Others work full time jobs, but budget their time and get everything they can out of the time allotted."

Over the last several weeks, I have spoken to a handful of top coaches and all of them said basically the same thing.

Consistency and the willingness to be coached is what separates the winners from the losers.

No excuses.

Lets break this down REAL Simple:

If you wanted to become a Black Belt at jiu jitsu, you would have to commit to training for several years of your life.  Probably training 3-5 times per week, every week for several years.  Sure you might have a vacation here and there, but in order to achieve that high level, you'd have to stay consistent, work hard, overcome obstacles, struggle, get beat up, work thru injuries and more.  You would continue training, navigate the obstacles and overcome because the goal of becoming a black belt is deeply motivating and important to you.

But here is where most people become misled and confused.

Lots of people WANT to become a better fighter, but most let life get in the way.

Missing a practice becomes a weekly habit.

They allow themselves to get out of shape in between fights.

They get sidetracked by other obligations or commitments.

These habits add up over time, snowball and become the reason why some fighters win and others lose.
Think about it this way...

If I miss one practice every week, that's 52 missed opportunities to improve this year.

Miss 2  workouts and that's 104 practices in one year!

Lets say that you have to practice for at least 5 years to become a decent fighter.

Who do you think is gonna win the fight?

The guy who made every practice or the one who missed 250-500 practices over the 5 year period of time?

It becomes obvious, right?

People like to call them lucky, but when you track their effort over time, it becomes obvious why some people win and others struggle to get ahead.

Want to get stronger and build a better gas tank?

Make a plan and attack that plan consistently for several years.

Want to sharpen your skills as a fighter?

Find a good coach, make a plan and attack that plan consistently for the next several years.

Training for Warriors founder, Martin Rooney puts it this way:

"I never stopped training. While most people took time off, I stayed consistent. I might've done vertical leg presses while wearing Zubaz pants, but I'm proud to say I've never said, "I'm on a diet" or "I'm making a comeback." Remember, well done is better than well said. Start a streak by simply staying consistent."

No need to beat yourself up, but become conscious of how often you miss a meal, skimp on a workout, neglect your recovery, miss a practice or similar.

Becoming an elite athlete takes discipline, willingness to change and a deep seeded motivation...

So think about your goals, your training and your work ethic over the last few months.

• Are you working on specific skills?
• Do your coaches know your goals?
• Is there a plan of attack to get there?
• Are you willing to do the work?
• Are you consistently showing up?
• What can you improve moving forward?

If you don't have a plan, don't worry.  Find a good coach, tell him what you want to accomplish and get started.  These days, it is so easy to find, reach out and communicate with coaches all around the country, if not the world.

Yeah but the good coaches don't live by me...

Then you might want to move.

Don't let geographic barriers slow you down.  My garage has been full of guys that moved from other countries and states, just so they could gt access to top instructors.

Remember, actions speak louder than words.  The best instructors have been there and seen a lot of guys come and go.  If you want their attention, then you need to do whatever it takes.  Moving to their area would be a great way to show them that you are serious.

Once you've got a plan, all you've got to do is execute, learn, adapt and make it happen!

You won't be perfect, but keep making progress.

Stay consistent for 6 months and you'll start to turn heads.

Stick with it for a year and you'll gain some respect.

Hang for 5 years and people will start to call ya lucky.

Train consistently for 10+ and people will start to call ya talented.

How consistent have you been this year?

What are you committed to moving forward?

Always eager to hear about your progress...leave a comment below!