Time

Second day of Star Wars week, and I pull from the great Yoda for my quote. So many amazing ones, but I wanted to avoid the typical ones, as his less popular, yet great quotes, offer more opportunity for inspiration. 

“Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.”  — Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

When going into a fight or sparring session, what do you know? Nothing, really. You might think you know your opponent, but people are constantly changing and can surprise you. Temperature changes. Lights can flicker, noise can come from anywhere. The floor can be damp or dry. But what you can always be certain of is time. You have 3 minutes (depending on your division) to fight. Three 3 minute rounds. That is what you know. Nothing else can be guaranteed. Plans need to change if needed. People are unpredictable. Refs and judges change in between fights. But your 9 minutes to perform will not change. So time is something you can always prepare for. Lasting for the allotted time you have. 

When I have fighters preparing for fights I always tell them to cater to workouts for time. Ten overhead presses are great, but you can’t just throw 10 punches then take a break. Doing 10 overhead presses for 30 seconds, then 10 bicep curls for 30 seconds, 3 times, will give you an entire 3 minute round, and the training that your muscles can last for that long. Every second becomes valuable, the difference between winning points or making your opponent miss their winning points. Waiting becomes wasted time. Setting up combinations, traps, or distance becomes useful time. Punching, even when only hitting the air, becomes constant action. Waiting around to always land becomes inaction. Resetting and taking turns are breaks. When you train for time, you don’t need breaks, and you can better take advantage of your opponent’s breaks. 

Many amateur fighters want to know their opponent beforehand, want a set plan. Nothing is wrong with a set plan and an idea of what is to come from their opponent. But I always warn my fighters: Amateur fighters constantly change. We need more than one plan to rely on, multiple skills to pull from. Just like Yoda said, the future is always in motion, it is difficult to always predict the actions of an opponent. What you do know is what you can do, what your skills are. What tools are strongest, and which tools need more work and refining. A repair person doesn’t come to a job with one wrench. They have a toolbox, in order to tackle multiple scenarios. In the boxing ring you have time and space, and you are being judged with how you use that time and space. Your body is the vehicle for action, and you need to know how to maneuver it in those confines. Regrets of not throwing more, not moving more, not being far enough or too close are regrets of time and space. This is something we can always prepare for.