Viewpoint

In honor the Star Wars day on May 4th, I’m going to use Star Wars quotes as inspiration. I find it very apropos, as the concept of Star Wars relies on the training of young Jedis, which follows a similar path to boxing training. 

“Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our viewpoint.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars Episode VI:Return Of The Jedi 

This is a fantastic quote, and one that we all know the truth of, yet usually forget. Our ego likes to make sure the world fits the ego’s perception of events, therefore is quick to create a viewpoint that protects our inner reality from outer reality. My viewpoint as a coach is of course slated toward having good fighters, but I always try to see the skill of everyone for what it truly is. I believe fighters need to hear the truth about their skill so that they can train and work accordingly. What I find interesting is when my viewpoint clashes with theirs, which works in both directions. When I have a very positive perspective of a fighter, they tend to have a negative one of themself. When I have a “realistic” perspective, the fighter tends to have an overly optimistic understanding of their skill. 

I am constantly telling my fighters that want to compete that boxing is all about perspective, about what other people see. How you look, from your body language, your expressions, how you move, the energy you give off, how you sit in the stool, how you walk back to the corner, how you take a punch, etc. When giving feedback about sparring I tell my fighter how they look, if they look scared, anxious, hurt. Many times they argue that they are not, at which point I tell them it does not matter! It matters how you look. The judges do not know what you are thinking. The ref doesn’t know that despite your head snapping back you feel fantastic. The judges see you slump back to your corner with your head hanging low that might impact their bias, if they think you think you are losing they might see it that way. They can only judge based off what they see. Which is why it is so important that a fighter’s truth about their performance matches the viewpoint seen by the judges. 

This is not an easy skill to master. In the midst of a fight, the exhaustion, the stress, adrenaline, pain, doubt want to be reflected in the body. A fighter needs to hide that, act full of energy, positive, excited. Ironically, when acting the opposite of how you feel will sometimes bring those fake actions to fruition. Just like when trying to put on a real smile when depressed can turn emotions around, pretending like you feel on top of the world will cause your body to believe it. Sometimes no amount of words can cause this change. It has to be a decision made by the fighter to display a winning aura of energy amid the screaming rebellion of muscles. And that is a choice we all have. If we choose that viewpoint the judges will hopefully see the truth in the fight.