Choosing a Fighting Career

Fighting is fleeting, take the opportunity to discover what you're made of. This has played over in my head for many years as a martial artist. In the past my head trainer has asked if I wanted to make the transition into professional fighting. I was younger then, about 23 and feeling the sharpest I’d ever been. But I was also scared of fighting and keen to travel the world after 4 years of university. I made the choice to travel and told myself that I shouldn’t fight if I didn’t want to take it all the way. However all this time, in the back of my mind I always knew that I wanted to represent my gym and myself as a testament to the dedication and hard work that has been built over 10+ years of Muay Thai training. I’m now 27 and ready to take the next step towards the edge of my comfort zone, towards my ideal self, towards professional fighting.

I want to share one of the most important lesson that I have learned as a martial artist. If you're not committed, you cannot place context and imagination into your technique and strategy to be an effective fighter. That's why it's so important to be coachable and a great communicator. Your trainer is there to help you, but they can only do so if you're willing to listen and learn. When you're in the ring, you're on your own. You're forced to confront your own limitations, both physical and mental. You're pushed to the brink, and you discover what you're really capable of.

This lesson can only be learned if you prioritise your training. You have to put in the work, day in and day out. You have to show up, even when you don't feel like it. That's the transformation that I've made in my own life. I'm blocking out training and showing up, no matter what.

In the past I’ve found this to be really difficult. My day job often requires me to be away for weeks at a time, disrupting my schedule. It’s made it very hard to become motivated after losing momentum. Depending on how I’m feeling upon my return I might go to hard into training and injure myself or create avoidant behaviours until I force myself back into routine through frustration. All compounded by thoughts of my prime days being behind me.

To help me with my training, I've outsourced to an athlete program that my housemate introduced me to. It's made a huge difference in my training, and it's given me the structure that I need to stay focused. Personally, I react very well to external motivation. In this case, having a health professional guide me through a Muay Thai specific strength and conditioning program 3 times a week at 6am.

So many aspiring Muay Thai fighters self-sabotage by creating excuses about why they cannot fight. They say they're not ready, or they're not good enough. But these excuses are just a way to avoid facing their fears. The truth is that there's never a perfect time to start. You just have to start where you are, and work from there.

I remember when I first started training, I was terrified of getting hit. But instead of giving up, I talked to my trainer. We identified my weaknesses and turned my fears into a ladder of actionable steps. I started with simple drills, and gradually worked my way up to full sparring. Now, getting hit is just a part of the game. It doesn't scare me anymore. Understand your weaknesses and you can eventually control them. A quote from my trainer that I always remember is “make them miss, make them pay”.

Choosing a fighting career is not for everyone. It takes dedication, hard work, and a willingness to face your fears. But if you put in the work, it’s only a matter of time before you see results. Control your inputs and be accountable. So, if you're thinking about becoming a fighter, remember to show up, put in the work, and never be afraid to face your fears head-on.

Here are 3 actionable takeaways for those of you wanting to commit to a professional fight career:

1. Prioritise consistent training to become an effective fighter.

2. Be coachable and communicate well with your trainer to improve.

3. Start taking small steps towards your goals and be accountable for your training.