My
last entry made references to team work and passion. Being part of a
team and playing your part… like a body, with each member of the team
playing a vital (if sometimes only small) role. In playing my role in
the ‘body’ of the team I have been weighing up the importance of
ability in those roles. I have considered at length the significance of
someone’s ‘part’ within the team according to what they can teach,
learn or facilitate. This is not necessarily to suggest in any way that
there should be a hierarchy, outside of the coach being in control of
the training sessions. Some people train to train, some to fight,
others for purely fitness and fun. Others train without necessarily
having any sort of goal in mind and make it up as they go.
Personally,
I started training out of curiosity and from an increasing interest in
watching the UFC events. I had no martial arts or combat sports
background at all so it was all refreshingly new to me when I started
(and beneficially free of any ingrained bad habits). Once I had started
training MMA properly I changed my fitness regime to fit the sport and
was within 2 months pestering Pep for a time scale for getting in the
cage and after some seriously steep learning curves and application I
got in the cage at Cage Warriors: Enter the Rough House 3 in July 2007.
Why
all the background? Well, I read something this morning about
leadership and the qualities needed to be a leader and after a little
thought I began to think about fighting and the qualities different
fighters possess. Then I was trying to see how these different types
fit in within a team. Essentially there are 3 types of people who turn
up at training:
1) The ‘never wills’
– these guys are (to quote the leadership article) “square pegs in
round holes”. Regardless of how much training they do, however they
apply themselves they will never be fighters. Ironically these also
tend to be the guys who turn up for a few weeks and are not seen again
for a month or so. Each time they arrive they talk about how they are
going to ‘train properly, get fit and fight at the end of the
summer/year/after Christmas, etc’. Sometimes when they do train they
can be quite good and talented, but will never progress because of lack
of application and will power.
2) The ‘naturals’
– these guys fight instinctively. Their ability can be seen straight
away and they pick things up quickly and apply them in sparring/rolling
almost straight away. These are the kind of guys who ‘could be awesome’
but occasionally (and frustratingly) rest on their laurels too often.
To hazard a guess I’d say most people would agree that a high
percentage of the world’s top fighters are naturals who have also
applied themselves and worked very, very hard to get to the top. Their
ability alone not being enough.
3) The ‘made’
fighters – these are the fighters who through hard work, perseverance
and lots of sweat manage to get in the cage. They have the raw material
and physical ability but need nurturing and mentoring to succeed.
Essentially they need someone (a good coach) to mould them, shape them
and instruct them to create a competent fighter. How many of these
succeed in fighting at top level I’m not too sure. Again, at a guess,
I’d say a lot of these guys end up being referred to as ‘journeymen’ or
‘gate keepers’.
I’m not a natural,
never have been, never will be. Every sport I have been good at I have
only ever achieved anything through hard work and good coaching and
direction. I know I’m not a never will as I have been and done. Which means, by the powers of deduction, that I must be a ‘made’ fighter?
So, to loop back all the way to my starting comments about team work – I am made. But I am only made because of my team mates… that team may include a few never wills and it certainly occasionally sees the arrival and departure of some naturals… but mainly, thankfully, most of the Grindhouse Fight Team members appear to be made
fighters. I’d be interested to know what makes up your team too… if you
see me at a show, buy me a pint and I’ll let you tell me all about it!