[fancy_header]Firstly click the image ^^above^^ – the gif should play automatically [/fancy_header]
Meet Lyndon – he’s the Thai Boxer throwing those devastating overhand rights and crushing his opponent into the ropes.
Question:
Is there something you want to do better and improve upon?
If so read on.
Ridiculously bad
The other week I was doing some Performance Coaching with Lyndon; a World Champion Thai Boxer.
We were exploring Progress, and creating strategies for dealing with its often s-l-o-w rate of growth.
I asked Lyndon what his favourite techniques are, and he mentioned that ‘Overhand Right’ was one.
We explored when was the first time he was shown it, and he recalled clearly…
Me: “So what was it like the first time you threw the punch?”
Lyndon: “Ridiculous“
I asked him if he meant ridiculously good – but he shook his head and said “No, ridiculously bad”.
I asked him how effective was the punch now – an EVIL GRIN lit up his face – telling me all I needed to know.
I asked him how many times he had practised that punch – he wasn’t sure but quoted thousands, maybe ten thousand!
How to be Devastating
‘So what, an already tough guy just got a even tougher – how does that help me?’
Well let’s explore.
Firstly it’s interesting that Lyndon started unable to throw the punch correctly and with any effect, so it’s good to know that even high level performance athletes start the same place as we are.
That isn’t strictly true however, because clearly ‘Big L’ already had an existing strategy for learning martial arts moves, but he hadn’t applied it to this one.
He had a SYSTEM.
Note: I want you to pay attention to that word, as we’re going to be exploring it a ton more in future posts.
He then would spend time, on deliberate practice with the move: alone on the bag, with his coach (Brother Chris) and of course, in live sparring – and eventually in fights.
Each time tweaking it, internally analysing it, externally having it analysed by coach, continually progressing and perfecting it. But in between there would have been mini plateaus where it didn’t seem to be getting better – in fact may have seemed to him to be getting worse.
He might even have gotten hacked off with it and left it alone for a bit.
Yet he endured, and stuck with the system. He probably had it running on the back burner of his his mind, not obsessing about it, but using the opportunities to drill it as they came up or were asked of him by coach Chris.
There’s a lot of good stuff right there. What can you take from it and apply for your own purposes?
A simple plan for progress
Here’s ONE super simplified way of making progress – checkout the cutting edge infographic below:
How to do stuff
It’s not perfect, i’ve probably missed something or other out but you get the picture, right?
The over arching idea is that you have a system, a feedback loop – which is going to give high quality info on what you do in your performance or practice.
I say to my clients, regardless of them being athletes, business people or regular old humans:
Treat yourself like an on-going project
That means, allowing yourself to be subjective, and able to move between really owning something, being in the moment of the good stuff you did well, and analysing calmly and dispassionately what needs to be changed or tweaked from when you messed up.
Try it out, and change it as you see fit.
Drop me a line if you need clarity on anything.
About Lyndon
Lyndon teaches Thai Boxing at The Knowlesy Academy
And is available for private lessons as well. You can also call him on: 079595 661269.
Here’s a list of his accolades:
+ WRSA World Champion
+ UKMF English and British Champion
+ ISHA English Champion
+ ISHA European Champion
+ ISHA British Champion
+ Lords of the Cage Champion
+ Ringmasters Champion
+ Ringmasters Prestige Champion
+ Stand & Bang Tournament Winner
Watch the action packed fight that features the now-famous overhand right right here.
Till next time!