How to get relaxed in a match

[ACzeMiky]

Hi guys, I would like to know if there is any tip for being more relaxed in a fight and if you had the same problem like I then how did you overcome it? My problem is that during a boxing match I am soo nervous and tensed up that I can't even react to punches properly or think in the ring about what am I doing and because of that I can't properly set up my combinations. In a sparring I can systematically walk my opponent to the ropes and then patiently prepare my shots and counters. But in a boxing match even with much worse opponents than my sparring partners I am just too tensed up and rush or how to say that (being tensed takes a lot of energy too because my punches are not so relaxed). I just can't think properly about what I do if you know what I mean. Yeah I have a few something like split second moments when I will say to myself "huh he does this so I will time him with that" etc and it work but it's not like in sparring (and we have really hard sparrings in our gym especially when its sparring with guys from different clubs so its not because the sparrings would be light or something). Do you have any advice for that? I box for 2 and a half year and I have 23 fights already (about 17 wins) so if this should go away with experience then I would say I have some already but it's still the same. Yeah it's slightly better but really just a little bit. Thank you guys and good luck in your fights!

 

[j123]

It never really goes away, you get better at managing the stress, but its always there.
I try my best not to overthink things, I'm a bit different (not as a brag), I get nervous mid camp and the week before, but on the day of I'm fairy calm. Of course, in a fight I'm not 100% there compared to sparring, its mostly muscle memory and instinct that carries me.

But if you can't set up your combinations thats an issue. The ones I always pull off (Muay Thai) are the combinations I've done since I first started, I feel that if you can't pull of certain combinations or techniques, it's because it wasn't drilled to the death (this includes the gameplan as well) and repeated enough to become muscle memory.

 

[MrJak]

Practice dulling that fight or flight response. Practice speaking in front of large groups. Approach random girls for dates, etc.

 

[ACzeMiky]

Practice dulling that fight or flight response. Practice speaking in front of large groups. Approach random girls for dates, etc.

Well I can do these things without any problem. Thats not the case. Big group of people watching me boxing is not the problem. It's probably fear of losing which ties me up so much. You train so hard and sacrifice a lot so losing seems like not an option for you yet there is that chance of losing and knowing that you swet and bleed yet for nothing if you lose.

 

[ssullivan80]

Well I can do these things without any problem. Thats not the case. Big group of people watching me boxing is not the problem. It's probably fear of losing which ties me up so much. You train so hard and sacrifice a lot so losing seems like not an option for you yet there is that chance of losing and knowing that you swet and bleed yet for nothing if you lose.

It takes time and repetition, there's no substitute for experience.

That said - You essentially answered your own question, it's the "fear of losing" that paralyzes you. So deductive logic would say that instead of consistently focusing on the fear of losing, focus on the joy of winning. I had a great coach that told me to constantly "fight the fight" in my head, over and over and over...... every round, every sound, etc..... and of course, with my hand held up at the end. But honestly, it helped. I'd constantly think of the ways i'd finish the fight, what the opponent would do and how I would react...... In short, in my head, i'd beat my opponent hundreds of times and hundreds of ways before I ever walked into the ring. So by the time I got into the ring, the only scenarios I was focused on were the ways I was going to win, so it just became a matter of which one would play itself out.

This is often the reason so many fighters come from "underprivileged" or difficult life circumstances. Most fighters tend to be "cut from that cloth". Losing a fight ain't that intimidating when everyday you've got more reason to be afraid of losing your life........ When walking down the street everyday means risking your life, walking into the ring wearing safety equipment, with a referee, rules and a ringside Dr...... shit seems like a vacation! Please take note: I am not suggesting you go walk around the ghetto!