A WARRIOR’S LIFE…

The world of mixed martial arts is a violent one. And it was on the 1^st of June, 2012 that I officially set foot into this world. And it was about a week later that I first met our head trainer, the founder of the school, a man of average and such deceptive height and build, yet so explosively powerful he is the last man you would ever want to screw with. Though it was only around 9 months ago that I had my first experience of this world, I was no stranger to this concept. Fighting had always enthralled me and I knew a lot about the form. Or so I thought. After having to listen to my trainer speak for about half an hour, in what was the most inspiring speech I had listened to in quite some time, myself and my fighting friends’ (i prefer calling them that.. if u think its crazy, too bad.. They’re my friends, i’ll call them whatever i want ;-)) minds, thanks to some carefully chosen words by our head trainer, were set in just the right manner to get all of us ready to face what lay ahead… an unimaginable amount of physical work, almost torturous. I had been gymming for two years before joining this class and I thought that was as tough as it could get. But, guess what?!.. I was mistaken. Believe me (and this is a special mention for all those who passionately work out in the gym and think they’re tough) gym is child’s play in comparison to what a fighter’s workout actually is.

So the class begins. We go through our regular warm-up drills. The mood of working out sets in and the words of my head trainer from the aforementioned inspiring speech come to my mind. “You are all warriors. You are here to train to be warriors”. And the words make me wonder, “what does it truly mean to be a warrior?” Agreed, we’re all students who are here to passionately learn how to fight. Martial art is a tough sport. It’s extremely demanding both physically and mentally. This is where I learn what it truly means to be tough, what it means to push the limits of human endurance. Fighting is both an art and a science. Unfortunately, many hold the notion that fighting is simply a matter of brute force and senseless use of violence. But, I guarantee you, it’s much more than that. It’s a skill that has to be mastered in order to obtain the best results. You have to be an intelligent fighter. Emotions such as anger and frustration do not fetch you anything. Because it’s the one who’s calm who thinks better. Yes, you heard me right. Fighting involves a lot of thinking, strategy, technique and planning. And, the development is not just physical. It’s perhaps as much, if not more, about the mind as much as it is about the body. The goal of martial arts is towards the greater development of the mind. Because without the mind, of what use is your body? I have always been a believer of the power of the mind and I get to experience that first-hand as the class continues. I realize that as physically draining as the sport is, as long as the mind is set right, there are no limits to what the human body is capable of achieving. As I’m huffing and puffing, face red, almost trying to breathe normally, I can vaguely hear my trainer saying, “Control your mind and make your body listen to it. For, if you can’t control your mind, how can you control your body, whether you’re fighting in the ring, or fighting for your life out there in the street?”

 I continue huffing and puffing and look around at the other tired faces, begging for a breather, and I realize that giving up is a disease. It is perhaps the easiest thing to do. And the more you give up during your training, the less likely you are to successfully defend yourself in a life-and-death situation. It is what you produce during your training that you reproduce during a fight. Giving up is not just a disease, it’s a contagious one. If you don’t believe me, try it out for yourselves. And this is not true just in the case of physical activity. It holds true in anything you do in life. Try doing something with a person who has no fight in him and gives up at the first sign of an obstacle. You would almost automatically start losing interest in the activity and will give up too. Watching the person next to you give up is enough to demoralize you. The phrase “never give up” is a powerful one and trust me, its easier said than done.

The workout gets tougher. The intensity has increased. But, I somehow manage to keep myself motivated. I want to keep pushing myself. I want to take up bigger challenges. I don’t want to ever give up. I want to keep fighting till the last breath. We’re nearing the final stages of our training. My trainer’s words of wisdom again run across my mind, “there is a beast inside every man. As you train here, you build the beast within you. And when the time calls for it, you wake it up from its slumber.” And I can feel the transformation from a man to a beast. I can feel that aggression, that spirit after putting myself through that ordeal.

The training is done and I learn the techniques for the day. My mind doesn’t go anywhere else. I watch in wonder and amazement, yet pay undivided attention as my trainer performs the various techniques because deep down I know this is what I want to do in life. I also know that I’m learning a life skill. And as all these thoughts race through my head, before I know it, the class is done. We do the traditional bow and pay our respect to the art.

As people bid goodbye to their mates, I go sit in a corner. I reflect on what I’ve learnt. I can almost feel a sense of triumph within me. I feel confident that I can fight. There is some part in me that tells me that I’m invincible, though I know its far from true. But, I like listening to it. I walk out of class, into the street. My trainer’s reference to us as warriors flashes by. I stop by and think about it. I now realize the true essence of those words. It’s time to head home. I wanna be the epitome of manliness. I wanna embody the sportsman spirit and I walk across the street with my head held high. I go to bed a happy man knowing, that another day of my life has passed and I’ve done something worthwhile, something that makes me feel like a winner. But, it doesn’t end here….. For, after all, I’m a warrior. I live to fight another day…