We don’t ever fully succeed at anything without committing to it. This is true of pretty much everything in life and definitely true in martial arts.
For boxing and kickboxing commitment means entering, setting your weight and throwing punches; you can anticipate that you will get hit but the expectation is that whatever punishment you take is going to be worth it because you’re going to do much more damage to your opponent…you’re committing to winning the fight. Staying on the outside might be safer but it also creates a stalemate or worse, a loss. Why fight if you’re not going to commit to doing everything in your power to win?
The principle is the same in mixed martial arts and jiu jitsu. Sometimes you have to risk a dominant position in order to submit someone. If you want to win the match then you had better commit 100% to that submission or you’re likely to end up in a worse place, fighting just to avoid being submitted yourself.
You can also see the necessity for commitment in Kali. For example, if when fighting with a knife you never do anything but feint and don’t ever commit, you will never get close enough to win. Even if you have a fantastic defense you will eventually fail if you do not attack.
Perhaps the most important situation in which to have complete commitment is in self defense. An attack happens so quickly and is usually over within seconds…if there is any hesitation on the victim’s part it can be disastrous. There needs to be full commitment and intent to do anything and everything necessary to protect yourself and to get away.
At Elite Training Center in Redondo Beach, our systems are taught in ways that combine technique with tactics and ideas for real world application. We believe that the learning process involves controlled practice and repetition of techniques and skills, but at the core of all training is the commitment and intent to succeed.
