Red Hawk Essentials #36
How To Be A Top 5 Fighter, Learn To Defend Yourself, Chill Time
How To Be A Top 5 Fighter
If you have really good technique, that can take you very far.
If you’re a really good athlete, that can also take you very far.
But if you want to crack the upper echelons of fighting, we’re talking top 5 or champion, you need to have both.
You need to be a good athlete and you need to be obsessed with getting better.
If you don’t have both, the elite guys are gonna whoop on you. Because they have both.
When MMA was just getting started, you could become a champion as an average athlete who worked hard.
My old coach Robert Follis coached Rich Franklin. And there was also Forrest Griffin, Tim Sylvia, and Jens Pulver.
These are just normal hardworking guys. Not very explosive or fast-twitch.
But they became champions.
The bar is set way higher today. Kids are able to get proper training really early on.
Still, don’t be discouraged if you’re just strong in one aspect. You can still get really far and work on improving the other.
Here’s something I see with great athletes with a lot of potential.
I see those guys come into the gym all the time. And because they’re so athletic, they can hang with everyone.
But that becomes their crutch.
They rely too much on their athleticism and don’t focus on mastering the techniques. They don’t become energy efficient.
And they don’t show up as much to practice. These guys don’t know how fucking great they can be if they had the work ethic too.
Some of the kids in my gym are so athletic that I need to tell them to slow down. To just focus on perfecting the technique.
One thing with good athletes is that they always tend to go back to what they know. So it’s kinda harder for them to add new tools to their arsenal.
Plus, they don’t like losing. Practicing new techniques means you have to lose in practice.
But that’s completely ok. That’s what the practice room is for. Experimenting.
So I gotta let those guys know it’s okay to lose. We’re just working on making them better.
MMA is constantly evolving. So you have to be a student for life and continue learning.
And if you have good technique, you can always improve your athleticism.
You can get stronger, work on your rhythm, and drill for explosiveness.
But if you want to be a champion one day, you need to become a great athlete with great technique.
Learn To Defend Yourself
Sug and I used to live in some ghetto apartments.
You’ll see them on the UFC 292 Countdown for Sug’s segment. But we felt safe and comfortable. Probably because we knew how to fight and defend ourselves.
I love seeing this change in new students who come to train. Especially the ones who are consistent. They can see how much work it takes to get good.
Some of these students have never been pushed to the point of gassing out. When they’re in that situation and they’re breathing heavily and wanting to give up - it’s easy to freak out.
But when they learn how to be calm and follow their breath, it powerfully affects them.
These students see exponential growth in their mental toughness. And with that, comes a boost in confidence.
Anyone can do this with exercise, it doesn’t need to only be with fighting.
Every time you push yourself to the point of giving up and ignore it, you’re leveling up that mental toughness.
Most people can’t do this. They quit as soon as the thought crosses their mind. They look for ways out.
It’s really cool to see the transformation that happens with these students.
These students start walking a little bit taller and they’re more social in the gym. They look like brand new people compared to when they walked in.
Thorne
Besides defending yourself, you gotta defend your health from all the junk out there.
A lot of UFC fighters use Thorne as part of their daily supplement routine.
Thorne is third-party tested for the best quality ingredients so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body.
I personally use magnesium before sleep, fish oils, amino-acids when I’m training hard, and their VeganPro complex protein.
If you’re in the market for some good supplements, Thorne is the brand I trust. You can feel safe and good about what you’re putting into your body with Thorne.
Use the link below and Throne will hook you up with a 15% discount on your order.
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Chill Time
Your chill is time is super fucking important.
Of course, don’t abuse it. If you’re chilling all day that’s not a good thing.
But if you’ve earned your chill time by grinding or working hard during the day…
Do whatever the fuck you wanna do during your chill time. Watch whatever you want, play games, smoke weed, whatever.
It’s your time.
The old school mentality programs people to think chill time is being lazy.
My parents told me that I needed to get a good job and work all day. Sleep and repeat.
Back in the day, they didn’t have the opportunities we have now. Content creation, the internet, online businesses, etc.
I used to struggle with this too. Whenever I tried to take a break, my mind would tell me I need to be doing something productive. And I couldn’t even enjoy my chill time.
Now it’s different. My chill time is sacred. And I think having quality routines is key to this.
You need to know exactly what needs to get done during the day. And once you finish those things, it actually feels good to chill.
If you chill too much, you’ll start getting anxious. You’ll start making up problems that aren’t even there.
And if you keep doing it anyway until it becomes a habit, that’s called being lazy.
Then you got outside distractions too. People inviting you to parties, dinners, or social gatherings.
I’m all set with that. I just wanna sit in my house, smoke weed, and watch some cool shit.
That’s how I want to spend my chill time. And I’ve been getting better at saying no to stuff I don’t wanna do. But I still need to get even better.
If you want to go out and party, go right ahead. It’s your time. And if you earned it, don’t feel bad about it.
I also get a lot of creative inspiration during my chill time.
My mind isn’t focused on something and I can actually think freely. That’s where a lot of creativity comes from.
It’s hard to be creative when your mind is constantly fixated on working.
Chill out. It’s good for you.
Quick Hits From This Week
Some good quotes from James Clear:
“Passion is a feeling that follows action. It tends to be created or discovered, not predicted or planned. You don't find your passion. It finds you as you get in the mix and try things.”
If you don’t try new things and expose your mind to new experiences, you won’t find your passion. A lot of people just try to artificially make themselves passionate about what they’re already doing.
“Highly focused people do not leave their options open. They select their priorities and are comfortable ignoring the rest. If you commit to nothing, you’ll be distracted by everything.”
Super important if you want to get far in anything. Focus is a superpower. Not a lot of people have it, but everyone can develop it.
Red Hawk Recap Ep. 97
Creating a good vibe in the gym
I think this is the key to creating a successful boxing, jiu-jitsu, or MMA gym. With chain gyms like LA Fitness, it’s whatever. But with martial arts gyms, there needs to be some form of camaraderie and community.
This is something that I’m most proud of with my gym.
Loving The Plateau
The better you get at something, the improvements will be smaller and smaller. So it’s important to love the plateau. If you don’t, you’re gonna be miserable in the longer term.
10 Steps To A Harder Erection
Kegels
Don’t jerk off/Avoid porn
Tongkat Ali
Zinc
Avoid alcohol
Daily sunlight
Lose body fat
Eat watermelon, dark chocolate, pomegranate juice
Zone 2 cardio
Magnesium
Advice To Get Your Shit Together
Take shit into your own hands. Just start, no one’s gonna fucking hold your hand.
Killer Mindset
Get confidence by fighting through tough positions in practice.
TimboSugarShow Ep. 243
Who beats Volk?
He’s a freak. Who can fuck with Volk at 145? He’s short, but a master of range. Powerful and quick.
Moreno vs. Pantoja
I don’t think anyone would be mad if they book this fight again. What a war. Feel kinda bad for Moreno though, he keeps fighting the same guys.
Whittaker vs. DDP
I don’t think anyone thought DDP could beat Whittaker, let alone finish him.
Izzy vs. DDP Face Off
Loved it. No one likes to see respect, it’s boring. This is the entertainment business, you gotta fire up the crowd.
Red Hawk Academy Patreon
On Patreon this month, we’ve done a bunch of giveaways, podcasts, and vlogs.
We’ve been going 4 years strong with our Patreon. There are hundreds of videos on there, with new content going up all the time.
You can get exclusive access to technique videos, extra podcasts, and general healthy living videos.
I reply to everyone on Patreon, so if you have any questions, hit me up there!
»» Click here to check out Red Hawk Academy on Patreon
That ends it for this week’s Red Hawk Essentials.
Hope you enjoyed this one. Give me a like/comment/subscribe below.
If you’re new here, welcome to the fam! We’re dropping gems like this each week.
Luv ya, talk next week.
Tim
Always a great read, cheers big fella
Great stuff here, hell yea brotha. Chill time is sacred if earned. Can't wait for Boston.