Put this battle-tested advice from Ognjen Topic into practice to become the best fighter you can be. Although distilled in fighting, these lessons apply to every domain of your life. There's a pattern to becoming the best you can be. Know the pattern, chase the challenge, and become your best... [...]
The evidence is in. Using a pre fight ritual boosts confidence and performance, fact! Pre fight superstition and ritual are an inherent part of all combat sports, and are baked into the culture of Muay Thai. From Pra Jiad arm bands, Mongkhon headgear, lucky amulets, and sak yant tattoos, to wai kru and ram muay [...]
Even elite pros require methods for coping with pre fight nerves. And it begins with accepting how you really feel, before adopting strategies to manage that pre fight anxiety when it crops up... And it will! Every fighter has nerves before a fight. If they didn't, they can't perform their best. However, it's important [...]
Fighter mental strength training isn't only about what happens on the pads or in sparring. Mental strength is built over the long-term from the habits you repeat each day. In reality, everything you do is an opportunity to either cement the identity of someone who either: 1. Avoids challenging situations or circumstances or gives [...]
In the last episode, I explained that consistent effort over the long-term makes the biggest difference to your performance. To achieve that, there’s a common denominator – DISCIPLINE. Discipline is what you need when your motivation has run dry… And it’s exponentially more important! [...]
There are a ton of different reaction time training methods and an ever-increasing crop of reaction training devices… And for fighters, they’re NOT all created equal. Some methods really only function as warm-up or movement activities, whereas others can develop Saenchai-like reflexes in the ring! [...]
The mindset of Liam Harrison, capable of coming back despite being knocked down twice in succession by a fast-starting Muangthai PK.Saenchai in the first round at ONE 156... Looking on, it seemed he was done. But Liam's mind kicked into overdrive instead of overwhelm. With two "lives" gone, and a final one left... He got up, and knocked the Thai down 3 [...]
This episode looks at overcoming pre-fight fear, how introverts can shift state to fight at their best, and why it takes more than a solid S&C program to become a champion! Join the most informed Muay Thai performance community out there! Subscribe Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/donheatrick Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/heatrick-heavy-hitters-muay-thai-performance/id1381118000 Spotify: [...]
Sports science is often shot down by elite fighters… Fighters that offer themselves as world class performers, who don’t follow a scientific approach to their training, and that often criticise the performance of others that do. And it’s an understandable mindset when that’s appeared to be the reality for you [...]
Riddle me this... What becomes more difficult the better you get? ...Have you got it? I'll tell you where I'm going with this, my answer is... Improvement But this is much more than just a riddle... If you want to become the best you can be, we must unpack this [...]
Muay Thai seems to attract more than it's fair share of "nice" people... So how can a nice person hit another person with the kind of destructive power that Muay Thai is designed to inflict? In a recent Heavy Hitters program support call, Arnaud asked how can he overcome a [...]
One of the kings of bodyweight exercise, the push up, is often practiced with poor form. Form that translates into your straight punches, particularly as you get tired. Fighters know that rotating the fist too early results in chicken winging, the elbow prematurely flaring out. And that this not only [...]
Today, are you heading out predominantly for a Training session, a Practice session, or a Spoiling session? Let me explain what I mean by these... Training - moves you forward, it’s progressive, uses developmental loads and drills Practicing - reinforces existing skill, creates good habits, maintains athletic qualities Spoiling - [...]
Despite what you may think, there’s a lot of technique involved in running economically. Just because you can run, doesn’t mean that you’re running efficiently… I know for a fact that a lot of you guys are making this same mistake I have… because your running cadence, or steps per minute [...]
Phase 1: Newbie Gains When you first start Muay Thai training, you’re swimming in a sea of technical corrections! As time goes on, with consistent practice of the core (game-changing) movements and techniques, fewer corrections are needed to achieve reliable performance. You’re moving along the continuum from novice to expert. [...]
I’ve been asked why I thought Jonathan Haggerty, at only 22 years old and 16 professional fights to his name, managed to defeat Thai legend Sam-A (with 336 wins and only 46 losses) to claim the ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai world title. So here are my thoughts... I’ll begin by putting fight [...]
If you want to know how to get good at Muay Thai fast... Here I share my Muay Thai performance coaching principles – that'll not only reduce how long it takes to get good at Muay Thai, but also sustain consistent improvement year on year too. In every session, the objective is to [...]
There's a lot of video clips out there showing snapshots of Anthony Joshua's strength and conditioning training. I thought I'd take a quick look specifically at reaction training, and chat through some thoughts. And if there's another video out there that you'd like me to discuss, please get in contact and let me know! ;) [...]
Here’s the thing… You might not admit it, but I guarantee there’s something in your life that you’re powerless over… …And it’s become unmanageable. That’s an addiction, and denial is one of the characteristics! If you’ve read my blogs before, you’ll know I’m no stranger to drawing inspiration and expertise from diverse fields. And [...]
You might not be ready to hear this, but I’m going to say it anyway. Guess what, everything that happens to you is your fault. …I can feel a wave of aversion rising – “but” what if this, or that… Ok, to pander to this argument a little... other people can affect what happens to [...]
