How To Remain Calm During The Toughest Of Battles
The ability to stay calm under pressure means you are able to remain composed and focused in challenging and high-stress situations.
It means you have full control over all your emotions and are able to control your actions/reactions.
Because when you stay calm, you are able to make clear and rational decisions, rather than reacting impulsively and regretfully.
This skill is one of the most important skills in boxing and even though it may seem obvious, there is one key reason most trainers fail to mention that will be discussed below
Difference Between Staying Calm and Being Mentally Tough
Before discussing why keeping calm is so important we need to distinguish the difference between mental toughness and staying calm under pressure.
Mental toughness is all about dealing with stress. While staying calm is all about controlling your emotions
Let us explain
Imagine you are doing sprints on a treadmill, you’re tired, your legs are sore, and you’re drenched in sweat and you feel like you are just about ready to go home and have a feed
If you had high mental toughness but you lacked the ability to stay calm, then you would choose to continue sprinting but your sprints would be sloppy and you would find it much harder to perform at your maximum output
Vice Versa, with low mental toughness but a strong ability to stay calm, you wouldn’t be willing to do as many sprints, but the sprints you do finish would be well performed with maximum output
And, if you have both, then you are on your way to becoming the best fighter in your class, gym, state, and country
Because what truly makes a fighter great is his ability to perform at maximum output for the longest periods of time. In simpler terms, his ability to TRAIN HARDER than any of his opponents.
If you want to learn how you can develop your mental toughness then Click Here for our full breakdown on “The Boxers Mentality”
Why You Need to Stay Calm
There are many obvious reasons why it is important to stay calm under pressure.
1. Staying calm will allow for better technique
2. Performance anxiety will take a toll on you if you dont control it
3. You need to be able to stay focused to make split-second decisions
And so many more reasons that every trainer will tell you on why staying calm will help you win a fight
But what a lot of people dont realize is the energy transfer between you and your opponent that relies on how well you control your emotions.
And I’m not talking about some hocus pocus magic spell,
I’m talking about how you staying calm and focused can actually scare and intimidate your opponent
But it goes both ways, so if your opponent can smell an ounce of fear then he will be more confident and focused than ever before
This psychological concept is the root of all trash talk in boxing.
By appearing to be big and mean, you can not only break your opponent's confidence but build your own.
However keep in mind, if you fail to break their confidence then you may destroy your own. Click here and scroll down to the “Fear is like Fire” section to learn more about your control over fear and how it can become the deciding factor
So overall the most effective emotion you can feel in boxing is no emotion at all.
And so many more reasons that every trainer will tell you on why staying calm will help you win a fight
But what a lot of people dont realize is the energy transfer between you and your opponent that relies on how well you control your emotions.
And I’m not talking about some hocus pocus magic spell,
I’m talking about how you staying calm and focused can actually scare and intimidate your opponent
But it goes both ways, so if your opponent can smell an ounce of fear then he will be more confident and focused than ever before
This psychological concept is the root of all trash talk in boxing.
By appearing to be big and mean, you can not only break your opponent's confidence but build your own.
However keep in mind, if you fail to break their confidence then you may destroy your own. Click here and scroll down to the “Fear is like Fire” section to learn more about your control over fear and how it can become the deciding factor
So overall the most effective emotion you can feel in boxing is no emotion at all.
Techniques/Concepts To Build Your Ability to Stay Calm
Now that we've established the importance of staying calm under pressure, let's look at some specific techniques you can use to improve your ability to do so.
Breathing
Breathing is the most fundamental part of staying calm. By controlling your breathing you are able to stay relaxed and conserve your energy.
In order to control your breathing the best method is to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. How you breathe in and out would depend on what situation you're in. If the pressure is on you want to breathe in through your nose and out quickly through your mouth.
However, if it is during your rest period then you want to take deep breaths through your nose and exhale while relaxing your whole body.
Choose to Respond, Not React
A big mistake I see in sparring is when someone has been hit a few times and hasn't thrown anything back.
They then feel like they’re losing and this causes them to leap forward and wildly swing punches at their opponent in a desperate attempt to even out the fight.
Because they're going against a trained fighter, it never works and they always get brutally countered
Moral of the story is whether you winning or losing the fight, choose to intelligently and properly respond to your opponent's punches.
As opposed to throwing what we call “hail mary’s” because you're just praying they land
Take Care of Your Body
Your mind is stored in your body, so it's important to take care of yourself physically in order to stay mentally strong. This means as well as training you must eat a healthy and nutritious diet and sleep at least 7-9 hours a day.
And to anyone who wants to counter this by saying “What about Tyson Fury and Andy Ruiz”, it’s 2 out of 100’s of boxers so the odds aren't in your favor, and the only place you can find them is the heavyweight division.
So you can be a good boxer while eating bad food but it will be a lot harder mentally and you're going to face some absolute units but best of luck to you.
Visualize success
Visualization is a powerful tool that can help you stay calm and focused. Muhammed Ali said it best when he said
“What you are thinking is what you are becoming. Visualize yourself winning, and you will become a winner.”
Before the match, visualize yourself knocking the other guy out and winning the match.
This takes some of the pressure off and helps cement the idea of victory into your mind, so you’ll be more confident and less scared when you come face to face.
Stay in the moment
Focus on the present moment, don’t get distracted by past mistakes, dont sit there thinking about what happens if you lose. Stay present in the moment and focus on the task at hand.
Because the unfortunate reality of boxing is, if you keep boxing for long enough then you're going to lose a fight but the good news is,
No one actually cares if you lose, it happens and it’s 100% normal so don’t stress about it.
How To Practice and Test Your Ability To Stay Calm
Running
I’ve never met a boxer that enjoys running regardless it is still important and has many both physical and mental benefits.
It is well known that sprints are the best running variation for amateur boxing and best simulate the cardiatric output you would use in your fight.
So it allows you to practice your breathing and stay relaxed while you are tired, without someone punching you in the face
Click Here to learn more about how running can help you and exactly how you should be running as an amateur boxer
Focus Mitts
Focus mitts can help improve your concentration and focus. You can also ask your partner for high-output rounds to tire you out and allow you to work on your breathing while you punch and move.
You can also add more pressure by allowing your partner to slap you with the mitts, this is useful because it will make you comfortable with punches coming towards you,
Without those punches doing any damage
Cold Showers
Taking cold showers can be surprisingly effective in helping you remain calm. When the cold water hits your body, it triggers a physiological response known as the "cold shock response."
The shock of the cold water serves as a distraction, shifting your focus away from stressful thoughts and promoting a sense of invigoration and mental clarity.
So even though it may seem pointless, cold showers are actually a great place to practice staging calm
Sparring
This is where you really find out how much you’ve improved.
Because it’s easy to stay calm and control your breath when running on a treadmill but when the punches are coming in and you’re getting hit, that's when you’re really going to be tested.
So when the pressure is on are you going to react, respond, or curl up into a ball and take a beating
Conclusion
Staying calm under pressure is an essential skill for success in boxing. Because how are you going to fight back against a trained fighter if you can't even think straight?
Thankfully, the ability to stay calm is like a muscle. A muscle that can be trained by practicing controlled breathing, relaxation, and high-level decision-making skills.
One thing I MUST WARN you about is not to be too happy. Unfortunately, happiness can be just as dangerous as fear and anger. While it's great to have a positive attitude, excessive happiness can cause you to become complacent or underestimate the challenges ahead.
So the sad reality is that the best emotion you can have in boxing is no emotion at all.
GET THE MOST OPTIMIZED JUMP ROPE FOR BOXING.
Looking for the best jump rope for boxing?
Built from a high-grade PVC rope, it weighs about 15% more than traditional jump ropes. The added weight and tightness create a satisfying and natural feel.
The BoxRope Vol.1. added agility and control allow you to create superior workouts and achieve greater results. It is simply the finest rope available, and we know you’re going to love it.
If your game to the next level, click here to get the best jump rope for boxing.
