This week like the week before, I haven’t spent any time at the gym, but I have made sure I’ve started working on my fitness with runs and sprint training and also I’m concious that I need to start making sure my weight is heading in the right direction. I’m pleased to say as of Monday I’m back training again, and having a fight to work towards in February gives me a lot of focus with training. After all I know that I’ll need to work hard. I’m coming up to my thirteenth fight now so I know it won’t be easy.

I want to get my weight down to 61kg by mid January, and seeing as I intend to start training either five or six times a week I’m confident that by the time the show comes around I’ll be ready.  I’m not sure who I’m going to be fighting yet, I know that in comparison to my last fight I need to work even harder to make sure I win. A lot of that of course comes down to mentality. When I used to fight for my old gym in Bournemouth, I asked on more than one occasion about whoever it was I would be fighting and my trainer would usually tell me just to train and that it didn’t matter. Over the course of the following weeks  he’d tell me a little about my opponent. Usually all I would see was a name on a blackboard that took on all different shapes sizes, and years of experience.

These days, things are a little different as I’ve stepped up a few times now and know the best way to develop the correct mindset and attitude is to train hard, get on with it and of course focus on winning. I know that as long as I do my best out the gym and in the ring then things should go my way. But being honest, sometimes it still makes me a little nervous. I listened to a good pod cast this week on overcoming your fears and how fighters will learn to channel their fear into action. ‘Fear into fire’ as someone said to me a while back.

I’ve found that I’m very much a forward fighter and I am usually on the attack, I can take a lot but I hit, punch, kick and knee hard. I’ve yet to get to a point where I am fighting under full Thai rules but if and when I do I’m sure I’ll deliver elbows with some venom too.Iv’e learnt the worst thing I can possibly do under pressure is start to worry about what my opponent is going to do to me.It is all about what you are going to do them. I know I’ve said this before but it’s something I like to reinforce. Usually to remind myself of where my focus needs to be, and also because when I adopt that mentality it helps me channel that ‘fear into fire.’

I think that just as equally as it’s important to focus on your own goals and mentality it’s also important to make sure that those around you are going to push you to be at your best. I’m pleased to say I have always been surrounded by people very much on the same path as me, and so there’s a lot of reasons to always remain inspired.

So it’s good to have a real focus with training again other than wanting to improve, and being honest I always find the training and build up to shows just as exciting as the fight itself. And that’s even on the tough ‘tired’ days. (if you speak to me on Facebook it’s guaranteed you’ll see at least one ‘knackered’ status next week.) In the meantime, have a fantastic week, train hard and I’ll see you on the road.