When you’re fighting, you rarely think of using your brains. Sure, you still think, but it’s more of a rage-filled type of thinking, as well as one that’s based mostly on instinct and reflex. While the latter two can definitely help you win fights, you can’t exactly count on both to save you multiple times.
Fact is, in a fight, it’s not important how much punishment you can deal, but rather, how much you can take.
If you want to start winning fights more often and losing less, you may want to start using your brains a bit more.
Here are a few tips how.
- Don’t trade punches
Nobody really cares about how much hits you can take. My friend, this isn’t a movie. This is real life. The more you’re hit, the more likely you’ll get knocked down. So, try to avoid a slug fest with your opponent.
While you may inevitably get hit every now and then, the main point of all this is to hit your opponent or knock him or her out and not getting hit or knocked out.
- Exploit weaknesses.
No matter how great of a fighter someone is, they’re bound to have one or two weak spots. The greatest fighters don’t just them often, but they’re there if you look close enough.
With enough focus, you’ll start seeing through the little quirks and tendencies that your opponent has when throwing kicks, elbows, or punches, or when lunging at you. And, once you have a good feel of what your opponent is trying to do, try to exploit it and use it to your advantage.
- Breathe
Much like in training and in stretching, many fighters tend to tense up during fights. That’s a huge mistake. You should never tense up, especially when exerting effort. Instead, you should breathe easy and create a rhythm along with your movement.
The more you’re able to breathe freely, the more you’ll be able to relax and throw powerful combinations, all the while having enough stamina to recover if you miss.
- Focus on the body
A few quick combinations may open the head up for a knockout, but don’t count on that in a fight. Rather, you’ll want to focus on your opponent’s body.
Besides, the more body shots you throw, the more likely your opponent will end up guarding against it and thus, allowing you to land a few headshots.
- Be smart
Vague? Well, it’s not. Fact is, when fighting, you’ll want to be as smart as possible. And, the only way you can do this is to conserve your energy and maintain a constant pace throughout a fight.
Remember, the more consistent your pace, the less likely you’ll drop your guard and the longer you’ll last in a fight. This, almost always, end up guaranteeing a win.
