What it takes to be a fighter

Written by Neal “The Rhino” Craft

To be a fighter a person needs to have guts, heart, intelligence, and a good gym with knowledgeable coaches.

If a fighter does not have heart, if he cannot stand up to adversity, then he or she should not be fighting. Having heart is the ability to continue to fight like a madman even when he is losing, even when he is down on points, even when he is dead tired. Without heart; without the will to win, a fighter has nothing. He may win or not but without heart he will not survive long and will not reach the heights of his abilities.



A fighter has to have guts because to step into the cage, on the mat, or in the ring with a person who is most likely just as prepared and just as willing to shed blood is a very scary thing. A fighter has to be able to not care about the odds, the skills, or the crowd of his opponent. He has to be able to forget all of that and try his best to destroy his opponent. Fear keeps a fighter sharp, but guts help him to pull off the move from his ass that might save the day.

If a fighter is a stupid fighter he is a losing fighter. Having brains keeps a fighter learning, evolving, and changing with the sport. Without intelligence a fighter will not be able to grow and become better. A dumb fighter thinks he knows everything and that his coaches can show him nothing. A smart fighter learns all he can and becomes the best at all areas of the game. If he is weak he will become strong because he is smart enough to know he needs to work on his weaknesses and become better. He learns from his mistakes and then becomes better.

The last thing or maybe the first thing that a fighter needs to fight is a good team with good coaches. Some say fighting is not a team sport but it truly is. A fighter's team is what helps him be better. Training alone in a basement or garage only will get a fighter so far. A fighter with a good team and good coaches will go so much farther. A team helps push a fighter to be better, not get stale, and have better technique. Having a good coach helps a fighter learn his craft. A coach helps a fighter monitor his diet, stay in shape, push him to excel, keep him from taking dumb fights, and teaches him the skills and knowledge to be a great fighter. Also a coach is a fighter's eyes and ears in the cage. The coach sees what a fighter does not. If a fighter does not have a good coach then he should not be in the cage.

To be a fighter a person needs the will to fight. Without the will to fight and to become better then he should do something that is less dangerous to his health. Because a fighter without the will to fight just becomes the punching bag to a fighter who knows that he wants to be there. But when a fighter has the will, the drive, the heart, brains, and the technique then he might become a legend.