How to Take a Punch in a Fight

How's it going. Ando again from Sensei Ando.com.So, the other night I took a really good knee to the head and it gave me two things--one, a splitting headache and two, the idea that it's time to make a video on how to take a punch.Now, if you do a search on that topic you'll find a bunch of good videos already out there. They'll tell you to keep your jaw shut,keep your chin down, stay loose, and always roll with that punch.That's all exactly right. But what do you do when you can't slip it and you can't roll?What do you do when you actually take the shot and get rocked? Today, I'm gonna give you two training tips that will not only help you take a punch,they'll help you get back into the fight. But first, here's my name in really big letters.Please remember, I am not a medical professional.

How to Take a Punch in a Fight

I'm just a guy who's been clocked a lot. So, take my advice and practice at your own risk.Okay, so you get rocked. BAM. Tip number one is probably the best piece of advice I've ever gotten in the martial arts.Here it is. When you get hit, focus before you quit.Let's say you take a kick right to the face. "Hold it, hold it!"Let's say someone jams their fingers right into your eye. "Ow! Stop, stop!"You see the problem there?Look, life will not stop for you. Time will not stop for you.Bad guys will not stop for you. When you get rocked you've got to do something to get your focus back.Take a breath. Take a step. Get back into your stance. Throw a punch. Do something to help you move through the moment instead of trying to stop it.Once you get your focus back, then you can stop. When I got kneed in the head the other night,my partner stopped himself. He's like, "Oh, sorry, sorry." But I said no, it's okay, just keep going. Keep going.Now, I didn't go for 10 minutes, I just went long enough to clear the cobweb sand put myself back into a strong position.So, let me be clear. I'm not telling you to ignore your pain or fear.I'm telling you to control it. The next time you get jammed in the eyes, you break a finger, you tweak your knee, take an elbow in the face,don't freak out. Take a breath, protect yourself, and get your focus back.It may sound crazy, but the moment when you get rocked or even injured,that's the closest you're gonna get to the feeling of a real fight. That makes it the most valuable moment in all of your training.So, don't waste it.

How to Take a Punch in a Fight2

 When you get rocked, you get a glimpse at the real you.Who are you when you get hit? Are you a quitter or are you a fighter?Do you lose your mind or can you keep your cool? Just know this-- if you are training to quit and give up every time you get rocked or hurt, you my friend, are training a habit that's going to get you killed in a real fight.So, last time-- when you get hit, focus before you quit.Tip number two: give yourself a trigger word.You know how security dogs are trained to attack when they hear a secret code word?One second they're lying there licking themselves, then you say, "Sauerkraut!"Suddenly, they turn into a killing machine. Well, you can do the same thing.Not the the licking part, I meant just... Moving on. When you get rocked, it's easy to get lost in a fog of pain and panic. If you want to survive, you've got to clear those clouds as fast as possible. And repeating a trigger word?Well, that's one thing that works for me. When I get rocked, I used to say, "Go, go, go."And then I started using, "Fight, fight, fight." It doesn't really matter what you pick. You can say Shazam. You can say Inuk Chuk. You could say, "Die, mother%$#! Die!"it doesn't matter. Just pick something that fires you up.Make it your mantra. Make it your battle cry. Now, this is important stuff because even though you may start the fight with a lot of confidence and bravado, but once you take a shot, the voices in your head can easily start turning on you.You're going to hear them shouting, "Ow! Run! Hide! Mommy!"You can't let that happen. Remember this-- you can't control a fight, if you can't control your mind.So, give your mind something to focus on.One word is all it takes to get you back into the fight. Of course, there's a life lesson here.We all take hits every day.Your girlfriend's cheating on you. BAM! Your business partner's stealing from you. POW!You're stuck in a traffic jam.You lost your job. A friend dies. You slam your fingers in a car door.There's no more whipped cream at Starbucks. Every day, all day, you aretaking hits big and small.Don't forget that each hit you take is a chance to strengthen your fighting spirit.Don't let anything or anyone take away your balance.Don't let anything or anyone take away your breath. And don't let anything oranyone make you tense up, curl up, or give up. No matter what happens out there,when you get rocked,face it, take a breath, assess the situation,make a decision, take action, and follow through.No joke-- the most important habit that you can develop is to control your mind.When you take a hit,train yourself to keep breathing, keep thinking, and keep moving.That's not just a secret to winning a fight, that's the secret to winning at life.Okay, did you pick out a trigger word yet?You haven't? Do that right now. Give yourself a trigger word. Put it into yourpractice and then let me know how it goes.If you liked today's tips, don't forget to look over there or down there andfind the link that will get you on my free email updates list.That's the best way to stay in touch and to keep up to date with every tip I put out.Until next time, keep moving my friend, and keep fighting for a happy life.