We have all had this problem at one point or another. Any tips on getting guys motivated to see through to there full potential?
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We have all had this problem at one point or another. Any tips on getting guys motivated to see through to there full potential?
I have students with fights coming up and a few only show up half the time. I keep an eye on them and try to get them to show up and put the hard work in but it's sometimes easier said than done. I don't know if I'm being an asshole or being to hard on these guys or what.
Any of you guys have some pointers. What do you do to get them going when they are in a rut?
thanks
At my gym our coach only green lights people to fight based upon their dedication towards their training. Are these guys just fighting independently without representing the gym?
Another approach is to just inform them about the potential reality of what could go bad in the cage and how every minute they're not training puts them closer to serious injury. Brian Yamasaki over at Damage Control MMA wrote a very great article about a fighter who was badly injured in a cage fight: http://damagecontrolmma.com/a-fist-f...-to-your-face/
From the article: "And I think most of those that come in wanting to fight have no idea what can happen or how easily it can. I think they watch TV and see fights and always relate to the champion or the guy with his hand raised. Rarely do they say to themselves, “geeze I could have my jaw wired shut for the next 5 weeks, have metal plate put in my head, or lose the ability of speech for a while”. I don’t think they have the slightest clue as to the fact that getting hit hurts. I know it sounds ridiculous but I swear most of these guys just don’t get it."
I highly recommend the article.
My coach (Ian Freemantle) tells us that jiu jitsu fluctuates and your game will always rise then slow down and then rise and then slow down even longer until eventually you plateau. This is because after your game develops in certain areas you start focousing on other things and that primary area weakens and so on. Thus the importance of drilling! and reviewing basics on a regular basis.
Sometimes i would get bummed down when my rolling sucks or i feel like im not moving forward but when he reminded me of that i simply saw this as a 'bump' on my road and simply kept driving.
Try that on your students or partner, it definitely worked on me. :)
Find the right guys. I'm tired of trying to motivate people who don't want it, or don't want to work for it. I got a day job and my time is becoming more precious. I don't get paid though. That would make me more patient.
They do represent the gym I work at. I did have to tell one of my fighters this week that he can't fight, but it just sucks. He is prolly my most naturally talented scrapper. This is why I just don't know what to do anymore. He is young so maybe its just a stage. He'd rather party right now than dedicate himself and it drives me nuts 'cause he could be smashing guys right now.
Oh, i thought you meant they werent motivated because they were having difficulties.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn Arnold
Damn, to get them to show up if they arent showing up would be hard i guess... i dunno, im curious myself as to how to motivate them to train. IMO however, i dont think you should have to push anyone to train, because then their training isnt gonna be that great. If you have to convince them to come train, its a problem i dunno, but thats just my opinion i may be extremely off haha :) but i hope you get a good advise
Unfortunately thats not the issue. Some just don't put in the sparring and mat time they need... but you are right about that area fo sho!
I pull a fighter without even thinking about it. They don't train properly they don't fight period. I've told people to leave my gym before, as they were hazards to themselves and others. Safety is priority, and its my responsibility. I would never put a stamp of approval on one of my fighters if they were not 100%. I wouldn't let them risk their health and the reputation of my team and our staff, we've put too much blood, sweat, tears, passion and time in to let one doorknob screw up their life because they didn't prepare properly.
If you have guys that dont put in the time at some point you have to tell them that you cant put anymore time into them, and tell them when they show up like so and so does and put time in you are behind them 100%. Its kinda cutting your losses or they will get it and show up. IMO you have to give the time to the people that are consistent and just make them better. We have some very naturally talented fighters but they just dont show up. Once a week here and there with promises of Im good now and am gonna start training right. Here one day gone the next. Just my thoughts.
"If you have some guys that don't put in the time at some point you have to tell them that you can't put anymore time into them". I will be sure to tell them that in the future. Thanks Woolsey (I'm stealing that quote btw. lol)
Chris, I have felt like telling people to just leave and don't come back till they want to take this seriously, I guess I've just been too chicken shit to lose a student, but I need to do something, the frustration just isn't worth it anymore. It wouldn't bug me if they just wanted to attend class and have fun, but when I make that commitment to train them for a fight and they don't match my dedication its just so f'n aggravating!!! I can't even begin to fathom how much progress I've lost on my own game spending time trying to make others better, I'm sure you know the feeling! But I will surely take your advice and start cutting my losses. thank you; you sir, are the man!
I love that. thats how u run a fuckin gymQuote:
Originally Posted by Chris Herzog
No problem my friend.
Shawn I see it this way, I think of it as they are taking up the space and time of a student who will put in the same effort that I put into them. When I put alot of time and effort into someone and they don't follow through with what their end of the deal was, I feel like they lied to me and stole from my other students.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn Arnold
I hear ya. There have been people along the way that I didn't give two shits and a f about. but it really sucks when I have these really talented guys that I do care about and really want to see them succeed. I guess I was being a little ignorant in starting this post... just like a new jj student wants to learn one or two magical moves that will make his whole game better, I wanted one or two magical answers to how to get these guys moving (dumb... I know). But, unfortunately in the end it is there decision whether they will put in the work or not, not mine. Thanks again Chris
fucking word!! I just jumped up and did 20 push ups after reading that! I think thats how you do it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Herzog
Why do they want to fight in the first place? I bet they agreed to it under flawed premises. If girls are the motivating factor, they usually don't stay committed until they grow out of it. Or 'balance it better' would be a better way to put it.
^ good point. I do get alot of the "I want to be a fighter" douche nozzles that just want to tell people they are a fighter. But this isn't the case with who I'm worried about. bobby rivers huh... That's going to take some gettin used to. No more Sponginmothafuckinbob! bummer
Don't get me wrong I love my students, and I try to keep a positive atmosphere at the Academy. However I am always honest with my students, and wouldn't crush their goals and dreams, I promote them. I let them know that their goals may change over time and if they change keep me up to date, so as a coach I can push and motivate them appropriately.
I motivate my students by teaching them a few things. First, Champions are made not Born. Second, if you are going to be a dedicated athlete you must accept the fact the your motivation must come from within, If you need a friend get a dog. Third, First Place finishers finish in first place, second place finishers finish in second place, third place finishers finish third, and this is consistent. Forth, talent is not enough. I also show an example by always training hard and letting my students know that it will never be easy for them and that they must live in condition.
My trainer has a saying "work beats talent when talent doesnt work".
The gyms culture as a whole dictates how hard an individual works. In our gym, we try to make it clear to everyone that no one is more or less important than anyone else. The person who does the fitness class on a Tuesday and cheers at the fight nights should have the same status as the most experienced fighter, as one cant exist without the other. You dont get far without sparring/rolling partners, pad holders, corner men. Its not an individual sport at all and people need to know it. People are much less inclined to let their mates down than let them selves down.
We had a very talented fighter in our gym. Physically impressive, technically brilliant and everyone looked up to him. When I was invited to move up to our fighters class, between rounds you did press ups or sit ups. One guy in the class (who spoke very little english) was doing both, so I followed his example. The talented guy I mentioned sidled up to me and said "you dont have to go too hard". In other words, if you do that, I will have to as well, and I dont want to. That guy and a couple of others like him poisoned the culture of the gym, performed very badly and ruined several promising fighters who picked up his habits. He got the boot, but it was very hard on my trainer because he was technically one of the best guys he had trained and represented a huge investment in time. Time that would have been better spent on someone else.
We are really excited because we are getting a guy to train with us next year and he has hardly any experience and will never fight beyond sparring, its not in his nature. We are excited because he is a veteran endurance racer and trains like an animal, his work ethic is flawless and he will drag everyone else up with him.
That was just an incredibly long winded version of "talent or no talent, if they dont work, cut em", which has been said already. But also, get rid of one guy who doesnt work before it turns into ten guys that dont work.
^ I just did another 20 push ups
I dont know for me its simple, if you want your coach to invest time in you, you have to show them the respect of doing what they ask. Of course you pay gym dues but that covers gym time and instruction not the extra efort of coming over and saying hay your missing this one little detail or taking that few minutes after class to awnser a question or giving you a little extra help with something. Now if you try hard to do everything your coach tells you and push your self as hard as you can and you dont get those little extras you should probably find another gym!
You say "could you show me how to....." at the end of the class and I dont know how many times I have still been there getting one on one training an hour and a half later. The good ones cant help themselves.
My guys know that if they don't train ill pull them from the card. If I have to pull them from the card it makes me my school n our team look bad. Looking bad make it harder to get fights for the other guys cause the promoters don't want guys who don't show.....so they are fuckin their team mates and that ain't gonna happen cause you will need to find a new place to train. Same goes for not making weight
We don't have those issue because I don't let everyone gift and when my guys r ready, they already understand this concept