On my trip to Thailand over the weekend I decided that I would fight a small professional Thai fighter that would do a quick demo for me so I could experience a “Thai fight” without actually risking an official beat down. I ended up in an amateur Muay Thai fight on a random island egged on by my testosterone infused buddies. Was it a good idea? Absolutely not and I am sure as hell never doing that again. But I did learn a valuable lesson about trusting my instincts.
I’ve been taking martial arts for over a decade but it wasn’t until last weekend while I was in Thailand that I finally understood the great Bruce Lee and my own Fighting Instinct.
Lee stated that the “fancy mess” created by ritualizing fighting “is nothing but a blind devotion to the systematic uselessness of practicing routines or stunts that lead nowhere…real combat is not fixed and is very much ‘alive’[.]“
We arrived at Kho Phi Phi island where we found a Muay Thai bar holding amateur fights. I volunteered to be the next fighter. At this point, I was still expecting to use my reach advantage against a shorter opponent. At 6’2″ tall and with long monkey arms, this has been my go-to in training for years.
Here’s some commentary before the fight. Getting nervous.
Ok, I was ready. We stood ringside to watch some of the fights. I started to feel a sick feeling in my stomach. These guys were really going at it.
Admittedly, I nearly chickened out but my buddies convinced me to stay in it. I stepped onto the mat. The ring master paraded me around with my hand lifted up in the air. I felt like I was watching a bad martial arts movie. The difference was that I wasn’t in Ong Bak. I was scared. Maybe I would be so intimidating that no one dared to do battle with me? Wrong again, Angarita. A red-haired man raised his hands. As he stood up, it dawned on me that he was taller than me. Oh crap, I thought. I was relying on my reach. I couldn’t believe I was about to fight the only guy in Thailand that was 6’4″. He was a French Savat fighter on holiday. Great…After spending 4 months in France, I was not happy at the prospect of getting my butt kicked by a French guy. No offense, but the bureaucracy of that place was already killing me figuratively. A physical beating was more than I could bear.
Too late now. The fight was on…
I was nervous at first because his reach was so unexpected. But as I relaxed, I stopped thinking about his advantage and just allowed my instincts to take over. I got through it and ended up winning the fight by decision. Plan on retiring while I’m still undefeated 
I learned some unexpected lessons. I learned that in life, you can practice all you want but you can never prepare for every eventuality. Despite facing the unexpected, It’s not until you really take a risk that you feel the learning on an instinctual level. All those years of training only made sense when I stepped into the ring. I used much of what I had learned but I quickly left old habits and adapted to my limitations, letting go of rigid training routines. I didn’t have a reach advantage so I moved differently. I didn’t have to try, I just had to let it happen.
Whether it’s starting a business, applying to school, or asking a crush on a date…It’s all the same. After adequate preparation, you will only make gains once you try. Once you do, you may end up surprising yourself with your own creativity after surrendering to your instincts. In this case, it was my Fighting Instinct.
Take away: Preparation is absolutely essential for success. Once you’ve trained, the only way to really hit that next level is to surrender to your instincts. Have faith that they will guide the way.
Exercise: Place myself in situations where I am well prepared but confronted with unexpected obstacles so that I have to rely on my instincts.
Note to Self: My ear still hurts. Don’t do that again…
Alex
[...] Project Global Instincts Discover through my adventures what it takes to succeed in a connected world. « Thailand – Finding my Fighting Instinct [...]
Should have thrown him down a flight of stairs and then soccer kicked his face.
Excellent advice. Definitely will put it into play on the next one