Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings

It doesn't matter whether you are an amateur fighter with a professional goal or simply someone eager to prepare for the worst, because there are certain fundamental workouts that will set every fighter ready for action. You will need to learn a number of things, including the best workout-specific workouts, what kind of food to eat, as well as some different fighting techniques.

To step

1. Stick to a rigorous training schedule. Professional fighters train for months before they even enter a ring; amateur fighters should try to do the same to not only get in top shape, but also perfect basic techniques. There are three extremely important points on which your training should at least focus, namely your fitness, core strength and muscle mass:
   • Do cardio. This is the foundation of battle preparation: fighters must not only have excellent stamina, but also be capable of a burst of power at a crucial moment during a fight. In contrast, tired fighters often tend to lower their arms, leave their weak spots undefended, and stop attacking consistently during the later rounds of the fight. Do interval training to simulate the physical attack on your body from a real fight; This form of exercise has been shown to be a particularly fast and effective way to improve the condition of your heart.
   • Do core exercises. A fighter gets a large part of his or her strength from the core, which ensures that the entire body can move as a whole. Try to do exercises that target many different muscle groups, such as chin-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and thrusts.
   • Train with weights. Weight training makes it easier for fighters to build muscle and strength, allowing them to use a stronger attack. Especially the chest, shoulders and arms are important in fighting styles that mainly deal with the upper body, such as boxing; do the lying bench press, dumbbell military press, lateral raise, bicep curl and tricep kickback to strengthen your chest, shoulders and arms. Other fighting styles, such as MMA, require a more balanced workout that includes both the upper and lower body; do the squat-thrust, hamstring curl, single-leg squat, step-up, barbell deadlift and the barbell squat to strengthen your calves, thighs and glutes.
2. Eat foods that help your muscles develop. You should pay attention to how much vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and water you are taking in to prevent muscle fatigue and the build-up of waste products in your body. In addition, you should also emphasize eating healthy protein sources to build mass.
3. Learn to punch. Start with a basic punch, making sure to practice with both your dominant and your non-dominant hand. Once you have mastered this basic technique, you can use more advanced methods such as:
   • Jabbing: The jab (direct punch) is a short blow usually performed with the non-dominant hand and used to keep your opponent away from you. To maximize the effectiveness of the jab, professional boxers rotate their arm and wrist just before making contact with the opponent.
   • Cross punching: Unlike a jab, where you thrust straight in front of your body, the force required for the cross (right direct) comes from the shoulder and this slight upward movement is made in front of your body by the dominant hand.
   • Hooking: The hook can be aimed at both the head and the body of the opponent - depending on what is left unprotected - and is often used in conjunction with other types of punches. The main disadvantage of this punch is that it leaves your defense open to a counter-punch.
   • Uppercutting: The uppercut is an upward-pointing punch that can be performed with either the left or the right hand and is especially effective when there is little space between you and your opponent.
4. Learn combinations of combat moves. As with chess, individual fighting moves are not worth much in and of themselves; however, if executed in a scheduled sequence, they can defeat an opponent. Learn how to not only combine movements from your chosen sport, but also how to defend yourself against these types of combinations. In boxing, the most standard combination is a jab followed by a cross. Another effective combo adds a hook to this. (If you are right handed this would be a left fist jab, followed by a right fist cross and ending with a left fist hook.)
5. If you do bare-knuckle fighting (fighting with the bare fist), you must condition your knuckles accordingly. This makes the nerves in your hand less sensitive. Note that some fighting styles (eg many traditional martial arts) correct sensitivity throughout your body encourage and therefore never recommend making your nerves less sensitive.
6. Learn how to deflect blows. Knocking away your opponent's blows, called blocking, is the simplest way to deflect a blow. In boxing there are also more advanced techniques such as:
   • Slipping: If your opponent hits your head, you must quickly turn your hips and shoulders away.
   • Bobbing and weaving: If your opponent hits to a high point on your body (eg a hook to the head), you should bend your legs (bob) and then bend your body just out of reach (weave).
7. Learn to take a blow. When you are boxing, try to block what you are doing by taking the blow with your gloves instead of with your body.
8. Find someone to spar with. This allows you to better prepare yourself for real fights, improve your reflexes, develop your hand-eye coordination and get the right mindset. Make sure you practice with someone better than you; nothing is obtained without challenge.
9. Develop a winning mindset. We often wonder how professional athletes who have gone through extensive training and years of experience can lose so horribly in a competition. The answer to that is simply that competitions are about both physical and mental strength. To get the right mindset you have to train until your body knows the movements so well that your mind can focus on the opponent; listen to music that gives you more energy while you exercise; learn to interpret pain as a step on the path to victory; visualize how you fight, defend and win; the most important thing is to learn to love fighting.

Tips

• Train hard but have a fixed routine so that you do not suffer from muscle pain.
• Always go to the bathroom before a fight (ideally # 2) to keep your weight as low as possible and stay light on your feet.
• Always do some stretching before you start exercising. Overextended joints and ruptured ligaments will not have a positive effect on your performance in combat.
• Always try to intimidate your opponent; if your opponent thinks he / she is going to lose, he / she will. Growl, insult, look like the world belongs to you, and do whatever it takes.
• If your opponent is much taller than you, use low kicks to knock out his knees. He can't fight if he can't stand.

Warnings

• Don't see this as an encouragement to provoke a fight. If you start a fight in the street, it may be that your opponent is trained, can call for help, or is armed. Only fight when there is absolutely no other option.
• Be careful not to seriously harm anyone, including yourself. Listen to your body: if you are injured, you should rest.
• If you suspect that you have been injured, you should not continue a fight; although your body will be full of adrenaline and you may not feel that much pain at all, you may be in for a nasty surprise once everything has settled down.