Intuitively, the best drive or fuel one can use to take a person down in a physical combat is unfiltered anger or aggression. But this can easily be the cause for your loss of focus and wind you up on the receiving end of punches. In combat Sports, fighters use strategies that are methodical and pivotal to their victories. Methodical in the sense that no uncalculated move is taken. From a fighter's stance and foot placement to his or her dodges are all accounted by the vicious training that goes behind the preparation for each fight.
Floyd Mayweather is a five-division world champion in the world of Boxing who has time and again earned respect from his opponents for his elegant style in the art.
Those who have fought the boxer have great things to say about his technique and overall discipline.
So what makes him so great?
- Mayweather has a separate persona inside the square circle - a persona that's different from the one outside of it. He's smart and calm. He's composed. Unwavered by the talent of his opponent; focused on himself. All Mayweather cares about is winning. It doesn't matter to him how the victory is achieved as long as it's achieved. This allows him to put up a beautiful fight.
- Floyd Mayweather has a way of wearing his opponent out. This, he achieves by putting up an impregnable defense. His dodges are perfectly executed. He makes his opponents miss their shots in many different ways. This prevents them from predicting his next moves and calibrating their punches accordingly.
- Speaking of his impregnable defense, Mayweather's defense skills are close to perfect with the aptly timed reactions. He does not waste his energy by throwing punches that he's not sure would land efficiently. This induces frustration in the opponent, which is a key component in Mayweather's strategic victories.
- Mayweather spends the first few rounds of a match studying his opponent. Draining the energy of his competitors, he makes observations that are necessary for him to optimise his performance. This also gives him the advantage of ending up with more stamina and confidence toward the end. The opponent by this point will have tired himself out and would begin to wobble.
- After taking all the necessary steps, it's time to throw some punches. Mayweather's punches are notorious for their accuracy and sheer power. They're immaculately and elegant. They're relentless and unavoidable. All Mayweather has to do toward the end of a match is throw two or three punches which will be enough to knock the opponent down.
What can we learn?
Floyd Mayweather's boxing philosophy can be used to extract some useful life lessons.
His career has taught us that if you want to achieve greatness, you should remain consistent. It's so much harder to stay at the top than to get there. Yet, Mayweather has been at the top for over 18 years with his passion and love for the sport.
Secondly, his boxing career and rise to the top is a testimony to the fact that your circumstances don't control you as long as you're willing to control your circumstances.
His father being a drug addict and having to share a room with seven other family members, Mayweather's life could've easily taken a different direction.
Mayweather's control and composure were only attained through hard work and discipline. He knew when to work and when to play. He didn't just work or just play. His relentless training could've only been fueled by his self-motivation to become the greatest. When no one believes in you, you got to believe in yourself because if you find yourself at the mercy of other people's validation, you won't reach that far.