Self doubt, indecision, & fear the three horsemen that destroy your chances for success. If you have one of these feelings the other two are nearby. If you have doubt in your abilities as a fighter or are incisive on how you are going to fight your opponent, fear will automatically kick in & take over. Your chances of being victorious before even entering the ring will be knocked out. These emotions will effect your performance due to the mind / body connection. You will hesitate on fully committing to your techniques & combinations while fighting. You will telegraph your movements due to indecision and your speed of your techniques will slow down due to being stiff & rigid.

Like animals, which sense fear, humans are no different. The vibrations of fear pass from one mind to another just as quickly & surely as a human voice. Your opponent across the ring will sense your fear & use it to his advantage. The three horsemen need to be mastered before claiming your title in or outside of the ring.

Here are some tips

1. Think from your opponents mind, what would he do?
2. Watch & analyze your opponents fights to get a sense of his game plan
3. Focus & remind yourself of your strengths as a fighter.
4. At night before going to sleep rehearse your fight plan in your mind & what you will do to counter attacks
5. Have a flexible fight plan ready in your mind & stick to it

'IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE VICTORY YOU MUST PLACE YOURSELF IN YOUR OPPONENT'S SKIN.IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND YOURSELF, YOU WILL LOSE 100% OF THE TIME.IF YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF YOU WILL WIN 50% OF THE TIME.
IF YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF & YOUR OPPONENT YOU WILL WIN 100% OF THE TIME.'

Tsutomu Oshima