Pre-Fight Nerves – The Ultimate Guide To Keep Calm
Pre-fight nerves are a very real feeling. Sometimes, they’re worse than you expect and can overtake your concentration. Other times they make you feel uncomfortable, biologically or psychologically. Nobody can guess their symptoms from nerves until they experience them.
One thing is common though; an adrenaline rush, your heart racing, and perhaps the need to visit the toilet!
Due to the stigma around pre-fight nerves Martial Artists don’t like to admit, or don’t recognize, their nerves. This isn’t ideal. To overcome them, you must first recognize and establish you’re feeling nervous. Sounds obvious, right? Not many beginners know this. You can identify them as such:
- Butterflies in your stomach, even to the extent of feeling sick or needing to poo.
- A difficulty in concentration – your mind wonders to positive or negative thoughts.
- Feeling a sense of panic, normally coupled with intense and fast breathing.
- Hot flushes and sweaty pores.
The great news is you’ve taken the first steps to seek advice. You’ve done well to recognize you feel nervous before the fight which gives you a head start. It’s okay to feel like this, and it is ordinary across all fighters.
Never beat yourself down for feeling nervous before a fight – in fact, be more concerned if you don’t!
Regardless if you’re a few minutes away from your fight, or preparing for it days in advance, we’ve got you covered:
We intend to help you better understand why you have pre-fight nerves, how to control them, and what they actually mean. So that when you approach your big day, you’re well-equipped and it’s not as much of a big deal.
What Do Pre-Fight Nerves Feel Like
If you let it, pre-fight nerves can drain you mentally, physically, and emotionally – which isn’t ideal moments before a fight. While a moderate amount of pre-fight nerves are healthy, if you allow them to consume you, they take away your concentration and can exhaust your muscles.
The feeling of pre-fight nerves is alien to most because they’re different from the nerves you feel daily, for example:
- As well as nerves, your blood is pumped with adrenaline too. Therefore, the feeling is more intense and fierce compared to what you may be used to.
- Pre-fight nerves can play on your mind more than the nerves you feel daily. Whether it be your pride, reputation, anticipation, or safety – the thoughts can dig at your brain a lot deeper.
While it may be the first time you’ve experienced this feeling, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t expect them. You aren’t alone and it’s totally normal! It’s a shared human trait that we can’t avoid.
Is It Normal To Get Nervous Before A Fight
The first question people ask is if it’s normal to get nervous before fighting. It’s natural to assume you’re the only person in the world who does. We can assure you this isn’t the case.
It’s completely natural to feel nervous before a fight. It comes with the territory of the sport and is arguably part of the fighting cycle: diet, train, nerves, fight, repeat! Pre-fight nerves are an inherited, biological adaptation that keeps you away from danger; so, all humans feel a sense of nerves before a fight.
Our fight or flight reaction is blameworthy for the nerves you feel and is triggered by a threatening situation. Put simply, nobody can switch this response off. Be a street altercation, organized event, or playful fight; they all have a degree of danger, so all trigger some sort of nerves.
The anticipation is also responsible for them. Consider the time, effort and training needed for a fight – it’s a major event in anyone’s life. Remember how much you’ve committed to get to this moment, and now it’s your time to shine. It’s only natural to feel nervous about how you’ll perform.
It could be months before a fight or even seconds, everyone feels nervous, only robots don’t!
Only in extreme circumstances are they not normal, for example:
- They consume you to the extent you go into shock and can’t fight.
- It leads to extreme dizzy spells or fainting.
If you don’t feel any of these you may not know it but you’re in a ideal situation. Why? Because you can channel these nerves to bring out the best of you.
Everyone Gets Nervous, Only Few Can Manage Them
While everyone experiences some sort of pre-fight nerves, not everyone knows how to manage them.
Under the right circumstances, nerves play a critical part in the result of the fight. If you let the nerves control you, you’ll likely overwhelm yourself and freeze up in a block of anxiety.
If used right, not only are you less affected by the pre-fight nerves, but it acts as motivation for the fight. Regardless of your ability, nerve management can be the difference between a win or loss.
Beginners often make the mistake of trying to get rid of their nerves. This only triggers them more. Rather, you want to be comfortable with the idea of pre-fight nerves and manage them to be used like a tool. There are numerous tricks and tips professionals use which we outline here.
Do Professional Fighters Get Nervous Before Fights
Lights, cameras, crowds; but most frightening of them all, their opponent. Professionals have lots on their plate when fighting for an event, so, how do they cope with their nerves?
They’re only human too – meaning, professionals also experience pre-fight nerves. Even when you fight as a career, you can’t escape the nerves that come with being face-on with a challenger wanting to batter you. But, what professionals do differently is they embrace the nerves, rather than oppose them.
This comes as a shock for many as it seems like they’re so composed and brave. However, this is when the cameras are on their face. For example, Mike Tyson used to throw up from pre-fight nerves before his fights but looked like a beast during his walkouts.
It can be argued that professionals have more reasons to be nervous than beginners, for example:
- Financial pressure.
- Lots of eyes watching them.
- Their legacy at steak.
But, despite these reasons, professional athletes have training and experience to prevent it from affecting their performance. It goes back to the idea of nerve management. Being a professional fighter isn’t just about being the most skilled in combat. You must also be an expert in controlling your nerves.
Different professionals handle their pre-fight nerves differently. For example, Floyd Mayweather says “It is what it is” so doesn’t worry about the outcome, Conor Mcgregor fell in love with the feeling, and others prefer to talk to their coaches like Donald Cerrone.
Over time, it’s likely their nerves reduce, once they’re well-routined and had a few professional fights. This often comes with an increase in confidence and a more relaxed approach to the event. However, no matter how many fights they have the nerves won’t ever disappear; they just become less and less significant.
How To Calm Your Nerves Before A Fight
Nerves are an extremely complicated emotion; the more you try to void them, the more powerful they become. Think of it as similar to having chewing gum in your hair! The more you fidget with it, the deeper it sticks.
So, what can you do about them?
Instead, athletes must have a toolbox of techniques that help regulate their nerves and bring worry to a minimum. Some efficient nerve management techniques, for fighters, include:
- Become Friendly With Your Nerves.
- Shadow Boxing/ Light Pad Work.
- Noise Cancelling Headphones.
- Talking To Your Team.
- Visualization.
Become Familiar With Your Nerves
We highlight how pre-fight nerves feel completely different from your daily nerves; often making athletes panic. The heightened intensity of them creates a completely new sensation – one that makes athletes confused, uncomfortable, or worried.
- To avoid the sense of panic, don’t battle the nerves; instead, embrace every feeling they give off. Be conscious of your butterflies, and ride along with them. As soon as you stop fighting the feelings, and understand them, the sensation becomes less significant and you can relax.
- Or, if your nerves consist of recurring thoughts, let them flow into and out of your mind, without paying any notice. We have around 60,000 thoughts a day and only pay attention to the ones that trigger an emotional response. Rather than repeatedly thinking of it, let it sit in your mind, don’t bother the thought, and it will go away by itself.
It’s all about remaining calm. Once your self analyzes, the feelings/ thoughts become familiar. This relaxes your mind and makes them less noticeable. What’s better, the more you practice this, the less you have to try, as it becomes normal to you.
Shadow Boxing/ Light Pad Work
In addition to a great warm-up drill, shadow boxing or light pad work can help ease any pre-fight nerves. A lot of us go into autopilot mode when doing these kinds of drills, which can be viewed as a form of meditation. By keeping your mind engaged in another activity, it takes your concentration away from any nerves you feel.
What’s essential is sticking with shadow boxing / light pad work drills that you’ve done before. Avoid learning new combos at this moment because you want to encourage as much familiarity as possible.
These drills are extremely efficient since they’re repetitive movements, which help you to get into the zone. However, it goes without saying, keep it light, so you avoid getting fatigued before the fight.
Wear Noise Cancelling Headphones
Prevent your mind from wandering by listening to your favorite music on noise-cancellation headphones. Do nothing, but enjoy the songs. It’s simple but effective for three reasons:
- You focus more on the music than your worry, this helps to calm your nerves and relax your mind.
- There will be a rush of endorphins as soon as you play your favorite songs.
- It introduces familiarity into a situation that has a lot of uncertainties.
Noise-cancelation headphones are the best as you fully submerge into your music. Sometimes we feel like we’re on another planet! Without blocking the sounds of our surroundings, it’s challenging to completely let go and relax.
Music is also great for motivation. Regardless of your favorite genre, play songs that mentally prepare you for the fight. Examples include rap, drum and bass, slow music, or even classical if it hypes you!
When you’re in the zone and ready, take them off and get ready to fight!
Speak With Your Team
Support from loved ones can help reduce pre-fight nerves. Humans are social creatures, and sometimes all we need to calm down is interaction. It could be a coach, family member, or a friend; just find someone you’re comfortable with and have a chat with them.
Talking about your nerves helps confront them and often feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Or sometimes, hearing yourself talk about your nerves can make you realize how silly and small they are!
You don’t even have to talk about your pre-fight nerves. For example:
- Discuss your fighting plan. A last-minute discussion can help you feel more equipt and therefore more confident.
- It can be about a completely irrelevant subject – make a joke, tell a story, or whatever to lift your mood.
A few belly laughs, and shared moments can be enough to relax your nerves and reduce anxiety.
Visualization
Law of attraction, manifestation, meditation – whatever you call it we want you to close your eyes and imagine winning the fight. As well as a boost in confidence, it helps settle your nerves and relax your mind.
Our brains struggles to differentiate between a real-life experience and make-believe. By visualizing your win, you trick your brain into thinking you’ve already fought for the win, so the reality becomes a less nerve-racking task.
To make this as real as possible, think about each of your senses. Some good areas to start are:
- See the glee of your family and team when you win.
- Hear the crowd chant your name.
- Feel the emotions and pride when you win.
- Think of the knockout punch, and feel it on your knuckles.
- Imagine the referee’s sweaty hands lifting yours to announce the winner.
Once you visualize these moments, the fight seems less novel and your nerves won’t be as intense.
Why Do You Get Nervous Before A Fight
It’s difficult to place your finger on why you feel pre-fight nerves. For most, it’s a combination of factors all mixed into one big soup of emotions. We believe, to help better manage them, you need to figure out why you feel nervous. To assist, we’ve outlined a few reasons below:
Fight Or Flight Reaction
The most common reason is our body’s natural response to danger: fight or flight. Our bodies go into this before a fight in anticipation of getting hit. As well as the nerves, your heart races, body temperature increases and you feel like you’re on edge. Yes, it’s uncomfortable but it’s your body’s way of telling you it’s ready to fight.
Anticipation
Professional fights don’t turn over quickly; they take months of preparation. In this period, every decision is tailored towards the fight, such as your diet, training, socializing, etc. Because of this, you build lots of suspense and anticipation. These emotions turn into nerves moments before the fight, which is only natural as it reflects how much you care.
Fear Of Loss
A frequent thought fighters have is “What happens if I lose?” This alone can trigger a spiral of negative, recurring thoughts that are responsible for your nerves. It may be the fear of getting hit, the fear of humiliation, or the fact you put too much pressure on yourself to win. If you let the fear consume you, it only gets worse…
Sensory Overload
Flashing lights, loud crowds, and the pungent smell of sweat – competitive fights are crowded with atmosphere. Plus, fighter’s senses are heightened and more responsive as they’re in fight or flight. The combination of an intense environment, with an alert fighter can be too much information for their brain to process; so it becomes stressed, nervous, and panicked.
Do Pre-Fight Nerves Help With Performance
Pre-fight nerves will either be your best friend or worst enemy. What makes it interesting is you dictate which one they become.
Pre-fight nerves are a huge advantage for athletes who use this energy to enhance their power, speed, and focus. This is done by redirecting their nerves into an emotion which gives them a competitive advantage. You shouldn’t see nerves as something that inhibits your performance. Otherwise, they will.
You don’t have to have years of experience to channel your pre-fight nerves into motivation, just good nerve management. Though, the quicker you learn the better!
For example, if you have a fear of losing your fight, you should use this as a psychological tool to push your body to win. Train harder than you usually do. Punch stronger than you normally do. Be faster than you normally are. You may not be able to dig this deep if the fear didn’t drive you.
Pre-fight nerves are only negative to your performance if you let them. If you can’t control them, they build up until you’re at a point where your legs are frozen and you can’t concentrate on the fight. The key is to find a balance. You want your nerves to work for you, not against you.
Here’s a good way to tell if your prefight nerves are supporting or daunting you:
- Do you feel fired up? Is there a rush of energy in your blood and you can’t wait to start the fight? In this sense, your nerves will improve your performance.
- Do your nerves make you feel small? If you want to curl in a corner and feel like your universe is imploding, you must work on your nerve management. If this is the case, your nerves are hindering your ability.
FAQ’s
How To Not Be Scared To Fight Anyone
You shouldn’t approach a fight like this, instead work on yourself so you’re confident in your own ability. Only then do you feel you don’t have to be feared.
Why Do You Feel Weak Before A Fight
It’s the adrenaline mixed with the nerves that spread to your legs and hands to make them tremble and weak. When you manage these responses effectively, the weakness goes away.
How To Tell If Someone Is Scared To Fight You
It’s difficult to judge, but more than likely, your opponent will be as nervous as you. Just as you’ll be putting on a brave face, they’ll do the same.
How To Fight Without Fear
This is a poor approach to a fight, rather you want to learn to manage your fear so it works in favor. We share our methods here.
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