Issue 089

June 2012

Joe Bell is a chartered sport psychologist and one of few leading mental performance coaches in the world specializing in combat sport psychology. Anchor your thoughts and discover how to dig deep and come back from defeat.

At UFC 144, victory for Japan’s son looked inescapably in the bag as Yushin Okami put a two-round textbook beating on Tim Boetsch. Outclassed and outgunned, Boetsch was teed-off on in the first round by Okami’s vaunted jab and absorbed a wave of carpet-bombs from the mount at the end of the second. 

“I was way behind on the scorecards and I would have to do something big in round three,” he told Fighters Only. “The whole time I knew I was losing but I wasn’t discouraged, I knew I could beat him. Before the start of the third round my coach (Matt Hume) said, ‘You’re breathing is fine, heart rate is good; if you catch him you can finish him.’”

Hume’s words certainly hit home. “A light went off in my head and thought, ‘I’m not tired let’s go get this guy,’” Boetsch recalls. “My mind was clear and I knew what I had to do to win: I had to finish him.” Boetsch came out like a man possessed and, living up to his nickname, ‘The Barbarian’ threw a barrage of monster punches. Finding the target he cornered and pinned Okami to the fence with one hand and unloaded a series of brutal uppercuts with the other, securing one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of the cage. 

So what is the key to finding that extra gear in the midst of a battle you’re losing? Boetsch has his own views. “There is no secret to making a comeback, but there has to be gas in the tank or there is no hope. The reason people quit is because it’s the easy way out. They have to override this and push through to those places where they want to stop in training. If you want to fight hard, you have to spar hard. I train hard because I hate to lose.” 

Admittedly, the physical foundations and mind-set he lays out are fundamental for launching a successful comeback. But, under the scrutiny of psychology, it was apparent he also had all the tools to finish the fight from the opening bell, he just didn’t access them until his corner triggered something inside his head between rounds. 

NLP ANCHORING

I’ve worked with a number of mixed martial artists who have appeared to be asleep at the wheel during a bout and needed a psychological jolt to get their head back in the fight. Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) anchoring is one of the most effective and powerful psychological techniques at doing this, because with regular training you can switch to a desired state of mind (calm, relaxed or fired up) in a heartbeat.

NLP anchors act as triggers that you can set off at will. Some are naturally occurring: a song may remind you of a person or a certain smell can transport you back to childhood. However, for the purpose of combat psychology the idea is to create an anchor that acts as a lifeline if you find yourself on the ropes. 

Stage one

What are your reasons for being in the Octagon? Is it for glory? Is it to put bread on the table? Whatever it may be, imagine someone is trying to take that away from you. Designing a state for an anchor in a comeback scenario should always remind you of your conviction as to why you’re fighting in the first place. 

Stage two

Think of time when you have found yourself being dominated, it could have been in training, or it could’ve been a fight you lost. Try to relive it as if it is happening in this moment. Tune into what you see, what you were hearing, what you were feeling. Allow it to smother you. It should be gut-wrenching and something you never want to experience again.

Stage three

Repeat Stage Two only this time just as the state is about to peak, attach a memorable word, phrase or mental image to it. It could be the name of your child or an image of the champion’s belt, anything. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it is significant and unique to you. Now pour everything from your dreams, fears and the reasons for being a fighter into the word, phrase or image you’ve chosen. By associating this with the experiences you relived in ‘Stage 2’ you are on your way to conditioning a prescribed response.

Stage four

This word, image or phrase is now your anchor. Every time you fire it (said aloud, internalized or visualized) it should automatically evoke a ‘now or never’ response to turn up the heat, dig deep and unshackle the fighter inside. Repeat Stage Two and Three as often as you can each day for four weeks running up to a fight to build a resilient NLP anchor. This is called stacking and it’s crucial if the technique is to work. 

Naturally, there’s pitfalls and detractors with this unconventional method of triggering a go-for-broke mind-set in a sport where the tide can turn in nanosecond. But in a fight you’re losing anyway what is left to lose? Fortune favors the brave. Just ask Tim Boetsch.