Failing Forward
December 27, 2021 | Words by Benji Silva
Handling a loss in combat sports is just as much mental as it is physical. The biggest difference I notice between defeats in combat sports and defeats in traditional sports is that in combat sports, your opponent is trying to break you both physically AND mentally.
Because of this, a traumatic loss can be very difficult to come back from. Over the years, I’ve witnessed teammates — and athletes in other sports, too — unable to bounce back after a tough loss, so I’ve made it a point to learn to fail forward.
Here’s how I’ve learned to handle a tough loss:
Understand Why It Happened
I’ll watch videos of my match, analyzing my game and recognizing what’s in my control. This allows me to spot the holes, receive advice from my coach, and make the appropriate adjustments to make sure it doesn’t happen again.Reflect on My Prep
I get really honest with myself and ask hard questions. What did I accomplish leading up to the event? Did I have a good training camp? Did I truly push as hard as I could in training? How were my nutrition and sleep hygiene? If the answer to any of those questions is less than ideal, I know where to begin. I make it a priority to change my routine so I don’t prompt the same outcome in future events.Injury Check
The next step is to make sure I didn’t sustain any injuries during the event. Upon inspection, if I did — no matter how small the injury — I map out my rehabilitation. This is a crucial step for me. If even a small injury is overlooked or deemed “harmless,” the effects it can have on my training long-term can be detrimental and hinder my longevity in the sport.Gratitude
The final step is gratitude. I remind myself of what I’m grateful for, which is to be able to do what I love for a living and teach others about the sport. As professional athletes, we can forget why we started practicing our sport in the first place. Over time, this slowly dims our once fiery passion that got us to where we are today. Without this passion, our performance can tank.
Learning from the ups and downs in the sport allows me to keep that spark alive. Practicing these steps helps keep my mind and body strong, allows me to pick myself up after a loss, dust it off, and keep moving forward.
Competing in combat sports is 70% mental and 30% physical, so make sure you balance the two in your preparation. As much as it stings, losses help us learn how to win. Stay honest with yourself during the process and, without a doubt in my mind, you’ll have your victories.
Here’s to failing forward.
