Picture a three point triangle diagram if you will, and there being a fourth point in the center of the triangle.  At the top point of the triangle place the word "enjoyment", on the bottom left point place the term "good performance" and on the right bottom point place the term "relaxed awareness" and the fourth centre point place the term "breathe/balance". Now the final peice of the picture are the arrows, with every point mentioned above, imagine all the lines connecting the points are arrow pointing to each other, much like how Rodney demonstrates the 4 main drivers.

So now that you can picture the diagram, I'll try to better explain the reasons behind the diagram. All the points point towards each other, so i'll start with "enjoyment", that's the state I wanted to be in when I had/have to perform, which now goes to the next point, the bottom left poit which is " goog performance". in any sport i wish to participate in I always wish to perform the best that i honestly can in it. Now from there the second point moves to the third point, which is "relaxed awareness" which was the state I was in before I got in the ring. the reason why I called it relaxed awareness is because the state that I got myself in was an aroused state of positive excitement that I felt was balanced, enough to get me energized but not tired, enough to get me focused and still feel positve(i.e the micheal jackson music- "can't get enough"). now with that point covered, from there you can go back to the top of the triangle which was enjoyment.

Now i'll talk about the fourth point which is in the center of the triangle where all the three points leads to as well as how the fourth points leads back to the other three main points. The fourt point is "Breath/balance". I used this term because before and during the fight I used different rythms of appropiate breathing, some yoga like breathing methods, some sport science methods,some nataturally full breathing but relaxed.I also beleive that for me to be in a good zone i had to be in an emotional/mental state that is charged but balance, which i find for me good breathing helps and in anything in life you need to breath, right!

i figured out if I want perform well, i'd have to enjoy the moment which is what I want and  I what I want from myself is to honestly perform well. if I want to be in a state that would allow me to enjoy and perform well i would have to be in a state of relaxed awareness, where my body's natural intellegence would allow me to perform well. In order for me to do all this and be in that state, I would have to also focus on my breathing.

one of the reasons why I compete is so that I get to know my self better in the journey of my training and my competitions, from there i'll find out ways on how to relay those moments and pass them on to my students, clients and friends who use martial arts, combative sports as a similar vehicle, to help challenge, grow progress and to better know one's self.

 Adam Shahir-Kayoom

CMD Trainer in Training 

World Muay Thai & Cambodian Champion