My boxing coach has been one of the most influential figures in my adult life. Of course he’s dedicated time and effort towards my boxing skills, but he has also helped me develop my mentality to keep calm under stressful situations. Through funny one-liners and kooky bits of wisdom, he has given me the tools to be able to collect myself bring my mind and spirit together during the toughest of times. Anyone who has taken a class or been to a sparring session run by “Crazy” Jon Russo has heard him shout “Zen mind, homie!” from the corner of the ring. Although it’s a simple and somewhat silly phrase, these three words have become a mantra that plays in my head every time the going gets rough. Not just in boxing, but when I have stressful moments at work or am dealing with a difficult social situation, I hear Jon saying those words through a goofy smile and my heartrate begins to slow down.
However, keeping a “zen mind” is easier said than done. Everyone has different methods of calming themselves down, but for me it comes down to a series of mental maintenance activities. I always struggled with meditation, so I started taking time every morning to sit alone, in silence with my eyes closed. At first it was impossible to slow my mind down, so I started counting to 100 breaths and then moving on with my day. The more that I kept up with this habit every morning, the more benefit that I got out of my meditation. Even if you can’t turn your mind off, it’s helpful to take ten minutes for yourself every day before things begin. Sometimes focusing on different breathing can be a great practice for calming down or just preparing for intense physical activity. If you’re new to breathing practices, try starting with box breathing. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds. Many martial artists including UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya have spoken about implementing breathing techniques into their training.
Spending time in nature can also be helpful. Taking an hour to walk through the woods, or go to the beach, or even just a local park can do a lot to calm the mind. I also find running to be an activity that brings me peace. Not only can running lead to a meditative state, but it helps to feel physically prepared for whatever martial arts that you may be training. Knowing that you’ve put in the work to get my body into the best condition possible is another great tool to keep a calm mind.
The more time that I’ve spent training martial arts in Poughkeepsie, the more that I’ve realized that the mental aspect of the sport can be significantly more challenging than the physical element. It’s not easy to stay calm during an intense exchange. Punches are flying, you’re trying to land shots without getting hit; but to me it’s much more about maintaining a calm mentality throughout life, not just being calm during a single moment. Martial arts training is much more of a lifestyle than a sport or hobby, and keeping these daily practices will calm your mind on the mats and enhance your life outside of the gym as well.
Do you want to learn to box and calm your mind from “Crazy” Jon Russo? Come meet Jon and the rest of the awesome coaches at Precision Boxing and MMA; the Hudson Valley’s premiere MMA academy. Give us a call at (845)392-8495 or click HERE!
About the Author
Oliver Swanson is a Poughkeepsie resident and dedicated martial artist. He is a personal trainer and assistant boxing coach at Precision Boxing and MMA. A lifelong Hudson Valley resident, Oliver loves to spend time in nature with his dog.
