Most people do not choose their foundation. It’s built for them by the standards they were held to, the discomfort they were protected from, and the discipline that was either enforced or avoided in their early environment. Some people were raised on structure, expectation, and resilience. Others were raised on softness disguised as compassion, allowed to quit when anxious, shielded from fear, rescued from discomfort, and praised for potential without ever being pushed into practice. A soft foundation doesn’t make you weak, but it does leave you unprepared for elite standards. 1. Maladaptive Perfectionism: The Illusion of High Standards When you’re taught that mistakes define you, perfection becomes a shield. You stop pursuing growth and start avoiding failure. Excellence becomes a fantasy instead of a process. Elite performance demands the opposite. You must be willing to look imperfect while becoming the best version of yourself. Maladaptive perfectionism creates a distorted relationship with standards When your early environment punished mistakes or made “anything less than perfect” feel like failure: • You chase flawless outcomes, not consistent effort. • You avoid challenges you might not immediately excel at. • You equate struggle with “I’m not good enough,” instead of “this is the path.” • You collapse under pressure instead of tolerating imperfection while improving. You may crave elite standards but have no tolerance for the reality of meeting them. You want the identity without having built the tolerance for the process. 2. Permissive Discipline: Anxiety as the Authority If your early environment let you back down when you were scared, anxious, or overwhelmed, you learned one rule, that emotion decides your limits. In high performance, this rule must be dismantled. Emotion can be acknowledged but never allowed to dictate action. Discomfort is not a sign to retreat, but proof that you’re moving toward greater capacity. Lack of discipline teaches avoidance over resilience

For CMC athletes and parents Whether it’s your first competition or your fiftieth, good preparation makes a big difference. Here are the fundamentals to help you perform at your best on comp day. 🍽️ Baseline Nutrition: Eat How You Normally Eat Your everyday habits matter more than anything you do on the day. - Stick to your usual training-day meals. Don’t experiment with new foods or weird “performance meals.” - Exceptions: If you had to cut weight or make a specific category. If it’s a major event where weight manipulation is part of your prep (a broader topic on its own). For most regular competitions, drastic changes are unnecessary. 📉 Competition Week Training Volume You don’t need to do anything extreme leading into a smaller competition. - Reduce S&C volume by roughly 50%. - The final hard session of the week should usually be Wednesday (or an open mat on Friday). - This naturally keeps your carbohydrates/glycogen levels high without needing to overeat. 🥤 Useful Supplements Not essential, but potentially beneficial if you already use them in training: - Creatine – supports power output and recovery. - Beta-alanine – may help with high-intensity bouts; only useful if taken consistently. - Carbohydrate powders/gels (cyclic dextrin, etc.) – very useful if: You’re doing Gi and No-Gi, Having 3+ matches, or Doing both division + absolute. - Beetroot/nitrate supplements – see previous guidance; can help with endurance. 🍏 Comp Day Breakfast & Snacks Most grappling comps run during the day, so breakfast matters. Breakfast - Eat your normal breakfast—the one you have before training. - Stick to familiar foods. - Exception: If you’re overweight on the morning of weigh-ins. Simple Snacks for Throughout the Day Keep them light, fast-digesting, and carb-focused: - Rice Krispie squares - Haribo or similar gummy sweets - Fruit - Carb gels or drinks (if needed) Always ensure you’re hydrated—sip regularly rather than chugging all at once.

Developing Your Methodology** One of the biggest problems I see when talking to fighters—especially amateurs—is simple: They have skills, but no actual idea how they’re going to win a fight. They can hit pads, wrestle, roll, drill… but when you ask, “What’s your methodology? What are you trying to do?” you get a blank stare. This is a thinking man’s sport. If you’re facing real, competent opposition, you can’t rely on vibes and conditioning. You need a way to win. 1. What Is Your Methodology? A methodology is just your repeatable way of winning—a simple, structured plan that fits: - Your personality - Your physical attributes - Your prior skills - Your risk tolerance - Your cardio and pace - Your ability to adjust under fire It’s not a rigid script; it’s the strategic backbone that dictates your choices. 2. Example: My Original Methodology For me, the plan was always straightforward: Use amateur boxing combinations to pressure them backward, pin them against the fence, and remove their footwork. Once their number-one defensive weapon was gone, I had two clear paths: 1. Knock them out when their movement options were gone. 2. Take them down, get on top, and stay on top. Simple. Effective. Repeatable. This is what a methodology looks like—a plan that compounds your strengths and forces opponents into your world. 3. Meta Shifts: Learning From the Dagestani Blueprint Every few years, the meta evolves. Right now, the modern Dagestani grappling system—using rides, turks, wrist rides, leg rides, breakdowns—is dominating because it: - Drains opponents - Controls them with minimal risk - Forces them into slow, losing positions - Builds naturally toward backs, finishes, and top-dominant submissions (kimura, darce, RNC) You don’t have to be Dagestani to use the concepts. The point is: elite teams have an actual system. A consistent pathway to victory. 4. Why Most Fighters Don’t Have a Plan When I speak to fighters, especially those with only a few bouts, the conversation often goes like this:

If you’re new to the gym or just not sure what to do when you get there — this is a basic starting template to help you build confidence, learn movement quality, and prepare your body for more serious training down the line. 💪 The Foundation Movements 1️⃣ Heels-Elevated Goblet Squat (with a pause) – Focus on staying balanced and controlled. – Use the pause to feel your legs working and your core bracing. 2️⃣ Hip Hinge (goat belly, dumbbells, or barbell) – Learning to hinge properly is one of the most important skills in the weight room. – Think “hips back, not knees forward.” 3️⃣ Push-Ups (real ones!) – Quality over quantity — stay tight, full range of motion, no sagging hips. 4️⃣ Rows or Pull Variations – Try TRX/inverted rows or eccentric (slow lowering) single-arm TRX rows. – If you’re naturally strong, strict chin-ups are great too. 5️⃣ Overhead Single-Arm Farmer’s Carry – Teaches shoulder stability, core tension, and posture. 6️⃣ Split Squat (Goblet or Bodyweight) – Find your 90/90 position — one knee under the hip, one in front. – Focus on balance and control. 7️⃣ High-Tension Plank – Don’t just hold it — create tension. Squeeze everything. 🔢 How to Structure It Do 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps per exercise, with perfect technique as your goal. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. ⚡ Dynamic Work For conditioning and coordination, start learning to jump rope. Work up to 5 minutes of continuous jumping over time. 🎯 The Goal Move well. Learn positions. Build control. This sets the stage for everything else — strength, power, and resilience.

One of the book’s foundational notions is that high performance — in sports, business or life — often depends not on picking one side and sticking to it, but rather on holding two (or more) seemingly opposite concepts and letting both live in your mindset. As Askren puts it: “The same person who advocates for one approach may, in another situation, sincerely extol the virtues of its opposite… The well-informed expert realises that the paradoxical approach often is the very thing that works.” And: “How do we balance the many mindsets that appear to be in direct opposition to one another?” In short: rather than thinking “this is right / that is wrong”, the book argues for “both/and”. For example: you can be fierce and controlled, be confident and humble, push hard and rest well, strategic and impulsive, etc. This “holding opposites” mindset is central. Why this matters (and how it shows up) - In the introduction, the authors say they’ll explore “the role of art and science … the importance of holding the tension of opposites, and the risk of being inflexible.” - Askren — as a wrestler/MMA athlete — talks about how winning wasn’t just about physical dominance, but about mindset: his training, innovation, mental approach. - On a practical level: You may need rigor and discipline, and flexibility and adaptability. You may need to be calm under pressure, and still have intensity when required. You may need to trust your preparation, and also respond in the moment / improvise. You may need to compete hard, and also recover well. Key principles with paradox examples Here are several of the book’s “paradoxical principles” (not exhaustive), showing the “opposite truths” idea: 1. Effort vs Ease – you push ultra-hard in training, but you also learn when to ease up, when less is more. 2. Confidence vs Uncertainty – you believe you’re capable (confidence), yet you accept there are unknowns and you must stay curious or humble (uncertainty). 3. Structure vs Improvisation – you follow systems and routines, yet you also adapt spontaneously when the situation demands. 4. Aggression vs Control – you fight/compete fiercely, but you must maintain composure and control so you don’t become reckless. 5. Persistence vs Recovery – you keep grinding and showing up, yet you also know when to rest and recharge to avoid burnout.