Читать книгу The Fighter Within. Everyone Has A Fight-Insights into the Minds and Souls of True Champions онлайн

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We started with warmups, running around the mats, changing directions, and incorporating jumps and stretches; nothing too taxing, but enough to get the muscles warmed up and the heart pumping. Next, we got paired up and the seminar started with Matt Hughes showing us some of the techniques that helped him attain—and keep for an impressive period—the UFC belt. I learned how to properly perform a single-leg takedown, how to stuffone, different variations of takedowns, punches, and jiu-jitsu moves. To be honest, I cannot remember most of them now, as seminars tend to be that way. You are bombarded with so many moves and detailed descriptions that by the next day you only really retain ten to twenty percent. It was a long seminar, so we had a lunch break, during which we could get pictures and autographs with Matt, or we could opt to wait until the end of the seminar. The line was short, so I decided to meet the real-life UFC champ for the first time ever.

As I waited in line, I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was a cool experience. When I was fourth in line, a guy in his mid-twenties was amped as he spoke to Matt and asked him if his picture could be of Matt choking him out. Matt seemed laid back, but at the same time a complex guy. He menacingly smiled and said “Sure, let’s do it.” As Matt put his hand around this guy, you could tell there was a mismatch between a kid off the streets with a small belly and this machine of a man—a world champion. Everyone in line was laughing, and just as my first calculated thought processed, the guy went to sleep; he got choked out by Matt Hughes. To be honest, Matt did not actually try to choke him out, and he seemed perplexed as he prevented this guy from slamming to the floor and slowly laid him on the gym floor. Seconds later, he came to, smiled as he got up, and asked his buddy if he got the picture. His friend was put on-the-spot and turned red, and said “Man, I don’t know how to use your camera.” It was like a comedy sketch done live, absolutely everyone in line started laughing and clapping. You just cannot make this stuff up.