Lyoto Machida on Discipline and Focus

Lyoto Machida comes from a traditional Shotokan Karate background, and has that martial arts spirit embedded inside over cell of his being:

I use discipline and focus as my greatest weapons, without them I would be nothing

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Focus on what you can control

One of the things that can really be a freeing thing for athletes or any individual for that matter, is just focusing on what you can control. Don't worry about what others are going to say, what your opponent is going to do, about certain events that may arise, or anything else which you can control. You can control your actions, your words, you attitude, and the way you respond to things. You can relieve yourself of carrying the psychological burden of worrying about factors outside of your control and focus solely on your circle of control.

Jon Jones on Concentration

Jon Jones on his success:

I focus on winning and performing at a high level, my concentration is what got me this far.

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Frank Shamrock on Focus and Energy

Frank Shamrock on the power one has in the moment when fighting:

"When you're in there fighting, there's an energy and there's a focus that is nearly unbreakable"

Rich Franklin on focussing on what he can control

Anthony Johnson focusing on what he can control

Focusing on the variables you can control is the only thing worth concentrating on.

GSP quote on focussing on things he can control

Georges St-Pierre on focusses on variables within the domain of his control, and discards considering factors outside of that realm:
“I focus on things that I do control. I don’t focus on things that people are saying about me. I focus only on myself and what I’m going to do.”

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UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin on focussing on what you can control

Forrest Griffin takes the approach of solely focussing on the things he can control, and letting go of stressing about factors which are out of his hands.

It is akin to a couple of spiritual sayings. The first being the Serenity Prayer, which was created by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, and has been used by Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step programs:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

Also Shantideva, revered by many Tibetan Buddhists, was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist scholar at Nalanda University and an adherent of the Madhyamaka philosophy of Nagarjuna. And he had a similar quote on happiness:

If something can be remedied, why be unhappy about it? And if there is no remedy for it, there is still no point in being unhappy.

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Cain Velasquez on focus

Carlos Condit on focussed aggression

Carlos Condit on where he goes mentality before a fight:

Focussing my aggression, that's that place I'm going to right before I get into the cage and fight and getting ready to take out my opponent before he takes me out.

Mickey Rourke on Relaxation and Concentration

Actor and former boxer, Mickey Rourke gave the following advice to fighters on The Ultimate Fighter:

You can't concentrate unless you're relaxed.

Vitor Belfort on Focussing on the Positive

                        

Vitor Belfort makes sure that he's focused on only the things that make he feel and perform at a high level.

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Diego Sanchez on Confidence and Focus

Diego Sanchez has a strong intensity, focus, and confidence in his abilities. That faith in his skills and belief in his will has served him well in his UFC career:

“If I’m not confident, then I’m gonna start to have doubts and start to think about the bad things that can happen to me in the cage – like getting knocked out or submitted or cut. If I think about those things, it’s gonna be on my mind and it’s gonna bring me down. I stay positive, I stay focused, and I think about what I have to do to beat my opponent.”

Frank Mir on being In the Moment when fighting

Frank Mir fights his best when he is totally in the zone in the present moment:

When I'm doing my best is when I'm completely focused...You completely wipe off any thoughts of the future, there's nothing going on in the past, you're just completely locked in on the moment, and there's no thinking, you're zoned in on this moment in time.  

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Lyoto Machida on Meditation, the Present Moment, and Emptying the Mind (Mushin)

"Meditation plays a big role in my life. Meditation fortifies my spirit, improves my focus, my desire. When I fight I try to empty my mind. It's called Mushin. When I don't see anything around me, I only see that moment. Nothing else matters. that was how I was taught to live."
- Lyoto Machida


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