Recently, I came across a post on Facebook where a fighter stated with his whole chest that “If you need a team to get you ready for a fight, you’re not a real fighter.” 

Facebook tends to bring out the absolute worse of the internet to light, so I take anything from there was the smallest grain of salt, but man, did this get under my skin!

My initial reaction was about how arrogant that fighter was, almost stating he didn’t need his coaches, or sparring partners, that it was just him in the ring, and if you couldn’t do it on your own like that, you’re not a good fighter. 

I polled a handful of my coaches and asked them “how would you respond to this?” They responded with more compassion and nuance than I would have (showing me once again how much I need to learn from them). 

There definitely is a side contrary to that fighter’s opinion that you do indeed need a team. Coaches find your weaknesses and help you strengthen those. They help you get out of tricky situations. Your team helps you apply those lessons in a real-world scenario without the high stakes. They also give you the opportunities to react to things you can’t always predict. 

My first Kru and mentor, KruPol said “it will definitely take a whole team and a good community for you to get ready and to be anywhere in your career. Yes, you can train in your garage and take a fight, but at some point, you’ll need a pad holder, a sparring partner, coaches who can spot you, your cornerman. Giving such a statement devalues your teammates and coaches along the journey.” 

KruPol holds the title of a Thai National Champion and now owns a gym training athletes (and coaches), so her opinion matters to me more than my own in anything fighting related. There’s that sentiment that you should only take critique from people who are where you want to be—which is why I took that fighter’s statement with a grain of salt, but I did feel it needed to be addressed.  And not to discredit this fighter any further, but their fight record doesn't make me want to jump for their advice in fighting.

It was pointed out to me that yes, a team is necessary, but there’s so much to fighting that IS personal and weighs solely on the fighter.  It’s been quoted by so many top fighters that “boxing is the loneliest sport in the world.” The ring can be a lonely place with just the fighter and his opponent. There’s also the hours spent alone working on the fighter’s craft—hours and miles spent hitting the pavement, hours spent at the bag, hours doing footwork, hours in the gym with strength and conditioning. 

There’s a lot that the fighter has to do on his own, but this is where the cream separates and rises to the top. This is where dedication is key. This is where accountability matters, where the fighter is accountable to themself for their success, but in a way, accountable to their coach. 

When I first told my coaches that I wanted to fight, before agreeing to see me through a fight camp, my dedication was tested. Expectations were laid out. Not only is a fight camp a lot on a fighter, but a whole team steps up to endure an intense training regimen, hard nutritional discipline, and a lot of late nights and missed social events. My Kru laid out expectations that if she was going to step up and pour into me, I needed to step up and be in the gym for all classes and sparring sessions—this is where there’s a nuance that combat sports are a team sport, but also a lonely sport.  

Kru Jose Aguirre of East Side Muay Thai went a little deeper about what you get from a good team. He included “...your teammates provide necessary support, strategic development and mental resilience. They will also hold you accountable and make sure you maintain the standard during fight camps.”

There were three things that stood out to me in Kru Jose’s statements. 

• “Having quality teammates is the backbone for preparation for your fights” I think the key here is not just having a team, but have a quality team. There’s also the distinction in that statement that the team doesn’t MAKE the fighter, but they PREPARE the fighter. 

• “Make sure you maintain the standard” Having a high standard sets you apart. When I see a team with high standards, and a fighter comes from a gym with a known record, without knowing anything about that fighter, they represent that team and I know they’ll be a good fighter.  JFK was credited in saying that “a rising tide lifts all the boats.” When the standards are high, all the fighters are lifted.

• Kru Jose focused his statements on the teammates, ie the other fighters, not just the coaches. So this gives me a little pause to think about who exactly is considered part of a fighter’s team. 

Fighting isn’t a team sport (so to speak, but you can watch wrestling and see how it is with individual bouts and team rankings and say otherwise), so how is there a team?  Let’s look at what’s on the fighter’s gear when they step in the ring. You can usually find two names on their back, shorts, etc. Their own name, and their gym name. Anyone also with their gym name is on their team. That’s where fighting is unique that everyone on their team is working towards their own individual success, but is also rooting for the success of others (and both can be achieved since it’s competed individually).

Your team also expands outside the doors of the gym. Your loved ones are considered your team. If there’s someone who helps you meal prep, picks up the slack at the house while you have late nights training, those who help with your kids or animals while you’re away. Your friends who understand that you can’t be at every event, and you’re not drinking during fight camp. Those friends who also show up to your fight and cheer you on (or ask about it when they can’t attend). 

Your fight organization is also on your team, but for brevity’s sake (though we passed brevity about 500 words ago), we’ll leave off all those individuals for another time. 

In conclusion, it does take a team to make a fighter. There is a lot that rests on the fighter’s shoulder, but there’s a lot that’s unnoticed that a team does to support a fighter. In showing empathy to that fighter’s opinion, I will say that maybe he didn’t have a good team, and my heart goes out to him, and I hope he can find that good team. My own team has been my lifeline and has seen me in some really hard times, but some really good times in and out of the ring. My fight team has turned into my family, and outside of fighting, they’re always in my corner and I lean on them heavily daily.

My final thought on this matter comes from an African proverb:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”