What is fear like for professional boxers? Is fear different for them than anxiety? What kind of coping strategies do boxers put in place to understand, contrast, or even use fear and anxiety?

In this Martial Attitude Voice podcast episode, we had the chance to explore the topic from a slightly different angle, that is the one of the boxing coach. Guest of the episode is Jon Durrant, former  ISKA Kickboxing Champion, acknowledged as one of the most versatile coaches in London. He has and continues to train Elite Amateur International Boxers (Olympic level), Professional Boxers (WBC International Champion), Kickboxers (ISKA European champion, WKA European champion, World champion) Karate Combat’ World title fight and MMA fighters (Bellator, PFL and Cagewarriors).

What did he learn about fear and how to tackle it over almost 4 decades in competing in different combat sports and in boxing? Who is he training now? What does he says to his champions when in doubt of fear?

Super podcast to listen to.

This interview was first recorded on  Wednesday 12th of July, 2023.

#174: Fear in boxing - Jon Durrant

Investigating the concept of discipline in sport and in everyday life. 

Most recently, a series of interviews with visually impaired and blind people to unpack their perspectives on the world, touch, confidence and space awareness.

Also, a series of interviews with professional boxers to understand how they make sense of fear and anxiety, and what coping mechanisms they use in training and on the ring.

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Martial Attitude Training and my MSc in Applied Sport Psychology research are happening! And they are introduced and complemented by a new series of short podcasts exploring how touch, exercise, and confidence are perceived in the visually impaired and blind community. The first guest is Takashi, a professional viola player based in London. He explains to us how there is a good and bad way to touch and be touched.

#188: Touch, confidence and blindness - Takashi

His nickname comes from his former trainer's pistol. More recently, he has been called "miracle man" by the international sport press following a grave accident occurred during his last fight on May 27th, 2023. Ludumo Lamati is a South African professional boxer aged 31, now retiring. 

He always fought without fear, because "fear is a liar", as he clearly states in this exceptional Martial Attitude podcast episode upon fear and anxiety in the world of professional boxing.

He held the IBO super bantamweight title from June 2021 to May 2022. As an amateur, he competed at the 2011 World Championships and lost just 10 fights over nearly 200. As a professional boxer, he holds a record of 23 fight, with 21 wins (11 KOs), 1 draw, and 1 loss.

As mentioned above, the one loss was during his last fight in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the WBC silver featherweight title against Nick Ball. In a dramatic chain of events, Lamati's corner dropped the towel at 2' 15" of the 12th round. Moments after, Ludumo collapsed because of a brain bleed and was hospitalized and was taken care of in induced coma for several days before, miraculously, waking up and recovering. 

Ludumo Lamati knows. Listen to his precious teaching.

This interview was first recorded on Friday the 6th of October, 2023.

Recast photo credit: Belfast Telegraph

#187: Fear in boxing - Ludumo "9mm" Lamati

He knows no fear, and he is coming to take it all.

The man is Chris "2slick" Mbwakongo (Kongo), English professional boxer in the welterweight division with an important record of 14 wins (2 KOs) and 2 losses.

Chris has a plan. He does not fail the plan. With the plan, there is no fear. Fear is not even contemplated, because it is not anywhere near the plan. 

The championship is in the making and he has signed to Boxxer and Sky Sports. You better keep looking for him.

Would you guess what he thinks the difference between anxiety and fear being? Listen to him very carefully, then.

This interview was first recorded on Friday the 6th of October, 2023.

Recast photo credit: Sky Sports

#186: Fear in boxing - Chris "2slick" Kongo

Come si diventa un radiocronista sportivo? Come si usa la propria voce nel farlo?

Ma soprattutto, quando si va a descrivere al pubblico le fasi concitate di uno sport cosi' veloce e complesso quale e' la boxe, come si ottiene il migliore risultato?

Infine, ma non per ultimo, perche' tutta questa passione per la boxe e come si percepisce e di cosa ha bisogno un grande campione nel pugilato professionistico?

Ne parliamo con Manolo Chirico, torinese e fin da giovane appassionato di sport, tanto da trasformare questa passione nel lavoro sognato da molti, ovverosia quello di telecronista sportivo. Ora direttore creativo per Mola Italia, servizio streaming on-demand di contenuti sportivi.

Seguite la voce di Manolo in questo affascinante podcast sul mondo intorno a chi pratica la boxe.

Questa intervista è stata registrata lunedi' 17 Ottobre 2023.

#185: La voce della boxe - Manolo Chirico

Alfie "Classy" Clegg is a British professional boxer, undefeated flyweight with a record of 7 wins (2 KOs) and 1 draw over 8 fights. He is currently training for his next bout, scheduled for the 25th November 2023. 

Alfie is 24 years old, but with already more than 12 years of experience under his belt, and he has been extremely busy lately in fostering an important message of support within the youth community building around him.

In his lovely, brand new gym he is training for his future titles whilst coping with extreme rigour and drive across the past difficulties being subject to bullyism and his autism for which is a compelling ambassador. 

He knows what fear, panic attacks and anxiety are. And he teaches how to defeat them. 

A legacy in the making and a message to listen to.

This interview was first recorded on Tuesday the 3rd of October, 2023.

#174: Fear in boxing - Jon Durrant

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