Teddy Atlas

Teddy's Corner continued...

One day I told the group that some years ago I had a fighter who, over a short period of time – about six months – had improved tremendously. A writer had asked me what it was that he had recently learned to cause this great improvement, and I told him: “Nothing.” He had not learned anything new in the last months. The writer seemed confused. I explained that what had changed was that the fighter had become calmer, more comfortable in an uncomfortable place (the ring) and because of that, he could see more of the picture. Instead of one way to hit his opponent, he now saw 10. Although he only knew what he did a year earlier, he could now use what he knew to a much greater effect. In other words, calmness was also a talent, an asset that could and needed to be developed just as much as speed and strength did. However, it first needed to be seen and understood as such – then it could be embraced as another tool to do your work. Over the past four months of working with these athletes, I have found them to be eager to hear and see these examples and portals into these dark places we all find ourselves retreating to when our individual pressures come, and to be taught the different ways to both avoid and get out of those places. I have also found each and every one of the Jets players to be both “gentleman” and appreciative of the small help that I have tried to bring them. Some of them have even shown enough ability and aptitude to possibly make a decent fighter, but of course the idea here is to make a more consistent and reliable football player.
Teddy Atlas is a regular contributor to the Everlast Magalog. Teddy is a prized trainer, one of the voices for ESPN’s Friday Night Fights and Wednesday Night Fights, and author of Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring: A Son’s Struggle to Become a Man.
Have a training question for Teddy? Email him at teddy@everlast.com
Teddy’s book is available for purchase online at www.everlastboxing.com