For most people from outside the martial arts circle, the mental aspect refers to confidence, discipline, perseverence, dedication, focus, respect, etc. Yes, you do get all that through training, pushing your body to its limits, knowing and trusting your body, the last few pushups when you are trembling or want to quit, overcoming frustrations when Rome isn’t built in one day, etc. These are not things you can acquire through a seminar nor by parents constantly reminding you how you ‘should’ feel or act.
With professional sports come advances in sport psychology. It is applicable during training, game as well as rehab time. More and more teams and coaches understand that the mental game is just as important as the physical game. Ali is one of those fighters that know how to get inside your head. And now, with UFC, all the trash talk prior to the game is part of the ‘play’. Well, we are not in professional sport and I don’t like trash talk, so while we know the tools there, we choose NOT to develop / use it.
There are fighters that have a very good fight plan but has an anger issue. Once their opponent landed a couple of hits that stings, all plans go out the window and they revert to brawling it out.
Everyone can talk about what is needed, not many consciously spend time working it because they do not know how. Some think that you either have it or your don’t. Others think it comes naturally over time.
Exercise
The question is often how do you get your brain to be adaptable? how do you influence your opponents mind so that it works in your favor? how do you go under their ‘target radar’? How can you find a win-win solution? How can you change knowledge into some useable for our purpose?
I know this is a loaded question but give it a try anyways.