Juan wrote:Hi guys,
This week I've been going through some stress at my MT gym. One of the guys that was supposed to fight in a full amateur fight has gone MIA and my trainer asked me to step in for him. My trainer has actually ben pressuring me to go amateur since my last fight in January. For one thing it is really an honor that my trainer thinks so highly of me to want me to continue to fight, on the other hand I'm not sure how to feel about the pressure he is putting on me.
Back to the current situation...as I said my trainer asked me this Wednesday to step up and fight my first amateur fight in place of our MIA fighter. I don't know how to feel about this...he knows I've only had one exhibition match and he is asking me to fight an amateur with 3 days of training. Plus I am barely getting over my injured akle that prevented me from fighting 2 weeks ago. He knows I was injured, he was there when I injured it. What's more I would be fighting someone who is younger, probably has more fights, and has been training properly for the fight. I told him that I couldn't do it. But he kept on insisting. To get him off my back I told him I would talk to my wife about it and get back to him. So the same night I talk it over with my wife and she says no way. I email my other trainer and explain why I can't take the fight and he is cool about it. Yesterday, after coming home from my son's welcome dinner to his soon to be high school I get a call from the trainer I emailed saying that my main trainer wants me to take the fight. I again politely say no and explain why I can't/shouldn't take the fight.
It sucks because now I don't even want to go to class. Saturday I'm going to go to the gym while it's open gym time and work out on my own just to avoid my trainer and that is a really shitty feeling. I mean I absolutely LOVE Muay Thai and want to/plan on continuing to fight but when I feel I am ready to step in the ring. I don't want to go into a fight unprepared just to get KTFO to please a promoter who can give less than a fuck about me and to please my trainer who is trying to please the promoter.
What do you guys think? Am I wrong in not taking the fight? Am I being a pussy? How do I handle the continued pressure to fight? I told my trainer that I could probably make my amateur debute this summer when I have more time to train but every time I step in the gym I hear "Juan, you fight amateur next time." I love the my Kru/trainer (not in a homo way) but it's getting to be a little much. I think the pressure is what caused the guy who was supposed to fight Sat. to go MIA.
Imo, if your trainer or coach is putting pressure on you to fight and you have clearly expressed that you do not want to fight; then it might be best to sit down with him and explain clearly that you do not want to do it. If you like, explain why you don't want to do it; but make sure that he knows that that is the final word. I think that as adults who should have a mutual respect for one another, open discussion is the first and best option.
It's not right for him to continuously pressure you into this and it is not everyones goal or place to be a competitor, especially if you are just coming off an injury. An instructor has a certain amount of influence in the gym and it's not right to use it to pressure his/her students.
No way, you are not being a pussy. If you don't want to fight, then you don't want to fight; that's all there is to it. If he continuously pressures you to fight after having a discussion with him about it, then it might be time to put some thought into your future at that gym. If it's worth it to you to stay and put up with the pressure and just train, then stick around. If not.......
Hope that helps some, good luck dude!