Approach your training with confidence, but train like every fight is the fight of your life. You never really want to be surprised in the ring by underestimating your opponent. Expect it and train for it.

Limit Distractions
When you’re in-training, it’s not “business as usual;” you’re involved in something that asks more of you than just about with which anything anyone in your circle of friends is dealing. You don’t have to be cold to people; you don’t have to shut them out, but you definitely have to limit your training distractions. You need lots of sleep, you need to stick to a diet that supports your goals, and you need to keep your mind focused on the game. For some that means staying home when your friends go out; eating light when everyone else is gorging themselves; or drinking water when you’re friends are drinking cocktails. Don’t worry about it—when you’ve won there will be plenty of time to celebrate. 

Rest Hard, Train Hard
You’re young, you’re tough, and you can take what the average person can take, times 10. Nevertheless, someone has to step up and tell you that your rest and recuperation periods are just as important as your pedal-to-the-metal workouts. In most cases and especially when it comes to full-out training, more is not always better. Better is better—and better means equal amounts of training and rest. 

Form Comes First
My game is all about the basics. So, here’s the best advice I’ll ever give you: Before you spend a lot of time on all the fancy stuff, master the basics of your game. Perfect the technical aspects of the sport to the best of your abilities. Know how to pass the guard, perfectly. Have your boxing form down to a science. Kick like an expert. Don’t start fighting fast and heavy without lots of time spent on having good form. Speed and power are only added after you perform the techniques correctly. 

After your form is perfect, add lightning speed and crushing power. But equally important is accuracy. You can have the hardest and heaviest right hand in the sport, but if you can’t hit the target on the button, it’s not going to get you where you’d like to be. In many cases, connecting to your target accurately is more important than having brilliant speed and tank-like power. You’ve spent hours learning the moves, more hours polishing your speed and power, but don’t neglect an equal amount of practice hitting your targets with stunning accuracy. 

Training with realism, that is, training the way you're going to fight, is the final phase of your game. If your form is flawless, you're speed and power stunning, and your accuracy legendary, you're going to want to treat your workouts like every session is for the championship of the world. 

Respect the Team
You may be “The Champ,” but it doesn’t mean you have the right to treat those around you with any less respect or concern. Treat your coaches with respect, treat your training partners with respect, and treat your fans with respect. 

Respect Your Opponent
Yeah, respect your opponent. When you truly become a professional fighter, hate, anger, or any other negative emotion won’t play a factor in your fight strategy. Your most fearsome opponent can be your own thinking, so make sure to focus on a professional, rational, scientific game plan. Your opponent is a man or woman, human just like you. 

Respect the Sport
Remember you’re not just a fighter, you’re a martial artist. Treat the game and the history of the game with respect. You may, at times, feel like you were the one who got you to where you are today, but the truth is thousands and thousands of dedicated athletes and teachers put their lives and souls into their training, and you’re walking in their footsteps. Respect the sport and show respect to the arts.