Janice Lyn competed in this years 2015 IFMA Royal World Cup, and shared her thoughts and feeling on the whole experience. Beautifully written, we’ve asked Janice to reprint her post here:
I have the best Kru who believes in me and my potential.
I lost my fight at the IFMA Royal World Cup to a tough opponent from Sweden. It was a hard hit to take because I had my heart set on gold. I was very disappointed in myself after the fight because I had seen my other opponents fight the previous day (I had a buy) and I was so sure that I could achieve what I set out to do, which was win gold.
Perhaps I was over confident or perhaps I was thinking of the win and the gold way too far ahead of myself and the fight at hand and before I knew it, I lost. My cousin Danielle Nash posted this a while back (I am so fortunate to have such thinkers in my family) and it really resonates with me at this point in time:
“When an archer is shooting for fun
He has all his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous.
If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind
Or sees two targets –
He is out of his mind.
His skill has not changed,
But the prize divides him.
He cares
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting –
And the need to win
Drains him of power.”
– Chuang Tzu
I am sorry that I didn’t bring home gold this time. The support I have received over the past few months from my family, friends and especially teammates back home at Krudar and MTO has been incredible. Each and every one of you who has donated what you could (time or money or even words of support) have made such an impact on my training and growth as a fighter.
I don’t like losing, nor do I like making promises I can’t keep. This journey is an eye opener because sometimes one’s goal(s) take longer than expected to achieve. Some of the best gifts that help shape fighters to become stronger and more skilled come from losses.
John Maxwell states:
“Disappointments are necessary. For total development, different kinds of experiences must come your way. There’s no possible way that the fruit of maturity can be in evidence in your life without your experiencing disappointments. Some of life’s greatest virtues—such as faith, patience, perseverance and hope—come by way of disappointments. Only then will you realize that every problem in life has a solution. Only then will you have the important ingredients within your character to seek that solution instead of being perplexed by the problem.”
Disappointments are definitely motivators and stepping stones.
There’s no way I am going to let this loss stop me. I am going to keep pushing forward and I am going to see where it takes me. I am aiming for the top. I don’t know how long it will take but I will get there. Thank you to Kru Darwin Miranda and Ajahn Suchart for believing in me and for the sacrifices you have made to be with us at IFMA this year.
This experience at IFMA has humbled me because you can have a goal but sometime it takes a little longer than you expect to get there. However the disappointment of not getting there is only a delay. Disappointments are tough to swallow at times but they are needed for the change and the evolution of a fighter. I have weaknesses in my game that I need to improve on and its one of the reasons why I am not on that podium this year. I accept it and I am going to move forward, stronger than ever.
Losses are blessings in disguises. If it weren’t for my loss, I may not have had the time to step back a little from the fighting of the tournament to watch and listen attentively to the BIG countries at IFMA that are able to bring hundreds of their athletes from juniors to seniors ranging from all classes to an international spectacle such as this.
If my small setback means bringing back information to motivate the rest of my fellow Canadian Muay Thai athletes, than that’s the price I’m willing to pay to bring to Sweden next year a stronger Canadian National Team with more chances of winning GOLD.
Canada, we have the talent and the drive of great fighters and coaches to lead us. This is the stage at which our athletes need to compete on: where the skill level is high and we are testing ourselves amongst some of the greatest athletes in Muay Thai around the world. Our national team may not be as big or as developed as other countries but our athletes are showing beautiful Muay Thai and beating countries with fighters who have a) More experience (in fighting and on an international level- some of these athletes have been participating in IFMA for 15 years) b) Government funding and support for training and travel expense.
[Muay Thai Ontario] is very young as an organization. However, the potential for it to develop athletes to perform on an international stage is huge. We need everyone’s support in order to come together as a nation and to show the world the kind of talent and skill Canadians have for the sport of Muay Thai. This is especially important as Muay Thai is headed in the direction of the Olympics. The faster we can establish a sound Canadian National Team of fighters, the more ready we will be as a country for the Olympics when we get the go ahead.
Let’s do this Canada – One Country – One Muay Thai.
