French Fighter: “I’m a man, I don’t need to cut weight to
compete!”
American Fighter: “Be a man and get your ass in the sauna!”
Cutting weight is one of the most controversial aspects of
weight class based sports. If you’re not
familiar, cutting weight is a process of rapid dehydration to put your body at
its lowest possible weight, while maintaining your body mass. This allows you to be larger than you should
be, and should give you an advantage in competition. The fact that everyone generally does the
same thing means that we actually do it to negate a disadvantage.
When I tell people that I lose 10lbs in one day, they look
at me like I look at parents that give their toddlers soda. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU DO THAT?” I guess the
idea of being “healthy” is a matter of paradigm. I know cutting weight is bad for me, as is
taking head trauma, and depending on who you ask, the list doesn’t end there…
I’m not exactly sure why fighters cut weight in the U.S.
while Europe and Japan tend to fight in their natural weight classes. I suspect it stems from our wrestling
culture, and body building culture which seems to be inexplicably linked to MMA. I can only speak to the American mentality,
but having a French husband has caused me to take a closer look at something I’ve
always just accepted as the way things are.
I think we all start out, to some degree, thinking like the
French fighter. Dieting is not fun, and
done improperly can seriously derail your training. Dehydrating yourself is even less fun. Then there are the tragic stories of guys dropping
dead on the scale, and the ones that didn’t make it that far… Everybody in the gym has an opinion and
advice, some of it’s helpful, some of it is horribly wrong. Most of us would prefer to avoid all of that…
in the beginning.
However, at some point, our paradigms shift. First, you become aware that if you want to be
competitive, it’s part of the game. Then, you start to look for your advantages too.
It becomes something like picking up an accent or a style of dress, the
culture becomes a part of who you are.
Some commit to the process kicking and screaming, some learn to embrace
it, but everyone gets there eventually.
For me, it’s
extremely spiritual, a purification before battle. It is a test of my strength and will, unparalleled
even by the fight. It’s a time you spend
with those closest to you on your journey to the cage… No one else would
brave those hours in the sauna, steam room, or hotel bathroom. It’s a time of meditation. My focus on my breathing and relaxing keeps
my mind above the discomfort of my body.
It also distracts me from the anxiety of the coming fight. Making weight is a battle of its own.
It’s always easy to judge the strange practices of another
culture, but until you have immersed yourself in that culture, there is no way
for you to truly understand. I don’t
glorify the process. I don’t ignore the dangers. I am an adult who is capable of assessing both,
and making my own choices, based on my cultural paradigm.
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