THE STARE DOWN

There is nothing in this world that can match the intensity of a face-to-face stare down, right before battle. The stare down is a primeval occurrence that can be noted throughout the annals of history and is commonly utilized as an attempt to psychologically dominate your adversary before the fight even begins.

Take a quick tip from one of the greatest exponents of the stare down, “Iron” Mike Tyson:

and if you were wondering about what not to do during a stare down…

Regarded as one of the best stare downs in the history of MMA, watch Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer ” Silva and Mirko Crop seconds prior to war

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Legend Fernando “TERERE” Augusto brought insurmountable energy to the mats, forever changing the face of the art. Terere’s imprint is vast, and you still see glimpses of his style in the individuals he most influenced including:

  • André Galvão
  • Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza
  • Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles
  • Michael Langhi

Terere was known for fighting in heavier weight classes. Terere’s stare down with Fabricio Verdum in the ultra-heavy weight division at the 2004 World Championships is a classic:

Preemptive mental assaults are also prevalent in many other sports. Here is a clip from the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The New Zealand All Blacks perform their traditional Haka as the French look on, undaunted.

A terrifying stare down is a tremendous tool in any athletes arsenal, giving you the power to dominate your opponent before the action even starts. However, you can’t expect to burn a hole through your opponent’s soul without practice. Like anything else the technique must be drilled.

At Team Lloyd Irvin there are a few different ways we like to polish up our glaring gaze. During the 1 minute rest between 10 minute rounds, you CANNOT break eye contact with your partner. No matter how tired you are you have keep your posture and remain composed. It might be a little unfamiliar at first, but stick with it and you’ll be psyching out your adversaries with a stare down in no time.

stare down

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