I want to say I thoroughly enjoy all of Rich’s Hit and Run articles.  He has a great testimony as a Christian and I think it’s great that he’s not afraid to share his faith.  I’ve talked to him several times at JG’s and at various events.  He is always nice and seems very genuine.   -Phil

That is absolutely great advice. Thank you rich.  -Bradley Solomon

The Miracle Kids Wish Network contacted Rich about letting a little 4 year old boy named Mikey come to visit him and watch him train for a day.  This meeting took place on April 11th.  When Mikey was born, he weighed only 4 1/2 lbs.  He was born with a congenital heart defect that combines four structural anomalies and also has something called Vater Syndrome.  Because of this, he was born without a left thumb and radius, he has a small kidney on the left side, and his heart condition is one of the most common heart defects associated with this syndrome.  Mikey is small for his age at 31 lbs. and 3 ft. 2 inches tall.  He has had 7 surgeries all together including two bowel surgeries before 4 mos. for a bacterial bowel infection and at 4 1/2 mos. he had open heart surgery to repair the defects he had.  He still has some surgeries ahead of him, but as long as he makes it through them he will live a normal life. Click the link below to see some pictures from their meeting. Those of us at the gym that day will never forget our fun with Mikey. He has a huge heart and the most amazing personality. He is a true fighter   http://www.richfranklin.com/photo.php?album=53

It is definitely difficult in an individual sport to use the crowd but not lose sight of the gameplan and the task at hand.  I feel that in team sports, any single player can play with all emotion provided that his
teammates support his efforts by playing in a more conservative manner.  In an individual sport, an athlete must be the emotional and tactical player all in one.  If a fighter or individual athlete loses focus due to the roar of the crowd, he will be susceptible to beating himself.  On the other hand, he must bring the correct amount of energy and enthusiasm to win.  I wrestled for a while and now play tennis, and while tennis is clearly not as physical, I completely concur with the difficulty in finding that allusive balance of brawn and brain before and while competing.

-Brian Danver

    How a fighter responds to the crowd is important. You want the benefit of their support, without getting distracted.  There’s a fine line between the two.
    
    When I’m in the locker room, waiting to make my appearance, I’m very sensitive to the noise generated by the fans. Even when shut inside a room of stainless steel lockers and thick wooden doors, the explosive energy of the crowd impacts me. This is multiplied many times over when I enter the arena, feeling like a Roman gladiator, and make my way to the octagon. The crowd’s energy surrounds and lifts me. It’s a powerful force.
    
    Then the door to the octagon slams, and everything fades to black. I have trained my mind to only hear the voices of my cornermen – my survival depends on it. At times I pay attention to the advice that is being given to my opponent, in an attempt to nullify the shouted tactics.

Thanks Rich for this Franklin equation called “Anticipation vs Surprise”.  It is a key life skill that we can all abide by whether it be in the ring or personal life. I love these Franklin Equation’s Rich, they are a good thing to read in the morning (or really anytime), because they set your day up and help you to do what you are called to do

Your Australian mate!      -Sam

I just wanted to say that the “Anticipation vs. Surprise” is one of the BEST articles you’ve written so far, Rich. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and encourage us on such a regular basis.
David Porter

    Fooling the other guy is not only psychologically uplifting, but has another benefit as well. When a fake-out results in a punch or kick, the impact is at least twice as severe.  There’s a multiplier effect at play, increasing the damage that paves the way to your adversary’s defeat. This is true simply because the other guy isn’t expecting what’s heading his way. 

    After defeat and severe pain, surprise is the third biggest fear of most fighters. 

    It generally can be said that the better a fighter is, the less likely he will be taken by surprise. This rule can be equally applied to those who make their living outside the octagon. The sharpest individuals I know are those who exercise consistently good judgment in the daily management of their private lives. Life doesn’t often catch them in a chokehold. When it comes to common sense, humanity seems to be divided into those who usually see trouble coming and those who don’t.
    
    Many surprises in life are not happy ones. So there’s an ocean of heartache awaiting those who often find themselves in painful predicaments. In the fight arena and out, there are some who never develop the ability to read danger. They’re always vulnerable to getting blindsided. 

    Those who are unaware seem to experience their on-going, unpleasant surprises as coming from some invisible, tricky nowhere. They fail to appreciate the role they play in allowing disaster to enter their lives. Leaping from frying pan to frying pan is a lousy way to go through life.

    UFC pros, and those who are professionals in the art of living, often see the shape of things quickly and clearly - before a guillotine choke locks on them. I well know that not all surprises can be avoided, inside or outside the ring. Sometimes I get sandbagged, whether I’m fighting or just trying to navigate through my personal life. But having a knack for anticipation goes a long way towards keeping hazards fromroutinely dropping you to the mat.    
    
    Exercising good judgment is the ticket to a peaceful life. And at the heart of good judgment is the ability to anticipate problems before they happen. Anticipation is the hallmark of the clever fighter and the intelligent person. 

    Consequences that are foreseen and avoided are the best kind of all. Often, a simple dodge is all it takes to escape.