“I had an experience once where I fought in a tournament in which my opponent had more fights than I had. The first time we fought, I took on the attitude that he was my enemy. I did really well in the first match. Then something happened. In between the matches before we fought again, he came up to me and started to have a friendly conversation with me. What he did was build his comfort, then after that I lost two in a row! The “killer instinct” inside of me had been taken and been replaced with a feeling of comfort toward him. After that, I never built rapport with any competitors in my weight class. I broke rapport!”
In the context of competitive boxing, building rapport with an opponent can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can create a more friendly and cooperative atmosphere, which can be beneficial in certain situations, such as training or sparring. On the other hand, it can also lead to a loss of focus or a decrease in competitive drive, as the speaker experienced.
Breaking rapport, as the speaker describes, involves intentionally distancing oneself from an opponent in order to maintain a competitive edge. This can involve avoiding friendly conversation or other actions that might create a sense of comfort or familiarity with the opponent. While breaking rapport can be an effective strategy in some cases, it is important to balance this approach with sportsmanship and respect for one’s opponent.
Ultimately, the decision to build rapport or break rapport with an opponent in a competitive context depends on a variety of factors, including personal style, the nature of the competition, and the individual characteristics of the opponent.
