First of all, if you’re reading this, thank you. Thank you for showing interest in me and my blog.
Now, I’m going to talk about your power- the power of fans and supporters.
You are strong. Really? Just HOW strong, you ask?
Well, that depends.
The way I see it, sports games are designed for people, athletes, to physically try and accomplish some goal with their bodies.
The business of sports allows observers to watch people doing it, and be entertained. In order for this pleasure, the observers, the ‘fans,’ pay money. THEN we get into which athlete and sport can draw the most onlookers who pay the most money, etc.
The business revolves around the fans. So therefore the business owners want to listen to the fans’ voices. Sometimes, if a fighters goes off to the media about wanting to fight this guy because blah blah blah, and the fans react and shout to the promoter, “We wanna see this fight! Rar rar rar!” the promoter may think, “Gee, I better try and put this fight together.” Look at stuff like Ronda Rousey, and when Sarah Kaufman first fought Meisha Tate. (I’m not sure exactly what happens behind scenes) but you get my point.
That power is limited, though, and doesn’t always work.
Now let’s look at it on a more personal level.
When a fighter is fighting, often they block out the audience. Sometimes they don’t. For my last fight, I was ridiculously nervous because I was about to fight my biggest rival on an injured knee. ~_~; But I knew my friends and co-workers were there, and I felt incredibly supported. I knew they were screaming for me- I could hear their voices, and they wanted me to win. They were lending me their power. Literally…!
(postscript: In the middle of one of my fights, I was trying this kimura and it wasn’t working and I heard a fan holler outside the cage, “DO A WRIST LOCK!” and I thought, “Oh okay” and did. I ALMOST got it… Unfortunately, “Hit him in the head!” doesn’t really help technique wise LOL but invisible energy-wise, you never know!)
Now on an even MORE personal level.
Social Networking. I’ve gotten emails, and people friend me on Facebook, comment on my blog, come into my chat room. People are nice to me and encourage me and cheer me up when I feel blue. It’s so nice! What an uplift, and a friendly thing to do! 🙂 When I’m depressed about training or a loss, it’s such a pick up to know that I still have fans who want to see me fight and do well. “We still love you, Roxy,” they say. ;_;! Really? wow!
These friends/fans came to see me at Blackeye Promotions!
I met Chikako and Drew in London!
There are many many more people I haven’t mentioned! I’m so lucky for that!
Rather than “make money,” for most female fighters, fighting COSTS money. Unlike some fighters, luckily I have a job. Yeah, it cuts into my training time, but one must survive, right? I get paid for between 30-35 hours a week, but probably put in around 40 hours or a little over that considering unpaid overtime. (At my job, we can do it adequately but not do an outstanding job if we just work the contract hours, I’m sorry, Management, you know it’s true. And I only want to do an Outstanding job :/)
I manage to live comfortably. I save up so I can go to interesting places, sometimes go to restaurants with friends, buy One Piece T-shirts. But gym fees and training fees are really high, especially in Japan. -_-; I’ve received some very generous gifts of supplements. Seriously, it’s such a HUGE help to me…I hadn’t been taking any before. (this picture is from a year or two ago! He MAILED this HUGE box to Japan!!)
That stuff is all gone-zo by now (except for the Monster…I’m afraid to drink it lol) I’m still taking the mammoth Glucosamine bottle a nice fan/friend sent me, and vitamins and protein powder (just finished it, actually). THANK YOU!! I just finished my gift of L-Glutamine. A little while ago, I just happened to get an unprompted paypal donation of money from a fan. and I bought THIS last week!
It was a little expensive, well, probably average for this kind of supplement. I started taking it and for the past week, I’ve been waking up like WHOO HOOOO recovery! My body has recovered more than it usually does! Still hurts, but gotta grin and bear that. This and another amino acids supplement pills I received, too.
And then I thought, “I want this fan to know that his money is going towards this, which has a direct link to me being able to rise out of my futon in the morning, rather than drag myself up.”
The purpose of this blog post is NOT to ask for donations. With the disasters around the world, and in my own adopted country, in Fukushima where people have lost their homes, I don’t feel I have a right to ask. I just wrote it as a thank you, a BIG thank you, to fans for their support- moral support, mental support, and otherwise! 🙂 And to let you know that you DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE to the fighters. We hear your voices more than you may think!!