Sweet!

My old wrestling coach told me, "A champion will do the simplest things better than anyone else." Then he would go on to say how the flash and shine aren't neccesary to be great, just as long as you have an unshakeable foundation and untouchable will, you can go far.

Sugar Ray Robinson had his basic fundamentals so perfected, that when his impeccable punches, from the jab to the bolo, didn't work, he practically made new punches up on the spot, and they worked.

Dan Gable drilled until his basic double leg and sprawl were so reflexive to him that he once said, "I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score."

There's a story in the Bible that talks about a house being built on sand, and a house being built on rock. It wasn't meant to be related to combat sports, but I'm going for it. The house on the sand washes away and collapses at the first sign of trouble. This is like someone who doesn't have the basics mastered. When something isn't exactly how it was in practice, they have to stop and think and eventually crumble. When somenone has correctly practiced the fundamentals to the point where they are reflexive, however, they see something that isn't exactly how they drilled it, and have enough of a natural feel for the sport and shut down the adversity. Just as a hut built on rock will stand the test of time, a fighter with a solid fundamental foundation will look adversity in the face and smile.