Hello TheoTrader,
Being away from home for several weeks isn't easy. Similar to trading certain setups, I have routines across different time frames. Certain things need to be done regularly.
I grew up playing team sports like soccer and basketball. I was the odd man out in a real midwestern hockey town. All my friends played ice hockey except me. I did participate in street hockey games as a kid.
Team sports differ from individual sports. You can't blame a teammate for losing in individual sports. It's important to know how to work with a team. When it comes to trading, your biggest battle is yourself.
Like Professor Bierman, I trained in Hapkido as a youth. I quit when I was one degree away from black belt. I started at 5 and continued until middle school. Those are awkward years.
In 2021, I picked up martial arts training again. I did Krav Maga for about 3 years. Then added boxing and jiujitsu around 2022. In 2024, I stepped away from Krav Maga and jiujitsu to focus on boxing. Better ROI on my time for exercise.
I'm starting my 4th year of serious boxing training soon. I train at least twice a week. I spar lightly and have zero plans to fight competitively. That would be silly with a family to feed and a brain-based living.
Boxing requires humility like trading. Looks can be deceiving. There's always someone bigger, stronger, or faster than you. Someone will always be a better trader with more money. That's not where I focus.
It's competition with yourself. Learning how to get hit. Ultimate accountability. I can't blame someone else if I let my guard down. Learning to win with humility. Understanding your physical and psychological limitations. You can think when rested. Can you think when exhausted and your arms feel like a thousand pounds? Keep your guard up or get caught.
Trading under stress isn't different. We all have lives. Families, bills, health. The market doesn't care. The market looks for ways to take your money, just like your boxing opponent looks for you to drop your guard.
But there are opportunities when your opponent drops their guard. You have to pounce. The market works the same way. Moments in time define a month, quarter, or year. You have to push forward without hesitation when those moments present themselves.
You can do everything right and still get hit. Like the stock with perfect setup that still stops you out. Does that mean you automatically lose the match? Not at all. One trade doesn't define who you are, winner or loser.
Talk soon,
Gianni Di Poce