I didn’t know anything about mixed martial arts until I read about Frank Shamrock, one of the sport’s pioneers and arguably the most elite fighter the world has seen. But becoming the undisputed champion of such a ruthless, demanding sport doesn’t happen by chance. Shamrock implements a strategy which allowed him, and now allows many of his apprentices, to construct the ideal balance of power and humility. This is called the Plus, Minus, Equal System.
Each day in this system, the fighter must have someone better who they can learn from, someone lesser who they can teach, and someone equal who will challenge them. The rationale is simple: when one simultaneously learns, teaches, and practices, they improve their craft from all angles. This system eliminates the part of us that says we don’t need any help, it eases the fear that we are inadequate, and it kills the tendency to ease up.
The notion of always associating with someone better than you is intriguing. Normally, we would say that it makes sense to have some sort of mentor in the early stages of developing a skill. But Frank Shamrock was the number one ranked pound for pound fighter in the world – what use would he have learning from anybody else?
What allowed Shamrock to maintain his dominance was not physical talent or work ethic. It was his ability to tame his ego. Our ego tells us that once we reach some arbitrary point, be it an athletic accomplishment or a promotion, that we have somehow reached the pinnacle of the craft. In reality, no one ever completely masters anything. There is no endpoint. It’s a constant influx of new information and experiences that shapes us into better versions of ourselves.
Ryan Holiday touches on this subject in his book Ego is the Enemy with the idea of always being a student. The basis of this theory derives from Epictetus’ quote, “One cannot learn that which he thinks he already knows.” The most difficult part about applying this theory, especially if we’ve tasted success, is initially admitting that you can benefit from someone else’s knowledge.
Those who are among the elite in their craft are where they are because they are more open to learning than anybody else in their field. Say what you want about New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, but the man has set the bar for excellence by sitting under people ahead of him. He went from intern to six-time Super Bowl Champion, yet he still dissects plays and studies game film to the nth degree every day. He never played a down of college or professional football. Compare this to the countless ex players whose coaching careers have flopped because they tried to skate by on their own experience.
The Plus, Minus, Equal System and the need for a student mindset is undeniably relevant in areas outside of sports. Aren’t the best teachers the ones who seek out new information for their class instead of repeating last year’s lessons? Aren’t the best writers the ones who read above their level to gain new perspectives? Aren’t the leading scientists the ones who stretch their comfort zone to research new methods? Businesses fail to change and adapt because they’ve lost the ability to learn. Their prosperities have told them that they no longer need to be students.
The willingness to ask questions allows us to maintain humility. Daily challenges with an opponent sharpens our skills. And when we teach our craft to a student, we see it from a different perspective and learn it more thoroughly – we become a student again and the process comes full circle.
Plus, Minus, Equal. It’s how Einstein developed the Theory of Relativity and it’s how Frank Shamrock became the undisputed fighting champion of the world.
“As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.” – John Archibald Wheeler
Dominic Vaiana studies writing and media strategy at Xavier University. He founded a campus newspaper and later went on to advise, ghostwrite, and edit for colleagues and startups. His biweekly newsletter with his personal articles, essays, interviews, and book recommendations, can be found here. For any questions or comments, email dominicvaiana@gmail.com.
