In order to understand what champions are made of, you need to know about the technique of Muhammad Ali. In the famous 1974 fight against George Foreman, he would lie on the ropes in a protected position, taunting and inviting the opponent to attack. The great boxer conceived an insidious plan. Let Foreman's meaningless punches hit the mark. This will not give the arbitrators a reason to start the countdown, but the opponent will be misled and believe in his victory in advance.

When the perfect moment arrives, Muhammad Ali will start his fight. His opponent has spent too much strength, he is exhausted and starts to make mistakes. Then only one hero will be seen in the ring, fluttering like a butterfly and stinging better than a bee. This is the greatest tactical move imaginable. Until now, many boxers take this trick into service. Among the followers of Ali's tactical genius, one can recall Manny Pacquiao, Mickey Ward, and even Floyd Mayweather.

Grandiose Athlete

His fights began long before entering the ring. Known for his perfect technique and lightning speed, Mohammed Ali is arguably the greatest athlete in human history. His quotes during his lifetime became the starting point for many young people around the world. And now, when the great champion passed away on June 3, 2016, we want to remember his most outstanding statements.

And great personality

Louisville native Cassius Marcellus Clay started boxing at the age of 12. In the end, not just a successful, but a grandiose career awaited him. In 1964, he converted to Islam and took the name Mohammed Ali, which means "name of a slave." His political activity and participation in charity events over the years have inspired millions of ordinary people around the world. Before you - the most iconic sayings of a great personality.

About the limitless possibilities of man

1. "If it's possible to make penicillin out of moldy bread, it's possible to make something out of you." These words are addressed to people who doubt their own abilities. In fact, whoever you are in the beginning, you can become whoever you want to be.

2. "You become what you think about."

About friendship

3. “Friendship is the hardest thing to explain. This is never taught in school. But if you are not destined to know the meaning of friendship, you can consider that in your whole life you really have not learned anything.

About dreams and risk

4. "The best way to fulfill your dreams is to wake up and get out of bed."

5. "A person who does not have the courage to take risks has no chance of success in life."

About his fight with Sony Liston

6. “Now Clay will swing to the right, and then his kick will throw the Bear to the floor. The referee begins to frown as Liston manages to get up again. Another blow - and Sony disappears from sight.

About training and achievements

7. “I hated every moment of my workouts, but swore never to quit. Let me suffer now, but I will live the rest of my life as a champion.”

8. "To be a great champion, you have to believe that you are the best, as long as you don't pretend."

9. “I have speed and endurance. So you'd better increase the starchovka.

10. “You can't make a champion in the gym. These people are made of steel, and something is embedded deep within them. It is about desire, dream and vision. And last but not least, a champion must have physical endurance. He must have a little speed, skill and will. But will must always take precedence over skill.

11. “Fights are won and lost away from spectators and eyewitnesses sitting in the ring. The result is decided behind the front line - in the gym. The way I dance under these ring lights is just final result all the way."

About freedom

12. “I know where my path leads, and I know the truth. I don't have to be what others want me to be. I am free to be who I am."

About my own greatness

13. “I am the greatest. I said it even before I became one. I realized that I could convince the whole world of this.”

About the social structure

14. “A loud word thrown into a crowd of people means nothing if they find it easier to live in the world that is given to them. These people do not want to use power to change something. This is not a fact, this is my opinion. This is not a declaration, but a challenge. Impossibility has potential, and impossibility is temporary. In fact, nothing is impossible."

Before fights with Joe Frazier and George Foreman

15. “Joe is going out for a smoke, and I have no reason to joke. It may shock or surprise you, but I'm going to destroy it."

16. “Do you think the world was shocked when Nixon resigned? Wait till I knock out George Foreman. You cannot be amazed at what your eyes cannot see."

About life

17. “Live each day as if it were your last. Someday it will really come." After the great boxer was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he did not stop participating in public life. His story is an amazing example of fortitude.

18. “At 50, a person cannot look at the world as if he were 20. Otherwise, he wasted 30 years of his life.” If a person does not change his views, he is worthless. Experience is given in order to be able to reassess values.

19. "Don't count the days, make the days count."

20. "Be happy for your children, even when they don't do what you expect them to do." It is impossible to keep your children under control at a time when they step over the threshold of adulthood. However, parental love must be unconditional, regardless of the decision chosen by the children.

About racism

21. “It's stupid to hate people because of the color of their skin. You don't hate the race, you just have a habit of hating."

About silence

22. “Be quiet when you don't have a decent answer. Only then will silence be golden.”

Muhammad Ali (Cassius Marcellus Clay) was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. American professional boxer in the heavyweight division. Champion of the XVII Summer Olympic Games in 1960 in the light heavyweight category. Absolute world heavyweight champion (1964-1966, 1974-1978).

Quotes, aphorisms, sayings, phrases - Mohammed Ali

• I said I was the greatest, not the smartest.
• It's hard to be humble when you're as big as me.
• Most The best way make your dreams come true - wake up.
• The more we help others, the more we help ourselves.
• Hands work, eyes see. Flutter like a butterfly, pity like a bee.
• I saw George Foreman shadow box and the shadow won.
• Not a single blow, except for the sun, should remain unanswered.
• Worrying about past mistakes all the time is the biggest mistake.
• The more sincere you are, the more false and hypocritical the world around you is.
• When you're right, no one remembers. And if you make a mistake, no one will forget.
• Rejoice in your children, even when they do not behave the way you would like.
• God will not place a burden on a man's shoulders that he cannot bear.
• Boxing is when a lot of white people watch two black people beat each other up.
• I am an astronaut in boxing. Joe Lewis and Dempsey are just pilots. I live in my own world.
• I'm not the greatest, I'm doubly the greatest. Not only will I knock them out, I will pick the round.
• Silence is golden, but only when you can't think of a decent answer.
• It's just a profession. Grass grows, birds fly, waves wash over the sand, I hit people.
• If you dream of beating me, then you better wake up quickly and take your thoughts back.
• Russia scares me - the people on the buses look like they're being taken to the electric chair.
• The first time I felt spirituality in my life was when I entered this Muslim temple in Miami.
• A person who looks at the world at 50 the same way as at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.
• The fight must last 13 seconds. 2 seconds to approach, 1 second to strike and 10 seconds to count the referee.
• I had nothing against a single Viet Cong. Ни один вьетнамец никогда не называл меня «ниггером».
• There are two phenomena in the world that cannot be seen, much less hit. This is a ghost and Mohammed Ali.
• Champions are not gyms. A champion is born by what a person has inside - desires, dreams, goals.
• I don't have to be what others want me to be, and I'm not afraid to be what I would like to see myself.
• I hated every minute of training, but I said to myself, "Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."
• If you think you're big and strong, tell me how tall you are so I know how far to go when you fall.
• I know that I have earned everything, while the mass of black people live literally in hell. Until they are free, I cannot be free either.
• I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room got dark.
• The rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in a dark closet and he will never crow. I've seen the light and that's why I crow.
• People don't appreciate someone until they lose them. It's like with President Kennedy - there are no more like him and there will never be. There will be no one like Elvis Presley. By the way, I was the Elvis of boxing.
• My toughest fight is with Parkinson's disease. No, it doesn't hurt. It is hard to explain. They definitely test me: will I continue to pray, will I keep the faith? God tests all great men.
• God, I've suffered and suffered and suffered. It really hurts. It's time for a new life. I don't want to fight anymore. I've been doing this for 25 years. It changes a person. It changed me. I see it. I'm feeling it.
• There is no person in the world who can deal with me. I am very fast. I am very dexterous. I am very handsome. In general, my image should be on postage stamps. It will be the only way print me.
• Why should they make me put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and throw bombs and bullets at brown people when the so-called black people in Louisville are treated like dogs?
• I told you - all my critics, I told you that I am the greatest champion ever since I beat Sonny Liston. I'm telling you today, I'm still the greatest ever... Don't ever say I'm going to lose again. Don't ever make me an underdog until I'm fifty.
• Impossible is just a big word behind which little people hide. It is easier for them to live in the familiar world than to find the strength to change something. The impossible is not a fact. This is just an opinion. The impossible is not a sentence. It's a challenge. The impossible is a chance to prove yourself. Impossible is not forever. The impossible is possible.
• I fought to win the world title so I could go out and say what was on my mind. I wanted to go to unemployed people for whom drugs and poverty were part of Everyday life. I wanted to be a champion that is accessible to everyone. I hoped to inspire others to take control of their own destiny and live with pride and purpose.
• Prison is a bad place. I was there for a week until we were released for Christmas and it was terrible. You're locked in, you can't get out. Bad food and nothing to do. You look out the window at people and cars and everyone looks so free. Little things like walking down the street or getting enough sleep become out of reach. A person must be serious in their intentions in order to experience all this for five years, I am just such a person.
• The doctor may say that if you feel tension, then it is better to quit. So your doctor does not understand anything, because if you do not strain your muscles, you will not get the desired result. You have to run until you have everything turned out. You have to run until your heart almost stops. You have to keep running even when your legs give out. You must run forward, and run forward, and only then will you achieve what you want.
  

The collection includes quotes from Muhammad Ali, the great American professional boxer:

• I don't smoke, but I still carry a matchbox in my pocket. When my heart slides towards sin, I light a match, bring it to my palm, and then I say to myself: “Ali, you cannot bear this heat, since how can you bear the unbearable heat of Hell?”
• I hated every minute of training, but I said to myself, "Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."
• God will not place a burden on a man's shoulders that he cannot bear.
• I don't have to be who you want me to be. I am free to be who I want to be.

• Boxing is when a lot of white people watch two black people beat each other up.
• Worrying all the time about past mistakes is the worst mistake.
• I would have knocked him out with the first blow. There are opponents that he can bite off the ear of, but at the same time there are opponents that can bite off his head. (about Tyson)
• If you dream of becoming someone, you become it.
• I saw George Foreman shadow box and the shadow won.
• Whatever your goal is, you can achieve it if you only want to work hard.
• It's just a profession. Grass grows, birds fly, waves wash over the sand, I hit people.
• When a person's mother dies, it really hurts. But over time, he gets used to it. That is life!
• The more we help others, the more we help ourselves.
• When I joke, I usually tell the truth. The truth is the funniest thing in the world.
• A person who has no imagination has no wings.
• Comedy is a way of being serious while pretending to be funny. Joking is my way of telling the truth. There is no funnier joke in the world than the truth.
• It's hard to be humble when you're as great as me.
• My toughest fight is with Parkinson's disease. No, it doesn't hurt. It is hard to explain. They definitely test me: will I continue to pray, will I keep the faith? God tests all great men.
• It's not the mountains ahead that you have to climb that's stopping you, it's the pebble in your boots that's stopping you.
• Silence is golden, but only when you can't think of a decent answer.
• The hardest fight I had to endure was with my first wife.
• Wisdom is knowing when you can't be wise.
• The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.
• Not a single blow, except for the sun, should remain unanswered!
• Hands work, eyes see. Flutter like a butterfly, pity like a bee. Boxing motto
• A bird that does not use its wings will not fly far. Our wings are our imagination and those who don't use...
• Rejoice in your children, even when they do not behave the way you would like.
• Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams - they are all called differently. But they all have water. Also with religions. They are all called differently, but everywhere there is truth.
• A bird that does not use its wings will not fly far. Our wings are our imagination and those who do not use it always stay in one place. Dream and fantasize, only in this way you will be able to freely soar through the boundless world of possibilities.

• Who would I like to meet? With Prophet Mohammed.
• Impossible is just a big word behind which small people hide. It is easier for them to live in the familiar world than to find the strength to change something. The impossible is not a fact. This is just an opinion. The impossible is not a sentence. It's a challenge.
• The most difficult fight is when you have to fight laziness for happiness.
• Silence is golden if you can't come up with a good answer.
• The sun is always shining somewhere.
• My toughest fight with Parkinson's. No, it doesn't hurt. It is hard to explain.
• Those who are not brave enough to take risks will achieve nothing in life.
• My definition of evil: hostility.

When you're right, no one remembers. And if you make a mistake, no one will forget.

(correct)

Rejoice in your children, even when they do not behave the way you would like.

(children)

Worrying about past mistakes all the time is the biggest mistake.

(error, past)

God will not place a burden on a man's shoulders that he cannot bear.

(The God)

If you dream of beating me, then you better wake up quickly and take your thoughts back.

The first time I felt spirituality in my life was when I entered this Muslim temple in Miami.

(Islam)

I had nothing against a single Viet Cong. Ни один вьетнамец никогда не называл меня «ниггером».

(racism)

There are two phenomena in the world that cannot be seen, much less hit. This is a ghost and Mohammed Ali.

Why should they make me put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and throw bombs and bullets at brown people when the so-called black people in Louisville are treated like dogs?

(racism, US)

If you think you're big and strong, tell me how tall you are so I know how far to go when you fall.

I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room got dark.

(speed)

My toughest fight is with Parkinson's disease. No, it doesn't hurt. It is hard to explain. They definitely test me: will I continue to pray, will I keep the faith? God tests all great men.

People don't appreciate someone until they lose them. It's like with President Kennedy - there are no more like him and there will never be. There will be no one like Elvis Presley. By the way, I was the Elvis of boxing.

There is no person in the world who can deal with me. I am very fast. I am very dexterous. I am very handsome. In general, my image should be on postage stamps. This will be the only way to seal me.

Impossible is just a big word behind which little people hide. It is easier for them to live in the familiar world than to find the strength to change something. The impossible is not a fact. This is just an opinion. The impossible is not a sentence. It's a challenge. The impossible is a chance to prove yourself. Impossible is not forever. The impossible is possible.

(impossible)

Prison is a bad place. I was there for a week until we were released for Christmas and it was terrible. You're locked in, you can't get out. Bad food and nothing to do. You look out the window at people and cars and everyone looks so free. Little things like walking down the street or getting enough sleep become out of reach. A person must be serious in their intentions in order to experience all this for five years, I am just such a person.

(jail)

The rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in a dark closet and he will never crow. I've seen the light and that's why I crow.

I hated every minute of training, but I said to myself, "Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."