Listen up Yo! Ya’ll need to shut your pie holes and drink from the well of wisdom. This ain’t no garden variety coolaid. This is the real deal. Too strong for your candy @$$es? Well that’s just too bad. The truth hurts like the taste of a 4 oz. MMA glove in your mouth.

MMA is just as much about your attitude as it is about your skillz. So take notes and learn yourself up yo.

How has this video escaped me thus far? I’m speachless. I just don’t know what to think about this. I mean, who in their right mind decides to film someone getting kicked in the junk? What insurance company covers someone who does this? Seriously, I want their number. And finally, who volunteers for such a job? It’s insanity. Someone call the authorities because someone needs medication.

I don’t know whether to be filled with horror, or admiration. Either way, it’s a great way to start off the week.

ENJOY!!!

Certainly any type of takedown can be used in the sport of MMA, but how to set them up and integrate them into a world where Neck Cranks, Chokes, Knees, Strikes and Submissions of all sorts can be employed as counter measures can sometimes be a daunting task. Cross Training Pioneer Erik Paulson has helped to continue the research and development of this field. Some would argue that he’s polished and even helped shape the landscape of MMA takedown protocols used in modern times. And you can put me into that group.

Here are some out takes we shot in 2009 and 2010 regarding some of those takedowns. As you might expect, these became part of the daily takedown regimen taught and studied at our school. And as the old saying goes, “Practice becomes habit, you don’t live up to your expectations, you live down to your drills and your training.” Such was the case in 2011 when a hand full of our students put these takedowns to the task at a local Submissions Only Tournament (no, time limits, no points).

Both the competitors seen in the videos (Jared Fahrner and Heinrich Mokofisi) used the running takedowns to eventually win their divisions.

One interesting idea to note was that one of our overall strategies going into the tournament was to employ the Catch Wrestling Concept of never offering your head to your opponent by means of “Shooting” for a takedown. Instead the competitors elected to use more upright, Grecco, Catch and Judo style takedowns when the opportunities presented themselves.

This not only allowed them to keep their heads and necks away from trouble but also gave them ample opportunities to utilize the Half Haltch, Grovit, Front Head Lock and Guillotine to control their opponents when they shot in and in some cases submit them outright.

Long story short, thank you again Sensei Paulson and Coach Robinson. This stuff works and works well.

And as a parting holiday present, we’ve included a final gift, an awesome impromptu lesson in leg locking for after you’ve taken your opponent to the mat. Courtesy again, of the legendary Sensei Paulson. So listen up and Lock On!

I’ve been saving this little beauty for a rainy day. And seeing as how it’s been a little quiet around the vlog as of late, I thought, it’s a perfect time to unleash some more pain. I mean, sharing is caring right?

Ever since I first read about the Gotch Toe Hold, I’ve been interested in learning more about it. Well at this year’s first quarter Certified Catch Wrestling Audit, we had a chance to do just that. After being teased with a first glance look at the technique during our shoot for the “Say Uncle” Catch as Catch Can book (pages 198 and 199 cover the technique in pictorials), I wanted to get some more hands on time with it with one of the last surviving practitioners of Catch, Coach Billy Robinson.

He shared his thoughts on a few variations and follow ups and then signed my copy of the book.

If you’re interested in picking up a copy, it would help Coach Kiser and I out as well as Scientific Wrestling (the guys responsible for putting together the Audits and the book) if you could use the link below and purchase your copy from Amazon.com

Jake Paul and Coach Kiser demonstrating the basic CACC Ready Stance.

In essence, the Catch Ready Stance is more upright than it’s amateur wrestling cousin. And favoring more of a Grecco and Judo style throwing for it’s takedowns vs the shooting and leg hunting method of the amateur style, I asked Coach Robinson why that came to be. His answer was simple. “Because you would never want to offer your neck to your opponent like that.”

Notice the difference in posture with the Amateur Wrestling version of the ready stance

Seeing how Catch not only employs and allows Guillotine type chokes but also potentially lethal neck cranks such as the Grovit, I took his words to heart. In fact I could hear them ringing in my ears this last weekend as I watched two of my own fighters get caught and choked with Guillotines as they shot in for doubles and singles. I suppose some lessons are hard learned.

Our student Dan Berry delivers his second Suplex shortly before getting caught in an Arm In Guillotine

At any rate, train well and Happy Hunting.

As of late, I’ve been a bit of a loafer when it comes to updating this blog, I admit. Coach Kiser and I have been inundated with a number of gym projects. We prepped and took a number of the kids to a Jiu-jitsu Tournament, we trained and took Kensei Sato into his 5th MMA fight last week and have been slaving away with 5 more fighters who go into the Cage in exactly 9 days.

On top of all that, our members have finally figured out, that we respond and welcome their requests and personal interaction. They’ve been PMing and requesting technique series in our forums left and right and we’ve been working over time to accommodate them.

Recently, we were asked to do a series on drills that could be done either solo or with a partner. CSW Coach Shane Taylor, the first student to graduate the CSW Coaching curriculum and earn his coaching certificate through us under Sensei Erik Paulson used to travel out of town frequently and during the first few years with us had made a similar request.

As a result, we had already put together a series of techniques that he could do in his hotel rooms on the road. It would seem that they weren’t too shabby as he used them to help build his foundation and eventually become one of our very best students.

The Solo and Wall Drill series is largely based on the program we put together for Coach Shane. We filmed it and put it up for DCMMA member Robin Jeff Davis and Edric Escalante. But I thought there are many of you who might also enjoy a few ideas for the next time you’re fresh out of training partners.

I hope you find these videos helpful. They are a small sampling of the full series available to our members.

Train hard, enjoy yourselves and Lock On!

What fighter worth his salt would ever go into a fight without padding his proverbial hand as much as possible in his favor?

Having a rock solid wing man is one of the most overlooked and under rated pieces of prep work that a fighter can have in place for his/her up coming fight.

If you’ve ever taken the time to listen to the corners during a fight, you’d be surprised at the variance in ability and quality. It’s amazing how often the advice you hear being shouted from the corner is something along the lines of “F*** him up bro!” Really?

An important part of any successful competition is communication between Coach/Instructor and Student/Competitor.

This article will focus on a couple of methods we use to communicate to our students when they are in the middle of their matches. They can however, be applied to effectivly communicating during any traumatic or stressful event.

A good coach is like a second pair of eyes for their student. But what the coach sees is useless if he/she is unable to communicate that information to his/her student.

Below are a list of tips that we have found helpful in communicating to our students when they are in the middle of a match.

Less is more… Keep It simple

If there is a constant barrage of chatter comming from the sidelines, it tends to blend in with the myriad of other noises already being muted by the tunnel vision/hearing experienced by the student. Be patient, hold your tongue and only bark out an occasional observation. AND when you do give some instruction, keep it simple. Suggestions such as this, “slip the jab, then uppercut, overhand, left hook right kick and shoot.” Simply are too much for a student under duress to handle. Something like the following would be more helpful “SLip and counter”.

Use the student’s name.

During one of his fights, Trevor “Little Bang” Osborn related that when everyone was shouting, he didn’t know who was saying what to whom. He didn’t know if it was the opposing team or our team speaking to the other competitor or to him and pretty soon he simply tuned it all out… that is until he heard us shout his name. Then he was able to take focus and listen.

Proper use of use of this method would sound something like this:

“Trevor, be first.”
“Trevor, circle! Keep your back off the cage.”
“Trevor, Go Now!”

Make eye contact.

When your student is fatigued and or rocked they tend to do a little slot machine number with their eyes. Their head will roll lazily around and their eyes will roll up under their lids etc.

If this happens between rounds, control their head with your hands and force them to look into your eyes.

If they are in a contol position mid-round, tell them to look at you. This will again, help to re-focus them, not just on your instruction, but also onto the task at hand.

Trigger Words

Trigger Words are words or phrases whose meaning you and your students have agreed upon. They are words that have been used during training sessions leading up to the event so that the student is used to hearing them and reacting to them.

For instance, we use the Trigger Words “Go Now”. We all know that this means, it means that there is 30 seconds left in the round. We have trained the student to go all out upon hearing that phrase (Pavlov eat your heart out). “Establish Base” means, chill out. Don’t blow your wad just yet. Re-establish your position and calmly look for openings and opportunities.

These phrases should be reinforced and used repeatedly in the gym during training sessions.

Don’t use more than one or two Trigger Words in your gym. The more Trigger Words you have, the less impact and significance they carry.

Communicate Visually with Hand Signals and Expressions

There are many times that a student’s battle stress will completely debilitate their ability to hear your voice. There are also times that the venue is so loud that your voice simply cannot be heard above the rest of the noise. In these instances it is helpful to commuicate visually as well as verbally. For instance, we will point to our eyes, then look up and point to the ceiling if we want our students to arch their backs more, lift their head and put more body into straightening out the armlock, guillotine, etc.

We’ll point to the ceiling and loop our finger around in a circle if we want the student to relax and burn some time off the clock.

And remember… every communication should be prefixed with your student’s name.

I hope these tips are helpful to you and your crew and we wish you all the best of luck. Train hard… we’ll see you out on the mat!

The Artistry of Sweet Science

Recently I tried to explain to my students that ultimately, our goal is to learn the techniques so that we can express ourselves through them.

I saw a lot of glazed over looks and nodding heads with empty eyes.

Then come sparring time, I saw a lot of mechanical movements, like notes to a melody being pounded out, without a single shred of feeling.

What does this mean? Expressing oneself through technique. I tried to explain that a fight is like a conversation without words.

Techniques communicate something immutable, intangible. In Thai Boxing, a Teep to the face, like Western Boxing’s Lead Straight Right is a way of insulting your opponent.

You are taking one of the dirtiest parts of your body and wiping it all over someone’s face. In essence using it as a door mat. Or in the case of the Straight Right, you’re taking your most powerful tool, from the furthest point away from your opponent and putting it right on his snot box without need of a set up or diversion. That expresses something.

The Rhythm of Expression

There is a rhythm to fighting, a cadence and timing.

The best fighters, the ones we love to watch always have an intimate understanding of this, a way of phrasing with their combinations, the tactful use of a dramatic pause.

Take for instance the difference in how these Instructors from the Thai Boxing Association express the same types of technique.

Take for instance, Ajarn Greg Nelson’s relentless and physical style.

And contrast that to the paced approach of Ajarn Bryan Popejoy shown here in the red.

And then look at how the techniques and their judicious placement and timing during the fight communicate something that cannot be said in Khuen Khru Brian Dobler’s highlight.

All are decorated, and very deeply respected icons in the Thai Boxing Association Muay Thai Camp. But each expresses the same types of movement in their own unique and beautiful way. There is an artistry to their approach.

The slight lowering of the gloves after delivering a telling blow. Giving the fans, the judges and the opponent ample time to absorb the message.

There is much more at play here than simply flailing limbs. There is a conversation being played out. A wonderful debate that those of us lucky enough to witness can learn from and enjoy.

Beyond the Science of 8 Limbs

This goes beyond Muay Thai and extends in to all combat sport. Boxing, Kick Boxing, Jiu-jitsu, Catch Wrestling, MMA, et al. So the next time you lace up those gloves and slicker up that mouth piece. Take a moment and remember, that that greats, not only deliver a heaping dose of punishment, but a sound and undeniable message…

an expression of the self.

Some time ago, we posted the first half of this series in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Escape Systems: Part 1. Here we present the second half of the series which provides a solid foundation upon which to base your Side Cross Escape Game.

Not All Side Cross Hold Downs Are Created Equal

One thing I’ve learned while studying submission grappling is that terms like Mount, Side Cross, Guard, Etc. are used in a very general sense. Within each position lies a number of sub-positions which can be recognized or classified (if you want to get really technical) by relative arm placement, weight distribution and attack orientation.

Each sub-position is like a prison cell to which only a few specific methods will create opportunities for escape. There is no skeleton key which magically unlocks all prison cell doors. Paying heed to which escapes and methods work for each sub-position will give you a better insight into how to become a better escape artist in general.

If The Boat Is A Rockin, Don’t Come A Knockin

I know I’ve beaten this dead horse to the grave, then stomped on it, kicked more dirt on top, and hammered that gravesite with a shovel, but I simply can’t say it enough times. Chain your escapes, and tie all of these escapes together and you will increase your chances of getting out in one piece.

It’s quite simple really, if your opponent takes pressure off of you to prevent your sweep, he’s generally going to give you enough space to recapture guard, or some semblance of it. If he pressures you to prevent your re-guard attempt, he gives you the energy necessary to effect your sweep.

Timing Is Critical!

Give anyone enough time, and they will dig in, fortify their position and give you headaches for days. Never let your opponent gain a foothold, and again, you increase your ability to effect an exit strategy and leverage your knowledge of escape routes and techniques.

Above is an excellent drill for developing this mentality. Shown here, it demonstrates the second sweep shown to me by my friend and one of my coaches, Pedro Sauer Black Belt, Mike Diaz. However, any of the escapes or sweeps can be substituted for the one shown here and trained in the transition drill to sharpen your timing.

Let us know how these escapes are working out for you in the comments and post your favorite videos of Side Cross Escapes so we can all learn from this discussion.

We recently did a video for our friends at www.LockFlow.com demonstrating another variant of the versatile Shin Lock. Ever since I learned the proper mechanics from Coach Billy Robinson, the Shin Lock has found an ever growing role in my MMA and Submission Grappling game.

Fringe Techniques and Our Disclaimer

Now I cannot emphasize this enough. Kiser and I often put up video content that demonstrate some of the more fringe type techniques (most of the fundamentals we do are in the Members Only area of DCMMA). This isn’t because we favor these over tried and tested basics, nor is it because we like them better.

We just figure, that if you wanted to see a basic guard pass, there are plenty of resources out there for you already, most of which are done by well respected, high profile instructors.

So we try to keep it interesting by exposing you guys to stuff you may not have seen just yet.

The Ever Versatile Shin Lock

The Shin Locks and their myriad of applications are something that fits the bill and this week we add a few more options based on the initial mechanics taught to us by Coach Robinson. He really does teach you how to learn, and then the rest just starts to blossom.

Add these to the stuff we showed in the BJJ CACC Shin Lock Guard Pass and your opponent will never look at that game the same.

Good luck, have fun, and happy hunting!

Well, after keeping a close tab on your feedback, two rival camps arose. Those in support of a voiceover and those wanting subtitles. All told, the subtitles folks had the edge by about 10 votes. And just as I was about to begin work on putting them into the clip, Coach Kiser made a last minute call to the governor (Mr. Monson himself) who requested the voiceover approach.

A special thanks to our friends at the Ultimate Combat Training Center who made this particular project possible. If you’re a fighter and want a chance to get a chance to be seen on a little larger scale, it’s a great place to fight. The Ultimate Combat Experienes has been seen on various local and cable television stations as well as Knock Out Sports World. If you’re in the Draper area, stop in and check out their brand new facility at

12101 Factory Outlet Dr
Suite 116
Draper, UT 84020-9405

Or give them a call at (801) 967-5295

As Mr. Monson heads up against Daniel Cormier later on tonight in the Strikeforce event, I can’t help but root for the guy. On the outside, our games, outlooks and overall approach to MMA could not be more different, but on the inside, I can definitely appreciate his counter culture mentality and independent approach to life and philosophy. And I have to respect any man that would step on the mat, and share a training session, man to man, eye to eye, simply for the love of the art the way that Jeff Monson does.

With any luck, we’ll see another victem fall prey to the Monson Choke tonight. God Speed Mr. Monson.