My first encounter with leg locks was with my Cousin Kelly. He had seen a technique sample clip from one of the original UFC productions where Ken Shamrock taught how to hit a toe hold and heel lock off of a broken guard. We drilled and worked leg lock quick draws for hours.
Later I would see more locks, different variations, set ups, entries and chain techniques while working with Coach Brandon Kiser. This I would supplement by soaking up everything I could from material released by Sensei Erik Paulson via his seminars, DVD’s and online instruction.
Over the years, what I’ve come to realize is that the more skilled, the larger, and the stronger my partners and opponents, the more the course of a roll or fight would bring me towards a leg lock.
It would be the only opening or set of joints that I could manage to isolate and control with relative safety against my stronger, highly skilled counter parts.
Needless to say, I fell in love with Leg Locks and have become an avid student of their many uses and subtle intricacies.
Inevitably, any thorough study of Leg Locks will eventually find it’s way to Russia’s Sambo. As far as Leg Locks go, few individuals can say they specialize on a subject as in depth as Sambo Practitioners.
It would be an understatement to say that Sambo has a complex history. But what would you expect from an art that has grown from such a large country with so much cultural diversity. Sambo is a relatively modern art, it’s formative years comprised of the first part of the 20th century. However, you could say that the seeds that would finally germinate and begin to bear fruit as a nationally recognized sport, had been present since the birth of Mother Russia herself.
In those early times pre-dating it’s forefathers, Sambo finds it’s ancestry in the form of numerous tribal, folk and indigenous wrestling styles ranging from Mongolian Wrestling to Tartar Koras and seemingly everything between, on the boarders, and from the center of Eastern Europe.
The formation of a comprehensive empty handed combatives curriculum for the Red Army would be the impetus for what could be considered the conception of early Sambo. Two men (who’s names I have seen numerous spellings for) are consistently credited with the early development of the Russian art, Vasili Oschepkov and Victor Spiridonov. Each had a different area of expertise and each had their own ideas about how Sambo should be developed and propagated (either as a system for military combat or as a national sport).
Oschepkov (a second degree black belt in Judo) would eventually be executed under orders of Stalin for his refusal to deny education and ties with Judo’s founder Jigaro Kano.
Despite the effort to expunge the influence of souces outside of mainland Russia, the similarities between many of the throwing techniques of Sambo and Judo are too compelling to ignore.
It’s important to look at the translation of SAMBO to really understand what’s under the hood of this high octane martial art.
“SAMBO” is actually an acronym for a series of Russian words that can be intrepreted as “Self Defense Without A Weapon”.
As such it’s open ended and pragmatic scope does much to explain the art’s ecclectic appoach and the numerous variations that have arisen over time. During correspondance with Reilly Bodycomb, he has mentioned that
“Sambo is not taught as a collection of techniques but rather as a series of principles which will allow a faster development of combat skills.”
I can relate to this on a personal level as I gave a name to my own gym “Mushin Self Defense” with the same intentions. I didn’t want to limit an individual or myself to any one method. I wanted to empower my students with and “ends justify the means” mentality and in so doing, lay a foundation from which the most efficient technique for the individual could be employed to that end.
SAMBO’s principle of “use what works”, works well for those of us who enjoy the freedom to experiment and modify systems and tools to suit our own needs.
Another interesting fact concerning SAMBO is that unlike it’s contemporaries,
it does not have a formal structure or ranking system.
This has, in my opinion, enabled it to spread rapidly. Less encumbered by oranizational politics, it has been able to gain a foothold in countries around the world in a very short period of time (within 2 to 3 generations of its original inception as a national sport at the hands of Anatoly Kharlampiev in 1938).
To bring this breif history full circle and back to the original discusssion, the bottom line is winning. Surviving an un armed altercation and giving an individual the best chances for victory. And there is no better way to do this than Sambo’s library of Leg Locking techniques.
Time and again, leg attacks have bailed me out of otherwise unsalvageable situations.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Reilly Bodycomb for contributing his time and expertise so that I and the followers of DamageControlMMA.com can continue to expand our understanding of these wonderful equalizers of the MMA world.
If you enjoyed this series of instructional videos, you might also enjoy Reilly’s DVD’s which are available for purchase. Not only is the content unique and well presented, but the price is unbeatable.
CSW has many influences, perhaps one of the main influences was originally Shooto
O.k. Superfans, this week I stumbled upon a series of videos that is absolutely awesome. Especially for those of you who enjoy the culture of technique and Martial Art as much as you do watching the latest moves on the mat. This is a timeless classic that holds an important place in the history of MMA, especially for me personally and any of us that have been influenced by Sensei Erik Paulson and CSW.
Below is a series of lock flows from the Original Shooto Lockflow series. I have never seen these all compiled online like this before and so I thought I’d share.
For those of you who have been studying with Coach Kiser over the last few weeks, this is what he has been teaching you. If you’ve ever wanted to see the whole lockflow documented so that you’d have an easier time remembering everything, here you go.
Here is a gem from Khuen Khru – Coach Alvin Chan of Maryland CSW. I really like this lock and have been playing around trying to hit it from other situations such as off a 1/4 nelson (a.k.a. “Kaputa Kapaula”) vs an opponent who has an underhook and is trying to come up from bottom half guard… if that makes any sense at all.
Either way it’s a nice little trick to have up your sleeves… ahem, rash guards.
If you know me at all, you know that I’m into survival craft… Survivorman style. And
nowhere are survival skills more important than in a post apocalyptic state, over run with Zombies.
While killing a perfectly good Saturday afternoon reading an article about putting together one’s own survival kit, it hit me.
There is a wealth of Zombie related information that I could share with my MMA brothers and sisters to help improve their MMA Games.
Thus, I decided to relate the Zombieland List of Rules to the many hazards that plague the average MMA practitioner and here we are.
Upon doing further research for this article, I found some peculiar facts concerning the “official” Zombieland Rules to Live By. Many of the rules have not yet been made public and some of those that have, appear in or out of order depending upon whether they were mentioned in the actual theatrical release or in official promotional material.
Take for instance rule numbers listed on the official Zombieland website and those featured on this international trailer. I’ve seen so many different lists and rule numbering systems that I’ve about given up. I would go with the rules listed in the US movie release but I don’t remember them exactly and I’m too damn cheap to go watch the movie again.
These discrepancies make for interesting conversation, and have occupied the better part of my days for the last few weeks. But I won’t bore you any longer with my movie trivia nerdomania.
Below are Damage Control MMA’s Zombie Land Rules for MMA Fighters to Live By… And I’m basing my numbering system, LOOSELY, on the list I found on Wikipedia.
You got a problem with that, you can go write up your own Zombie List of Rules to Live by.
Zombie Land Rule 1 for MMA is Cardio[14]. Once your Cardio goes, one of the first things to happen is your hands drop by your side. Another tell tale sign of spent Cardio is a mouthpiece that’s hanging half way out of your mouth. When this happens… well, you just saw what usually follows.
02.Beware of Bathrooms
Zombie Land Rule 2 for MMA is Beware of bathrooms[14][15]. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve seen and er smelt things much scarier than Zombies comin out of the public bathroom.
Zombie Land Rule 4 for MMA is the Double tap[14]. If you think your partner has had enough and taps out. Making him tap one more time, makes you both 100% sure.
Yeah, you don't want that "attached" to you.
05. No Attachments (I added this based on my research. For us MMA, Muay Thai and Submission Grappling Practitioners, this usually means, no ringworm, no scabies, MRSA, Mat Herpes… you get the gist.)
Now I know I didn’t complete the list in terms of relating the various rules to the worlds of MMA, Thai Boxing and Submission Wrestling. But that’s where you come in.
I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to fit some of these rules into our scheme of things. But I am sure that our viewers, in all their infinite wisdom will succeed where I have failed. I welcome your rules, and look forward to reading them in the comments below.
In the mean time. Prepare yourselves, zombies are coming, they don’t take any prisoners and Big Brother Won’t Save You!
When was the last time you worked cage tactics? When was the last time you incorporated the cage wall into your takedown to nullify your opponent’s ability to sprawl and protect his hips? When was the last time you defended having your head crushed in the cheese grater of chained links?
Ignoring the importance of this aspect of MMA competition can be detrimental to your MMA game. If this is the first time you’ve given these situations any consideration, or if you drill these positions as frequently as you clean your bathrooms, than this article might have some use for you.
Below are two more basic options for when your opponent takes you down and attempts to drive you into the fence, a tactic that can severely cramp your ability to use your guard to it’s full extent. These clips are Damage Control MMA exclusives for our friends here at www.DamageControlMMA.com
Here is an older clip we released with UFC Veteran Todd Medina. It contains more information pertaining to the use of the cage in an MMA fight.
And one more little bonus for you loyal followers of Damage Control MMA. A scrap from an old shoot we did that never made it to production because of a problem we had with the mic. The audio is unsalvageable but maybe you might find something of use in this one. A different way to look at knees while your opponent is against the cage.
Some techniques are timeless. Last week we took a look at the frontiers of Submission. The very bleeding edge of what can be done. This week we take a look at an old classic; the first counter to a kick catch that I ever learned. It’s like leather, seeing someone take one to the nads, The olde One-Two Combination or the Triangle Choke. These things never get old and I don’t think they ever will.
A special thanks to Khuen Khru Will for sharing these and for being our wonderful instructor for all these years.
In the modern game of submission grappling it seems as though new rules are being written, old rules are being revised or recounted, and sometimes even broken at a break neck pace.
At times this leads to great leaps in the progress of the art and at others, great disasters. And there are still other instances, where these changes in conventional thinking simply further a particular strain of the overall submission fighting game. For instance, there are many techniques and tactics that work well within the confines of submission grappling, but not as well when applied in the area of Mixed Martial Arts. Even within MMA, there are rule structures (soccer kicking/kneeing the head of a downed fighter) and environments (cage vs ring vs open mat) that will foster the development and favoritism of differing methods.
The object of this article isn’t to pass judgment or to push an agenda (stick to the basics vs. explore the frontiers of possibility). I think there is great value in both areas of study. The object of this article is simply to compile some material I’ve found interesting and explain why I feel it has some merit.
I’ve found similar types of articles on other sites, though their subjects are a lot more focused. To this day, I believe that the Darce/Brabo study and the “No Posture Guard Pass” articles on www.aesopian.com are some of the most ground breaking compilations on the internet.
So lets get down to the analysis and explanation.
The first article, the “Brabo Choke Homework” caught my attention because it showed so many different angles and set up possibilities for this one type of choke. It’s funny because I am horrible at it. Despite all the research and information available though articles like this as well as first hand personal accounts from my own, very qualified instructors, I swear, I can’t remember the last time I was even close with one of these arm chokes.
I want to say it’s because I have short arms but the truth is more likely that I am an epically slow learner and not that bright to begin with.
But what I took away from this article was a realization that paired with something I heard Sensei Erik Paulson once say concerning triangling with the legs.
“So long as you have an arm and an leg between…” you’ve got a triangle choke. This article made me realize this to a much broader and higher degree.
Moving on to the second article, The No Posture Pass series. I thought this to be very interesting. For me, I think it would be dangerous to try this pass as a first option. I much prefer to establish and maintain solid posture from within the guard. But that doesn’t mean that I have to turn my nose up to something like this. In fact, there are plenty of times when my opponents or training partners are skilled to a degree that I am unable to regain or establish posture in the first place.
This is where I give ideas like the No Posture Pass series, their due. They have a place in my game as a last resort or plan B. I haven’t necessarily had that much success with this series either. But to be honest, I haven’t worked on it that much either. I put my effort into keeping, regaining and maintaining posture. But I like knowing that there is another route I can take if things don’t go the way I plan.
I like to keep series like this in my back pocket for rainy days. They’re like building a motorcycle in your garage on the weekends.
You work on them, piece by piece, now and again, when you have a moment of free time. You never know. One day, you just may be riding that bad boy right out of a nasty situation.
The Kimura and Straight Arm Bar from within guard from Phil Migliarese and Jiujitsumatrix.com. This is another technique that I just don’t ever see myself “going for” when given a choice. But, as I’ve said before, there have been numerous times where I’ve found myself without a choice. Where a skilled BJJ Black Belt has set me up and put both my arms to one side of his body, or God forbid, I made a mistake and put them there myself.
When my opponent is all over me and simply will not let me get my arm back over to the other side. Why not go for a Kimura? If you are unable to get your arm back into position, your opponent’s probably going to take your back anyway. At least this way you might be able to put him in a reactive mindset and possibly on the defensive.
I like these types of clips because they are unorthodox and can catch your opponent off guard.
The challenge is really in finding how they fit into your personal game.
I like this technique and those like it because they give you a ray of hope, just when things are at their darkest. Sometimes you might even be terrible at pulling them off, which more times than not, is how I roll.
But so long as you have something to pull off, you’ve got a glimmer of hope. You’re not just sitting there waiting for your back to be taken.
The Kimura with your legs from bottom Side Cross:
This is craziness. And I Love it! This one is so far out there that I haven’t even drilled or begun to try to figure it out for myself. But I still really enjoy the clip.
What I like most about it is that it dares to think of the possibilities and challenge the limits. It looks at the essence of a submission hold and then asks, what tools do I have at my disposal to make this work?
And that to me is what is most valuable about this clip. If you can think that way about a Kimura, you can think that way about any submission using any available machinery to get the job done.
I’ll be honest, when I started hearing about this new thing, the 50/50 Guard, I had to learn more. But once I got a look at it, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. It just looked like a plain old, leg lock war to me. Nothing out of the ordinary, or exceptional about it. It just looked like a position I’ve seen plenty of times before and worked within myself over the years.
But once I saw Ryan ripping knees apart without so much as hooking a heel, I took a second look.
This was what sparked my imagination. Being so technical with the isolation mechanics of a lock that you could submit or even break someone without even putting on the final touches. It inspired me to look at all my submissions in the same way and to begin the refining process, an over hall, of my submission arsenal if you will.
The first clip or Mr. Hall reminded me of Imanari’s iconic leg Kimura, except that Ryan’s was inverted/reverse but essentially the same mechanics were utilized to effect torque on the knee.
I’d love to see the clips that have inspired you guys or made you think again about your game or a technique in your repertoire. Please post them here and share.
I’ve shown you mine, it’s time to show me yours. It’s alright… I’m a Doctor.
” Let me show you how to properly do a front face lock”
Thinking that there wasn’t much an old ”pro” wrestler could teach a veteran grappler like myself, but having been brought up to respect my elders (and this guy was old, very old) I let him do his stuff, telling myself it would make the old man’s day ( I’m nice that way). He wrapped his still massive arms around my head, placed a hand on my shoulder, figure foured his wrists and cranked. Although he didn’t seem to apply much pressure, my knees buckled. My jaw, neck and spine made a loud cracking noise. I was certain he had just ripped my head straight off of my shoulders.
But he wasn’t done yet…he took me down and put me in a leg lock, a half Boston of all things, a fake ”pro” move (or so I thought).
What hadn’t cracked on the earlier move cracked then. Two weeks of regular chiropractor visits later, I humbly made my way back to the gym, armed with a new found respect for the old ”pro” wrestler and a desire to learn more about the old wrestling methods.
And so began my journey into the world of Catch as Catch Can wrestling… REAL ‘‘pro’’ wrestling.
(you can see the half boston crab in a MMA fight at 6:00 in, in the clip above)
Much like today, the Catch wrestlers of old were always looking for new ways to pin and submit their opponents. Their livelihood depended on it. In the past, these men dedicated themselves to the very real tradition of wrestling and engaged in completely real professional bouts. Furthermore, this wrestling was not the collegiate, free style or Greco-Roman wrestling we see today. It was submission wrestling, using techniques these men called “hooks’’
These submission wrestlers, called “hookers, shooters, pistols” by those in their trade, were the sort of men who sought real challenges and were not afraid to learn or show anything, Of course, this lead to a blend of wrestling styles. European styles mixed with Russian, Indian, and Japanese styles. So anyone claiming to know the ‘’true system’’ of CACC is either ignorant or trying to confine it to a mould that never existed before. There is no ‘’one way’’ of doing things, only principles and rules for you to use and play with. These principles and rules are what define Catch as Catch Can Wrestling and give it its unique flavour. I do admit that there are some Catch techniques and set ups that I have yet to find in other grappling systems, but what really sets it apart are the underlying principles behind the techniques, the philosophy of the art if you will.
After making its way to North America, around the end of the 19th century, the English Lancashire CACC wrestling style was blended with the “rough and tumble” American mentality of the era and a more aggressive catch-as-catch-can style of wrestling emerged, creating some of the most outstanding grapplers of that period.
In all the annals of history you would be hard pressed to find tougher and more skilled mat men than the Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestlers. These old time shooters took on all comers from all over the world and emerged victorious through a flood of blood, sweat, tears, and broken bones.
You can get a feel for the type of person who would study this art back in the day.
Catch can be particularly aggressive. Unfortunately, some mistake this aggressive pace for a lack of technical finesse.
The system is based on domination and pain compliance, but also on leverage, physics and control. The use of pressure points is also encouraged to set up techniques and keep opponents on the defensive.
All forms of submission holds, heel hooks, neck cranks and small joints manipulations are allowed within the CACC curriculum.
Catch has a wide appreciation of body mechanics and demonstrates a flexible and innovative mindset when it comes to submissions.
Not only does it use the typical subs you see across styles, but also flows freely from one technique to another, often times improvising subs to better take advantage of whatever the opponent leaves open during a scramble. Hence the name Catch as Catch Can (Catch a hold anywhere you can).
Basically, besides gouging, fish hooking, biting and deliberate striking, all is permitted within the CACC rule set. It’s all about getting the job done, as quickly and as effortlessly as possible.
Here you see typical wrestling holds, arm bars similar to in jiu-jitsu, and throws found in sambo
Actually, the term ‘’ No Holds Barred’’ was originally used to describe the wrestling method prevalent in CACC tournaments during the late 19th century
, Meaning that no holds were banned from competition. That is why the CACC Wrestling men had to know how to throw, control, pin and submit their opponents from every angle and position imaginable. These men coupled brutal submissions (double wristlocks, neck cranks, toeholds etc) with an ability to twist their opponents into pretzels to pin them.
Since a Catch as Catch Can match can be won by either submission or pin, Catch wrestlers pay particular attention to positioning; high level of proficiency in breakdowns, rides and pins is required to excel in this system. Position is crucial to pulling off any submission, and even more so to obtain a pin.
Bottom escapes is another aspect of the game that is perfected. knowing that your opponents will work extra hard at keeping you on your back to obtain the pin, an incredible amount of time is spent working our way back up from bottom .
CACC became by far the most popular American sport during the post-Civil War period up until just before World War I, especially in the carnivals and fairs.
The carnival’s wrestlers challenged the locals as part of the carnival’s “athletic show”
and the locals had their chance to win cash reward if they could defeat the carnival’s strongman by a pin or a submission. This eventually led to the carnival’s wrestlers preparing for the worst kind of scenario and aiming to end the wrestling match quickly and decisively. As carnival wrestlers traveled, they met with a variety of people, learning and using techniques from various folk wrestling disciplines, many of which were accessible due to a huge influx of immigrants in the United States during this era
An ad for a "Catch As Catch Can" Wrestling Bout
It is important to remember that there were also many style vs. style matches. In this way, the Japanese, amongst others, became very aware of the CACC tradition and vice versa.
Judo expert and prize fighter Mitsuyo Maeda also known as ‘’Count koma’’ perfected his fighting system by competing in and learning Catch as Catch Can before moving to brazil and teaching is style of fighting to Carlos Gracie.
Another judoka, Masahiko Kimura, also learned Catch as Catch Can while working as a professional wrestler. Kimura would go on to defeat Helio Gracie with a staple hold of CACC the Double Wrist Lock aka ‘’The Kimura’’.
Karl Gotch after honing his skills at the infamous ‘’Snake pit’’ in Wigan were he learned CACC, travelled to india and studied Pehlwani (Indian Wrestling) and then to Japan were he studied Judo and Sumo. My coach Edouard Wiecz Carpentier, , practiced Greco Roman Wrestling, Boxing and Savate before turning his attention to Catch as Catch Can. Later, he also became an avid Judo player.
Much like many of their contemporaries, these men were cross training even before we had coined a term for it.
I often thought that, were Karl Gotch, Billy Robinson, Edouard Wiecz and many of the old time greats in their prime today, they would be at the forefront of MMA fighting, as it is results oriented instead of performance oriented like pro wrestling. Given their training and dedication, they would have been at the top of the mma food chain.
Eddy Wiecz Carpentier, Paul Leduc, Bob "Legs" Langevin
Unfortunately, while many of the ‘’Old Timers’’ kept a very open mind towards training. Some coaches today seem to adopt a very dogmatic approach to teaching.
Beware of all teachers who tell you that their method is the only legitimate one. All Grappling styles are good, it’s up to you to find witch one suit you best.
On a closing note, here is what I have learned in my 30 + years of practice.
Judo, Sambo , Wrestling (Freestyle/Greco Roman/Folk style) , Catch as Catch Can and BJJ are all legitimate combat sports. They’ve all been proven effective.
Nothing else needs to be said.
If you want to be good at grappling, find a good grappling club and train there. The rest all comes down to the instructor and the individual.
We all know what styles are effective and which ones are not. Just pick one you have access to and train hard. For the best grappling system out there, the only one worth devoting yourself to, is the one you enjoy practicing.
And to paraphrase my good Friend Jake Shannon president of Scientificwrestling .com
‘’So what is modern Catch as Catch Can Wrestling? ANYTHING that is legal under the rules of a catch wrestling contest IS catch wrestling. I think a lot of people get confused that because catch wrestlers show a lot of little known but effective techniques that they think there is some sort of secret society where a few anointed people “know” catch wrestling. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Catch wrestling is “Open to suggestion”. Anyone can contribute as long as their contribution “works”.
The only “proper” way to pin or submit a man is the way that works. That’s it. Catch wrestling isn’t necessarily a canon of technique; it is a METHOD and a set of rules.
Each person will chain the techniques their own way. Each person will apply the subs and pins based on their individual body types and knowledge base. Catch is rigorously individualistic.
That is why we are here, to continue experimenting in new ways to pin and submit people; no points. The permutations are endless.
That is why it is called Scientific Wrestling; test it, prove it, use it, teach it to others to help them.
These men will champion catch (their own brand of catch) and will have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they know their subject. It is truly an exciting time!’’
Exciting times indeed!
As an addendum to the original article, Coach Iatskevich asked me to include the following links for reference:
From Kris Iatskevich: “I know some of these stories seem a bit negative,I personally don’t like comparing systems. But what you get from them. is the understanding of how much these arts influenced each other.”
Kris Iatskevich has studied different fighting arts for the last 30 + years.
- Catch Wrestling under the guidance of Eddy Wiecz Carpentier since ‘96
- Lead Instructor for the Scientificwrestling.com certification program
- Black Belt and Regional rep. for SAW (submission arts wrestling) Hidetaka Aso
- Black Belt Judo
- Canadian rep for FIAS Sambo
- President of Catch Wrestling Canada Association
- Owner and Head coach of the Quebec Toe hold Club
As a final note from me (Brian Yamasaki), I would like to add that I own both of Coach Iatskevich’s Competition Catch as Catch Can DVD’s and consider them some of the best DVD’s I own. They contain an enormous amount of useful information and give a fresh perspective to the art of Submission Wrestling. I highly recommend either or both of these wonderful volumes.
This is an awesome technique taught by our friend, a Pedro Sauer BJJ Black Belt and MMA fighter, Paul Sizemore.
The Arm In Guillotine can be more effective than the regular Guillotine, especially against seasoned opponent’s because the escape and counter measures are different since the arm that would usually go over the back is now trapped.
Last week a friend of mine was severely injured during an MMA fight. He is a fan and follower of our Comcast Cable Show and youtube channel Taking It To The MMAT. He has won fights with techniques he’s learned from watching our videos and has made a point to give credit where credit was due. In person he has always treated Kiser and I with the highest level of respect despite our coming from rival camps.
His name is Daniel Grass and
he suffered a catastrophic fracture of his jawbone
in the midst of his fight and before I go any further I want the message of this blog post to be perfectly and crystal clear. I am not bashing or poking fun in any way of Daniel or his situation. I like Daniel a great deal and I wish him a speedy and full recovery. I simply want to use his situation as a teaching tool for others.
Daniel can be seen in the clip above at 7:49 in.
Daniel Grass before his injury
It has always bewildered me how many of my regular, average Joe type students take their training more seriously and more consistently than their fighter counter parts. Common sense would tell you that the exact opposite would be the case. And on occasion, I do have students who double or even triple their efforts when they chose to fight. These are my beloved Fighter Corps. But they are the exception rather than the norm.
Rarely will I corner for a fighter who has not graduated the Fighter Corps.
When asked about this, people usually assume it has to do with me wanting to protect my reputation. And I guess, to an extent they are right. But what I think they mean by my reputation is a coach of master killers. And for me, all I ever want is to have the reputation of a coach that sincerely cares about his students and fighters.
So what does all this have to do with Daniel and his horrible injury? Well, it has to do with the fact that most of my most serious students have no aspirations whatsoever to fight. And I think it’s because they have such a high level of respect for what can happen in one (as in Daniel’s case). And I think most of those that come in wanting to fight have no idea what can happen or how easily it can. I think they watch TV and see fights and always relate to the champion or the guy with his hand raised. Rarely do they say to themselves, “geeze I could have my jaw wired shut for the next 5 weeks, have metal plate put in my head, or lose the ability of speech for a while”. I don’t think they have the slightest clue as to the fact that getting hit hurts. I know it sounds ridiculous but I swear most of these guys just don’t get it.
Daniel Grass moments after his injury, a triple fracture of his jawbone and a lost tooth
I don’t corner fighters who haven’t prepared properly because it hurts me to see them broken and battered. It takes a serious emotional toll on me. Daniel literally lives at a gym and trains very consistently for his fights. If this can happen to him, the chances of it happening to someone who doesn’t take their training as seriously can only be higher. I don’t know how much time he spends on striking and I am not criticizing his preparation I’m just saying to take a long hard look at what can happen to you during a fight and think of this every time you think you want to. Meditate on it and use it to motivate you to train, to train hard, to train smart, to train consistently and to do everything in your power to prepare yourself properly, Mentally, Physically, Emotionally and Spiritually.
Daniel Grass before surgery
“Death is Life
The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one’s body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one’s master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead.”
- From the Hagakure -
“A Samurai must keep first and foremost in his mind at all times, the fact that he must someday die.”
- From Bushido Shoshishu -
Daniel Grass after surgery
Daniel is not a personal student of mine or Kiser’s but as I said before he is a friend and a fellow warrior. And we wish him only the best.
God Speed Daniel for a fast and full recovery. We’ll be rooting for you!
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