What Does it Mean to be Technical?

by DaveCamarillo 1. January 2009 11:48

Technique can be defined as a required skill for a specific purpose. In the case of sports it enables the practitioner to accomplish rewarding goals that are set in place to ensure victory. In football it requires great skill to catch the ball and avoid being tackled by very large and motivated opponents. In Hockey handling the puck well enough to score a goal also takes great skill. Tiger Woods displays masterful skill every time he hits a golf ball. In MMA we see competitors mastering many dimensions of combative sports. Because of this MMA is easily the most technical of all sports. But what does it mean to be technical?

The rules of the sport tell us what we can do and what is not allowed. Every sport requires us to master our own bodies to move the way we need them to move in regards to set rules. Within the context of those rules lay the fundamentals of the art. Without rules the art is not defined. MMA is MMA because you can box, kickbox, wrestle, throw, ground and pound and submit an opponent. But just because a fighter can do all of that, does this mean they are *technical? Anyone can step into the cage and throw punches and knock someone out. Anyone can learn a basic armbar and because of strength force an opponent to tap. Anyone can lay on someone and punch them until they give up. Anyone can fight, but not all of those who do are technical.

The next question should be: does success in MMA equal one to be technical?

With my experience it doesn’t. There are many former and current champions I wouldn’t consider very technical. Attributes (and steroids) play a large role in the success of a fighter. It is very difficult to best someone who is stronger than an ox, has a great degree of athleticism and understands the fight game well enough to stay out of trouble. To beat someone like that you need a commanding understanding of the many aspects of fighting. You need to sharp in skill and in mind. You need hard training and good coaches. You need to be a complete fighter. And you need to learn how to relax. In short, you need to be technical.

A good fighter is a relaxed fighter. There is no way that anyone can fight 100% for three consecutive rounds. That is hard for some to swallow, but it is true. The body is not naturally evolved to have that kind of stamina. As the body tires the skill starts to diminish. If you look at it in terms of belts. A black belt is a brown belt in round two, and a purple in round three. Sharpness in technique follows sharpness in body. When mistakes are made because of a fighter getting tired the result could mean a loss or even injury (this is also true in a training camp).

The fighter must learn how to relax and be explosive when the time is right. This is easily understood for anyone with boxing experience. When you tense your shoulders for a full round you exhaust those muscles. In the later rounds your punches will lose their sting. If you learn to relax you learn to be explosive in the pocket. But explosive punches are still relaxed ones. This is very mush like a racecar in a red. As it sits in front of the red light it is relaxed. When the light turns green the car explodes with forward motion. But even as it shoots forward the engine is designed to be efficient. Any wasted energy damages the cars overall efficiency.

Accuracy is also a major part of ones technique. Throwing punches that miss their target, do not inflict necessary damage to an opponent, and thus wastes energy. The same goes for a fighter’s ground skills. When a fighter gains a favorable position to either submit or damage an opponent it is crucial for them to control that position while they setup up their attack. A lost position is like restarting from the beginning and can take a mental toll on a fighter. It is an art to incapacitate, strike and finish an opponent. And while on the ground, the more technical fighter will know how to do all three with great skill.

Putting it all together is the last step of being a great fighter. Transitional ability is a critical aspect of the fight game. Being able to punch, sprawl on a shot, stop the shot and take an opponent’s back without thinking about represents a very well trained fighter. This adds incite to why MMA is the most technical of all sports. Transitional ability is more important in MMA than any sport in history. One of the hardest things to do in mainstream sports is hit a baseball. The MMA equivalent to that would be hitting a baseball while an overgrown football player is trying to tackle you and your bat is being hooked by a hockey player’s stick. There is no equivalent to getting punched in the face and taken down right into some vicious ground and pound.

Being a technical fighter means understanding the important aspects of the fight game and accomplishing set goals with great skill. It is a matter of conservation. A technical fighter is: A fighter that conserves their energy while being precise in accomplishing the goals necessary to win a fight. A technical fighter is one that can relax under fire, move with grace as they damage an opponent and can transition from one aspect of fighting to another with ease. And one of the greatest examples of this would surely be Kenny Florian. Kenny can fight anywhere at anytime. He can knock you out, take you down, ground and pound you or submit you with grace. He is a finisher and an ambassador to all who understand and appreciate what it means to be technical.

*When I refer to someone as technical I am regarding them as very technical.

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My Recent Travels

by KlintKlaas 21. December 2008 11:17

I recently returned from Boston and New York where Dave Camarillo and I, as we have promised, have been in the process of adding more great instructors for MMAInstructional.com. Both Dave and I had the priviledge of filming and working with Lightweight #1 contender Kenny Florian and strength and conditioning coach to many UFC fighters, Kevin Kearns. The filming and production went smoothly and working with both of them was a great experience. The great thing about working with athletes and trainers for the first time is you get to see them in a normal environment. You are able to learn about who they are and what they're really like behind the hype and excitement of the events that have made them famous. Both Kenny and Kevin where extemely humble and personable. Their energy and humor made the detailed process extremely fun and enjoyable.

Both Dave and I were also able to meet three of MMAInstructionals biggest advocates. These martial arts practitoners drove almost 6 hours to meet us in New York City. They wanted to thank us for providing them a tool to learn skills from great instructors that their area unfortunately does not provide. It was a pleasure to meet them and we look forward to their progress in the coming years.

We capped off the trip by having the honor of taking a private class with one of the best, if not the best grappling instructors in the world, John Donaher. As a practitioner of the martial arts all of my life and having the opportunity to learn, train and be promoted by some of the best, I can honestly say I was not prepared for the genius that is John Donaher. A 1 hour private turned into a 2 1/2 hour private and the instruction and attention to detail was like no other. John exceded the hype behind his greatness. Through my own words I cannot express my appreciation for his time and attention that will impact my game forever. He honored us with dinner as we talked about the world of MMA and Martial Arts. I look forward to another day where I can learn from this true master.

Needless to say, it was another successful trip that will most certainly benefit MMAInstructional.com. As we have stated we will be adding more great instructors and trainers. We have dedicated our lives to providing the world with a tool that will impact the training of all martial arts practitioners. LIVE TO TRAIN! TRAIN TO LIVE!

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Fighters of the Future

by KlintKlaas 8. December 2008 06:45

The popularity of Mixed Martial Arts is growing rapidly. That being said, there are more and more young adult males, 18-29 looking to throw their hat into the cage. Before you pursue the dream of winning the next contract on Spike’s The Ultimate Fighter show, you may want to take a look at the history of Mixed Martial Arts. In the early days of the sport, fighters were pitted in style versus style matchups. The majority of these athletes had extensive experience in one particular sport or martial art. They wrestled in college, were a Black belt in Jiu-jitsu or were professional Muay Thai fighters. Brazilian jiu jistu reigned supreme in the beginning. Wrestlers began to adapt and have success. Strikers were always a threat. Then the evolution began. Fighters started to learn the skills of their adversary and what followed was a hybrid of fighters.

Today, you will find fighters with very little experience who have had some success. They may win a fight or two due to their great athletic ability and toughness. However, the majority of successful fighters have expertise in a specific area. The top fight gyms across the United States frequently get National Champion Wrestlers, World Champion Jiu Jitsu fighters and Top level Kick Boxers coming to their gyms looking to develop the other skills necessary to compete in MMA. As a result, we have exciting matchups, amazing fights and stars in the making. These great athletes are developing a skill set so impressive it has catapulted this sport into the mainstream.

If your intentions are to have success and grow as a fighter the modern day warrior has proven you need to have a variety of skills to be successful. This does not bode well for the inexperienced 25 year old tough guy looking for a career change. As it stands, you will have better luck if you have had experience and success in a particular art. You then can begin training in the other areas necessary for victory. If your intention is NOT to fight but to learn and be challenged, pick an art that’s suits your interests. If you like to hit things, find a good Muay Thai or kickboxing school and begin to hone your skills and get some experience in that field. If you favor grappling find a great jiu jitsu gym and begin to learn the thousands of details that make this art so unique. The great thing about these arts is you never stop learning. Regardless if you fight or not, you will develop a great skill that gets you in tremendous shape along with a number of countless benefits.

There are more and more Mixed Martial Arts gyms popping up across the United States. They may even have top quality instructors in all the necessary arts to prepare you for a fight. However, if you ask these professionals how they got to where they are, they will often tell you they have devoted their lives to the arts and have more than likely spent the majority of their focus on one specialization. Although the sport has evolved tremendously over the past 10 years and the fighters are without a doubt a hybrid of what they once were, they still have an expertise. They have an area that they feel superior. A fighter knows how they want to win a given fight and that strategy often involves imposing their strengths against their opponent. If this was not the case, they would not list their strengths prior to entering the cage or announce their specialty in the introductions. Overtime it is possible that young kids getting involved with this sport will learn all the necessary skills needed for victory in the cage. The fighters of the future are the young kids learning Wrestling, Kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu as one sport or Martial Art. Will they be great? That remains to be seen.

For the time being, if you haven’t dedicated your entire life mixing these arts and learning from professional trainers and years of competition, I suggest you take it one art at a time, unless your goal is to be a jack of all traits and a master of none.

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How you make millions with your Martial Arts Academy

by KlintKlaas 3. December 2008 11:38

With the popularity of Mixed Martial Arts there is no doubt you will probably see an increase in Martial Arts establishments. If you are one of those aspiring fight gym owners or martial art experts you may want to do your homework before opening “the greatest fight gym in the WORLD”! Having the ability to run a business and have a career doing something you love is a great thing. However, running a successful martial arts academy is no different than running any other business. That is of course if your main goal is to have a service or product that the public can’t live without, while making millions in the process.

What I’m about to tell you is not Top Secret, just facts that may help you in your quest to become a successful business owner. Let’s address the MMA phenomenon. Now the main demographic for mixed martial arts fans is 18-35. The athletes that do this as their chosen vocation range in age from 18-29. Now I know, there seems like there are MMA shows every other night on TV and in your community I’m sure there is a small show going on this weekend at the local sports bar. Yes, smaller shows are where most MMA stars begin their career. But, what most people fail to realize is that to date, the most successful MMA fighters have been competing in Wrestling, Kickboxing, Karate, Judo or Jiu Jitsu since they were young kids. Does this mean you can’t make a career out of fighting if you couldn’t afford these lessons as a kid. NO! But it does tell you two things. One, most fighters are experts in a particular area and have since developed other skills to compete at high levels. Two, traditional martial arts and wrestling academies will always be accepted for the number of benefits it instills in young people, goal setting, confidence, self defense skills, all the things we want for our kids. You see, to master any art, it takes most people years of hard work and dedication to their craft to become an expert. The reason I state this is for the obvious. For example, you’re ready to open up your gym! You and the boys have had the fight club going and even have some amateur fights under your belt. You’ve thought of the new gym in a great city in the warehouse area. Rent is less then retail and you need a BIG space. You figured you can teach all the classes or fight training. Got the color mats picked out, cool name that should attract more fighters and saved enough for the cage. Ok, that’s all squared away. Ready to go! The owner of the building is willing to put anybody in the space to pay rent at least for a few a months, right? Now, how are you going to make money? Well, there is your fight pay, if you fight and any classes you teach. Most 18-29 fighters can’t afford $75 a month for dues. Well that’s easy, you’ll just take 10% of all the fighters purses for letting them train there. There are thousands of guys that want to fight, right? WRONG! Do you see the problem here? Where is the business plan? How about advertising, most people want to train to develop self defense skills and get in shape. PERIOD! I’m not saying to NOT train fighters. I’m saying that if you want to make money, and lots of it, you must have an established martial arts program that caters to the masses. FIGHTERS DON’T PAY THE BILLS! You may ask, what about when they get into the UFC or WEC? First of all, just like the NBA, MLB or NHL, less than 1% actually make it there. Secondly, it takes years to make big money in those major shows. If you are looking to establish a successful martial arts gym or academy, you must create a business that provides a service that is second to none.

Martial arts academies are notorious for failing as often as restaurants. For the same reason a great chef doesn’t equal great sales, a great martial artist doesn’t equate to success. Often, a master craftsman fails to develop the other skills necessary to succeed. Running a business is different than mastering your art. You should know that a martial arts gym or academy is a service business and there is a lot more to it than providing quality instruction. Those intimidating words like business plan, advertising, marketing, accounting and projections apply to a martial arts school just as they would any other business. Most martial artists make the mistake of opening a gym or academy so they can do something they are good at. Although there is nothing wrong with following your passion, preparing for down times or even success is often neglected. Here are number of tips to help you develop a thriving Martial Arts Academy.

Do: Open the martial arts academy to serve others.

Don’t: Open the academy to have training partners or feed your ego.

Do: Research the area and other competing gyms or academies.

Don’t: Open a gym because it is convenient for you.

Do: Maximize your space with earning potential

Don’t: Have wasted space with oversized locker rooms, games or unnecessary waiting areas.

Do: Have charisma and a drive to be the best instructor possible. (A great teacher is invaluable)

Don’t: Take your existing cliental for granted. Get more and keep who you have!

Do: Keep your relationship with your students professional

Don’t: Party with your students after class or events.

Do: Have a system for the office and classroom

Don’t: Make it up as you go

Do: Continue to personally strive to improve your skills

Don’t: Get complacent – A true martial artist trains and learns forever

Do: Have agreements and hold people accountable for their commitment

Don’t: Go month to month with no obligation

Do: Know your value (You are selling your time, skills and knowledge)

Don’t: Undervalue you or your programs (people get what they pay for)

Do: Have retail sales that promote your gym or academy

Don’t: Promote other gyms, products or events you don’t believe in

Do: Have a curriculum (People need to know what is expected of them to progress)

Don’t: Keep your students guessing when it comes to their improvement

Do: Learn to deal with all personalities (It is a service business)

Don’t: Treat everyone the same (It’s not military)

Do: Keep a spotless and clean facility

Don’t: Miss a day of cleaning

Do: Have 6 months to 12 months of backup to cover all bills

Don’t: Start without backup

Do: Be on time

Don’t: Take peoples time for granted

Do: Take advice from those who have succeeded

Don’t: Listen to outside criticism or negativity from people who have not done anything (Everyone has an opinion)

Do: Love what you do

Don’t: Start a major business for ego or some work.

Do: Start small (Grow into your success)

Don’t: Have a huge space and large overhead before your ready (Biggest and most common mistake)

If you are fortunate enough to succeed, unless your intentions are to pass your business down to your children you should not forget your exit strategy. The value of a martial arts school is based on 5 basic things.

1. Monthly income (Profit and Loss)

2. Monthly accounts receivable

3. Reputation in the community/communities

4. Developed instructors prepared for expansion

5. Location of existing establishment

Finally, take advice and emulate those you know who have had success. You can learn as you go and from your mistakes. But why not save yourself some pain, money and struggle by learning from those who have come before you.

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On the move: Striking fundamentals for MMA

by DaveCamarillo 20. November 2008 11:48

Movement is the key to defense and offense. When a fighter strikes, they are striking a target that is in front of them at a given time. If they strike an opponent that isn’t moving, the potential for damage is high. If the opponent is in motion as the strike comes forward, the chances for damage being is drastically decreased. Movement is life in combative sports, without it you are a sitting duck. In the explosive arena of MMA fights can be over in milliseconds. Thinking like a robot in terms of proper programming is essential. Your default setting in striking for MMA must consist of movement, in multiple directions with proper timing!

The minds natural reactions to combative situations are generally incorrect. Our default setting to stressful situations are set to survival. In MMA survival cannot be accomplished without weathering an adversary. Damage must be done to an opponent to weather the storm. If an opponent doesn’t take damage throughout the process of a fight, they gain confidence. A fighter with confidence is a dangerous obstacle. This being understood it is important for a striving MMA competitor to learn to thwart the natural tendencies of our programming. To change this evolutionary tool takes time. It takes dedication; it takes proper training.

The flinch is a natural reaction to a quick flicker of something headed towards the body. In everyday life this is considered a survival tool. However, in MMA, this shows that a competitor is unprepared for the cage. If an opponent flinches, it gives his rival a green light. It is like blood in the water. To combat this you are basically reversing a natural tendency. Proper head movement and footwork are the key elements for this type of training.

The head movement of a striker enables him to escape the impact of a punch. Learning how to parry, dodge and slip punches are key to proper defense. But they do not just equate to defense. If you can slip a punch properly you are given the ability to stay within striking distance of your opponent (the pocket). This means you are able to counter your opponent, hence weathering the storm. In this case defense and offense go hand in hand as they are intertwined to create a very potent combination. On one hand you will be able to escape major damage from strikes, on the other you are able to keep striking distance to fire back countering your opponent and delivering damage.

Proper footwork is also essential to delivering strikes while safeguarding yourself in the process. Generally you want to circle away from your opponent’s power. The power derives from the side of your opponent that is furthest away from you. If your opponent is right handed, then they will most likely have their right hand further from you then their left. Generally speaking it is better to circle in this favorable direction, but not always. This needs to be interrupted from time to time as your opponent may begin to read you and counter your movement. Mixed with proper strikes movement will give your opponent issues with timing and thus stagnating his ability to deal damage.

These are key fundamentals of striking that are many times overlooked even by experienced fighters. There is a tendency for a fighter get what is called lazy. A lazy fighter drops his hands, throws sloppy punches and starts to slow their movement. This increases their potential to get knocked out. Movement requires energy. But it is worth it. Your aim is to train like you fight. With this comes creating your default setting that makes moving as easy as breathing. By moving in training you will also generate the proper attributes for a successful fight career. It is simple: If you train properly you will highly increase your chance to win fights. Remember, if you train lazy you will fight lazy!

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