Over my years of training, I have been to many seminars. Ranging from BJJ, to wrestling, Kickboxing and more – I have attended a decent few. One thing I have noticed though, is that people try the new techniques, tips and tricks learnt during these events for a few weeks, then following this period, they go back to their normal tendencies and habits before you know it.
Read MoreThere has been a lot of chat about the scoring system in MMA since the Jones v Reyes fight. The issue wasn’t that Jones won the fight. Rather, it was the score of one judge that caused the controversy.
Read MoreIn the recent Halberg awards, Eugene Bareman missed out on coach of the year. In my opinion, I think the award should’ve been his. What he has achieved as a sports coach in New Zealand stands out among coaches.
Read MoreIn late February, we get to see Deontay Wilder and Tyson fury clash once again in their much-anticipated rematch. Their first fight ended in a controversial draw which saw Fury out-box Wilder but was floored at the end of the fight with no one knowing how he made his miraculous rise back to his feet. So, what will happen this time?
Read MoreEarly in 2020, if all goes according to plan, we will finally see Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson. Many people are expecting a close fight – not me. I’m going to base this on mutual opponents. Both have fought 4 of the same fighters in the UFC and I am using that as the predictor for the outcome of the fight.
Read MoreAs I am writing this, I have just sat down to watch Joshua v Ruiz II. I’m not sure who will win,but regardless of the outcome, neither of these men will be the #1 heavyweight on the planet –in my humble opinion.
Read MoreThis blog is based on my experience and methodology.
I started BJJ before MMA and got caught up in the all round skills needed to be effective in BJJ.
Read MoreThere are those people in wrestling and BJJ that, even when you get into a dominant position, you never feel quite in control. Their skillset is so good, that even when in a better position, you still feel like you’re in danger. To be honest, this is quite frustrating.
Read MoreCompared to other martial arts, MMA has some real advantages for a real-life situation. There is no perfect style and there are always people out there who can kick your ass. However, for this situation, we will assume we’ve come up against some angry person without any training.
Read MoreI was listening to an interview from someone who was inside Mike Tyson’s camp. He said something interesting – to him, Tyson is 0 – 6, with 50 exhibition fights. He came to this conclusion by observing that as soon as it got a little difficult for Tyson, he lost. All the other 50 wins were easy and therefore, didn’t count.
Read MoreThough I have wrestled competitively, I’ve only had a handful of matches. In New Zealand however, that is more than most people. The biggest advantage that wrestling gives me in MMA and submission grappling is in the hips.
Read MoreIn July Ben Askren faced Jorge Masvidal in an anticipated welterweight fight in the UFC. This fight saw Masvidal land a jumping knee, earning him a victory over Askren in just 5 seconds. It was a big knock out and Askren was down for a long time. Just three months later, Askren is back in the octagon, is this too soon? Considering that 5 boxers have died in the last 12 months from injuries sustained in the ring, yes, I think it is.
Read MoreAristotle said, “The more you know, the more you realise you don’t know.” Outside of fight sports, I do a few things that are more like hobbies. In both my hobbies, I have reached a level where I am good enough to know that I’m not that good. To me, that is a very important place to be.
Read MoreUFC 243 happened over the weekend, and on the fight-card was a bout where the main competition was betweentechnique and power. It was a very interesting match-up. Watching two people compete against each other that have opposing approaches is always a good watch.
Read MoreI have been talking to people lately about competing. While some are keen to compete, others are very hesitant. The reasons vary and sometimes can be contingent on where you are in your martial arts journey. Beginners have different reasons to stay away from competition than a more experienced practitioner will have.
Read MoreI’ve been back on the BJJ mats with my gi for the last year now. Recently though, I hit a barrier that was a really good head scratcher.
Read MoreWhen you have spent years specialising in a single skill set – like all trainers do – it can be hard to remember what it’s like to be a beginner.
Read MoreRecently, Khabib Nurmagomedov made his second title defence, and people asked me what I thought was going to happen. The way I saw the fight, I called a third-round submission. However, this was not a prediction, this is just what Khabib does to all of his opponents.
Read MoreHow many sessions have you had where 60 things have gone right, and three things have gone… not so well? Yet, all you focus on the way home is the mistakes. Is this how our brains are wired? Or are we just suckers for punishment?
Read MoreRecently, I was sent a video of a good wrestler with limited BJJ skill rolling against a blue, purple and brown belt. He did way better than one would expect. This got me thinking about why wrestling is so effective.
Read More