MMA - training program

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by Michael Wright

For your stand up I'm sure you know better than I the best places.

Ground, for MMA so no Gi, London Shootfighters certainly have a good rep. London Pancrase in Finsbury Park with Jess Laudin is excellent, I used to train there briefly. Erik Paulson's guys in London, Matt and James, are excellent coaches - you may know them from The Academy. There is of course Neil Mcleod, I'm sure you know how awesome he is, ex British Value Tudo champ and full instructor under Erik. I have to recomend Roger Gracie's Academy, although it may have more focus on Gi their guys still do very very well at no Gi, Roger himself being an ADCC champion.

To be honest you are spoilt for choice, but I thought you were moving to The North?

Thats a good selection there, specially interested in the London Pancrase gym but the other will clearly worth thinking about too.
As for moving north, it will only be for a while, suddenly things seem to be improving at a much faster rate, seems to happen sometimes, we have been very lucky. might be back to london before the end of the summer, not sure yet but things are looking up. Its lift-off at the moment really, which is great.

[Michael Wright]

That is really good news to hear.

Jess and Paul at Pancrase are both MMA and UFC fighters, you may have seen Jess at one of the last UFC's. They have learned their craft from many of the top fighters, their base is with Bas Rutten. Their training sessions are monsterous, and very fight specific. A killer warm up, maybe two or three techniques taught and drilled, then its spar all the way. Stand up, then ground, then mixed. Everyone gets to mix it up with everyone else, its tough but also a good atmosphere with no dicks. Well there are dicks obviously, inside shorts, but you know what I mean.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by Michael Wright

That is really good news to hear.

Jess and Paul at Pancrase are both MMA and UFC fighters, you may have seen Jess at one of the last UFC's. They have learned their craft from many of the top fighters, their base is with Bas Rutten. Their training sessions are monsterous, and very fight specific. A killer warm up, maybe two or three techniques taught and drilled, then its spar all the way. Stand up, then ground, then mixed. Everyone gets to mix it up with everyone else, its tough but also a good atmosphere with no dicks. Well there are dicks obviously, inside shorts, but you know what I mean.

Thats disgusting, but well worth looking at...rephrase time.

I will go and look at them i think and london shoot, do you have any comparison with london fight factory BJJ team?

[Michael Wright]

I'm afraid I don't, but if its BJJ you simply can't get better than the Roger Gracie Academy.

Phat Beard, a student and good friend of mine on here, is an MMA competitor. He may be able to offer you more advice, and also talk about getting on some shows etc when you are ready. Maybe drop him a PM.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by Michael Wright

I'm afraid I don't, but if its BJJ you simply can't get better than the Roger Gracie Academy.

Phat Beard, a student and good friend of mine on here, is an MMA competitor. He may be able to offer you more advice, and also talk about getting on some shows etc when you are ready. Maybe drop him a PM.

Really wanted a daytime BJJ session, otherwise its only evening training, i could probably now looking at it do the 5 midday sessions in BJJ at the london fight factory, i may pm him anyway and see what he thinks.

[jubaji]

Originally Posted by Mike Brewer

I think it's wise to work a lot of greco-roman style clinching and upper body stuff (they're better at preventing takedowns and keeping the fight standing than freestyle guys are in my opnion).

Interesting. How did you come by this impression?

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by jubaji

Interesting. How did you come by this impression?

dont they spend more time working takedowns than other styles of grappling?
i thought they did, though im not sure and i thought they spent more time wrestling standing up as well.

If thats true then they are focusing on the takedown area of fighting fairly heavily.

[jubaji]

Originally Posted by Ghost

dont they spend more time working takedowns than other styles of grappling?

Not more than folkstyle or freestyle wrestling, no. But not less, either.

[OldSchool CO]

Ghost,

I think Mike's point is that Greco stuff tends to allow you to clinch and avoid the Freestyle takedown methods, meshes with some of your Thai plum principles allowing you to implement those tools in an MMA setting , and also is more likely to allow you to "end up" in a slightly more favorable position if the ground is inevitable. Judo is another complimentary takedowwn art for Muay Thai trained guys as upperbody throws are the more dominant arsenal in that art as well. I teach both to my guys, along with the more Freestyle stuff...just like everything else the fact you've seen it before might bail you out of trouble even if you don't/can't use it yourself on the other guy.

Following up on Mike's running suggestions, long runs will build a good base, but our sport is predominantly anaerobic with short rest/recovery periods right? Consequently the cardio component of your program needs to emulate that energy system. Harder heart rate intensities with shorter recoveries will prove more beneficial as you come closer to fight time...

More to come later....hope that helps....crack some heads.

[DickHardman]

believe in the gi my friend, just as you believe in me.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by DickHardman

believe in the gi my friend, just as you believe in me.

I think you have a fetish.

[DickHardman]

Originally Posted by Ghost

I think you have a fetish.

i have a few.

[Mike Brewer]

Ghost,
At this point (since he's joined the discussion), I should point out that OldSchoolCO is the one that originally suggested that running program for me. It's modified slightly, but I believe the intervals, rest-to-work, and distances are the same breakdown. The program worked really well for me when I was on it, and it's done equally well for others.

The point about Greco was indeed that it compliments what you already have. If you take a solid and ingrained Thai boxing structure and try and adapt it to low leg takedowns or judo type throws, it won't flow as well, and it's a more radical departure from what you're accustomed to doing. It's not that you can't make it comfortable - it's just that it'll feel natural sooner.

Edit:
I should also point out that OldSchool is far more active than I ever was in training MMA people and he himself was undefeated as a professional MMA athlete. He's too humble to say it himself, but he's vastly more qualified than I am to coach modern MMA athletes, so you'd do well to pick his brain.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by Mike Brewer

Ghost,
At this point (since he's joined the discussion), I should point out that OldSchoolCO is the one that originally suggested that running program for me. It's modified slightly, but I believe the intervals, rest-to-work, and distances are the same breakdown. The program worked really well for me when I was on it, and it's done equally well for others.

The point about Greco was indeed that it compliments what you already have. If you take a solid and ingrained Thai boxing structure and try and adapt it to low leg takedowns or judo type throws, it won't flow as well, and it's a more radical departure from what you're accustomed to doing. It's not that you can't make it comfortable - it's just that it'll feel natural sooner.

Edit:
I should also point out that OldSchool is far more active than I ever was in training MMA people and he himself was undefeated as a professional MMA athlete. He's too humble to say it himself, but he's vastly more qualified than I am to coach modern MMA athletes, so you'd do well to pick his brain.

Ok thats cool, you know i think now i have to wait till im back and start doing this stuff, which will be in 3 months or so i guess. Then i will have something more comprehensive to put up rather than ask him/you smaller questions right now.

Thanks though, good tips all through.