How Much Experience Should You Have Before You Take Your First MMA Fight?

         All to often someone signs up for an introductory lesson at my academy and I soon find out that the reason they're there is because they have a fight scheduled. The conversation usually goes a little something like this...

Me: O, so you have a fight coming up?

Them: Yeah, I have a fight scheduled in 3 weeks.

Me: Really? Who else have you previously trained with?

Them: Mostly on my own. I have a heavy bag in the basement and a few of my buddies are into it, so we'll grapple a little here and there.

Me: Did you ever wrestle in high school or anything?

Them: Nah.

Me: So, let me get this straight. You've never done any formal training and you have a fight scheduled in 3 weeks.

Them: Yeah, man, but I'm ready to fight.

         Again, I'm not making this up. I can give you a list of names, but I'm not here to embarrass anyone; I'm here to inform and educate. All I can say is that there are a lot of people with a very warped view of reality. What usually happens with people who have this mindset is they end up taking the fight and getting their butt kicked and embarrassed. And believe me, I do my best to talk them out of it and talk some sense into them, but it seldom works.

          So, how much experience should you have before you take your first MMA fight? Well, everyone is different, but there are a few important things we all need to consider.

             First and foremost, if you're not training at a reputable school it's not going to matter if you have 6 months of training or 6 years. So, what qualifies a school as reputable? I will cover this question more in depth in an upcoming article, but for now consider the following:

- They need to have structured training programs

- They need to offer classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from an accredited instructor who is at         least a purple belt (preferably a black belt)

- They need to offer classes in some type of striking art that translates well into MMA, such     as Boxing or Kickboxing (preferably both) from an accredited instructor

- They need to offer a training facility that is compatible with your training goals. They need     to have the basics like punching mitts and kicking pads with a large matted area so you're     not crashing into one another. It would be advantageous to have a cage, cage walls and       ring but not completely necessary.

- They need to have qualified instructors and coaches teaching the classes.

- What does their competition record look like in MMA? Look up their fighters and see what     their records are. A solid school will have a very high winning percentage.

          Again, this is not an exhaustive list, but the bullets mentioned will do well to inform us if we're in the right place or not. There may be some schools with coaches who mean well, but they just don't have the coaching and teaching ability to get you where you want to be.

       Second, have you previously trained or competed in any other combat sports like boxing or wrestling? If you inform me that you've wrestled your entire life than you're ahead of the game. You already have a lot of experience in the clinching and grappling department, you're used to competing, and you know what it's like dealing with pressure in a competitive environment. This is not to say that with some Jiu-Jitsu and Kickboxing training you'll be ready to fight in 6 months. It's still going to take some time to develop your skills in those other areas before you step into the cage, but believe me, your prior experience will be of benefit to you.  

        Third, how committed are you? There is a direct relationship between the time and work you put into training and the goals you want to achieve. If you tell me you want to be the next UFC champion your training, time on the mat and work ethic need to match that goal. In other words, if your goal is to be the UFC champion and you're training twice a week that's not going to cut it. 1+2≠10, and neither does this → train twice a week + minimal work = UFC champion. If you have a lofty goal I commend you, but just know that your commitment and work ethic are going to have to match it.

            The forth thing we need to consider is your natural ability. There are some freaks out there like BJ Penn who are just as gifted as they come, but athletes like that are few and far between. Most of us are not like that. We may have some decent athletic ability, but not everything comes easy to us and we have to really work hard to improve our skill set. If you don't have a ton of athletic ability don't fret. Remember this, hard work beats talent every time talent refuses to work hard. The most successful fighters that I've had the privilege of being around were not the most athletically gifted; they were the ones who were the hardest workers and the ones most determined to reach their goals.

              It's also important to note that athletic ability in one realm does not always translate over to another. Just because you were a great football player does not mean you're going to be a great mixed martial artist, and vice versa. I don't know if you've ever seen the video of UFC light heavy weight champ Jon Jones trying to dunk a basketball...let's just say I wasn't very impressed. Now, he might not be able to dunk a basketball, but he can sure fight. He's fast, explosive, has great timing, and he has an indomitable spirit. There's no doubt that he has a tremendous amount of natural ability. If you've been blessed with natural ability it will definitely speed up your progress and lessen the time it takes you to take your first fight.

           Next, listen to your coaches. Ask them for some feedback. If they say you're not ready than you're not ready. Believe me, as a coach I'm not out to get you. I just want to make sure you're well prepared and ready. I care about my students and want to see them do well. There's no point in taking a fight if your purpose is not to win. And if you're going to win you need to be prepared. And who better to tell you if you're prepared than your coaches? At my academy, if someone wants to fight all the coaches need to be in agreement that that particular student is ready, and only then do we move forward. Have faith in your coaches, humble yourself and listen to them.

             Lastly, be patient. If you are meant to be an MMA fighter your day will come and you will shine. There's no need to rush things. I've seen people with a lot of talent rush into fighting and become discouraged and quit, because they didn't perform well. And the reason they didn't perform well was because they started their fighting career before they were ready. They grew impatient and they never gave themselves the adequate time they needed to develop as a martial artist. Be patient my friend. If it's God's will for you to become an MMA fighter that day will happen. Be patient. Work hard. Strive to be better every time you get on the mat. Be a student of the game. Listen to you coaches. Make sacrifices. Dream big. Go out and conquer your dream.

Sincerely,

James Terlecki

Do You Have To Spar In Order To Be An Effective Striker?

Do you have to spar in order to be an effective striker or can you simply hit punching mitts and kicking pads to get the same result? This question comes up quite a lot, so let me take a few minutes to address it.

          At my academy, Next Level Martial Arts, we have new people joining all the time. Most of these beginner students have never trained any form of martial arts a day in their life. They are brand new to all of this stuff, so what do we do with them? We throw them in the ring with killers, so they can learn how to be a professional punching bag! How else are they going get TUFF?!?! I'm kidding of course :)

         When new students begin with us we start them off in a beginner class. In this particular class our brand new students start off with the basics. Before a child learns how to run you must first teach them how to crawl, stand and walk first. It's no different when teaching someone how to be a proficient striker. Before a student can be an effective striker in a fight or sparring situation he or she must first learn proper stance, correct footwork, the different strikes - including hands, feet, knees and elbows, and the appropriate defense for the various strikes. Once our beginner students become adept at these things they start to incorporate more drills. After they show us that they can skillfully throw and defend strikes we begin to allow them to participate in novice sparring drills like one and two step sparring. Once the student displays a level of competency at this stage we begin to let them participate in the sparring sessions.

         Now, when I say the words "sparring session" I don't want to assume you know what I'm talking about so let me explain. When students are finally allowed to spar they are permitted to do so at an intensity level of around 20-30%. We feel that provides the best learning environment for students. As students improve and become more skillful we allow them to increase the intensity of their sparring. Regardless of how skilled our students are we don't want them ever trying to kill each other, because that defeats the purpose of the sparring session.    The sparring session is not meant to be a tough man contest nor is it an opportunity to show the beating you can put on someone. The sparring session is meant to provide students with an environment where they can practice and begin to internalize the techniques they've been learning in class.

         So, do you have to spar in order to be an effective striker or can you simply hit punching mitts and kicking pads to get the same result? I personally believe that if you never spar you'll never internalize the techniques you learn and practice in class. For example, if all you ever do is hit pads and you never spar you'll never realize how important it is to keep your hands up. The same is true with Jiu-Jitsu. In Jiu-Jitsu, if all you ever do is practice techniques and participate in simulation drills, and you never do any live rolling, you'll never develop the feel and timing to apply those techniques in real life application. When you actually spar and grapple live the techniques you practice are internalized and become part of who you are.

         So, yes, you have to spar if you want to become and effective striker. One reason I know this is because every time we allow a student to begin sparring they're like a deer caught in the headlights. They are shocked at how bad they performed. It's not to say they don't know how to throw powerful, technically proficient strikes, because they do. But, what they lack is something that only rounds and rounds of sparring can give them, and that's things such as timing, accuracy, feel, vision, and reaction to movement.

         This is not to say that you can't learn how to strike by punching mitts and kicking pads, because you most certainly can. But, if you want to become an excellent striker who is able to demonstrate that in a real life situation against another human being who's trying to hit you back you must spar. You must put your hours in the ring and begin to internalize the techniques you practice so what you practice becomes who you really are. I hope this helps answer your question :)

Sincerely,

James Terlecki

Are You Stuck in the Weight Cycle?

(Warning: If what you read below describes you I'm sorry to tell you that you're caught in the weight cycle :( )

             You're not happy about the way you feel. You're tired all the time. You feel terrible about yourself. You have no energy. You feel crummy about the way you look. Your clothes don't fit any more. You're disgusted with yourself, so what do you do?  You go on a diet and start exercising of course!  Ha-ha!!                                                                                                         Four weeks go buy and you've lost 15 lbs., dropped TWO pants sizes and look a heck of a lot better!! Way to go!! Fast forward another 4 weeks and by this point your diet and exercise program become unsustainable. You are starving yourself. Your diet is just way too restrictive and you are at your breaking point, so what do you do? You begin to revert back to your former way of eating and your trips to the gym become less and less. 

                    What starts out as just a few "cheat meals" to satisfy the cravings you're having turns into a free pass to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. You've fallen off the wagon and your gym clothes are gathering dust.

                   As the weeks go by you gain the courage to step on the scale. Your jaw drops as you cry in disgust, "I weigh more now than when I started my diet." You step off the scale and drag your feet over to the closet. You begrudgingly grab a pair of "loose fit" jeans and hope for the best. You take a deep breath as you put one leg in and then the other, and now for the moment of truth...the zip and the lone button. Somehow you manage to get those pants zipped up and buttoned, but you cannot deny the obvious - you are now fatter than you were just a few short months ago.

                   You begin to feel angry and upset. In your head you repeat the mantra, "I don't care. I really don't care anymore. I'm never gonna have the body I want. I'm done." Guilt begins to creep its way in, but you fight to suppress it. As the weeks go by guilt has overtaken you. With one more look in the mirror you say to yourself, "What have I done?" You do your best not to go out in public for fear you might be seen. You're so embarrassed and ashamed. How can you face the same people who a few short weeks ago were complimenting you on how you looked? In your mind you just can't, so what do you do?

                     Well, for a few more weeks you wallow in self-pity. "Woe is me" becomes your theme song until one day you've had enough. You pick yourself up by your bootstraps, jump on Amazon to order the latest fad diet book and enroll in yet another exercise program. And so the cycle continues...

                    If this is you I want you to know there's hope for you. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but what I am saying is that with the right approach to diet and exercise living a consistent healthy life is possible. How do I know? Because I've watch some very close friends and students of mine accomplish it. I've seen them lose 30 lbs, 50 lbs, even 100 lbs! You might be thinking, "I've done or witnessed the same thing." Remember, I'm not talking merely about how to GET the weight off, I'm talking about how to KEEP it off! There are hundreds of "diets" and "tricks" to help you GET the weight off, but I'm interested in not only helping you get it off, but KEEPING it off. "How do you do that?" you ask. Great question, but you'll have to wait until part 2 of this blog post to get the answer :)

Have a fantastic day!

Sincerely,

James Terlecki

Am I Too Old To Start Training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Picture of my dad, James Terlecki, receiving his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) at the age of 74.

                        Let me take you back 15 years ago and tell you how it all began.

                    Cleveland Ohio, 1999. At this point in time I had been training in Jiu-Jitsu for almost 2 years. My dad and I would drive an hour and a half both ways, 3 days a week, from Youngstown to Cleveland to train with Craig Cramer, one of Royce Gracie's best friends and protégé. Craig ran and operated one of the first Gracie Jiu-Jitsu association academy's in the country. Back then there were no Jiu-Jitsu academies near us, so I had to make the commute. My dad has always been very thoughtful, so he asked me if I would like it if he came up with me. I said, "sure."

                       Keep in mind that before this my dad and I had trained together in Korean Tae Kwon Do for over 10 years. Those were some of the best years of my life. We made some great friends along the way, two of which are in the photo above; Sam Naples and Charles Stepan. I started training in TKD when I was 8 years-old and my dad started a year later when he was in his mid to late 40's. I remember my mom and dad sitting on the couch at the studio watching me train. My dad always pushed me to train my hardest and to be the best I can be.

                        Fast forward that 15 years and there's my dad, sitting on the couch at the Jiu-Jitsu academy, watching me train. Just like back at the TKD school, as much as my dad enjoyed watching me train he wanted to give it a try. Remember, at this time my dad was 60 years-old. Most people would have argued, including most doctors, that my dad was too old to start training in something as physical as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And most people at 60 years-old would say to themselves, "I can't do this. As much as I would love to I'm just too old," but not my dad. He was determined to start training and working towards becoming a BJJ black belt.

                           Today, At 74 years-old, my father still loves to get on the mat and train. Can he train like the twenty and thirty year-olds at the school? No, but he has adapted his game and his style to work for him. That's the great thing about Jiu-Jitsu; you don't make yourself fit Jiu-Jitsu, you make Jiu-Jitsu fit you. You adapt  the techniques and modify the moves to work for you and your body. Check out the picture below of Eric Ingram who is the first quadriplegic to earn a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Here's a link Eric's blue belt test. Simply amazing!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSMdjG7IXE8 

                             I have to ask you, do you still think you're too old to start training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? A few months ago I had a student, Gene Brode, join the academy and he's 68 years-old. Gene has been an encouragement to all of us. He is working super hard; sometimes training twice a day, both morning and evening classes. The best part is, he LOVES it! He's making new friends...getting in shape...staying mentally sharp...learning how to protect himself and doing something he truly enjoys.

                      So, what's holding you back? What's keeping you from experiencing all the benefits that training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has to offer? Don't let your age, fears or any insecurities you have hold you back. If this is something you'd truly like to do than go for it. Most schools, including my own, offer some type of trial where you can pay a few bucks and try out a few classes; that way you can experience a few classes to see if Jiu-Jitsu is right for you. 

                     If you're still fearful just think about James Terlecki, Gene Brode and Eric Ingram, and how they didn't let their age or handicaps stop them from participating in this amazing art. See you on the mat!

Grace To You,

James Terlecki 

Do I Have To Want To Be A Fighter To Train Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)?

                      No. I could end this blog article right here, but let me elaborate :)

                     Most people wrongly assume that the only people training in Mixed Martial Arts are those individuals who want to compete in MMA type events, like the UFC, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The majority of our students, let's say 90% of them, just want to learn how to defend themselves, get in shape, relieve stress and build their confidence.

                   You can see from the picture below that there are people as young as 14 years-old to adults in their 50's in this particular class. You can also see both men and women training together. There are also students in this class who are just starting out and there are students who have been training for over 8 years. We have students training with us from all walks of life...firemen, police officers, lawyers, high school principals, business owners, engineers, marketing directors, mothers, fathers and even grandparents. Some of these students have a lot in common with each other, but many of them don't have much in common except for the fact that they love training in Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing and MMA.

                       Everyone training at our academy has a different reason for why they started training and the goals they want to achieve. For some people, they just want to lose some weight, get in shape and get healthier. Other people labor in a very stressful work environment all day and they look forward to coming to the academy three or four days a week to relieve some of that stress. Some people started training because they wanted to become more confident. And for some, they started because they wanted to learn how to defend themselves if they were ever put into a situation where they needed to.

                        It's true that there are students who sign up because they want to compete in MMA events, and we do our best to prepare them for that, but the large majority of people who train with us do so because they watch the UFC on television and they want to be able to do the same cool techniques their favorite fighters do. They don't have any intention of ever setting foot inside the cage; they just want to learn the same techniques they see being used inside the octagon and have some fun. They're not looking to go to work the next day with a black eye; they're not there to be the next Georges St-Pierre; they're there to learn some cool techniques in a supportive and friendly environment.

                          A few weeks ago I was sitting at my work desk and I kept asking myself this question, "What is our school about? If I had to describe to someone what our school is about in one sentence what would I tell them?" And here's what I came up with - "Next Level Martial Arts training system is about taking average, ordinary guys and giving them the skill set of a UFC fighter." I personally would rather spend my time training someone who just wants to learn, have some fun and do this as a hobby over someone who wants to be the next Chuck Liddell. The reason for this is because the man or woman who wants to be a "fighter" tends to be more self focused than anyone else inside the academy. They tend to think that everything needs to revolve around them - the workout, the lesson plan, the class structure, the techniques we train, etc. On the other, the student who's there just to learn and have some fun tends to be more of a team player. They're not there just for them; they're there to help others and be supportive of their training partners.

                           So, do you have to want to be a fighter in order to train MMA? No. You can have a lot of different reasons for wanting to train, and being a fighter doesn't have to be one of them. For me personally, I just love Martial Arts. Ever since I was a kid I loved watching Bruce Lee movies and pretending that I was the man to defeat the villain in that final fight scene. Today, not much has changed. I watch just about every UFC event, but instead of pretending to be fighting for the UFC championship, I break down fights and analyze the techniques and fighting styles of my favorite fighters in order to bring my students the most in depth and detailed instruction possible. 

                  The most important thing is not why you want to train in MMA; the most important thing is that you actually go and do it. Go find a reputable school and sign up for a trial. Most schools offer some type of introductory trial offer like "3 Classes for $19.99." Try a few classes to make sure they have exactly what you're looking for. Make sure they have a solid program with legit black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kickboxing teaching the classes. And be sure to ask their instructors what certifications they have to make sure they're not some pretender who thought it would be cool to open up his own "fight gym." 

         If you have any questions feel free to send me an email to james@youngstownmartialarts.com. I will do my best to answer any questions you have. You can also reach me by dialing 330-550-4324. Hope to see you on the mat!

Grace To You,

James Terlecki