AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MMA PROFESSOR
Posted on | May 18, 2007 | 10 Comments
CHARLIE WARD: THE MMA PROFESSOR
By: Rich Bergeron
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Charlie Ward has been fighting for 33 of his 37 years—starting at the ripe age of four by learning how to box. It’s no surprise that he is now running a groundbreaking new MMA training programming offering students at Arizona State University college credit to learn the history, principles and practice of mixed martial arts.
“I got into Martial Arts at a really early age,” said Ward. “My father and brother were always teaching me how to box when I was four, and I got into kickboxing when I was six.” Next came Thai boxing, and since then he’s cross-trained in a wide variety of different martial arts.
Ward is now a Chief Master Instructor and Trainer, a Fifth Degree Black Belt in Taikor (close quarters combat), and is also a Certified Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach.
The Polytechnic Campus of Arizona State University hosts what Ward believes is the first of its kind: a program he designed himself to give college students class credit for learning how to fight. “I’ve done a full year of MMA for college credit so far,” he explained. “During one semester, I taught an introduction to Muay Thai and Western boxing and an intro to submission grappling. The last part of the semester involves tying all the disciplines together, and teaching the students how to move from standing up to the ground in a smooth transition. Then we get into interactive practice, sparring, and the students get a chance to apply everything they’ve learned.”
The benefits of Ward’s course goes way beyond just developing and practicing a method of self-defense. Ward also manages to pass on to students the personal lessons he’s learned by practicing and competing in Martial Arts since his youth and MMA from the period of its modern inception to a few post retirement comebacks. “On a personal level, one thing martial arts has always done for me is to give me a boost of self confidence and self esteem. It also teaches leadership and morality—provided you have good teachers who care about the history of the art form, not just the physicality of it,” said Ward. “What I enjoy most about teaching is how rewarding it is on a personal level. It’s very rewarding to pass lessons on to students eager to learn, and you can see when they give themselves over to it how it changes them. They start to behave and move and see things differently because of what MMA does for them. Kids, young adults, and especially women see a definite increase in empowerment and self-confidence.”
The repetition of teaching and training the next generation of mixed martial artists also keeps Ward in shape and makes him more well rounded as a fighter himself, though he insists he’s officially retired from competition now. “Having to keep doing those lessons inside and out makes you all the more competent in your own performance,” he explained.
Looking back he does have some fond memories of days when he was fully involved in the fighting circuit as a professional. He reminisced a bit about 1993 when he won the world title in his division. “I retained that and retired with that title, so I successfully defended it for a number of years,” he recalled. “The toughest fight I ever had was in 1993, the year that I won the title. Getting the title from the previous champion was probably one of the toughest fights I’ve ever had. Just because at the time he was a very well established champion. I was just up and coming at the time. He had a lot more experience. That makes a big difference. When you’re going against someone that well-rounded and you’re the one without any real experience, no matter how talented you are, it can be intimidating, and the fight was a bloody mess for both of us. When it was over I was very glad it was over. I knocked him out.”
It’s no wonder Ward favors the standup game when it comes to fighting himself. “Although I am very comfortable on the ground, I do prefer stand up,” he said. “Muay Thai is by far my favorite, but I do have ground experience, and for the ground program in the course I teach Greco-Roman, Jiu Jitsu, and Pankration, and I like all that. Boxing and Muay Thai are my first arts, though. If I can keep the fight standing up and finish it standing, that’s how I like to do it. I don’t make the mistake of making my students fight like me, though. I adapt the training to each individual’s strengths and preferences. If someone’s more comfortable on the ground, I focus on that, and I teach them that. I don’t try to make everybody fight like I fought.”
As far as his best punch, he loves the bread and butter overhand right or the right hook. “Usually that was a knockout move for me,” he said.
As someone who has seen the true evolution of the sport, Ward finds the recent resurgence in popularity surrounding MMA to be an exciting development. “It’s the fastest growing sport in the world today, and that makes me happy,” he said. “The more recognition it gets, and the more familiar it becomes to the public, the better. When I was doing it, it was looked by so many as an underground thing, as human cockfighting, and it was in the shadows, and that’s not where it belongs. It’s the purest form of sport combat.”
One aspect of the new look of the sport that intrigues him is the way the fighters of today use their new expertise to keep each fight so active. During the more distant days of the sport fighters relied on wrestling and boxing, and not much else. Now, the bulk of the best fighters utilize multiple martial arts, wrestling, boxing, and submission grappling. Whereas boxers tend to use clinches to rest, the principles of Muay Thai mandates continuous striking and grappling within clinches. Ward said he is amazed “how quickly fighters have adapted to putting all the stuff together.”
The attention garnered by the best MMA athletes today impacts martial arts in a positive manner as well, Ward realizes. “It’s done a lot for Martial Arts awareness, and it’s proven that there’s not one style that is the ultimate style. You have to be well-rounded and versed in all areas to even be considered a competent competitor, let alone a true fighter,” he said.
Still, there is always room for improvement. Ward would like to see some major changes when it comes to some of the smaller, less organized fighting outfits. “Where I would like to see it go, is the market is really saturated with fighters, and as a result, some of the fights that take place in some circuits, the people aren’t that qualified to fight yet,” he said. “These people are taking very little money to fight, and we’re not seeing good fights come out of that. If those circuits start to raise the bar, and if they have to have fighters attain a certain level of qualification to step into the cage, we’re gonna see much better competitors come out of that.”
Looking ahead at Arizona State University’s MMA course, Ward wants to see a four-year degree offering in MMA eventually. “This course is the first step along that path, and from here I will try and offer more advanced courses, then a minor, then a four year degree major,” he explained. “Whether it will happen, I don’t know, but I’m very excited and honored to be pioneering this program for ASU.”
Inside MMA, he gives inspirational credit to one of his colleagues: Mick Doyle. “He’s by far one of the best Thai Boxers I know,” said Ward.
Touching for a moment on conditioning, Ward emphasized the two Ls. “You gotta have the legs, and you’ve gotta have the lungs to last,” he said. “Really that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s one thing people are consistently falling short on, getting gassed too early in a fight. For any fighter preparation is huge.”
Given the chance to offer a few thanks to those who helped him get this far, he pointed to his students first. “As always I’d like to thank my students, because whether they know it or not, everyday they make me a better instructor, and they inspire me in ways they can’t even imagine. I’d also like to thank ASU for giving me the opportunity to teach there, and also my family and friends who have supported me in my study of martial arts throughout my life. Sometimes when you’re competing professionally, everything else takes a back seat, and their patience is very much appreciated.”
To find out more about Charlie, visit his MySpace page at:
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Tags: 37 years > arizona state university > arizona state university college > Bergeron > charlie ward > close quarters combat > course structure > fifth degree > interactive practice > master instructor > Mixed Martial Arts > MMA > Muay Thai > polytechnic campus > ripe age > smooth transition > strength and conditioning > strength and conditioning coach > thai boxing > western boxing
PRO-ELITE AND TAPOUT MAGAZINE JOIN FORCES
Posted on | May 17, 2007 | 2 Comments
PROELITE.COM takes on ‘tapout magazine’ and ‘MMA Worldwide’ as mixed martial arts print partnerS
Joint Partnership Brings Fans Greater Exposure to Video and
Print Content From MMA’s Leading Magazines
(LOS ANGELES) – May 17, 2007 – ProElite.com, the comprehensive and inclusive online community for MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters, fans and organizations, announced today it has entered into a joint partnership with SMP, Inc. the publishers of the popular Tapout and MMA Worldwide magazines. During the two-year term, ProElite.com will be the exclusive online social networking destination for SMP that will distribute promotional video for SMP-produced reality shows, MMA videos, photographs and editorial content from the two magazines.
The ProElite.com and SMP brands will maximize each other’s strong brand positioning in the MMA community by providing deep cross-promotional content ranging from ProElite.com ad buys in Tapout and MMA Worldwide, to SMP-paid sponsorships at ProElite.com. The two companies will collaborate to create the first truly integrated MMA media offering for fans, sponsors, and partners, including reach across multiple web sites, live event Internet streams, print publications, billboard marketing, cable and Pay-Per-View broadcasts, and live event experiential activities.
“Tapout and MMA Worldwide magazines have shaped the MMA sport through its editorial pages and ProElite.com through the Internet. By mutually expanding each other’s offerings, together we will bring an added value to fans,” said Kelly Perdew, President of ProElite.com. “The expansion of MMA in the next several years will be unprecedented and the cooperation of these brands will do its part in bringing awareness to the sport.”
“We strive to offer our readers and sponsors more than just a print outlet and the partnership with ProElite.com accomplishes that goal. Given ProElite’s growth in the sport it is only natural that we turn to them as our exclusive partner,” said Robert Pittman, President and CEO of SMP, Inc. “Without excluding any event, organization or group, ProElite.com and our magazines will be able to provide the fans with an unbiased and unmatched look into the world of MMA. Expect big things to come from this partnership.”
Since its launch in February 2007, ProElite.com has become the online touch point for MMA fans, fighters and promoters around the world. ProElite.com is the first entity to bring a variety of compelling live stream MMA events to the Internet. In addition to recently delivering a powerful two-day Pay-Per-View of the ADCC Championship in its Internet debut, ProElite.com presented a classic doubleheader of Cage Rage Championships 21: “Judgment Day” from Wembley Arena in London, England and No Limits: “Proving Grounds” from The No Limits Event Center in Irvine, California.
ProElite.com is preparing to deliver can’t-miss behind-the-scenes video surrounding FEG’s “Softbank presents Dynamite!! USA in association with ProElite” in the Los Angeles Coliseum on June 2. Later in the month, on June 22, ProElite will be bringing fans free undercard fights live on the Internet from San Jose, California.
ProElite, Inc. and its ProElite.com division are headquartered in Los Angeles. SMP, Inc. is headquartered in Cypress, California.
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About ProElite, Inc. (www.proelite.com)
ProElite Inc. (PELE:PK) delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM
About SMP, Inc.
SMP (Sales and Marketing Professionals) is a sales and marketing group that specializes in multi-million dollar sales. SMP, Inc. owns the following brands and companies: SMP Printing, Tapout Magazine, MMA Worldwide Magazine and MMA Worldwide Industries.
SHAUN MCCOY’S UFC 71 PREDICTIONS
Posted on | May 17, 2007 | 2 Comments
Fight Predictions for UFC 71 Liddell vs. Jackson, Saturday, May 26
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell
Rampage’s best hope for victory is that he arrives at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in a 2003 departed DeLorean, fire streaking from its tires and the Back to the Future III soundtrack blasting in lieu of his entrance music. Short of a Time Flux Capacitor Quinton must somehow regain the heart and fury he displayed on his brutal walk through Pride’s 205lbs division. But with Quinton’s heart taken by the knees of Wanderlei and his fury taken by a newfound religious zeal, he seems ill-equipped to face the supernatural power of Chuck’s fists. Judging from his last two lackluster performances against Lindland and Eastman it seems doubtful that he will be in form. Expect a healthy Chuck to take the knockout victory in the second or third round… but keep an eye out for that DeLorean!
Terry Martin vs. Ivan Salaverry
Terry Martin returns on his path to redemption since a loss via flying knee to James Irvin in UFC 54 derailed his promising UFC career. Back on track now after a win in UFC’s little brother, WEC, as well as an impressive victory over veteran Jorge Rivera in UFC 67, his dominant wrestling should give him a solid 3 round decision over the Pankrationist.
Josh “The People’s Warrior” Burkman vs. Karo “The Heat” Parisyan
Karo, infamous for exploiting American MMA’s over-reliance on Wrestling with his world class Judo techniques, returns for his first fight of the year against Josh “The People’s Warrior” Burkman. Karo Parisyan’s only recent losses have been in 3 round battles of attrition, but don’t expect this fight to make it so far. Karo should take the fight with a choke or other submission in the first or second round.
Houston Alexander vs. Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine
Striker Houston Alexander has never been knocked out in Professional MMA, but then again he’s never fought in the UFC either. Look for his six fight winning streak, already placed on hold due to a No Contest against Todd Alee in EC 76, to end completely on one of Keith Jardine’s punches. The Dean of Mean’s KO over Forest Griffin was no accident, and his newfound ability to finish hurt opponents will serve him well in this fight.
Kalib Starnes vs. Chris “The Crippler” Leben
While Kalib Starnes was able to overcome Jason Mcdonald, Leben’s last loss, don’t expect this to be a litmus test for the bout. Starnes has almost no chance against Chris Leben, either standing or on the matt.
Thiago Silva vs. James Irvin
Thiago Silva makes his way into the UFC from the vaunted Chute Box team. While he may have a little trouble adapting to the Unified Rules it is unlikely that he will fall to James Irvin. Silva’s high pace and proficient striking should allow him to wear down his opponent. In later rounds Irvin might attempt a flying knee, but Silva is no stranger to such attacks, and should be ready for one should it be thrown.
Sean Salmon vs. Eric “Ravishing Red” Schafer
Both having recently lost to UFC 205 lbs poster boys, these two fighters will be looking to secure future contracts with the UFC. Expect huge heart from both fighters, but Sean Salmon’s conditioning won‘t last all three rounds. While his wrestling may cause Schafer problems, all Schafer needs to do is hold on and wait for Salmon’s gas tank to settle on E.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Din Thomas
“I don’t even know who that guy is,” Din told me jokingly about Jeremy at a small show in Savannah, GA. And he doesn’t need to know, either. Din has been an underrated fighter ever since his loss to Caol Uno in 2002 ravished his bandwagon. This should be an easy fight for Thomas and will help pad his record for a longer stay in the UFC.
Carmelo “The Fury” Marrero vs. Wilson Gouveia
May not be broadcast. In fact, if you see this fight on pay per view it’s probably a sign of the apocalypse. This is not to say this fight doesn’t matter. Marrero’s only loss came at the hands of Gabriel Gonzaga, and no one has a clue about what that means yet. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic lost to Gonzaga, too. On the flip of a coin I give it to Marrero.
GINA CARANO PULLS OUT OF DYNAMITE CARD DUE TO ILLNESS
Posted on | May 17, 2007 | No Comments
MMA RISING SUPERSTAR GINA CARANO AILING,
FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM JUNE 2 MMA EVENT
LOS ANGELES (May 17, 2007) – Gina Carano has pulled out of the “Dynamite!! USA” June 2 mega-MMA fight card at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum due to illness, EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw announced today.
Carano, of Las Vegas, Nev., was scheduled to clash with Jan Finney of Springfield, Ohio, in one of the featured EliteXC fights on SHOWTIME on June 2.
“I just feel terrible about this,’’ said the popular, crowd-pleasing Carano, who spent part of April in Thailand filming a television reality series. “I don’t know how or where I got sick, but I have not felt right since returning to the United States.
“I almost never get sick, but this has really done a number on me. I thought I could work through it but I am not feeling better and it has prevented me from training.’’
Said Shaw: “Obviously, we are very disappointed that Gina can’t perform, but anybody that knows me knows that I am not going to put an athlete into the ring if he or she is not 100 percent fit.
“Our EliteXC fighters need to be in peak health because we put them in the best fights on SHOWTIME.’’
A new fight will be announced shortly, Shaw said. It will be one of three matches that will appear on SHOWTIME during a live one-hour telecast that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The six-bout pay-per-view portion of the June 2 event will immediately follow the SHOWTIME presentation live on pay-per-view (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
For more information, please visit www.EliteXC.com.
Tickets for “Dynamite!! USA” are on sale via Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com and the LA Coliseum box office. Seats will be available on the field and throughout the majority of the stadium bowl, with the exception of limited blocked sections on each end for restricted viewing. In the stadium bowl, seats in the upper sections will sell for $30, with the exception of the west end, which will be $10. The lower bowl will sell for $60 in most areas and $30 in the west end. On the field, tickets will run at $100 on the outer rim, $250 in the middle section and $1,000 at ringside.
About ProElite, Inc. (www.proeliteinc.com)
ProElite, Inc. is an entertainment and media company dedicated to producing world-class sporting events and empowering the participation of athletes and enthusiasts. ProElite, Inc. fosters the growth of the core principles of competition – Pride, Spirit, Honor and Sportsmanship. ProElite, Inc. owns the following brands and companies: EliteXCTM (mixed martial arts live event production), ProElite.com (online community that provides content and tools for martial arts enthusiasts), and LifeLogger (top-rated internet blogging site and mobile application developer).
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME® TOO™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE® and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND™ and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME® PPV.
CHAZZ WITHERSPOON ADDED TO TAYLOR VS. SPINKS CARD
Posted on | May 16, 2007 | No Comments
PHILADELPHIA HEAVYWEIGHT “THE GENTLEMAN” CHAZZ WITHERSPOON ROUNDS OUT THE SPECTACULAR JERMAIN TAYLOR-CORY SPINKS CARD SET FOR SATURDAY NIGHT, MAY 19 AT FEDEX FORUM IN MEMPHIS
***Witherspoon to Face Joe Stofle in Heavyweight Bout***
New York, May 16-Philadelphia’s “The Gentleman” Chazz Witherspoon (17-0, 11 KO’s) is the latest, talented youngster to be added to the impressive Jermain Taylor-Cory Spinks card set for Saturday night, May 19 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.
Witherspoon will face St. Charles , Missouri ’s Joe Stofle (10-10, 9 KO’s) in an eight round heavyweight tilt. The hard-hitting Witherspoon is looking to make a mark in the dormant heavyweight division.
“Chazz Witherspoon is one of America ’s most talented and compelling young heavyweights. I am proud to add him to a boxing event already rich in talent,” said Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment.
Tickets are priced at $550, $450, $250, $125, $95, $45, and $25 for students, seniors, and active military. Tickets are available at the FedExForum Box Office, All Ticketmaster Outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 901-525-1515.
For more information, visit www.fedexforum.com.
Brawls at the Birchwood Scheduled for June 23rd in NJ
Posted on | May 16, 2007 | No Comments
Kea Boxing’s “Brawls at the Birchwood” are back! After putting on “The War in the South” in April at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, KEA is right back in action making their return to New Jersey to continue their popular New Jersey boxing series, “The Brawls at the Birchwood.”
The action will be hot inside and out of the ring all night long as KEA Boxing returns for their third show at the elegant Birchwood Manor in Whippany, NJ on Saturday, June 23rd at 8 pm.
You’ll get an early look at some of the best young boxing talent in the New York and New Jersey area… and from all over the world! This card is loaded with impressive up-and-coming fighters!
Visit www.kea-boxing.com or call 973-903-2907 for tickets and more information!
AN EXPERT’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE MENTAL ASPECTS OF FIGHTING
Posted on | May 16, 2007 | 2 Comments
AN INTERVIEW WITH RANDY BORUM: AN EXPERT IN COMBAT SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY
FNU: How important is psychology for an athlete, especially a fighter?
RANDY: Many of the best combat sport trainers and athletes have said that 10-20% of success in those sports comes from physical factors and 80-90% comes from mental factors. Pat Miletich said it about MMA. Freddie Roach said it about boxing, and Dan Gable said it about wrestling. In reality, there’s no way to precisely measure these things, but it does all point to the fact that psychological factors are critical for effective fight sport performance. It may be particularly important at the elite levels because fighters are already matched up on size, experience and skill. Sport psychology won’t magically transform a bad fighter into a great one, but it can help most fighters to achieve their potential.
FNU: How does a fighter maximize his or her psychological approach to prepare for a fight?
RANDY: It’s interesting that most fighters will tell you that mental skills are the most important, but in their own training, they spend nearly all of their time on physical training and very little on enhancing mental skills – even though physical conditioning usually peaks out before mental conditioning. Maybe that’s because some don’t realize that psychological skills can be trained and developed. They don’t have to come naturally.
FNU: What happens in the brain when a fighter gets psyched up or psyched out and why?
RANDY: Well, the brain controls all behavior. And basically there are three behavioral components of your fight performance that are affected by psychological factors: Thoughts (Cognition); Feelings (Emotion) and Physical (Somatic).
Whether and when a fighter gets psyched up or psyched out depends largely on what’s happening with his thoughts, feelings and physical responses. Each of those factors can affect the others in different orders at different times. A negative thought like “I’m gassing- I won’t make it to the end of the round” may lead to feeling discouraged and having physical sensations of fatigue. On the other hand, rehearsing confident thoughts like “I am strong and powerful and completely prepared for this match” may lead to feelings of excitement, which produce physical sensations of energy.
The solution – just like fight strategy – lies in preparing for what might happen and building a skill set to respond effectively.
FNU: What is your background and what kind of consulting have you done with MMA fighters or boxers?
RANDY: I am a Professor at the University of South Florida where I teach and do research on violence and terrorism. I have a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. I am a licensed and board-certified psychologist and have been recognized as a “Certified Sport Psychologist” by the National Institute of Sports. For several years, I was a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and I did some strength coaching for my University’s Boxing Team back when it was active. I was a police officer for a while before I was a psychologist and I began studying sport psychology and motor behavior principles back in the mid 1980s to help understand how they might be applied to help police officers perform well (mentally) in high-stress, high-risk situations.
Apart from the writing I do for MMA magazines, I do a very limited amount of performance enhancement consulting with combat sport athletes – mainly pro MMA fighters, but a few boxers as well. The issues range from managing pre-fight jitters, to confidence building, to managing distractions, to visualization and other related issues.
FNU: What kind of pieces have you written about the psychology of fighting?
RANDY: I have written articles for Ultimate Grappling Magazine, Tapout Magazine, MMA Sports, MMA Authority and I do a column for FightZone magazine, which is a sport psychology column focusing exclusively on combat sports. The articles have provided information about how to assess your own mental skills, improving focus, building confidence, developing mental toughness, keeping your opponent from getting inside your head, psychological fight preparation and even depression.
FNU: How should a fighter adjust his thinking after a loss?
RANDY: In my experience, the best fighters don’t ruminate over the loss or repeatedly beat themselves up over it. They develop an explanation that makes sense to them about “what happened” – then they figure out what they need to work on to keep that from happening again; they make a plan to do it; and they follow through. Some fighters develop an explanation of the loss that works for them, but that others may see as an “excuse.” Allowing yourself to wallow in a loss will sap your energy and undermine your confidence. Losing a fight doesn’t make a fighter a “loser.”
When bouncing back from a loss, what I’ve seen work for most is to accept the loss, keep their confidence up, and develop specific, measurable goals they want to achieve in moving forward. They then get swiftly to the task of working to achieve them. Looking forward works better than continuing to look back.
FNU: What is the best advice you could give someone trying to focus before a match?
RANDY: That depends. The best approach for a fighter to prepare psychologically for a match has to be tailored to that individual’s needs. In general, though, some common factors seem to be setting challenging and measurable goals, monitoring mental performance in your training log, and making necessary adjustments to build the skills you need and to remove any barriers to optimal performance. For fight-day preparation, many fighters find it helpful to structure their day in advance, do some exercises to get them in a very positive state of mind, then to monitor and adjust their level of emotional intensity or arousal through the day so they’re feeling good at the start of first round.
I guess my general advice would be to set and follow a schedule for the day. Keep your thoughts positively focused, using positive self-talk. Try not to allow the “what ifs” to creep in. Drown them out with your confidence. As you get closer to the fight, you will narrow the focus of your thoughts and mental images toward the beginning of the fight. Also do a gut check on your arousal level. You want to achieve your optimal state as the fight starts. If you are too revved-up, then do some breathing and relaxation exercises to settle down. If you are feeling drained or lethargic, then get your body moving or listen to some motivational music to kick it up a notch.
FNU: What role do visualization and positive reinforcement play in a fighter’s development?
RANDY: Fighters use visualization in different ways. One way is to use it for mental practice. When you are first learning a technique you can do hundreds of repetitions of it in your head even if you’re not able to do as many in training. Physical practice works best, of course, but mental practice works too – particularly when you are imagining yourself actually performing the task, not just watching yourself do it “from the outside.” Research shows that that mentally rehearsing a physical skill activates the same neural pathways as when you actually perform that task. Another way to use visualization is for specific fight preparation. You can visualize yourself fighting a particular opponent – performing exactly the way you want to and successfully defending against his attacks. Psychologically, you are building a history of having successfully done it before, which boosts your confidence.
FNU: Are there any mental exercises a fighter or athlete can do to prep for competition?
RANDY: Absolutely. Like anything else, though, developing mental skills take practice. Certain exercises are pretty fundamental like progressive relaxation, positive self-talk and imagery (visualization). Other exercises depend on the individual fighter’s needs and capacities. We can often get pretty creative in helping to build psychological skills for competition.
FNU: Do you think psychology is under appreciated in sports? In fighting?
RANDY: Sport psychology, as a field, is definitely growing. Psychologists have been studying sport performance since the late 1800s, but they really didn’t begin performance consulting with athletes until the 1960s. The U.S. Olympic Committee only hired its first full-time sports psychologist in 1985.
As for its application to fighting and combat sports, I don’t necessarily think the importance of psychology is underappreciated, but it certainly is not used as systematically or as effectively as it could be. With FILA’s recent recognition of grappling and the explosive growth of Mixed Martial Arts in particular, I hope there is an opportunity to make sport psychology a regular part of combat sport training. A number of MMA fighters, professional boxers, and Olympic wrestlers and judoists have consulted with sport psychologists over the years, but most have not.
FNU: What is your ultimate goal in psychology?
RANDY: Well… in advancing sport psychology for combat sports, I don’t have a specific “ultimate goal” in mind. I do the writing and work I do in this area mostly because I love the sport and I enjoy helping fighters achieve their potential. I’m not trying to build an empire or even a cottage industry. What I have been doing is just trying to share information and ideas about how psychological principles might contribute to combat sport training. As I said, I think that people know the mental side of the game is important, and they may even know how to discipline themselves and be tough, but they don’t necessarily know how to assess and build a mental skill set to complement the strength, conditioning and fighting skills. Some don’t even know that factors like concentration, confidence, relaxation, and mental toughness are skills that can be learned, practiced and developed. So I guess my goal is get more fighters and trainers to think systematically about their mental game in the same way that they think about fighting skills, conditioning and nutrition as parts of the big picture. Many elite-level fighters or fight camps have a strength and conditioning coach or a sport nutritionist that they consult with – but how many have a sport psychologist? Sure – psychologists can help people who are depressed or who have serious psychological problems, but those with an understanding of sport psychology can also do so much more – not just to provide treatment, but to enhance performance and to take their fight game to the next level.
FNU: What’s been your best moment in the field?
RANDY: I don’t know that I can identify a single moment, but I always find it to be incredibly rewarding when I can consult with a fighter who is genuinely interested in improving his game or who is struggling with a particular problem that is holding him back – then he follows through on what we discussed and comes back to say: “That really worked” or “That was really helpful.” This is one of the few things I do professionally where I get feedback at the individual level. For me, those are probably the best moments.
FNU: What was your toughest moment?
RANDY: It can be really tough hearing people struggling with serious depression or other emotional problems…their feelings of hopelessness ….hearing about the horrific childhood or life experiences that they had to endure – things no child so have to go through. I am constantly amazed, however, at the personal strength and resilience that people find within themselves, in their faith, or through support from others that help them overcome incredible adversity
FNU: What makes a fighter’s mentality different than any other athlete?
RANDY: That’s a really interesting question. I don’t know that there is any “right” answer or that the answer is necessarily the same for all fighters. Many of the skills are similar, but they have to be applied differently. For example, focus is important both in tennis and in fighting, but how you focus and where you focus and the timing of that focus and the nature of the distractions are very different for each sport. One factor that I think is somewhat unique to MMA is the very personal and physical nature of the battle for dominance. It is one of the only sports I can think of where people typically lose because they are hurting so badly they have to quit or because they have been pummeled so badly a referee has to stop it. People get injured in a lot of sports, but those injuries are incidental. In MMA it’s not a part of the game, it is the game. So one of the things that is different about an MMA fighter’s mentality is that he or she has to develop an adaptive way to respond – cognitively, emotionally and physically – to the fact that they have an opponent who in most cases is trying to hurt them. Different fighters develop that adaptation in different ways, but you really have to find a way to deal with it as a sport or professional exchange, not just as a bar fight.
FNU: What can trainers and coaches learn from having a better understanding of psychology?
RANDY: I think this is really where sport psychology has such great potential to be infused into combat sport training. If the coaches and trainers recognize the value, they can use it, and they can make sure it is given proper time and priority in the training regimen.
There was a survey done several years ago of wrestling coaches in which nearly all of them rated mental skills as being highly important, but very few of them felt like they knew how to teach them. I think coaches and trainers can benefit from sport psychology in two ways. First, they can apply the principles to their coaching of each athlete–to understand his learning style, to better understand what motivates him and how to help him achieve his goals. Second, they can use knowledge of sport psychology to assess their fighters’ mental skill profile, so that they understand the strengths and weaknesses in the mental game and integrate that into training in the same way they do with the fight skills.
FNU: Anything else you want to add?
RANDY: Just to thank you for your interest applying psychology to combat sports and for giving me an opportunity to share some information. I am not trying to step on toes or launch the next big thing – just offering some ideas for consideration. I would welcome any thoughts from fighters out there about how these ideas do or do not fit with their experiences or whether they make sense from their perspective. I’d like to think we’re all learning together.
Dr. Randy Borum can be contacted via email at rborum@gmail.com or through RANDY’S MYSPACE
Also visit: www.GracieTampa.net
STORMING OUT OF RETIREMENT: DALLAS “THE DESTROYER” CORDTS
Posted on | May 15, 2007 | 1 Comment
STORMING OUT OF RETIREMENT: AN INTERVIEW WITH DALLAS CORDTS
By: Rich Bergeron
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Dallas Cordts is used to seeing lots of blood and guts having been trained in forensics and also through her work as a mortician. She’s also an avid fighter in mixed martial arts, and every now and then she gets the chance to produce a blood spatter she doesn’t have to analyze.
“I’ve been training in mma since I was about five,” said Cordts. “I went to see some fights with some of my friends, I decided I wanted to do it, and I did it one time. After that it kinda’ stuck. I’ve been doing it for about nine years now.”
Asked which opponent was her toughest, she chose the diplomatic route in her answer. “It’s hard to say. Every opponent’s different. Each one has their own strengths, and I consider all of them very tough opponents. It’s hard to pinpoint just one.”
As far as what she enjoys most about the sport, she said it is “the diversity, and the different styles coming together” that intrigue her.
She considers the rear naked choke her favorite submission, and her favorite style is Muay Thai.
Cordts has high hopes of being the first woman to break into the UFC. “Hopefully one day I’ll be able to fight in the UFC if they ever allow women to fight. Right now my main goal is to fight the best competitors that are out there right now,” she said. “One of my goals is to be able to fight Gina Carano. She seems like a really good opponent that I think would be a really good match-up for me. I would like to do that.”
She is with Dean “The Boogeyman” Lister’s fight team and hopes they can help her reach all her goals.
She connected with Lister through word of mouth and started talking to the MMA superstar. “He got me hooked up with Haymaker’s Empire, and they put me on the fight team,” she said. “They’re real good managers, and it’s a really strong fight team, and I’m really proud to be a part of it.”
The 32-year-old Cordts is also a trainer in the sport, and her husband is one of her students. She’s pushing him to make his own MMA debut soon. So far she’s compiled a record of 18-0 in competition, and she doesn’t call herself “The Destroyer” for nothing.
Still, like any woman in the sport, she’s come across some people who try to discredit her abilities just because she’s a female. “One thing I’ve noticed is that, early on in the sport, and I’ve been around since MMA went mainstream, I did encounter a lot of problems with people viewing women as weaker. I saw that myself until people watched me fight and saw that I had abilities,” she explained. “There’s some really good women fighters in the sport now, and it’s really starting to grow. Men may be physically stronger than women, but women usually train with a lot of men, so they’re a little bit more technical.”
She’s seen some major progress for female fighters since she began her career. “It seems like women are really starting to come out now and compete. When I first started, there weren’t many, but the ones I encountered were really strong individuals,” she said. “Nowadays I’ve seen some of the women fighters today, and they do fight a lot different than they used to. I’m looking forward to competing against the best out there.”
She has several role models in the sport she looks up to. “First, I would have to say Dean Lister, and luckily I got on his fight team. That’s a big bonus for me,” she said. “Royce Gracie is another one, just because he’s very good at jiu jitsu, and I always admired his style. Actually, anyone that steps into a cage is a big inspiration for me, because it shows a lot of courage.”
Outside of MMA she can only point to one major role model in her life, and even that one has a connection to the disciplines behind the sport. Grandmaster H.U. Lee, the founder of the American Tae Kwon Doe Association, who passed away, is someone she met through training with the ATA since she was five years old. She heralds Lee as one of her earliest inspirations.
Cordts is happy to see MMA becoming so popular and taking Martial Arts up a notch, too. “I think it’s wonderful. I’m so happy that MMA is finally getting recognized as a good, strong sport like boxing,” she said. “The fan base and everything is growing so much, and the sport has evolved so much, it’s just gonna bring more and stronger competitors. Just in general, Martial Arts is also still continuing to grow, and you’re seeing more and more people getting involved than in the past. More and more people are doing grappling tournaments and more martial arts tournaments now. It’s becoming more popular, and everybody’s trying to do it. That’s a great thing.”
Cordts will next do battle in August. Already used to the heat from living in Arizona, she will be going to another tropical clime to fight. “The date hasn’t been set yet. It’s all going through my manager, but it will probably be in Las Vegas or Florida,” she reported.
Asked what she considers the most important thing to do to prepare for a fight, she answered, “Really train on technical things and a lot of cardio. You have to have a full gas tank going in there. I do a lot of weight training, because you have to be strong and able to hit hard, and I work a lot on my jiu jitsu.”
Given a chance to add her own thoughts, she reaffirmed her desire to face the best and thanked all her supporters. “I’m just coming out of retirement, and I want to be able to match up with the best female competition out there, and anyone willing to step in the cage with me will be facing tough opponent,” she said. “I just want to thank Orange County Fighters, Rage and Glory, Cryogel, Pirate Island Entertainment, and Haymaker’s Empire, my manager. I’d also like to send a shout out to Dean Lister and the team.”
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Tags: Bergeron > blood and guts > blood spatter > boogeyman > Destroyer > different styles > fight team > first woman > forensics > good managers > high hopes > intrigue > lister > main goal > Mixed Martial Arts > MMA > mortician > nine years > UFC > word of mouth
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