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If I have learned anything about life from fighting, it is that fatigue will make you a coward or champ.

I once read in a Japanese philosophy book I can’t remember the author or title of, “If you can do one thing well, you can do everything well.” I equate everything to fighting because it is the one thing I know well. The lessons I learn engaging in combat sports crossover into everything I do. This is my thing that allows me to be better at everything else.

I fought in the World Sabaki Challenge in 1999. This is a Full Contact, Bare Knuckle Karate world championships. It is held each year in Denver, CO. Denver is the Mile High City. This means; when you come from sea level, there will be no freaking air. So, I went to the mountains to test myself.

Long story short; I lost, but really won. I had a life changing experience. After 3 rounds of action, I could not breath at all. I was pretty sure I might die, seriously I did think this. But something changed in me. I was faced with excruciating pain from overwhelming fatigue due to alack of needed oxygen. Instead of quitting, I told myself that I trained to hard and long to stop for anything but the bell. The last minute of a fight, I clearly was losing, I threw everything I had left, and some I pulled out of I don’t know where, at my opponent. I didn’t win, but I did not quit.

I walked off the mat and collapsed into my coach. I woke up in the changing room with an oxygen mask on. My lungs hurt for days and I could barely move from pushing so far past my reserves for a week. I really came close to permanent damage to body from how hard I pushed.

Having the ability to endure whatever comes my way has carried me thru most of my years in business. Being able to take whatever is thrown at me and turning it into fuel is the key to any success I have ever achieved.

Why I am writing this now is because we are faced with a big challenge, we do not even fully understand yet. All I know is, we can get thru this and be stronger for it. We can rebuild our reserves and get back to being a profitable and functional community.

I don’t have to believe in myself because I know who I am. I know what I can take and I know what I can push thru. This is not belief, this is understanding. Each of you has overcome so many things in life. Give yourself some credit and respect what you have done in this life. This challenge is different than what has come before but you will overcome as you have everything else.

3 Choices:

Coast and see what happens

Quit and fail right now

Be a Killer and smash adversity

I believe in you and look forward to getting back on that mat with all of you soon!

Brian Wright

Killer B Combat Sports Academy – Oakhurst, NJ

www.killerbcsa.com

I have felt like I was going to lose everything so many times before. Recession, war, terrorism, weather… Since 1998, we have been thru quite a bit. Everytime something happens, it feels like it may be the big one that finally does it. When I was younger, I didn’t know what could happen because the 1st few things were all new. After 22 years of doing this, none of it is new anymore. 

None of us can forget that we are not alone and we are all people with value. No matter what happens, at some point we go back to a world that has a need for what we are good at. When the gym opens again, we can all come back and be the community together like we were before, but not the same because our experience has made us more prepared and stronger. 

If you lose a loved one, a job, property, anything of value… I am sorry for your loss. The next steps you take are what will define you. We can stay down or we can rise up. We can isolate and wallow, or we can embrace our community and find our place with a new appreciation for the life we have. 

If this virus has shown us anything, it is that there are quite a few people essential to our needs, comforts, and survival that “regular” life kept in the shadows of our own self importance. Those people going to work while we are at home safe, much respect and thanks! 

We are also finding out who cares for people, not just says so. We are finding out who is selfish and who is selfless. Lots of true colors coming out and they will not be forgotten when we go back to a more normal schedule.

I miss you all and look forward to returning to our daily reps! We are taking a pause, not a beating, and we will be back better than before.

Thank you all for being who you are and doing the things you do that make our community as strong and special as it is.

Brian Wright

Killer B Combat Sports Academy

Oakhurst, NJ

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It has been said that the Devil is in the details. If you want to be a nightmare for opponents and adversity, pay attention to the details. In training we can get fixated on the end result we wish to achieve so much so that we miss all the fine points that add up to successful execution.

When we don’t understand, it is easy to power through and try to force our way to an end result. Example; we can’t find that balance in protecting while punching so we just throw with as much force as possible and eat whatever our opponent throws our way. Another example; stuck in someone’s guard. Instead of working to pass guard with leverage and technique, we pick our opponent up and slam them. We have all done it and seen it. Don’t be prideful and act as if you haven’t tried to force the circle through the square.

We want to be good right now. This is where we start moving so fast that we miss what is actually going on – missing the forest through the trees. 2 things we need to do to break the inconsistent pattern and gain real control of our outcomes. 1) Accept that we are going to lose many engagements before we can win any 2) Things take the time they take no matter how bad we want it to go faster, it is going to take what it takes. That time will be different for each of us as well because we are all different.

I would much rather lose in the learning stages than when it matters more. Karl Roberson got submitted in his 2nd UFC fight against a former TUF winner and 21 pro fight veteran against his 6 pro fights and only 1 UFC fight at the time. Losing at that point sucked but it sucked much less that if it was a title contender or actual title fight. If you are going to lose, do it early and figure things out so you are more prepared later when the stakes are higher.

We have Friday night sparring for all levels. You see the few guys throwing bombs thinking they are doing good because the contact is hard. Than you see the power dwindle as they get tired and the guys with experience starting to put the combos on them. Time breaks the raw new guys while those that have been there, done that thrive. 

Over time, the people open to doing it right evolve and those that can’t settle own eventually quit because they are resistant to the idea of patience. We are all different but the process to find success is the same. How we respond to the process is what separates.

In regard to patience, we all need more of that in everything. Our lack of patience gets in the way of our success because it is a waste of energy and a big distraction. If we can let go of the self imposed pressure and just do the work, we will make greater progress more quickly. Lack of patience is probably the biggest impediment to progress we all share.

So, next time you step onto the mat, chill. Things are what they are and will not change because you want them to. We all have to follow the program and develop the finer points so we can eventually get the big results.

Brian Wright

Killer B Combat Sport Academy

Oakhurst, NJ – killerbcsa.com

To Gi or not to Gi?

1st; what is a Gi? It is the traditional uniform Jiu Jitsu practitioners wear for training. It is not a Kimono, as some BJJ people have adopted. It is not even really a “Gi”. Technically a uniform is call a dogi, which means uniform of the way. Brazilians, starting with the Gracie clan, adopted the Gi from Judo and modified the cut of the jacket and pants over time to more fit the practice of BJJ.

Not here for a historical lecture about the Gi. I am here to discuss if we need to train in the Gi or not? There are tons of opinions on this. Who is right? In all honesty, I think everyone is right when it comes to themselves and their training. My opinion I based on the way I train. You can take it or leave it, just putting ideas out there so people that come to train understand where I am coming from more clearly.

I think training with the Gi is good for the pure grappling sport of BJJ. I do not think Gi training is necessary or even good for high level MMA. I must preface this again with high level. MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts. Before you Mix, you must learn the arts.

I see a value in Gi training for Jiu Jitsu at the start if you come from Wrestling or are one of the overly aggressive guys. Gi slows you down and forces you to have a higher level of strategy because the Gi neutralizes lots of the power moves you can get away with in No-Gi. Slowing down to learn the art is not a bad thing. Once you grasp higher level concepts and are competing, dropping the Gi simply makes sense.

Now with the above being said, the right environment for No Gi can be as beneficial for Grappling as Gi and more effective for MMA right from the start. You won’t have to unlearn or modify your game for MMA if you have never gotten used to the Gi and its myriad of grips.

Gi and No-Gi are very different. Controlling a person with the Gi relies on grips you don’t have once the jacket comes off. If MMA is your focus, I prefer to jump right into No-Gi and develop a game that works primarily in the environment we want to be effective in. Basically, if MMA is your desired arena, don’t worry about non-contact Gi rule structures. Focus on a No-Gi game that addresses grappling in an environment where strikes may be thrown as well.

As different as Gi and No-Gi are, rolling with strikes and no-strikes is just as different. The level of control and movement changes dramatically. Try playing primarily off your back with strikes, or going for leg locks when a person can hammer fist you… very different experience than pure grappling with no strikes.

I don’t devalue any practical arts training. I think all things can be applied well with the proper instruction and in the right environment. I find that No-Gi training is the best way for me to develop well rounded MMA grapplers for MMA competition. We don’t smash each other in the face while rolling. We train and roll with the dangers of striking in mind. Our end game is to be good MMA practitioners, so we train from the start to have individual pieces of the puzzle technically sound so we can eventually mix them up effectively for MMA.

Long and short of it all is – if you train with me at Killer B Combat Sports Academy, it won’t be in a Gi because it doesn’t fit into my style of training. You can train Gi and still be MMA effective, or not, depending on the instructor and the training room. Find the room that fits your needs, and a coach that has the experience achieving what it is you want to achieve.

Brian Wright

Killer B Combat Sports Academy

Oakhurst, NJ

Once you are training you must start backing it up with better choices outside the gym. You require fuel and rest to recover and achieve those big goals.

The balance to success is work, fuel, and rest. You must support the work with the calories needed to run the engine and give your engine time to cool off and recover. If you don’t recover, you can’t expect much out of your next session.

Calories are the key to fuel. The source will define your composition and health, but the total amount is what defines your ability to generate energy.

Rest is active and inactive. A light workout or stretch is active while sleep is inactive. Depending on your level of need is your choice of active or inactive.

Don’t be afraid to eat and days off are not bad. The key is the right balance.

Brian Wright

Killer B Combat Sports Academy

www.killerbcsa.com