Page 56 - Martial Science Magazine Feb/2015 #7

The wonderful thing about Jiu-jitsu is that you can training to learn and to help your partner grow. A
wrestle with anyone as Coach Martinez and many close friend and teacher of mine, Sifu Nik Farooqi,
members of his school obliged me with a roll. I am calls this not “Training for Pain.” It does nobody
a big heavyweight standing 6’6 (2.2m) and wei- any good to let your ego run rampant and hurt
ghing in at 275 pounds. Coach Martinez is per- your partner.
haps 150 pounds and certainly not my height or
build. Looking at us you would think that I would
crush him based on my size advantage. Instead, I
was flipped and tossed around to be submitted in
any number of ways from armbars to chokes.

Both him and Coach Troy (The Judo Coach)
demonstrated to me that the principles that made
Jiu-Jitsu and Judo so strong was the emphasis of
leverage over strength. By using the correct leve-
rage fighters can multiply their strength several
times over without gassing out while stronger
opponents struggle and deplete their cardio reser-
ves.

Pro Fighter Nick “The Natural” Laney
snaps a jab out.

Being hurt is always something that scares me
in being a “Travelling Ronin.” As I stood across
from Pro Fighter Nick “The Natural” Laney I was
wondering how sparring with him would be. We
had spoken briefly before the round agreeing that
neither one of us was there for a fight, yet, I had
my reservations that I would be in trouble if Nick
decided he wanted to “impress me” or “teach me
a lesson.” Instead of a fight we had an awesome
round of sparring. From the moment that we
touched gloves to the takedowns and ground and
I make the mistake of putting hands on a coach. pound everything was beautifully controlled

WHAT WAS AWESOME?: Attitude makes a Coach Martinez told Nick that he wanted him to
successful gym and fostering that atmosphere is work on hustling someone against the fence and
impossibly important. I have been to gyms filled takedowns. With Nick keeping his composure it
with great fighters but have such a poisonous at- allowed me to work with him and to not mind
mosphere they implode under the weight of their being thrown because I knew I was in good hands.
own negativity. Rickson Gracie published a great It also meant that when something happened I
article on how to train and how you don’t need to wasn’t expecting, like the ground and pound, I
try and kill your partner. Instead, you should be wasn’t hurt. For my part, despite all my travels it

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