Notes from UFC Legend Ken Shamrock's MMA Seminar in Cleveland
Intimidation Clothing & Powerhouse Gym hosted an MMA seminar with Ken Shamrock on August 7, 2010
A veteran of 43 mixed martial arts fights, Ken Shamrock is certainly no stranger to the confines of a steel cage. Truly a pioneer of the sport, Ken was a semi-finalist in the first UFC event, UFC I, where he was defeated by fellow UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie. Now in his forties, Shamrock still attacks the sport of mixed martial arts with the same fervor that he always has, and his passion and expertise has brought him to Powerhouse Gym in Berea, Ohio for an MMA seminar brought to you by Intimidation Clothing and Powerhouse Gym. In recognition of the event, Intimidation Clothing has designed a sharp-looking Ken Shamrock t-shirt. Make sure you check out the Ken Shamrock shirt, and all of the other MMA-themed apparel at IntimidationClothing.com. To be completely honest, there is a smaller than expected crowd here at the gym. It is too bad, since a living legend is here to teach and train the next generation of fighters, and those that missed out on this event are missing out on quite an experience.
Shamrock has arrived, and prior to sharing his knowledge with aspiring fighters in Cleveland, Ken circulated throughout the gym and welcomed those in attendance. To begin his seminar, Ken greeted the group and admitted that he is not an expert of jiu-jitsu. He explained that he would like to teach what he knows best and he promised lots of leg locks. One thing Ken emphasized is that there is no wrong way to teach moves and that different techniques are not necessarily wrong. He stressed that just because a certain teacher teaches one method, they are not wrong, and that each trains properly for what they are trying to do.
After a heavy dose of submission work, Ken opened the floor to some questions from those in attendance. Among the things he mentioned, Ken emphasized mental training and conditioning. He said that the mind is the strongest weapon inside the cage. Ken mentioned that he has seen fighters mentally crumble inside the cage and for all intents and purposes, the fight was lost for that fighter. Ken mentioned that grappling is similar to chess in that one can be several moves ahead of an opponent. He stated that at any position in a fight, there is an attack or submission available, and likewise, there is a counter to that attack or submission. He emphasized that experience is vital to success and the more comfortable on the mat one is, the more likely they will be to read the opponent’s tendencies.
In addition to his mental training, Ken mentioned a new concept he is developing called American Grappling Association. The AGA is a style that is scored by points and pits grapplers of various styles against one another. If a grappler achieves an advantageous position on an opponent, points will be scored. The scoring system is based on the grappler’s preferred style and basically rewards a grappler’s ability to implement his style versus his opponent’s defense. Ken mentioned it was named American Grappling Association in reference to the lifestyle in America, in that anyone can find success in whatever it is they chose to do. Similarly, a grappler can come into a grappling match and find success in any style the fighter chooses. It will be interesting to watch the American Grappling Association get off the ground.
Following the question and answer session, Ken had an autograph session for those in attendance. He is a personable man and is very positive and encouraging to young fighters. Upon seeing Shamrock in person, it is evident that he is a passionate, cerebral fighter that puts his time into training his body as well as his mind for competition. A special thanks to Intimidation Clothing and Powerhouse Gym, as well as Ken Shamrock for putting on this mixed martial arts clinic for the upcoming fighters in Berea
By Curt Heinrichs
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer