The Gorilla Press, Issue 82

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Conor McGregor Wins Second UFC Title!

15134731_1824991334380007_502851152469818390_nLast month saw Conor McGregor make history yet again as he because the first fighter ever to hold two UFC title belts simultaneously. The feat came after he systematically picked apart his opponent Eddie Alvarez in a display that showed he truly was in a class of his own. Dominating throughout and knocking down Alvarez three times on his way to another stoppage victory, it surely cements his place as one of the greatest fighters ever, adding the Lightweight title to the Featherweight title he won last year.

It is yet another long term prediction of McGregor’s that has emphatically come true, and as usual, critics are pivoting to point to the next person McGregor will succumb to, as they have done since he first arrived in the UFC. SBG East Coast’s Stephen Whittier said it best:

“This is fantastic.

It’s amazing to see how the needle continues to move, not just with the arm chair quarterbacks on social media but also with professional athletes and trainers who are in the game.

Conor started his run and then everyone said Brandao would run through him. He beat Brandao easily and then the needle moved to ‘Anyone in the top 5 would crush him.’ At the time Poirier was ranked #5 and Conor beat him easily.

Next it was ‘They’ll never let him fight a wrestler like Edgar or Mendez.’ Aldo dropped out, they brought him Mendes, and he said it didn’t matter, he’d fight any of them. A lot was made about Chad’s two short notice but much less was made about the fact that Conor trained around an ACL tear, did no wrestling and barely was able to spar in his camp. He finished Chad.

But he’ll never beat Aldo. Aldo is just a different animal, another level. (And one of my favorite all time fighters.) He secured his first world title in 13 seconds… winning with a sequence he not only predicted, but was practicing in the back room before the fight.

Without skipping a beat, people are saying they’ll protect him from Frankie or give him a stub if he goes to 155. He immediately asks for the 155 title shot, and with two weeks notice after dos Anjos dropped out he agrees to fight Nate at 170. He put on a clinic, then gassed and Nate finished him. He admitted ‘Nate was more efficient.’ Instead of going back to play it safe, he asks for a rematch at the same weight so he had no excuses. He came back and beat Nate in a war.

But now he’s screwed because if he still wants the 155 belt he has to face the guy who just put away dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez – not just a gnarly wrestler (Conor’s purported cryptonite) but also a cardio machine (another cryptonite) with the power to match Conor. A guy who can knock him out or put him on his back and grind him out.

I wonder what people are looking at when they make statements like that. Everyone has an opinion until they feel that pressure, that power and skill. That matchup played out just about exactly how we thought, only it was even an easier night than expected; he barely broke a sweat with Eddie, who had been on record for months claiming that Conor was an easy fight for him and no where near as good as people think he is. And now Conor has done exactly what he predicted years ago… He’s the first ever UFC two weight world champion.

But still not good enough apparently… I don’t think Buffer had even finished the victory announcement before the needle moved again and people scoffed and said ‘But they’ll never let him fight Khabib!’

Come on. Fact is, Conor could stop now, do nothing else in his fighting career, and will still have cemented his place at the top in UFC history on a number of levels. No one has done what he’s done, and he has never sought the easy path. Maybe, just maybe, we let the needle stay where it’s at for 5 minutes and appreciate that.”


After the contest, SBG Head Coach and founder, Matt Thornton complimented Alvarez on his approach to fighting:

Matt Thornton: “Well said, and true not just for Eddie but for all of us. Without vulnerability there is no growth:

‘Every time I get into the cage I negotiate being vulnerable and possibly embarrassed against the opportunity to do something great and grow more. I always choose the latter regardless of the uncomfortably and anxiety it brings to me, I think this choice is the only reason I ever succeeded in the first place.'”


Congratulations Aldo

15219583_1826294814249659_6747122489908264989_nOf course, just this week, the UFC made the decision to strip McGregor of his featherweight title. The decision is a controversial one, but does little to really impact the ever rising stock of Conor McGregor, who continuously breaks his own PPV and ticket sale records with each outing, whether fighting for a title or not!

Conor McGregor On Loyalty

15032154_1237859692927906_3696495986921491954_nAfter his historic night, McGregor once again took time to thank his whole team for getting him to where he is today. Reminiscing about the times his partner and the future mother of his child stood by him and supported him when he came close to quitting.

Meanwhile, SBG Ireland Head Coach John Kavanagh this month headed back to the spot of his humble beginnings as a trainer. Known simply as “The Shed”, Kavanagh and SBG Ireland’s original starting point is in stark contrast to the hundreds of gyms worldwide now flying the SBG flag, but as McGregor, Kavanagh and their team continue to reach new heights, it is a welcome reminder of where it all began.

 

John Kavanagh: “If you trained here then you were part of Irish MMA since the beginning. ‘The Shed’ (2001-2003) got me started on this journey when i had just graduated from college with a degree in Engineering. I said i’d give it 12 months and if it doesn’t catch on I had the idea of possibly being a maths teacher. 15 years later i’m still not sure how all that has happened did but here we are! It’s gone from 2-3 gyms nationwide with probably less than 100 combined membership to there being almost 100 active MMA and BJJ schools with 1000’s enjoying the sport now. Let’s see what the next 15 years brings!”

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Artem Lobov Wins At UFC Fight Night 99

SBG Ireland’s Artem Lobov picked up his second UFC victory this month, earning a decision win over fellow featherweight Teruto Ishihara, at UFC Fight Night 99 in Belfast, N. Ireland. Lobov controlled the fight throughout all three rounds and constantly nullified his opponent’s attacks. Lobov did get dropped briefly in the third, but recovered so well as to end the final round on Ishihara’s back as the bell sounded. The win is his second UFC decision victory, after defeating Chris Avila on the same card as McGregor’s Diaz rematch back in August. After the win, Artem was joined in the Octagon by a jubilant McGregor, who made no effort in hiding his excitement while celebrating his teammate’s victory.

SBG Manchester’s Matt Inman Pushing For UFC London

This month saw one other SBG athlete make a bold but well-deserved claim to be signed by the UFC. SBG Manchester’s Matt Inman extended his professional record to 19-8 in November with a breath-taking submission  victory over Che Mills on the Cage Warriors Unplugged card in London. The timing of Inman’s most recent win is perfect, with another UFC London card coming up, the SBG BJJ black belt is now publicly stating his intentions:


Matt Inman’s win was a fantastic display of what SBG is all about. Despite bleeding profusely, and on his back with his opponent attempting to finish the fight, Inman showed immense composure and technical skill, steadily breaking posture and securing a triangle choke, when to the untrained eye it may have appeared he was close to defeat. The win is Inman’s seventeenth professional stoppage and eighth submission in an impressive MMA career so far.

Martin Stapleton Earns BJJ Brown Belt

stapesbrownAnother of SBG Manchester’s top athletes reached a milestone this month, as Martin Stapleton was awarded his BJJ brown belt by SBG Manchester Head Coach Karl Tanswell. Stapleton is a current BAMMA champion and on a five fight MMA win streak with one of the biggest MMA promotions in the UK, but  despite all that, he finds the time to train every week in the Gi and improve his BJJ. Congratulations Martin on this excellent achievement!


Many of the higher level athletes throughout the SBG universe have reached that point by also spending a great deal of time coaching. Not only does this help them better understand the skills themselves, but it is a wonderful chance to give back to new students and allow for amazing growth within the tribe. As SBG Manchester’s Karl Tanswell put it:


“If you are not Coaching Fighters to also be excellent Coaches, then you’re not Coaching them to Coach themselves! ”

 

Francois Groenewald Wins By Submission

unnamedSBG South Africa’s Francois Groenewald extended his professional MMA record to 11-6 in Cape Town two weeks ago, with an impressive submission victory over Baldwin Mdlalose. The win is Francois’s third in a row, and all of those wins have come by way of submission, adding a first round guillotine choke to previous rear naked choke and armbar victories. Francois is a veteran of Africa’s EFC (Extreme Fighting Championship) and will soon be expecting a bantamweight title shot if this run of great form continues. Congratulations Francois!

Brandon Peshko Wins 2nd Amateur Fight

14955799_10154733405169082_214560756283807296_nBack over the Atlantic and to the north, Brandon Peshko, SBG BJJ purple belt and coach at SBG Niagara, won his second amateur fight in impressive fashion this month. Fighting fellow amateur Braiden Patton at featherweight, Brandon made the contest look easy, comfortably winning by submission in the very first round! Congratulations on the win, Brandon, and on all the hard work that got you the victory!

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SBG Youth Representing The Tribe

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Cleaning up the board of knowledge. Entire philosophy of SBG and decades of hard won knowledge distilled into a few words and charts. What you see here is the key to everything we do at SBG

15073395_10211254541341719_2204605402847026643_nLast month SBG athletes from all over the Northwest competed at the last Revolution BJJ tournament of the year. Between athletes from Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington, SBG brought home 28 medals. Of those 28, the athlete that won the most golds was none other than young Stella Davison of SBG Montana. At such a young age, Stella rapidly improves with each performance, and is an inspiration, both to fellow students starting out in the art, as well as coaches.

stellagoldStella is not the only young athlete making strides to inspire tribe members. Ella Prevost of SBG Portland, a BJJ blue belt, is already competing outside her age group, as well as coaching kids classes in her spare time. Both young women are excellent examples of why the whole tribe is excited and proud for the next generation of talent to rise up at SBG.

 

Wise Words from Cane Prevost

15078570_10211329026963813_6426588696373887875_nElla Prevost is the daughter of SBG Coach and BJJ Black Belt, Cane Prevost. He has been putting in a great deal of work to understand BJJ positions at the deepest and simplest levels. If you haven’t done so recently, take the time now to check out his blog. In it he has an amazing collection of articles and instructional videos breaking down BJJ positions to a level of simplicity that make the information accessible to every practitioner of the art, regardless of belt level! His most recent article looks at Z Guard, and as always, breaks it down into just the essential postures and pressures that are needed to achieve success.  Cane recently posted a fascinating Facebook status about exploring BJJ as a black belt; a rare insight for aspiring BJJ athletes at lower ranks:

What separates a black belt in jiu jitsu from the colored belt is the nature of the journey itself. Once you become a black belt you are released from the belt chasing game forever. This is absolutely essential to the journey as you now have time. Instead of focusing on rapid skill development you can now settle down to the business of learning the art.

This is essential for the next generation. This slowing down is necessary to advance the art. I find that now I can spend the entire time it takes a student to advance from white to blue belt exploring one position or technique. This won’t make me a superstar competitor but it will allow me to dig into the fundamentals of what makes the art work in a way that is not possible for someone who is seeking rapid skill development, and ironically it allows me to pass that knowledge down to colored belts in a way that allows their skills to develop rapidly. That is the cycle that is Jiu Jitsu and the way that is SBG.

Video of The Month

Here is a video featuring one of SBG Founder, Matt Thornton’s first BJJ coaches, Master Fabio Santos. Fabio Santos is now 59 years old, and has been training BJJ for 45 years. He was hugely influential in the early development of SBG and its fundamental principles. Disclaimer: we are not in anyway affiliated with Hyperfly, who present the video. For all the best BJJ and MMA gear, check out the SBG online store 😉

While You’re There Keep An Eye Out For

The Limited Edition SBG 25 Year Anniversary Gi

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2017 SBG Spring Camp Registration is Now Open!

sbgspringcamp2017-1Early registration for the 2017 SBG Spring Camp is now open! The 2017 Spring Camp will be held in Niagara Falls, Canada. The event will be hosted by SBG Niagara, in partnership with SBG Toronto and SBG Scarborough, and held on the weekend of March 31 – April 2, 2017. Each Camp seems to be better than the last, and that can be of little surprise, as with each camp, the whole tribe grows, learns and refines its approach to the martial arts. Still unconvinced? Read SBG Portland Coach and Black Belt Cane Prevost’s review of the last camp:

“What struck me most was how little (in terms of material) that everyone taught and how much (in terms of knowledge) I gained. As simple as possible but no simpler. This was a giant step forward for the tribe. You will see the effects of this focus on the why instead of the how ripple throughout the organization with astonishing results. It’s the next step in the evolution of SBG and I’m ever grateful to have been there to see it blossom.”

Sign up now for the 2017 Spring Camp! Be sure to sign up early, as prices will go up before you know it. More news to be released December 5th. You won’t regret it, learning from the greatest coaches the SBG universe has to offer, for a full weekend, in a beautiful part of the world! Sign up today!

Quote From SBG Founder, Matt Thornton

14980826_1152104578212616_2375376900342992767_nIn his spare time, between running the incredible global success that is SBG, and worldwide seminar tours, SBG Founder Matt Thornton writes a blog on fascinating topics from BJJ, to violence more generally, to current events. He has also been working on a new book due to be released soon. If you haven’t done so, dive into some of his articles at mattthornton.org

“Planning and strategy is a one of the primary ways you can use intelligence to conquer violence. And when I talk about planning and strategy, I’m not talking about ‘worry’. Worry is useful only to the degree that it inspires action. In this case, to the degree it inspires the volition required for you to consider better planning and strategy. Beyond that, worry becomes more white noise. It reduces the clarity of our signals and our thought. It adds to the problem.”

 

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SBG Portland Coach, Amanda Diggins, on BJJ