Stephen Whittier Visits SBG HQ

Last month Head of SBG on the East Coast, Stephen Whittier, made another trip out to the SBG headquarters for a special two-day seminar in BJJ and striking. Whittier, who frequently shares his incredible knowledge with the tribe at the twice annual SBG Camps, made a special trip out to Oregon to unload an immense eight hours of coaching on the SBG PDX students!

Not only is Stephen Whittier a long-time BJJ black belt, just this year he was awarded the red Mongkol in Muay Thai, making him one of the highest ranked Muay Thai instructors in the country! Once again, SBG leads the way in terms of high quality instruction across all martial arts. If you missed this seminar, you missed out!

 

New Podcast Featuring Stephen Whittier

 

Training Rough Is Not Productive

SBG Head Coach, Matt Thornton sat down with brand new SBG student and founder of the Martial Arts Journey vlog, Rokas Leonavičius recently for another video interview. In the video, they discuss the need, or definite lack thereof, for excessively hard sparring.

Coach Thornton talks about the early days of SBG, and how the philosophy has evolved away from the need for strength and toughness and towards efficiency, intelligence and technical proficiency.

This video is a great example of what makes SBG so special, and why no matter where you go in the world, SBG always has a welcoming atmosphere that encourages people of all backgrounds, fitness and strength levels. Today, SBG is more about building a strong community than anything else.

SBG Ireland’s New Amateur MMA World Champs!

Congratulations to Lee Hammond and Ryan Spillane, who this month represented SBG and their country at the IMMAF world championships in Bahrain. The pair took on amateur fighters of the highest level from countries across the globe and both came away with gold medals! The future is bright for these young SBG Ireland fighters!

“So unfortunately my opponent was unable to compete today it’s not the way I wanted to end this journey but IM THE FUCKING WORLD CHAMP!!! This has been an incredible experience fighting 3 fights over 3 days at the top of the amateur level and finishing each one of my opponents just shows I fucking deserve this 🇮🇪 I can’t put in the words the thanks I have for Marlene Griffin Sbg Liam-Og Griffin and James P White for everything they have done for me the past 6 years what we’ve achieved is today is just the tip of the iceberg (and Eilís Ní Hanluain for putting up with me 😂). Next I have to thank my mom dad and sister for putting up with me cause I am a pain in the hole 85% of the time 😂 they have supported me in everything that I’ve done and will continue to do so. David Galvin and Momentum Performance for taking me to the next level strength and conditioning wise. It can be seen in these fights that I’m fitter, faster , stronger then everyone in my division and it’s all down to that genius of a man. A huge thanks to all the big boys for always being there to spar me Rory Hennebry Reinis Lubraks John Tarlach Nellis Eóin O’Sullivan Kaylem Smith really appreciate it boys. A big thank you to Laura Galvin Physical Therapy for taking care of my body this camp I came into this tournament with not one scratch on my body. Suits Distributors for kitting me out in a lovely suit for the first ever Amateur MMA Awards. To everyone that messaged me over this the support has just been overwhelming and I may not have got back to you but I fucking love every single one of ye ❤️ Now it’s time for me to celebrate 🎉“ – Ryan Spillane

Mastering The Mount is Released

Back in 2017, Matt Thornton set out on a mission to revolutionize the way we understand the mount position in BJJ. The SBG founder dedicated an entire year to this one position, teaching countless classes and ever-improving seminars to SBG students, each time whittling down what didn’t work and finalizing the core fundamentals of the mount. The result; anybody who has experienced this material now has a mount that is lightyears ahead of anything they achieved previously.

All this knowledge was only available to those who could make it to one of Matt’s exclusive seminars… until now! October saw SBG University unveil, for the first time in over a decade, Matt’s latest instructional video set, “Mastering The Mount”! Mastering the Mount represented a culmination of the most in-depth mount top knowledge you’ll ever find, courtesy of SBG University!

Paul Sharp On Recent Footage of Police

SBG’s resident expert on self-defense, law enforcement and the application of martial arts to real world violence, Paul Sharp, breaks down the recently released footage of a police officer attempting to restrain an individual, and discusses how such displays make a case for improved knowledge of BJJ fundamentals for all police officers:

“A few folks asked me about this clip because they see the same openings any person with a couple of months of Jiu-Jitsu would see. We discussed this a bit today during open mat. I’m not getting into whether this guy was good to go on the force used or not. I will get into the macro issue which is training.

Two things.

1) Agencies need to suck it up, and put the LVNR back in the SOP along with on-going training to support the technique. Apply the LVNR, finish cuffing this dude. Sit him up, wake him up, and escort him to the squad car or transport van. Properly applied LVNR means by the time this cat figures out what happened, he’s already in ‘cuffs.

2) Coppers should be a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu. If not on the date of hire then at least by their 5 year job anniversary. That would solve a whole lot of problems. Everything from work comp issues to citizen complaints. Solved.

Look, total transparency, (as if y’all need to know… even my kids make fun of me for finding a way to work Jiu-Jitsu into every conversation…), I’ve been coaching MMA & Jiu-Jitsu since the 90’s. I believe in it because it works. I’ve used it countless times in numerous situations, and at numerous points on the continuum. So… I’m biased. But I’m still right.

I know of agencies that send officers to 8, 16, and 40 hour training courses to learn Jiu-Jitsu based tactics, and techniques. At the cost of thousands of dollars. Officers leave those training course as instructors, charged with training other officers at their agencies. Ready for the punchline? The vast majority of the trainers leaving these courses to return to their agencies to teach a Jiu-Jitsu based system have no background in Jiu-Jitsu. I’m not bashing those folks. They’re gung-ho, and want to bring good information to their agency. The problem with that information pipeline is we now have quality control issues. When the “product” is officers, the quality control issues become even more crucial.

For the same amount of money they could pay for those officers to train at my gym 3-5 times a week for two years which would be immeasurably more beneficial than training for 40 hours, once a year or once a career. With two years of consistent training they could be a blue belt, with hundreds of rounds under that belt invested in dealing with resisting opponents. Controlling those resisting opponents without punching them. Training that is recent, relevant, and realistic.

Which is exactly what the officer’s brain is going to look for when it’s searching for an answer in a stressful situation. Are there tweaks that need to be made? Yes. However, the tweaks I usually had to make were to go about 90% lighter on normal people than I would go on my training partners. The drunks, the drugged, the pissed at the world were far easier to handle than any of my training partners I dealt with on a regular basis in the gym.

At the end of the day it’s fairly simple math. Spend money on a 40 hour wonder course that will give the officers, and the public more of what it’s always given them. Or invest in a membership at a Jiu-Jitsu gym for the same amount of money where they can train several times a week, and actually understand the concepts, and principles necessary to apply the art. It’s the same amount of money being paid out, why not get something substantial for that investment? Yeah, there is no certificate given after training 3-5 times a week for a few years… However, there is skill. With skill comes confidence. With confidence comes calm decision making. With calm decision making comes correct application of appropriate tools, tactics, and techniques. Which means less complaints, less injuries, less issues. Less videos of officers that aren’t allowed to use a properly applied LVNR, so they resort to punching, or tasing, or whatever. There would be more video of officers moving to a dominant position, controlling the hands, controlling the space, ending resistance with a properly applied control hold, and resolving the issue.

PS if you’re an officer looking for officers that teach Jiu-Jitsu based coursework I am more than happy to refer you to folks I know that are doing good work. They teach solid information that will get you on the right path. Their course work along with regular training at a Jiu-Jitsu gym will put you far ahead of the curve.

PPS obviously I know every officer can’t train at my gym. However, I also know of dozens of gym similar to mine all over the world where officers could go for consistent training which would more than prepare them to deal with the situation shown in this video. I know of dozens of gym that also have officers that are coaches which might matter to some officers and/or agencies. If you’re an officer looking for something like that, I’m happy to refer you to someone in your area.”

What Would You Say?

“What advice would you give to your younger self?”

Matt Thornton’s answer: “Be kinder and more patient with people.”

Your answer?

Another Pro Win At SBG Manchester

SBG Manchester added another professional MMA victory to their endless list of successes in November, as Rachid Haz extended his pro record to 3-0 at Made4TheCage 28: KO Cancer.

Rachid finished his fight with an armbar in the first round against fellow 145 pounder, Bailey Gilbert. The armbar means none of Rachid’s opponents have been able to get out of the opening round against this exciting young fighter.

Congratulations to Rachid and the whole SBG Manchester team!

Keep up the amazing work! We can’t wait to see what’s next!

 

SBG Coaches Review Anime Fighting Styles!

“Sometimes it’s difficult to draw the line between fiction and reality, especially when reality is tried to be portrayed. Hajime no Ippo is one of my favorite Japanese anime and inspirations to dive deeper into competitive fighting. I’ve dreamed of making this type of video for a year now, looking at reality vs fantasy of this show and finally I had the perfect people to film this video with. Thank You so Much to Ricky Davison and V Van Vanny Mariscal for joining this! Thank You to Straight Blast Gym – Portland, Oregon for these awesome coaches and for the space to film.”

 

BJJ World Champ in Korea!

Congratulations to Wanki Chae, who became SBG’s newest BJJ world champion as he won the JJIF world championships at the black belt level last month. SBG’s focus on fundamentals sees it continue to be a leader across the world in all martial arts competitions, regardless of rule set. Great job Wanki, and the entire SBG team in South Korea, for their hard work and amazing achievement! The whole tribe is immensely proud!

 

Eryk Anders Scheduled for UFC 232 Bout

SBG’s UFC prodigy Eryk Anders is scheduled for yet another bout, as he gets ready to step back into the Octagon to face Elias Theodorou at UFC 231. After a lively back-and-forth on social media in between fights against other opponents, the pair have finally put pen to paper on something of a grudge match.

It’s not just on Twitter that Anders has been busy; the fight with Theodorou will be his fifth UFC outing in the space of just 12 months! But despite that, Anders still found time to send the latest Anders tees to his fellow tribe members in Montana:

 

“Thank you Eryk Anders for the shirts! Rich and Doc I’ll be bringing our attire for UFC Toronto. WAR SBG! Lets go Eryk, Brad, and Gunnar” – Travis Davison

SBG Athens Giving Back

With another successful #ChokeOutCancer campaign drawing to a close for the month of October, coaches at SBG Athens had the enjoyable task of presenting all the money raised by the SBG Athens tribe to the The Cancer Foundation of NE Georgia. The Athens gym alone raised $2,500 which will go directly to assisting cancer patients in need.

Not only that, on the very same day the gym hosted American Dream U, a non-profit supporting America’s veterans, while also steadily collecting for both the Toys for Tots toy drive and HungerBowl2018 food drive! Amazing work, SBG Athens!

“Tuesday was a big day at #SBGAthens. We had the pleasure of presenting The Cancer Foundation of Northeast Georgia with a $2500 check from our #ChokeOutCancer pink belt drive.

The foundation provides cancer patients with much needed financial assistance. We sometimes forget the devastating toll cancer takes not just physically but also financially. For example, patients are many times left with the choice of paying for treatment or paying for things like food, rent, and utilities. We are proud to support them and their cause.

Later that night we hosted Phil Randazzo and his incredible non profit, #AmericanDreamU. #ADU provides a myriad of free resources for military personnel transitioning to civilian life.

They are instrumental in helping veterans navigate the oft times scary and most certainly life changing transition. We are so glad they were able to stop by to talk with us and some of our veteran members.

All of this took place as we are slowly taking in hundreds of toys for #ToysForTots and only after donating 39,000 pounds of food for #HungerBowl2018 and the #FoodBankOfNEGA.

SBG Athens is so much more than a martial arts and fitness academy. Not only do we support one another but we all support our community. One Tribe, One Vibe!

If you are as proud of our tribe as we are, please comment, “way to go”, below.

This is #SBG, you will be okay.”

 

Happy Birthday Leah!

SBG Montana coach and BJJ black belt, Leah Taylor, celebrated her birthday in October. Happy Birthday, Leah! What better way to celebrate another year than to spend time rolling and training with good friends and teammates!?

 

 

Don’t Fight, But Be Ready If You Need To

The internet is home to all kinds of videos showing the reality of violence. Just a cursory glance at some of them are a stark reminder that the first step in self defense should be awareness and avoidance of such situations where possible. However, when avoidance is no longer and option, a knowledge of fundamentals of martial arts will might save your life.

“1. Don’t fight.
2. If you do fight, don’t fight for free.
3. If 1 and 2 are not possible or feasible, once again, the mats are there for your safety, not mine.” – John Frankl

(This video have since been removed from facebook for violence)

Happy Halloween From SBG!