As is so often the case after experiencing the teachings of SBG black belt, John Frankl, BJJ student Kevin Bodie was taken aback by the outstanding quality of content and teaching style. He recently shared the following on social media:

“For all my friends that fight/roll etc etc. if you get an opportunity to come to Korea, try your hardest to train with Professor John Frankl. AMAZING.”

While always nice to see SBG coaches getting such praise, equally satisfying is seeing Coach Frankl’s response:

“Honored to see this post BUT…
It is less about me and more about the beautiful art of jiu jitsu. Kevin is simply indirectly thanking Rickson Gracie, Luis Heredia, Roberto Maia, Chris Haueter, Matt Thornton and all my SBG brothers and sisters, Henry Akins, and many more who have helped me refine my ideas regarding this art and life.”

SBG Spring Camp Debut for SBG Manchester’s Matt Inman

At a spring camp that boasted a number of new records, one notable first that occurred was the appearance of BJJ black belt and pro MMA fighter, Matt Inman for his first trip stateside for an SBG camp! Inman trains at the SBG Manchester location, and received his BJJ black belt from the late Karl Tanswell. Matt is a veteran of thirty professional MMA bouts, boasting a 20-10 record. He has finished the majority of his contests by way of TKO or submission, and a look at his highlight reel alone demonstrates how well he applies efficient BJJ in an MMA setting.

 

Representing SBG Manchester at the SBG Spring Camp, Matt imparted some great knowledge during his segment, including a slick kimura to back-take that he has utilized to great effect in many a tournament, as shown here:

Thank you to Matt Inman for making the trip across the Atlantic and sharing your knowledge with us!

Matt Thornton Seminar in Elko, NV

SBG founder Matt Thornton hits the road again this week, heading out the SBG Elko in Nevada for his next seminar. If you attend one seminar this year, make it one with Matt Thornton. Much like his in-depth work with the mount position last year, this year Coach Matt is breaking down the closed guard position to its core fundamentals, and building incredible guards for each student as he goes. The immense focus on just one position means that as the year goes on, the material is constantly improved and made more efficient, so that each seminar contains new mind-blowing moments newly discovered since the time before.

The opportunity to learn the findings from a 15+ year BJJ black belt, who has spent months breaking down a single position with fresh eyes to show you precisely how it works, is something that simply cannot be missed! If you are in Elko, NV on April 7th, or in any location with an upcoming Matt Thornton seminar, attend!

Conor Mcgregor On Jiu Jitsu

Despite being the biggest UFC star of all time and his recent foray into the world of boxing with his contest against Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor still has a deep love and respect for BJJ.

McGregor is a BJJ brown belt at SBG Ireland, and recently took to Instagram to share his thoughts on BJJ after a photo captured one particular moment in a recent training roll (pictured above):

“This moment was survived. 
The arm was kept locked out straight as pictured, allowing the absolute smallest pocket of air in as possible. The blood will still supply to the brain and you stay breathing. 
If i move to side control here, the force of the strangle shifts to either side of the neck blocking the carotid arteries and crushing the trachea , stopping the blood supply to the brain and you are then dead. 
Jiu Jitsu is not designed to hurt you. It is designed to kill you. 
It is a mad game. 
You pay me multiple millions of dollars for this.”

SBG At IBJJF Pan Ams

SBG sent a small team to this year’s IBJJF Pan Am BJJ Championships, and, despite mixed results, performed admirably and came away with lessons learned and characters built!

Congratulations to Lorenzo Herrera of SBG Montana. The youngster took silver in the Juvenile, Medium Heavy, blue belt division. Meanwhile, the teenage Ricky Davison took to the mats against fully grown men in the blue belt division and performed with impressive skill and heart. Picking up a submission in his first match but not able to make the podium spots, Ricky can still be immensely proud of his performance.

Finally, at black belt, SBG Montana coach Leah Taylor was disappointed to leave the tournament early after losing both her matches, for the first time ever. Despite the defeats, Leah, Ricky and coach Travis Davison were all smiles after the event. Every tournament, win or lose, provides moments to learn and grow, and there is no doubt the team will only improve from the experience. Leah shared this following the event:

“Not my best performance at Pan Ams, lost both matches for the first time ever. Nothing to do but go back to the mat and get better. I was reminded again that I have the best coach and teammates. Thank you for the support.
.
A big thank you to @sbgmontana and @fujisportsus for being in my corner. ♥️🥋🇺🇸”

Josh Barnett At SBG HQ

This month, legend of combat sports, Josh Barnett stopped by the SBG HQ in Portland, OR to visit with SBG founder, Matt Thornton. In a reunion 15 years in the making, Barnett has since toured the world of MMA, grappling and professional wrestling, including spells in the UFC, Pride, Dream and Strikeforce. Matt Thornton described him as ‘a true pioneer of the sport’.

Having conquered some of the biggest fighters in the world, there have been few people that make the 6’3, 250lbs fighter look positively petite, until stood next to Coach Matt, that is…

 

 

 

 

New Gear At Your Gym And On The SBG Store!

Be sure to check out the new bags and Gi’s! Ask your at your gym or order HERE online!

 

Matt Thornton’s 3 Rules for Rolling

In a new essay over on his blog, SBG founder Matt Thornton returned to basics this month by laying out three simple rules for rolling in BJJ to ensure proper etiquette is maintained, and that students both challenge themselves to grow while learning to be good training partners for others.

Simple but effective, these three rules will encourage a successful learning environment that allows all involved to benefit from the BJJ experience.

Paul Sharp on Third Parties in Fights

Paul Sharp, SBG’s resident expert in all things self defense, shared some thoughts this month, looking at conflict from a different point of view. Shifting away from the common act of watching the two or more direct combatants in any given situation, he has been observing those around the altercation to understand the motives of those third parties. Often, understanding those motives, he believes, can be the key to understanding and shutting down any given conflict.

“Matt Thornton advises us to watch the demo partner in any martial arts demonstration. That person’s actions, or lack thereof, are the most important aspect of the demonstration.

I was reminded of this while watching a conflict play out. The parties directly involved have made amends, and settled their differences. However, people around them keep stirring things up. I have to ask why? Who benefits from keeping a fight going? Certainly not the parties directly involved. Nobody directly involved ever truly wins a fight whether it’s physical, emotional, financial or legal. Win, lose, or draw there’s always a price to be paid by those in the fray.

I’ve learned to watch the people around a conflict rather than the people directly involved in the conflict. The 3rd parties that agitate or instigate the conflict are the real issue. Once you figure out who those folks are, and what they gain from keeping the conflict active then you can shut them down.”

SBG vs Non-functional Martial Arts

Ever since the founding of SBG, President Matt Thornton and his team of coaches have fought against the ineffective, the mystical, and the charlatan aspects of many martial arts. For the most part, with the rise of MMA, the battle is won. Yet, with the rise of social media, videos of traditional martial arts supposedly worthy of real-life application still surface. SBG BJJ black belt John Frankl shared his thoughts on the above video:

“To be a competent martial artist, it helps to think three dimensionally. Just in case you were wondering, this is too advanced for me…because it is garbage in four dimensions.”

Matt Thornton continues to state the same message he always has; that Alive training is absolutely essential in martial arts, and points out how the lack of it will always lead to ineffective fighting ability, as in the below example with a Wing Chun practitioner.

“I have mixed feelings on this. The debate is long over. There is a large population that now understands this isn’t about ‘sparring’ (you can see this WC guy spars), but rather, Alive training. And we know that when you put a Kung Fu guy in a match against a combat sports athlete it isn’t a sport, it’s a beating.

Brand New SBG Black Belt, & Black Belt Stripes, At Spring Camp

SBG’s Spring Camp took place in Athens, GA in March, and as is always the case with SBG camps, exciting things happened!  Mark Fisher of SBG Portland received his well-deserved black belt! Mark spent his fledgling BJJ career with the Singer brothers down in Athens, up until brown belt, before moving to SBG Portland. On his return to his original SBG gym, he was presented with his black belt! Congratulations to Mark Fisher on his incredible achievement!

Meanwhile, the SBG Spring Camp hosts, Adam & Rory Singer, both received third stripes on their black belts, marking 9 years at the black belt level. SBG Montana coach, Leah Taylor received her first black belt stripe. Adam Singer shared his thoughts on the occasion:

“A picture can say 1000 words. Rory and I just received our third stripes (9 years as black belts). Leah is an amazing black belt and world champ. I can’t believe her Ironman was 3 years ago (glad I was a part of it). Rory is my partner on this long journey (I got my stripe before him). Mark is a former student and forever friend. He left Athens after brown belt and has become an amazing young man and black belt during the years away. And last is Matt, my friend, mentor, coach and Big brother. Thank you. #SBG #SBGathens #onetribeonevibe“

SBG Spring Camp in Athens Broke SBG Records

With each passing year, the SBG camps outdo themselves without fail. As the tribe grows, both in size and in closeness, bigger and better SBG camps are an inevitable result. This year, a staggering, record-breaking 147 tribe members made the trip to Athens, GA for the long weekend of MMA and BJJ good times! SBG camps sell out earlier and earlier as gyms struggle to host the huge numbers, and as the tribe grows, so too does the quality of instruction, as lessons learned from the world over are brought to each camp.

From white belt to black belt, new everyone learns something new. Even SBG President Matt Thornton comes away inspired thanks to the input of the amazing team around him. Last week Matt wrote a new essay, “Woodpecker Lips & Coach Fitz”, using two seemingly opposing view points that arose during the Camp Q&A session. Coaches John Frankl and Chris Conolley both answered a question regarding training as you age. Coach Matt took both arguments and showed that the SBG way is to do both. Be sure to read this fascinating essay!

One happy camper shared the following thoughts of Spring Camp, thanking everyone for the amazing time had in Athens:

“Adam and Rory Singer again showed us what southern hospitality is all about. The instruction was top notch from the first session Friday night to the last session on Sunday evening. Thank you Glyn Powditch, Chris Conolley, Matt Thornton, Matt Inman, John Frankl, Stephen Whittier, Leah Taylor, Travis Davison, Kisa Davison and Paul Sharp for the great material and presentation. The camp theme was building confidence and it resulted in one of the best Q&A sessions we have ever had. Thank you to everyone who invested their time and money into making themselves and those around them better. We look forward to reconnecting with all of you in October at Fall Camp in Portland, OR. 
This is SBG you will be okay.”

If you missed it, the SBG Fall Camp registration will be opening soon, and the Ladies’ Camp registration is open now! Sign up and don’t miss out again!

Now a camp review from the ever present mouth piece of SBG Camps, Adam Singer-

“I like writing reviews for camp.  I know that reviewing “my” own camp is a bit biased, deal with it. I found a camp review from 2001 when I sat down to write this one.  That camp was in Portland and there were two future UFC world champions in attendance/coaching. 100% of that review was about the groundbreaking material taught at camp.  Boy, have times changed.  Don’t get me wrong, the material taught at camp was amazing (and I will get to it later). Plus the coaching lineup was like a coaching superhero team (and we still had one former world champ in attendance). But the material is no longer the most important part of camp.

Two weekends a year the SBG tribe descends on one of the Academy’s for 3 days with the tribe.  We sweat, train, laugh, learn, eat and connect.  I get to see some of my best friends in the world.  This year 150+ SBG members from around the work came to my home in Athens for our Spring Camp 2018.  Camp weekends are two of my favorite weekends of the year.  I mark them on the calendar and count down days.  Having camp in Athens meant I could also share the camp with more of my Athens Tribe as well as my wife and daughter.  What could be better?

We had a couple goals for spring camp 2018. Host the biggest and best camp to date. And make the weekend feel like a family reunion. I hope and believe we accomplished both.

We started camp a little early with a training session and a roll on Thursday night.  On one mat Coach Anick ran a special Girls in Gis class.  SBG makes it a priority to ensure that our female members have a supportive environment to succeed.  On the other mat Coach Glyn taught a fun session for the men.  After an hour of instruction both groups got together for an open mat.

Friday nights schedule was changed a little from previous camps.  We started the meet and greet open mat early followed by our first instructional session.  This camp was a rarity as it featured three camp rookies.  Glyn was up first with a lesson focused on mount escapes.  A theme for all SBG coaches is a focus on “white belt” BJJ and this session was a great start for the weekend.

Saturday morning SBG athletes (Pros, Amateurs, and Hobbyists) from over 8 different gyms (and two continents) got together for a spirited MMA workout.  I ran this session and was so impressed with the technical skill of all the participants.  More importantly though was the care all the athletes took for each other’s safety.  That’s not to say some feelings and egos didn’t get beat up a little but everyone was able to improve with no head trauma.

Coach Chris started the main day on Saturday with an amazing boxing lesson.  He had even the newest strikers dancing on their feet throwing those hands. Chris is without a doubt the funniest and highest energy coach in SBG.  I have trained with Chris for about 20 years and this was one of his best camp lessons.

Coach Matt was up next.  Coach previewed his new closed guard curriculum.  Just like the mount top lessons of last year the closed guard material is a game changer.  This deep dive into the most important position in BJJ was eye opening.   There is so much depth in the basics.  I will definitely be attending a couple of Coach Matt’s closed guard seminars this year.

Another rookie was on stage after lunch.  Coach Matt Inman will be leading SBG Great Britain into the future.  This was my first time meeting Matt and he is an imposing figure.  After the weekend I am sure SBG across the pond is in good hands.  Matt taught a dynamic lesson combining BJJ and wrestling.  The rolling Kimura defense to a single leg was a crowd favorite.

Coach John closed out Saturday instruction.  I have been lucky enough to train with John a few times the last 2 years.  Each time he has simplified my BJJ a little more.  John has a distinct ability to drill down to a few basic core movement patterns when teaching.  This time was no different, using a perfect upa to escape multiple positions.

Saturday ended with a new SBG Black Belt, Mark Fisher.  This was extra special for us as Mark started with SBG in Athens and some of his former students were in attendance.  Rory, Leah and Myself received new stripes from Coach Matt.

Saturday night saw the camp attendees, SBG Athens members and families come together for an evening social at a local brewery.  We had a wonderful evening complete with food, drink and the larger SBG tribe forging and strengthening connections.

I think Sunday started with an early open mat followed by a Yoga session run by the world class Coach Kisa.  I only say “I think” because I might have had a hard time getting out of bed.

The toughest sessions of camp to teach are Sunday morning (for obvious reasons) and the final session on Sunday.  When Coach Steve was done with his session he had knocked it out of the Park.  His lesson on the 5 Layers of Open guard was a perfect lesson for a diverse group (camps have white to black belts and everyone in between), lots of reps, simple for the less experienced and tremendous depth for the more advanced.

Our last rookie was Coach (World Champ) Leah, like a true professional she tweaked her material as Steve taught to remove any overlap.  She seamlessly built on his material and gave the camp a great 1-2 punch of open guard material.  I know the future is in good hands when I watch a young coach command a room of 150 people like a veteran.

After lunch Coach Travis (The VP of SBG) brought his son Ricky out as his partner and taught his patented camp “if – then” style lesson starting with single leg X and working through foot lock defense.  Travis has this no BS style of coaching that’s hard to describe but always fun to learn from.  He is always super inspiring regardless of the topic on or off the mats.

The final coach from camp was Coach Paul. If you have never taken a class from coach Sharp then I won’t ruin it for you but the class usually starts with a dance number.  Coach Paul’s sessions are always full of laughs even when the material is some of the most serious of the camp. Paul’s ability to functionalize our basic skills into a self-defense space is unparalleled.

Sunday ended with a Q&A, during which Coach Chris may have had a legendary rant that was sadly not video taped.  You can read more about it in Coach Matt’s recent blog.

Thank you to all of the Tribe (Near, Far and Local) that spent camp weekend together.  I hope you made connections to the greater tribe that will last you a lifetime.

Thank you to Coach Matt Thornton for creating one thing that became something so much bigger for so many.  If camp tells us anything, it’s how important our mission is.

Last but not least thank you to Rory and Luke for again setting a high bar for every future camp.  Camp would not be possible without your hard work.  Until Winter Camp 2018 you get the title of “Best Camp Ever.”  ” –Coach Adam Singer

SBG Ladies Camp Registration Open

It’s that time of year again for all the ladies of SBG – the registration for the Ladies’ Camp is now officially open! Started just a few short years ago, with each passing camp the community of women involved grows bigger and stronger.

If you get a chance, be sure to attend this event. Reviews from each are always incredibly positive and the bonds built are incomparable. SBG is home to a huge number of women competing at the highest levels of BJJ and MMA, as well as some amazing female coaches. Sign up and learn from some of the best ladies in the world of combat sports.

This year, the Ladies Camp will be held in Edmonton, AB, Canada, between June 22nd and 24th. Be sure to register early and save!

 

Click Here to Register!

Big Wins for SBG UK

Back in the UK, SBG Manchester athletes experienced some big moments this month. George Smith extended his amateur record to 9-1 with an impressive win to successfully defend his Cage Warriors title, while former Royal Marine Tom Field went to 2-0 after a second round triangle choke finished off his previously unbeaten opponent.

Meanwhile, 19 year old Jay Corcovic made an emphatic MMA debut by winning his first ever fight in the opening round with an impressive guillotine. The win is the result of an incredible year for Jay, who leading up to this debut shed a great deal of weight and got into excellent fighting shape. He went from 185 lbs all the way down to 143lbs before his debut. Congratulations Jay on the incredible transformation and impressive win!

Up in Scotland, SBG Moray’s Shay Montague headed to the IBJJF European Championships and took gold at purple belt. The athletes he beat are well-established competitors with some big tournament victories to their names. As if that weren’t impressive enough, Shay has only had that purple belt for 8 weeks! Shay’s name will be familiar to those who read this newsletter last year, as he won the IBJJF No Gi Worlds while at blue belt just a few months ago! #realbelts!

Matt Thornton On Recognition

 

Coach Matt Thornton shared the following thoughts on recognition, and the folly of focusing on receiving it rather than on working to improve yourself. Great advice, in both BJJ and life:

“‪If you spend your days worried you’re not getting enough recognition, you’re focused on the wrong thing. Spend your days doing the work. Let others take the credit, if that’s what they need – and you’ll end up getting all the recognition in the world.”

 

SBG Podcast #15 – Real Fight Club Changed My Life (Be sure to like and Subscribe)

The fifteenth installment of the SBG video podcast has been released. This month, the podcst focuses on the story of SBG athletes going through the Wimp2Warrior program. Wimp2Warrior is a chance for people with no fighting background to undergo an intensive 6 month program to prepare them for a chance to enter an MMA cage in front of a real crowd of fans. Not only did it offer a once in a lifetime experience, it also gave a chance for people to get fit, improve discipline, and change their lives for the better through martial arts, like so many before them.

It is a fascinating short documentary following 10 men and women as they develop into true warriors, both physically and mentally.

Two Big MMA Wins At SBG Atlanta

Two SBG Atlanta athletes took to the cage this month, one to defend a title, the other to make their belated MMA debut. Congratulations to both Jared Gooden and Sean Coleman! Jared extended his record to 10-2 while defending his state title, securing victory via TKO in the first round. Meanwhile, Sean Coleman won his MMA debut at the age of 36! Sean is an SBG brown belt and the Head Kids Coach at SBG Atlanta. Awesome job to both athletes!

SBG Coach Karl Tanswell On Teamwork

The recently deceased SBG Manchester founder and coach, Karl Tanswell, will always be fondly remembered by those who knew him. It is also fortunate that he wrote many articles to which we can turn to, so that we might learn from him even today.

Here is a piece he wrote a few years ago on the subject of teamwork. In it, he outlines elements that can lead to team dysfunction, then discusses critical elements for building a solid team based on a united mission, personal responsibility and strong leadership. As one of the earliest SBG coaches, it can be little surprise the gym became as successful as it did, when we read the thoughts of the man behind it all.

SBG & AI

AI and Machine learning at the recent SBG business meeting. SBG is involved in attempting to increase program enrollments with one of only 35 Google Shopping Partners worldwide!  SBG; operating on a whole other level in everything we do!

Gracie Breakdown On Zero Tolerance School Policies

Matt Thornton shared a Gracie breakdown discussing the idea of zero tolerance bullying policies in schools. As Matt put it, such policies are “bullshit”. Zero tolerance enables bullies and punishes the bullied who defend themselves. In the breakdown, members of the Gracie family, alongside BJJ student Vince Vaughan, discuss the topic, and how children should be able to stand up for themselves without fear of punishment for doing so.

 

“A sentence said many years ago by one one of SBG’s founding coaches. It spread organically because it rings true. He will always be missed, but he will never be forgotten.” – Matt Thornton