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Here is a guest post from a buddy and rising amateur MMA star, Eric Center
The exploding popularity of the Mixed Martial Arts has given rise to a legion of young men who want to see if they have what it takes to survive in the octagon. Promotions like the UFC and shows such as The Ultimate Fighter have turned professional fighters into overnight celebrities. I myself had a black belt in “Couch-Fu” over a year and half ago before I decided to become an “Ultimate Fighter”. One fight, two broken feet, 45 lost pounds, and countless hours in the gym later I have learned a lot about what it takes become an athlete and a mixed martial artist. As I prepare for my next two amateur fights this summer in Las Vegas, I want to share with you 5 tips on starting your amateur fight career.
1. Find a good gym to train at – The first step in starting your amateur fight career is to find a gym to train out of. Depending on your location this maybe a difficult task. I myself train out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Xtreme Couture happens to be a full MMA gym that contains a cage, ring, mat area, workout area, sauna, etc. If you live in an area that does not offer such a facility, don’t be afraid to join a Jiu-Jitsu school or a kickboxing academy. Many of them offer cross training and are cheaper in price. Here are a few things to look for in a gym:
- Price – Some gyms can cost as much as $200 a month or a cheap as $40. Remember, you are investing in yourself so if you have the funds go for the better facility.
- The People – Training mixed martial arts is about helping each other and gaining knowledge in the various disciplines of mma, not killing each other. If the gym you are considering is filled with a bunch of individuals who are looking to hurt more than help or who think the way fighters behave on TUF is an good example of how one should act, you should consider your next option.
- The Classes – As a mixed martial arts fighter you have to be well versed in many fight disciplines. If the gym your considering doesn’t offer at least one Muay Thai (or kickboxing), wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and boxing class I would cross train at other gyms or look elsewhere.
2. Find your niche – The biggest mistake I made when I first started fighting is I tried to do too much too soon. I would take every class that was offered just to say I took it. After 6 months I felt like I was not learning anything but just going through the motions. That is when I decided to focus on Muay Thai because it came naturally to me. For the next few months I concentrated on my striking and learning basics. After that I branched out and focused on the other aspects of fighting but always staying true to what I am best at. Now when I fight I have a confront zone that I know I can win the fight in. If you have a combat sport background (wrestling, boxing, etc), use that as your base but focus on the area that you may not have much knowledge about. Don’t be intimidated of people who are better than you in the areas you are weak in. You NEED them because steel sharpens steel. When I roll in jiu-jitsu class I seek out the best grapplers because I know rolling with them, in time will improve the weakest part of my game.
3. Get into fighting shape! – This one is very important because in mixed martial arts, CARDIO IS KING! During a fight you use your whole body not just your legs and arms. It is critical that you are in the best shape as possible during the night of your fight. If you are just starting off in the gym is task is going to be hard. The key is to remember why you are killing yourself and keep your eye on the prize. Understand fighting is a lifestyle and you are going to have to make changes in your life outside the gym. For example, slowly over time I stopped smoking and I have cut back drinking socially. The days I can’t make it into the gym I stay active breaking a sweat doing light exercises in my room and shadow boxing. You will have situations when you can’t make it into the gym for days at a time, it is important to stay active during these times, trust me.
4. Find a mentor – At Xtreme Couture I have lucky enough to train under some very well know instructors but a two stand out from the rest. My Muay Thai instructor, Joey Varner and Affliction fighter Jay Hieron both have taken me under their wing and have given me knowledge about everything from fighting to everyday life situations. They keep me motivated and focused. Also, seeing Jay knock people out left and right gives me goals to work for. Find somebody who is a good role model and don’t be afraid to pick their brain for information.
5. Keep a positive attitude – You have to realize that when it comes to fighting, you will have good days and bad days. The key is to roll with punches and squeeze every bit of knowledge from your instructors/training partners as you can. Don’t be afraid to ask a million questions from every in the gym. I’ll walk up to Randy Couture and ask him a question about fighting because mixed martial arts is a learning process is always evolving. Never forget why you are spending your time, money and health on mixed martial arts. Show everybody respect, this is a big one in a combat sports gym. Fighters have an unspoken brotherhood that has unwritten laws, the biggest is respect. If you keep a positive respectful attitude, the fighters at your gym will be much willing to go out of their way to help you and support you when you fight.
The biggest lesson I have learned so far in my young MMA career is hard work does really pay off. Over time you see yourself change physically and emotionally. You will become a stronger person inside and out and this will spill over into other parts of your life. Keep a warrior attitude, stay focused, show respect and you will be well on your way to have a successfully Amateur MMA career.
Follow me on twitter @VegasMMAWarrior
Email me with your questions: EricCenterMMA@gmail.com
September 17th, 2009 at 8:31 am
To satrt an amatuer career as a fighter is one of the hardest thing ever. These tips can be helpful to those who are physically and mentally strong and powerful.
December 8th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
i want to trian with couture so bad i believe i am the best in the world at my size but there is no oppurtunity out here in the boonies come get me!
January 14th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
I believe I am a great fighter… But I’m expecting to be proven wrong when I actually start training, but I’m pretty sure I’d be able to keep up with the lessons. So far all my lessons have been monkey see monkey do and are applied to my own style and momentum… Problem is that I haven’t gotten into a good 3 round fight. So far I’ve tried fighting with my subconscious self, and he gives me a beating. Unexpected blows and stuff, but I need a mind that isn’t in my mind to fight against to see if my skills are adequate, and once I’m convinced its something to work for, I’ll start my quest to become an MMA fighter.
Thanks for the tips
February 4th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
my 20 yr old brother just asked my brother-inlaw and I to be his ringmen. Niether one of us know what we need to bring or do or what our responsabilities are, in this , his 1st bout and he is an independant!I will call my bro mac! Well, mac has less than 6-months 0f broken up trianing and in that time has done his share of X-box battles, and T-V remote rumbles and has been smoking like a chiminey! Every time I try to get info. from him, I get the same response, “I got it” and if I try to tell him something, it’s ” I know”. In the middle of January, just days after he asked me to be his ringman he blew out his ankle and since then has done nothing to better himself or prepare for this bout! mac also has got no resect anything or anybody including himself! And with that said he needs to stop pressuring our 68 yr old mother who’s got 78% blocked in the heart and a diebetic “help”! JJ @ 774-283-3481
February 4th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
i would like to appolagize for venting in this response forum i guess the question i have so we can get mac in the cage is what, as ringmen are our resposabilities and what does mac need to bring? thanks for any help joe
February 4th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Joe,
Your responsibility as a ring man is to motivate mac. During fight day your job is to make sure your fighter is focused and on point with his weight. During the fight you have to make sure he’s executing the game plan correctly.
Now your responsibility as a brother is to talk him out of the fight. I promise you he will get hurt. I don’t care how much street fighting he’s done, I don’t care how tough he is. Technique will overcome anything. If I was fighting your brother, I would hurt him without a doubt. He’s going to get gassed out in the first round and just get beaten on.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Jimmy, I would like to thank you for your insight and advice. Believe me we have tried too talk real with mac and I even reminded him of a few months ago when I scouped him up by the windpipe in the kitchen at my 44 yrs of age with nothing but the street as a trainer and I told him that if he was ready for this fight I would not have been allowed to do so, or to get that close! Mac believes his recent trianing is going to be enough unfortunetly! one part of me wants him to get schooled and the other wants to school him myself! he really wants this he says but he’s going to get hurt! even if he gets lucky it will bite him in the tail when he gets home and starts acting like an idiot! Jimmy, you and I know he is getting on the pain trian and there is no way to change his mind! the only saving grace is the doc on mon. telling him that his anckle is not strong enough since he has been in a bledsoe boot since the week before last. jimmy thank you!
January 26th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Having a mentor really helped me develop into such a different overall fighter. Knowing the complexities of training and learning that going 100% everyday will do more harm than good really helped my game alot.
That person being there to guide your every move can be really beneficial, so i would personally say having a mentor is up there with the top tips of developing your amateur mma career.
May 14th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
I agree, having a mentor is extremely important! Same with good training partners.
August 19th, 2011 at 12:02 am
my name is chris im a 20 year old exfootball linemen, i have no fighting experience other than what i have learned on the street. i have power and the will to win, but i have a good amount of weight to shed (i weight 204 and am 6′ tall) i plan to fight out of missouri. i would just like to know where would be the best fighting area for me to start at to become a threat in the cage. also any other beginner advice would be priceless thank you
August 19th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Chris, I would recommend you find a MMA school local to you, there should be plenty. Train hard and often. Get some amateur fights, if you do well, then worry about where you need to go to become a professional fighter. You need to know fundamentals before you can build a MMA career plan.