Below is a brief portion of an upcoming documentary entitled the History of MMA.  This clip highlights Fred Ettish and his unique experiences as a mixed martial artist.  The documentary was created by filmmaker Bobby Razak.  I’m privileged to have been briefly involved in one of Razak’s previous videos and he always does a great job.

Within the clip below, you’ll learn of the struggles that Ettish endured as a fighter and more importantly how he refused to succumb to his critics.  He recently returned to the cage at age 53 to earn a victory and balance his record at 1-1.

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Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

In a recent post, I shared a few links that showed an inexpensive hand-eye coordination tool that required nothing more than a tennis ball, an elastic cord, and a hat (original entry here).  Since posting those video clips, I’ve received several questions about making one of these inexpensive tools.  Many readers had trouble finding the necessary elastic cord and others were unsure how to attach the cord to a ball.

Fortunately, I recently made one of these tools for one of my fighters and snapped a few pictures to help clarify some of the confusion.

To begin, the elastic cords can be found at most fabric stores. I purchased 2.5 yards of elastic cord from Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft for less than 2 dollars.  You can click the image below to view a larger picture of the receipt.

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I then used a screwdriver to puncture a hole all the way through the tennis ball (in one side, out the other).

You will then remove the screwdriver from the ball.  Now, you’ll take the elastic cord and attach it to the screwdriver with a thin piece of duct tape. Please note that I chose to attach the cord after making the initial holes just in case it would be too tight for the cord to remain attached to the screwdriver when first puncturing the ball.

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Once you’ve taped the cord to the screwdriver, you can now drive the screwdriver back through the holes that you already created.  Push it all the way through again.  You will then remove the tape to free the cord from the screwdriver.  Hold on to the cord and pull the screwdriver out of the ball.

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You will then tie a knot at the end of the cord to prevent it from slipping back through the hole.

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Pull the long side of the cord back until the knot stops it and you are ready to go.  All that you’ll need to do is attach the cord to a hat.

As for ideal lengths, start conservative as once the cord is cut, you can’t reattach it.  Different cords will have different amounts of stretch so it is impossible to provide a universal recommendation regarding length.  Typically, the tennis ball will hang down just above waist level, but a few inches in either direction can make a big difference in terms of speed.  Experiment with a few different lengths and choose something that works well for you.

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For more homemade equipment ideas, please refer to the link below:

Homemade Exercise Equipment Archives

Anyone familiar with amateur boxing knows that Cuba has been a powerhouse since winning their first medals in the 1968 Olympic Games. The small island of approximately 11 million people has long dominated amateur boxing throughout the world.

Those interested in learning the secrets to the success of this small, impoverished island may enjoy the videos below. A complete documentary has been split into five Youtube clips. Part 1 is embedded, with the remaining parts linked to at the bottom of this entry.

Part 2 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6USRaM24DhA

Part 3 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LYF1czBMpw

Part 4 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6y5ncZo4rI

Part 5 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTx6ktxyXdU

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Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. – African Proverb

Following a recent post, I’ve received several questions about other low-tech reaction drills. Fortunately, you don’t need anything too fancy to get the job done.

Take a look at the example below from Anderson Silva. Such a drill is not only effective, but also quite easy on the body. You could perform this type of work daily without interfering with the more intense sport work that must also be performed.  This drill could even be useful as a brief warm up. All that you’ll need is a few minutes.

The video below shows how to make an inexpensive tool to train hand-eye coordination for fighters.  Although the video is not in English, the instructions are simple enough.  All that you’ll need is a hat, a tennis ball, and an elastic cord.

Kostya Tszyu is one fighter who often trained with a similar device.  You can see an example at the link below:

Kostya Tszyu – Tennis Ball

Vasyl Lomachenko can also be seen using something similar here:

Vasyl Lomachenko – Tennis Ball

As for applications, such a drill can be a fun addition to your training arsenal.  Aside from the hand-eye coordination benefits, it is also useful that this drill will not be strenuous to the body.  You can easily include some reaction training with this tool without detracting from your primary training objectives.

Thanks to Nikolay from Arthlete.com for passing the video along.

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Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm. – Earl Nightingale

Happy New Year to everyone. Don’t sit back and await what the new year will bring. Get up, get busy, and make it happen yourself.

To kick the year off, boxing fans will enjoy the two most recent videos created by Gorilla Productions.  Each includes action packed highlights from 2011.

Bring on 2012!

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Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. – Benjamin Franklin

One of the most exciting periods in the history of boxing took place throughout the 1980′s with four legendary fighters.  During this time, there were epic battles involving Roberto Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard.  These combatants provided boxing fans with controversy, action, shocking finishes, and epic battles.

Below is a feature video dedicated to this renowned foursome.  The video includes over an hour of exciting footage.

If you are a boxing fan, prepare yourself to be glued to the screen…

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Sports do not build character. They reveal it. – John Wooden

I was offline for much of last week as we were finalizing preparations for the weekend fights at the West Warwick Civic Center.  While the entire show was a success with several action packed bouts, I am particularly happy as my fighter Chip Perez earned a unanimous decision victory over six exciting rounds.

Thanks to everyone who came out to support us.

I will now get back to responding to all of the emails that came in over the last few days.

As a follow up to yesterday’s entry, the full Judoka documentary can be seen below within the two embedded videos (thanks to Sean for providing the links).

The short film is about a self taught Judoka (Doug Rogers) who traveled to Japan to train with the legendary Masahiko Kimura.  Rogers eventually won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

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Fall seven times, stand up eight. – Japanese Proverb

Below is a short video about training with the legendary Masahiko Kimura.  Kimura is widely regarded as one of the greatest judoka of all time.

The video is quite brief but the narration includes a few valuable lessons about training as a fighter.  For example, in response to some of the daily requirements, the narrator offers the following:

This is unreasonable, we know that, but it pushes us beyond a physical limit, to another place, way outside or way inside. I don’t know where exactly, but I’ve been there.

In today’s world, such an approach would be considered excessive and unnecessary.  I’m not here to argue one way or another, but what I can say is that there are times when the best work makes the least sense.  I’ve done things both personally and with my fighters that wouldn’t make sense on paper.  The illogical approach was necessary at the time however to reach that place discussed by the narrator.

Masahiko Kimura is a legend.  He didn’t become who he was by training like everyone else.  He took himself to another place and stayed there throughout much of his life.

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Well done is better than well said. – Benjamin Franklin