Category Archives: News

September 14th was a busy night for the team across the board, with Coach Darren Gn stepping into the ring for his final fight of the year on Kings of Kombat 25 at MSAC, and our Mixed Martial Arts ladies Lisa Kyriacou and Holly Pfeiffer representing down south in Hobart, Tasmania on All Styles Grappling – MMA Fight Night 3.

First up on the card, and in her first bout as part of the Absolute MMA team, Holly faced off against opponent Amy Jay. It was over quick for Holly’s opponent, with Holly securing the win in the first round via a RNC submission! Great work Holly, we are glad to have you on board with the team and look forward to what the rest of 2019 holds for you. On the fourth fight of the night, Lisa Kyriacou was matched against opponent Emily Nalu. Lisa dominated the early rounds, showing off her striking technique with quick, heavy hands, but her opponent continued to be aggressive. After two dominant rounds from Lisa, her opponent secured the win via TKO in a surprise upset after taking Lisa down late in the third round, and finishing with ground and pound until the referee called the match. This was an explosive match, taking away the title of “Fight of the Night” and despite not yielding the result we wanted, plenty for Lisa to be proud of and learn from, she will be back stronger for the experience!

Back home in Victoria, at the Kings of Kombat 10 year anniversary event Kings of Kombat 25, Coach Darren Gn went up against an experienced opponent in Baris Kilic, putting on a dominant performance to secure the win via unanimous points decision in his sixth fight! Listening well to his corner, Darren went to war every round, countering consistently against an aggressive, tough opponent with over 12 fights. As the only K1 fight on a Boxing card, Darren performed beautifully to represent his style and brings his record to 4-2 with this win. Congratulations to Darren on his win, he has worked tirelessly in the lead up to achieve this result and we could not be prouder of his efforts!

Run by Head Coach Thiago Stefanutti, Super BJJ saw a large number of our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors throw down on the mats on Sunday at the Broadmeadows Leisure Centre. We could not be prouder of the growing number of members who are now testing themselves in competition, and we cannot wait to seeing how you all have furthered your BJJ game through the pressure of a competition environment on the mats this week! A huge thank you to all our coaches, training partners, friends and families who came down to support our dedicated athletes, we could not do what we do without your support. Congratulations to everyone who challenged themselves on the Super BJJ mats, and whether you made it to the podium, received a medal or learned, we are proud of your efforts. As a team, we took away 37 gold, 31 silver and 22 bronze medals. A massive effort from the crew! Special mentions go out to Con Haritou, who took out 3 gold medals (gi weight, no gi weight, no gi open) and 1 silver medal in the gi open, Jamie Common taking away a double medal with a gold in the master 1 medium-heavy and silver in the open weight and Susy Ferri who secured a silver in the blue belt middle weight (gi) and gold in the open!

In Tokyo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt and key BJJ Asia member Dorothy Dao represented at the Asian Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship for Absolute MMA Shanghai, absolutely smashing it out to take away a silver in open weight and a bronze in the absolute. Great to see Dorothy showcasing her skills on the mats, and we are very proud to have her on board with the team!

Photography: Terry Vorg, Fiona Gumboots, Adam Wright, Dorothy Dao.

Last Friday was a big night for the Absolute MMA team, with the highly anticipated Hex Fight Series 19 taking place at Melbourne Pavilion. On the second fight of the undercard was Jack Jenkins, Absolute MMA Thailand sponsored fighter in a match up against Japanese opponent Naoya Uchibayashi. Jack put on a dominant performance,controlling the fight from the first horn until the 3.36 minute mark of the very first round where he caught Uchibayashi with a rear naked choke. Jenkins showed his superior grappling expertise during the contest, controlling his opponent from the back and in the mount before scoring the impressive submission victory.

Closing up the undercard and the night for the team, Coach Sam Hibberd faced off against opponent Jeff Mesa. Having spent the majority of this year training full time at Absolute MMA Thailand, Sam came into the cage with a sharpened skill set, and we were excited to see what new tricks he’d brought back from Phuket! The match started off with Mesa attacking Sam with his gruelling style of grappling against the cage, but Sam held strong and eventually capitalised on an opening, securing an anaconda choke and getting the tap in the second round. Great to have Sam back in Australia after a long stint in Thailand, congratulations on the victory!

Saturday, 7th of September saw Pippa Shaw enter the Eternal MMA octagon against opponent Courtney Martin at the HBF Stadium in Perth, Western Australia. With a stacked card of 15 fights, Eternal MMA 47 also saw visiting fighter John Calderon up against opponent Cody Haddon. While John didn’t get the result he wanted this time around, we’d like to thank him for preparing for this fight with us, our MMA team has benefited greatly from his experience. Pippa Shaw put on an absolute show, demonstrating how strong of a grappler she is and finishing the fight in the third round via RNC. Congratulations to Pippa on her victory!

In South Australia, our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team went to work at Grappling Industries Adelaide, with Matthew Weinman taking silver in the white belt Gi (-185lbs), after battling through four matches and winning three! Matthew has been working hard on the mats under Coach Sean Le Gourrierec, and it is great to see his efforts recognised in this achievement. We’d also like to congratulate Blair McGrouther, who backed up a great performance at Grappling Industries Melbourne in Adelaide with a double gold, and double silver! It is amazing to see our members on the podium in South Australia, and we are excited to see how you all have grown from your competitive experience when you return to the mats in Melbourne.

Our grapplers closed up the weekend for the team on Sunday at the ADCC Australian National Titles (2019) in New South Wales. We had two standout performances from the team, with Clay Lyne taking out gold in the 91kg Pro division, battling through three gruelling matches to make it to the top of the podium and rising superstar Kaya Rudolph taking out gold in the Pro division, and bronze in the Absolute, all at the age of 18. A huge achievement for these two competitors, and we could not be prouder of these champions!

Internationally, travelling Coach James Walters tore it up at GrappleFest 6 in Liverpool (Great Britain) in a match against Radek Romanek on the main card. This was over quickly, with James securing the win via a devastating inside heel hook from 50/50, in less than a minute. What a weapon! Well done James, we look forward to seeing where else your travels take you, and the team is cheering you on from Australia!

Photography: W.L Fight Photography, Matthew Weinman, Clay Lyne, Radek Romanek, Eternal MMA.

Another big weekend for Team Absolute with coaches and members competing and reaching milestones all over the world! It’s amazing to see so many people get after it and push their boundaries and we congratulate each and every one of you for putting yourselves out there and pursuing your goals! 

Lachlan Giles visits Absolute MMA Shanghai! 

Head Coach of Absolute MMA St Kilda and world renowned black belt, Lachlan Giles, travelled to Absolute MMA Shanghai over the weekend to run a double seminar and grade some important members of the Absolute Family. Day 1 covered all things gi and the impressive turn out proved just how alive and well the traditional gi jiu jitsu still is. On day 2 Lachlan delved into the subtleties and variations of the no-gi body lock passing. Seminars are a great way to expose yourself to new ideas and cram a lot of technical development in a short amount of time – particularly with a detail orientated instructor such as Lachie systematically breaking up the session to ensure information is understood and absorbed.

During his visit to Thailand Professor Lachlan Giles graded some very well deserving coaches and members of the Absolute Shanghai team. First up was beloved team member, Snoopy, who graded to purple belt. Also grading to purple belt was Head Wrestling Coach Rustam Boboev who has been working diligently on his BJJ of late to compliment his elite wrestling skills. Last but not least, was Coach Kemal who graded to black belt. Kemal has made tremendous strides in his BJJ game with the aid of Lachlan Giles. Kemal is not only a force to be reckoned with on the mats, but is also a talented coach and valued member of the Absolute community.

Congratulations to Kemal, Snoopy and Rustam on their recent promotions!

Phil Engeroff at MX Muay XTreme, Bangkok 01.09.2019

Phil Engeroff of Absolute MMA Thailand fought on the prestigious MX Muay XTreme show in Bangkok, Thailand over the weekend. Phil put on an impressive display of striking prowess and finished his opponent in the first round via TKO stoppage due to leg kicks. Phil has been training hard during his off-season in Canada, and made his bi-yearly pilgrimage back to Absolute MMA Thailand in Phuket,  where he bases himself for fight camps. Phil enjoys the mix of modern and traditional training methodologies on offer and it’s great to see all of the hard and smart training he’s put in over the years pay off! We can’t wait to see what’s next in-store for Phil as he continues to add more skills to his ever-expanding repertoire. Congratulations again on your victory!

Click the link below to watch the whole full fight replay for free! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5fzx_rCLnY&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1VJ4m27Ws8TOGmzZz12I5Fb-7kbCC7uM9zJ_t2AuFCTgbf_mhcMKOdrxI

GRAPPLING INDUSTRIES, MELBOURNE 01.09.2019

Grappling Industries was held in Melbourne, Australia over the weekend, and as always the Absolute competition team was out in force! It’s always impressive to see so many of our members get out there and give competition a go. Some people love it, some people not so much, but the benefits of testing yourself and your game under the pressures of a competition environment are undeniable. Another great thing about competition is how it brings people together, with coaches, training partners, friends and families all coming together to support those brave enough to step on to the mats and challenge themselves.

The podium was littered with Absolute athletes and a very big congratulations go to all of you! There were simply too many individuals who medaled to mention you all, but you know who you are and a massive congratulations goes out to each and every one of you! Special mentions goes out to Reon Mahima for taking out the Super Absolute No Gi division!
Reon Mahima takes gold in the No Gi Super Absolute!

This week we are excited to run an Ask Me Anything with Coach Joe Boobyer! Each week we will have a new coach take questions from members via our Facebook Members Only group. New to the club? You can join our group here.

Joe is an internationally experienced coach, personal trainer and a professional fighter with a record of 37 wins from 56 fights. He has spent the past 12+ years training in Muay Thai, K-1, Boxing and MMA, with professional experience in all four disciplines. He has won the World Muay Thai Federation Pro Heavyweight World Title, challenged for the World Muay Thai Council Cruiserweight World Title once and World Kickboxing Network International Super heavyweight title twice, and has won two 4 man K-1 middleweight tournaments in China.

He spent over 5 years living in gyms and training throughout Thailand where he won multiple time stadium titles. Has been ranked at 6 worldwide by the World Boxing Council at super-cruiserweight.

Joel Verhey – Hey Joe, what’s the best stretching routine for someone fairly new to Muay Thai when looking to improve hip flexibility and therefore kick height? To further this, do you recommend ballistic stretching? If so, how often?

My stretching routine is similar to this video from Duane Ludwig, with a few changes. I put more emphasis in different areas, but this is a good start. I’ll make a video of mine and get it uploaded soon. I stretch at the start of my workouts after warming up. As for ballistic stretching, I’d recommend talking to a specialist who could educate you on the pros/cons.

Thurman Merman – Have you been able to retain a working with children certificate with that mo?

Since these pictures, the mo has been removed. It was for the greater good.

Jesse David – How do you recommend fighters balance your Muay Thai technical training with Strength and Conditioning?

I believe S+C training should be used as a tool to make you better at your sport, it’s very easy to get caught doing far too much and eventually it taking prevalence over the sport itself. I’m no S+C coach so talk to one of the highly qualified team here to see what you should be doing, just don’t put it ahead of getting better at the techniques themselves.

Amit Narayan – In March of 2018, Mediakix crowned ‘EpicFunnyPage’ the best meme page on Instagram. What are your thoughts on this? Also how do you think Oliver is able to live a normal life, despite his freakishly small hands?

Mediakix don’t know what they’re talking about I’ll say that much. And Oli… poor guy, if he had regular sized hands, he’d be a black belt by now.

Daniella Marie – What’s the heaviest dumbbell you can pick up between your crab toes?

I reckon 10kg.

Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun – What do get up to on your weekends???

Just super relaxing stuff. Balancing rocks at natural hot springs and meditating, that sort of thing.

Mateusz Żemietro – Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck? And why?

100 duck sized horses! I got chased by a normal duck once and it had no fear, a horse sized duck is basically a dinosaur.

Oliver Smith – What was your first MMA fight like? And are you tempted to have another MMA fight?

I beat the life out of what I’m pretty sure was a Lithuanian labourer who knew a bit of judo. Threw up a triangle the wrong way round, slung some elbows out, stood up and knocked him out with a 1-2, high kick, knee, face teep, cross hook combo. Probably the most impressive finish I’ve had and it was 40+ fights ago hahaha, 100% wins, 100% KOs. Get me on path to hex.

Jake Savić – Will we see a return of the mo anytime soon?

Every time I shave I leave the mo behind and have a long hard look at myself in the mirror.

Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun – Hey Joe last question, why exactly did you leave Thailand?

I was sick of walking down the street every day and all these women calling me sexy man, handsome man. I’m more than just a piece of meat.

Running over four days from the 21st of August to the 24th, the World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship saw several of our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition team, including Coach Thiago Stefanutti head to Las Vegas for the competition. The World Masters is a tough competition, with the most experienced competitors over the age of 30 from all over the world travelling to the Las Vegas Convention Center to throw down on the mats! We would like to congratulate all of our competitors, and all of our fellow Australians who made the journey to compete, irrespective of their result. What a great learning experience for the team being out there and competing with the best in the world! Congratulations in particular to Vince Rogato, who defeated two opponents, losing in the third round. Vince showed excellent maturity in his competition game and was awarded his brown belt by Coach Thiago Stefanutti for his efforts. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the mats, and back home in Australia when they return!

Saturday, 24th of August saw the second Hardcore Promotions event kick off at Ultima Function Centre in Keilor East. Out of the nine fights on the card, we were proud to have three of our female Muay Thai team set to compete, from both our Melbourne CBD and Collingwood locations. First up for the team on the second fight of the night was Georgia Verry (3-1-0), facing off against Selina Sor. NakDeeGao (7-3-0) from Dynamite Muay Thai in a 53.5kg, 3 x 2 minute round bout (FTR). Sustaining a cut on the top of her head in the first round from an elbow, we immediately knew this was going to be a hard fight! Georgia kept her composure, pushed forward and stayed strong throughout a fight that took place almost entirely in the clinch, with Georgia driving in heavy knees and her opponent relentless with elbows in the pocket, and both girls landing good kicks on the outside. After 3 rounds of non stop action the result was left to the judges who ruled in favour of Selina 2 rounds to 1. Nothing but respect to Georgia for taking on an experienced opponent and really making her work for the win, proud to have her as part of the team and excited to see how her game will evolve further from this experience

Second in action for Absolute saw Kate Van Staveren (3-2-0) step in against last minute replacement Hadiqa Abdul (5-2) from Supafight gym in a 3 x 2 minute round bout (FTR). Hadiqa saved the day, accepting the fight just 9 days before the event after her teammate (Kate’s original opponent) sustained an injury. The late opponent change didn’t bother Kate and with a new game plan she came out hard from the opening bell and maintained the pace from then on. Hadiqa was busy throughout the contest, landing heavy low kicks, working well in the clinch and making Kate miss on multiple occasions with the technical style Supafight gym is known for, but our girl was determined and threw with power and accuracy. Ultimately Kate proved too strong, wearing Hadiqa out to finish the fight, ending the last round with a flurry of punches and a high kick attempt to really show she was trying to get the finish even after she heard the 10 second clapper! Great work from Kate getting a unanimous points decision in her first fight for the team!

Finally we had Tamika De Cesare (5-2-2) take on Supafight’s Tiff Lam (8-1-0) over 5 rounds in the co-main event of the evening! Moving up in weight meant Tamika had a slight size disadvantage on the night, but her speed and movement were the tools we were looking to utilise most leading up to the bout. The match up started well, with Tamika catching a kick from Tiff and getting the trip, from then on she stayed busy with fast boxing combinations and some well timed kicks off of counters, frustrating her opponent in the early rounds, things were looking good. Approximately halfway through the contest was the turning point, Tiff got some very smooth sweeps in the clinch and started to find her rhythm, making Tamika miss more often and landing sharper kicks on the outside, racking up points in her favour and managing to nullify the boxing in close with good clinch work. “Tenacious” Tamika lived up to her nickname, constantly pushing forward and looking for the finish all the way until the final bell, but unfortunately the cleaner counter work of her opponent saw the judges rule a points victory to Tiff in an exciting 5 round clash of styles.

The girls of Absolute all come back into the gym with clear things to work on in victory and defeat, as they continue to grow their own game as well as each other’s and the rest of the team! We’re very proud to have them as part of the Absolute MMA family!

Written by Joe Boobyer and Emilie Yap.

Photography: W.L Fight Photography, Thiago Stefanutti. 

What discipline do you train/compete, and what are the details of your next contest?

I train and compete in BJJ, Muay Thai and MMA. I just fought on Eternal MMA 46 and my victory made it into a highlight reel that has gone viral on Facebook, you can check it out here, I’m the second clip: https://www.facebook.com/MMAvids/videos/587291698342145/UzpfSTEwMDAwNTg0MDU2NjA0NjoxMTc2ODc3ODAyNTE2ODk0/?id=100005840566046

How did you get into martial arts?

Was told to keep fit in the off season for soccer, saw a sign for a local MMA gym. The rest is history.

“You two should fight!” If you could take ANY two people from history and have them fight each other, who would it be?

Michael Jackson v Elvis.

What is the first fight you remember watching?

On TV, it was one of Mayweather Jr’s fights, but I can’t remember his opponent.

What fight do you feel has had the biggest impact on you, this can be either a fight you’ve watched or a fight you’ve had, and why?

Maxim Dadashev v Subriel Matias. Maxim died as a result of this fight, and this stuck with me. It made me realise that although we love what we do, this isn’t a game. And if it’s something we commit to we must take it seriously.

It’s common for fighters to be given fight nicknames, have you ever thought of one for yourself that you wish took off but it never did?

I’ve been called daddy. Hasn’t taken off, wish it did.

If you were a video game character (street fighter, mortal kombat, tekken etc), what would your special move be?

I’d be Rock Lee from Naruto and belting people with the drunken fist.

What do you love about training at Absolute MMA?

Top environment, great bunch of people to be around, and the fact that there’s a wealth of fight knowledge always available to you.

What do you think is the best piece of advice you have received throughout your martial arts journey?

To train the physical but to also train the mental.

If you could go back in time to your first martial art class, what would be the advice you give to your past self?

I’d say just keep doing what you’re doing you little g.

Finally, where can we buy tickets to come and support you in your next bout?

Keep posted on instagram @kakembomma and on Facebook via Semakadde Kakembo.

Photography: W.L Fight Photography and Throwdown Photography.

For the Kinektic Grappling tournament, team captain Craig Jones put together an elite group of grapplers to face off against three other teams in a a team of 5 vs team of 5 rule set. The competitor from each team would stay on the mat unless a loss or draw was sustained. Sponsored by BJJ Fanatics, Craig’s team member and Head Coach of Absolute MMA St Kilda Lachlan Giles was first up, and tore through all five members of Chris Lytle’s squad in devastating fashion, with four victories coming via inside heel-hook, and one via armbar. What a weapon! BJJ Fanatics closed out the night with a victory over SUG in the final, having only used three of their athletes. As stated by the Jiu-Jitsu Times, “I just hope Craig Jones brought some books to pass the time.” Congratulations to the BJJ Fanatics!

On the under card of Kasai Pro 6, competitive grappler Izaak Michell faced off against opponent Italo Moura. It was a back and forth match, however Izaak ended up losing 6-2 on points in a match at 155 lbs. Despite the setback, Izaak continues to build a solid profile on the international stage, and we look forward to seeing him in action again soon!

Photography: Kasai, The Jiu-Jitsu Times.

Our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team went to work this weekend at AJJC 2019 (The Australian Jiu Jitsu Championship). Our team took away 17 gold, 16 silver and 13 bronze medals after a massive weekend of work, with the competition spread out across Saturday and Sunday. We would like to congratulate all of our competitors on their efforts and on their continuous dedication to moving forward in their martial arts journeys! We had many notable performances over the weekend, including Constandinos Haritou, who took out the Absolute Gi for blue belt (open weight) and the middleweight division for Gi blue belt to secure a double gold! Sarah Chapman also took away a huge TRIPLE gold, winning purple belt middleweight in the Gi, purple belt Absolute in the Gi and and purple belt Absolute in No-Gi. Teammate Sofia Blom secured a double gold (Gi featherweight and No-Gi featherweight) for her efforts on the mats, having just graded to blue belt in June this year. Yet another stellar performance from our already established competitors!

In the Gi at white belt, Alison Loft won her first match via submission and her second via points (5-0, 0-1 advantage) to take away gold in the Masters 2/lightweight division, following it up with a bronze at open weight. It is great to see all of Alison’s hard work paying off, and we could not be prouder of her accomplishment at Nationals! Coach Lachlan Warne also took away gold at black belt in the gi at middleweight in a straight final, winning via Tarikoplata. Thank you to everyone who came to support the team, and to our coaches Apryl Eppinger, Livia Giles, Lachlan Giles, Sean Le Gourrierec and Thiago Stefanutti who put in a massive effort guiding our many students who competed at Nationals!

Overseas, EFC 81 took place at Time Square in Menlyn, Pretoria, South Africa. After training with our team at Collingwood, South African fighter Lyle Karam defeated Stefan ‘The Kick’ Pretorius by split decision after three rounds in the catchweight division. This marks five straight victories for Lyle, who remains undefeated despite a three year hiatus from the octagon. Congratulations Lyle!

On Sunday evening, Ben Arias, Joseph Choundary and Richy Vong entered the VAMAA ring at Chelsea Heights Hotel for their amateur bouts under K1 rules. Up first for the team, Ben went down swinging against a hard hitting opponent in a points decision, gaining a lot of learning in his match. Joe had an impressively executed win via UPD, displaying a multitude of skills and retaining his composure in the ring. Richy succumbed to a larger opponent by TKO in the second round, but showed a lot of poise in his debut. Regardless of result, we are proud of our team for leaving it all in the ring and representing the gym. Great work guys!

Photography: EFC, Alison Loft, Lachlan Warne, David Lescai, Sarah Chapman.

On Sunday, 4th of August, Absolute MMA Thailand fighter Javad Bigdeli (Iran) competed at MX Muay Xtreme at the Bazaar Hotel in Bangkok. Mx Muay Xtreme runs matches in a 3 x 3 mins format, with competitors wearing MMA style gloves. The rules have been changed from traditional Muay Thai (to more of a combination of Muay Thai and K-1) to encourage a knockout and push the action.

Up against a tough Thai opponent in Trang Singmanee, Javad started off round 1 strong, trying to work out the distance of his opponent. Both fighters looked to land early strikes to the legs here. In round 2, Javad started pushing the aggression, constantly moving forward and looking to land big shots. Getting caught by his opponents left uppercut, Javad dropped to the ground, resulting in a 10 count. Despite being knocked down, Javad got straight back up looking focused, and ready to get back into the action

In the third and final round, Javad continued to march forward, landing big punches, but the knockdown in the 2nd round of this 3 round fight was enough to see a points decision win the other way. Javad quickly became a fan favourite and a favourite of the promoter from his performance. MX cannot wait to have him back on the show, so we now look forward to Javad’s return to the ring on MX next month!

Check out Javad’s full fight, available on YouTube here.

This week we are excited to run an Ask Me Anything with Collingwood Head BJJ Coach Sean Le Gourrierec! Each week we will have a new coach take questions from members via our Facebook Members Only group. New to the club? You can join our group here.

Coach Sean Le Gourrierec is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and professional mixed martial artist with a record of 4 wins and 3 losses. He has been training and competing since 2009. He is also an accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who has trained and competed in Brazil and has won Pan-Pacific and Victorian Championships.

Matthew ‘Jensy’ Jens – Correct me if I’m wrong here. Were you the first student in Australia to grade from white belt all the way to black belt under Thiago Stefanutti?
If so, how long did it take you? If you could go back in time now and give advice to yourself as a white belt, what would the advice be? What was it like learning under Thiago when you first started BJJ?

Thanks Matty! That’s true, I was the first Australian student of Thiago’s to grade from white to black belt. Prior to training with Thiago, I trained under Deon Perkins for 6 months. I have been training with Thiago for close to 10 years, so in all maybe 9.5 to 10 years. My advice to my younger self would be to be nicer to myself. My first class under Thiago was amazing and even though English was not his first language, he was able to express (and still does) his passion for jiu-jitsu with more than just words.

Kelz Lau – How much time do you give yourself for fight camp/bjj comp prep? (sparring/rolling, bagwork/padwork, strength n conditioning, recovery
and in drilling game plan) And how do I look cool with a skateboard?

You can never give yourself enough time for a fight or comp, but you certainly have to make some sacrifices, especially to your social life. When preparing for a fight, I’ll have someone else watch the footage and identify what the five most important skills required are to beat that person. For a comp I look at the rules set. ADCC I focus more on wrestling, for IBJJF I focus on guard retention. When it comes to strength and conditioning, consistency trumps intensity.

Kelz Lau – Also berimbolo yey or nay? Asking for a friend ???

If its for Vince Rogato yay. If its for Dean Burgess nay (only because Dean listens to Slayer not some upside down guard player).

Amit Narayan –  When calculating your training volume, how much consideration do you have to give to the fact that you’re incredibly handsome?

Wow thanks Amit! I guess there’s just not that much to consider 😉

Dean Burgess – How old is too old to train Jits!

I read a great book called IKIGAI about the Japanese Philosophy to living longer. Lesson 1 ‘always be active”. I’m nearly 30 years old and I still ride to every session on a skateboard. Find your IKIGAI and you’ll never be too old to train.

Seamus Hayes- What strategy would you recommend to people new to BJJ/striking which has served you in injury reduction? (Apart from having a good rehab specialist)

I used to have an obsession for stretching all the time, but now I stick to a regular routine of:

1. Passive + active hang
2. Jefferson curl
3. Deep squat
4. Sauna + cold shower
5. Lots and lots of neck exercises

Matt Hamilton-Ho – When did you first realise that you’d be a 10/10 if you didn’t have cauliflower ears?

Richard Lattemagi – “He is 12/10 with cauliflower ears.”

Cheers Matt, but even with my teeth brushed and my hair waxed, I’m probably closer to an 8 at best. I’m not complaining either, I am totally punching out of my weight class.

Victor Tan – What’s the hardest part of BJJ for a white belt aiming to become a blue belt?

Not comparing yourself to other white belts and blue belts, and just trusting in the process.

James Walters – How did you develop such a detailed understanding of the fundamental positions and movements in grappling? Your knowledge and ability to teach the most basic movements and patterns is incredible.

Thanks heaps Jimmy Boy! I have to thank Thiago for two reasons; he gave me the knowledge of my fundamentals and the freedom to express them in my own words. Teaching only introduction classes for 4 years made me realise that people will always need different explanations for the same things and you must never lose your patience. I’m also grateful for the students who have patience for my terrible analogies ?

Nick Baum – How has your BJJ game evolved over your journey from white to black? Is there anything that you’ve introduced to your game as a black belt that you didn’t have at brown? You often refer to animals to relate fundamental concepts (bears, baby monkeys etc). If ADCC entry was extended to the entire animal kingdom, who in your opinion takes the Absolute title and via what method?

Great question Nick Baum, I feel like my journey from white to black belt was just my apprenticeship and it’s all beginning now. The best thing i have introduced to my game since becoming a black belt was becoming a meditation teacher after a month long course with my Girlfriend in Rishikesh, India.

I started mediation the same way I started jiu-jitsu, just looking at You Tube videos, but nothing compares to having an instructor. My Girlfriend Claudia is the best mediation teacher I know, she teaches most nights while I’m at the gym, but I keep a few voice recordings from some of her sessions and listen to them for 10 minutes before every class. A bull elephant could probably strangle anyone with their trunk, especially in the absolute division. But an interesting match up would be a Bonobo vs a Chimp. Both live in the Congo, both have five times the strength of a human and both are 97% the same as us. The Bonobo is the only Primate that doesn’t kill its own kind, but it might kill a Chimp. Either way I would spend a lot of bananas on that stream!

Johan Thomas – What’s your diet like Coach Sean?

Steaks, coffee, spinach, beetroot, blueberries, onions, ? ? ? and ?.

Rio Iskandar – How did you develop your stamina to endure the gruelling matches in MMA? Also, do you have any advice for someone who wants to start training for MMA, coming from a BJJ background?

I develop my stamina by skating everywhere. Gotta go fast to avoid being late. My advice is wrestle and run.