Training at Bad Wolf MMA Fall Session 2009

As the last days of summer slip by and hopes of escaping the heat at Bad Wolf MMA is not an option. Hot days and hard training session begin for the last quarter of the competition season and our team is hard at work in preparation for these events. In the coming months our team will travel and compete in many events for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, No Gi tournaments, and Muay Thai "smoker" matches. As our team grows so does our accomplishments in building a strong team and strong group of individuals who succeed in the ring, mat, cage, and in life. Everyone from our casual practitioner to our professional athlete all benefit from the training here, whether it's a goal to lose weight or be a world champion our coaches are dedicated to helping the students reach their goals and aspirations. Come see what we have to offer and find out why Bad Wolf MMA is becoming a benchmark for training and excellence.

Bad Wolf MMA supports Ascension MMA at GFC4

We just wanted to wish Team Ascension MMA from Marietta, Georgia a big congratulations for their clean sweep of the Gameness Fighting Championships 4 held at the state fairgrounds on August 8, 2009 here in Nashville. Team Ascension brought four fighters to compete in the amateur event and made quick work of their opponents by winning all four fights in the first round and often in a matter of seconds. Team Ascension was led by UFC and King of the Cage veteran Junior Assuncao. We would like congratulate our friends and wish them success in their future fights. Any time Team Ascension is back in Nashville they are more than welcome at our premier facility.

New Blue Belts

After much dedication from students and team tournament success Bad Wolf MMA coaches Rahman Howard and Dee Freeman promoted the gyms first group of blue belts. Congratulations go out to Paul Gardner, James Perry, and Matt Perry who recently received their blue belts for winning their divisions at the OGC Tri State Championship. Go luck to our new blue belts and to all the other blue belt hopefuls, keep training and soon you'll earning your next rank.

OGC 2009 Tri State Championship Photo Gallery

Bad Wolf MMA Success at the OGC Tri State Championships

July 11th, 2009 in Union, Kentucky the Ohio Grappling Challenge held it's annual Tri State Championships for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and No Gi Grappling and Team Bad Wolf MMA was there to represent and win. Athletes from Team Bad Wolf competed and won a total of seven medals that including such wins as Jason Matherley: gold medal blue belt gi, James Perry: gold medal white belt gi, Matt Perry: gold medal white belt gi, Matt Duquesne: gold medal beginner no gi, Austin Nichols: gold medal white belt teens gi, Paul Gardener: silver medal white belt gi, and Dean Chilcutt: bronze medal white belt gi. Our team often closed out divisions where we ended up pitting team mates against each other for medals. Team Bad Wolf was well represented by coaches Rahman Howard and Dee Freeman as well as it's dedicated team members and though we are a young team, we have shown that we are a growing force to be recognized on the competitive circuit.

Sin City Fight Wear Photo Shoot

Lane Photography and Sin City Fight Wear recently held a photo shoot at Bad Wolf MMA for their sponsored fighter Dustin West. The photo shoot added some excitement to our already busy and hectic training schedule, but it was a welcomed distraction. Sin City Fight Wear athlete Dustin West will be making his pro mma debut in July here in Nashville and as we always do we wish our friend good luck on his pro debut and continued success in his career. Anyone wishing to contact Lane Photography for services and expertise can do so at www.lanephotographyonline.com .

Strength and Conditioning for the Combat Athlete

The most common question I get is about what kind of training or exercise can someone do to get in shape before one starts MMA training? The answer is none, combat sports is unlike any other sport, we use different muscle groups, different ranges of motion, and cardio like no other sport requires. The best method is to just train by taking the classes and if that individual needs more special attention, then I recommend our strength and conditioning classes. We offer a unique class four times a week that pushes the level of fitness and conditioning in our students that helps them prepare for the rigors of competition and life. We focus on specialized training that translates directly to the actions of the sports we compete in. Through years of experience and training we can offer the expertise of decades of training with some the best Olympians, personal trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches the world has to offer. Constantly pushing the science of human performance and helping to build stronger people, we work with everyone from the elite athlete to the busy executive. Come in and live a stronger healthier life.

Training at Bad Wolf MMA Update

We here at Team Bad Wolf MMA are constantly pushing to raise the bar for training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. With a strong and balanced focus on sport jiu jitsu, Gracie self defense, and MMA competition we're committed to giving students and athletes a level of technical instruction that is unparalleled in the art. With a strong technical focus and ground breaking teaching methods, we're giving students a one of a kind experience. More than just a great place to learn jiu jitsu we create a family like atmosphere that is laid back and fun to train in, it makes the jiu jitsu more than just a sport, self defense, or MMA foundation art, it makes jiu jitsu a lifestyle.

Bad Wolf MMA Brings Home Six Medals from EGO

Team Bad Wolf MMA competed at the EGO tournament in Nashville, Tn on May 2, 2009. Our team of seven athletes competed in the Gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament and brought home six medals. Austin Nichols Gold medal teens white belt division, Cristian Garcia Bronze medal teens white belt division, Jamie Sutton Bronze medal adult white belt division, Brian Cockerham Silver adult white belt division, Jason Matherly Bronze adult blue belt division, and Paul Gardener Gold adult white belt division. Congratulations to all our team members and all their hard work in preparation for this event.

Congratulation to TUFF N NUFF Winner Dustin West

On April 24th in Las Vegas, Nevada our good friend Dustin West fought a dominant ametuer bout at Tuff N Nuff and gained his fourth straight win. Dustin is now 4-0 and won his latest bout by ref stoppage/TKO early in the second round. Congratulations go out to Dustin, his training team, and management, Dustin has been training hard and we wish him further continued success.

USA Wrestling Tournament Results

Bad Wolf MMA competed at the USA Wrestling Submission tournament on April 25th in Lebanon, Tn. The team represented Team Bad Wolf MMA well and brought home a total of four medals, Jamie Sutton and Matt Perry won Silver, as Dean Chilcut and Brian Cockerham won gold. Congratulations to all our team members and we look forward to more continued success this tournament season.

USA Wrestling Tournament April 25th

USA Wrestling will be hosting a tournament in Lebanon, Tn on April 25th. This is the first USA Wrestling tournament in Tennessee to to have the new system of submission grappling in the competition line-up. USA Wrestling and FILA have recently embraced submission grappling to their competition criteria that already includes Greco Roman and Freestyle Wrestling. Bad Wolf MMA is preparing a team and looks forward to this exciting and historic event.

Bad Wolf MMA Coach Prepares for Pan Ams

March 27-29 Carson, California welcomes the Pan American Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships and Bad Wolf MMA Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach Rahman Howard will be ready for the competition. After months of preparation Rahman will head to California to compete in the Black Belt masters division in hopes of continuing his success on the mats and gaining another Pan Am Gold medal. The entire team wishes him good luck and best wishes as he represents in California.

Bad Wolf MMA welcomes UFC fighter Nissen Osterneck

Bad Wolf MMA welcomes UFC fighter and team mate Nissen Osterneck to train before his debut in the UFC on April 1, 2009 at the Sommett Center in Nashville,Tn.

Nissen Osterneck, 5-1, will be making his UFC debut April 1st against UFC veteran Jorge Rivera. Nissen is orinianaly from Maui, Hawaii, and has been living in SC. He is a 2 time SC State grappling Champion, Arnold/Gracie Champion, and a WEC and GFC veterean.

Nissen recently received his brown belt from the legendary Relson Gracie. He trains Muay Thai under Superbrawl Champion Maurice Travis, and has trained with Relson brown belt Jay Dennis.

Training at Our Facility

Preparations continue at the academy to ready competitors for Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai events at the Arnold Fitness Expo March 7 -9 in Columbus, Ohio. Classes in technique and sparring sessions have intensified to strengthen our continuing comitment of competitive excellence. As a team we are hoping to continue our success in competition and continue to grow the reputation of our team nationally. Training camps for MMA have recently began for three of our fighters wishing to make their ametuer debuts. Hard work and days of sacrifice lay ahead of our team members, but with great training partners and an amazing atmosphere the journey ahead will filled with excitement and camradery as we all contribute to our winning philosophy and positive spirit. The gym is buzzing with excitement and anticipation for all our team members to compete, fight, and enjoy their successes in the competitive arena.

Congratulations to Dustin West

On Friday January 30th at the Wild Horse Saloon in downtown Nashville another installment of MMA took place in our fair city. Dustin West, Tennessee native, now fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada extended his record to perfect 2-o with a dominant 30-27 decision over Charlie Ward. Dustin had been training in Vegas at the Warrior Training Center for his fight and did his last two weeks of final prep at Bad Wolf MMA. We were glad to extend any and all help to this up and coming fighter as he embarks on a strong and successful ametuer career. Good luck to Dustin in his future fights and hopefully we will see him turning pro before to long.

What is MMA Really?

It's a common question and most often one that is answered incorrectly or completely ignored all together. Mixed Martial Arts or MMA as the common term thrown around these days has seen a long evolution from the days when it was called Vale Tudo or No Holds Barred. Our sport has become a refined and sanctioned event with very clear cut rules and defined styles that make up the base of the sport. Gone are the days of style against style pitted against each other to determine superiority between the arts. It has become more a match up of athletes and skill development than the of old traditional martial arts to see which was better.
MMA is not a style or discipline, it is a combination of arts or skill sets combined to make a complete fighting strategy. MMA requires every practitioner to be versed in a striking art (kicks and punches), a take down art (throwing 0r shooting), and a grappling art (ground control and submissions). Traditional arts rarely fare well in the competitive MMA arena, gone are the days of theory and kata, it's now a game of practical technique and applied skills. Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are just some of the core arts that make up a skilled MMA fighter. The arts that have an emphasis on practical usage and active sparring are the ones that translate best to MMA.
I would like to address some of the common misconceptions that are being held these days. It is my goal to expand the knowledge base of the general public and help educate the true nature of our sport, the more understanding that can be gained, the greater growth and prosperity MMA will see in the future.

1. MMA is all tough guys and tugs who want to fight all the time and bully people.

This couldn't be further from the truth, though there are some bad elements out there, the whole of our sport is made of professionals that all train with a different purpose. Some come to get in better shape, some see self defense applications, others just like competitive environments, and a few come to seek the professional sport aspect. It's not the sport or event the practitioners, but often a misleading image or view of our sport. The facts of what we do is often sensationalized or exploited by the negative media, the truth is that this is sport and we want to shown the same exposure and respect that football, soccer, or baseball is shown.

2. My traditional Martial Art is all I need. ie. Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, etc.

There was time when traditional martial arts reigned supreme, but combat evolves. Just as humankind evolved from the club to the spear, the sword to the rifle, and now the machine gun to the smart bomb, all combat evolves. What worked 2oo years ago may not work today and why there is something to say for the cultural preservation of such arts for their tradition, technique, and beauty, they do not translate well tot he world of MMA or true self defense. Think about this, 1000 years ago Buddhist monks studying Kung Fu didn't have to worry about urban self defense environments or fire arms. Would their principles hold up in an arena of well trained fight athletes with strong skill sets in practical fighting arts? I don't think they would fare well.

3. I'm too old to start training .

I absolutely hate this remark. You're never too old to take interest in living a better life, being healthy, feeling secure, and being a happier more well rounded individual. Not everyone that walks in the door wants to be fighting on t.v. and be famous. Everyone has a different motivation whether it be self defense, fitness, competition, recreation, or just the comradery that comes with training in an art with people that are your team mates and friends. You are never to old to learn something new or discovery something about yourself, challenges define character and seeking to do something new is often an adventure in and of it self.

I hope I've answered or cleared up some the misconceptions that surround our sport. If you have any questions or would like me to address some other issues of MMA, the arts the make up MMA, or anything about training let me know by sending your email or topic to info@badwolfmma.com.

UFC Penn vs. GSP Team Event

To all team members or those who would like to come out and the meet the team, we're watching the UFC this Saturday January 31 at Hooters in Rivergate. If you are a team member remember to wear your Bad Wolf MMA shirts and come out for a fun evening of UFC action, food, drinks, and whatever else can and usually will happen when we all go out. We'll start meeting at Hooters at or around 6:00 pm to begin celebrating what will hopefully be an action packed night of UFC fights and good friends having too much fun. See you there.

Tri State Grappling Championship

On January 17th in Union City, Kentucky the Ohio Grappling Challenge hosted the Tri State Grappling Championships, an open tournament that brought teams from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Team Bad Wolf MMA sent six team members to compete and produced impressive results. Team members Dean Chilcut, James Perry, Matt Perry, Kerry Scott, Jamie Sutton, and Ron Walters all traveled north and represented Team Bad Wolf in the competitive arena.
The event saw athletes from all over the mid west and southland showing that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission Grappling are growing in popularity and practice. Team Bad Wolf took an impressive five medals in competition:

Dean Chilcut 1st Gi and 3rd NoGi 149lbs. and under teen division

Matt Perry 3rd Gi 149lbs. and under division

Kerry Scott 2nd Gi 149lbs. and under division

Jamie Sutton 3rd NoGi 195lbs. and under division

Congratulations to all the competitors who went out and gave it their best and more continued success for Team Bad Wolf MMA.