Video courtesy of Geoff Wilson – Fighters Coaches & Fathers.
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Once you have a relationship with the UFC and the matchmakers…there’s trust.
— Coach Brian Bird , Founder, Champion’s Creed
WHAT EXACTLY DOES TRUST MEAN?
Well, when Champion’s Creed says that a fighter is ready, the UFC and the matchmakers understand that he or she is.
And how does Champion’s Creed know that a fighter is ready?
Founder & Coach Brian Bird says you need experience to recognize when a fighter is at the right level to compete.
EXPERIENCE IS SOMETHING BRIAN HAS BIG TIME.
He began as a teen…old school…before the Internet was the resource it is now …watching something called ‘VHS tapes’ and training with his friends. This was before MMA existed, so they learned martial arts such as kung fu and karate.
THEN, THEY BEGAN TO HEAR ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED ‘ULTIMATE FIGHTING.’
Watching these events motivated Brian to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Eventually he connected with Professor Roy Harris—one of the first, North American, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts.
IN 2001, BRIAN OPENED HIS FIRST OFFICIAL ‘MMA’ SCHOOL.
MMA was not yet a recognized sport, so Brian was actually ahead of his time. It wasn’t until 2005 when the “Ultimate Fighter” TV show aired that MMA became really well-known.
Since then, Brian has trained hundreds of students, including some famous MMA fighters.
In the interview, Brian talks about what makes a good fighter. It might not be what you think.
For example, Brian talked about his famous protegee, Nick Ring. Many others told Nick that he was gifted. Brian disagrees. He says that Nick has what it takes. And what is that? You’ll have to listen to the interview to find out the answer but be warned: this information can seriously raise the levels of your training and fighting performances.
BRIAN IS ALSO A FATHER.
DOES SOME OF WHAT HE LEARNED FROM MMA & BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU ENTER INTO HIS PARENTING STYLE?
Absolutely! Brian says that through Jiu-Jitsu, he’s learned that it’s important to give students the opportunity for guided, self-discovery. In other words, they try, and he’s there to protect them and talk them through, picking them up if needed; then they try again…repeat until done. Brian uses this same style with his children.
Why is this style so valuable?
Brian believes that when we guide people to figure things out on their own, they strengthen their problem-solving abilities—another tool in the ‘successful fighter toolkit’.
Valuable Tips Throughout
Don’t let the video length put you off. There are valuable tips throughout. So, if you are serious about your Martial Arts training, it will be time well spent.
