Fighters Performance Podcast

In this episode, Dr Paul Wood, an expert in differential psychology discusses how anger and aggression, while seemingly damaging and unbearable can be harnessed to positively improve oneself and lead to a positive contribution to society through combat sport.

Paul discusses some of the research and current thinking around Anger and Aggression, what role these characteristics have within combat sport, and how they can influence the path you take throughout life.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In this episode, we talk to current NSW State Coach Ivica Pavlinic about his pathway chasing Olympic sized medals as a New Zealand Judo athlete and how this experience has shaped his philosophies and approach to coaching.

He shares some insightful truths about the top level of sport, explaining the complexities of high performance coaching, and the importance of strategic planning to maximize all available resources towards success in Judo.

Josh Hinger is a three-time IBJJF No-gi World Champion, pioneer of the guillotine, innovator of the 'Hingertine' Submission System, and ATOS black belt. Known as an extremely aggressive submission hunter.

We were lucky to have him here in Sydney for a special episode while touring Australia and New Zealand for a lineup of seminars. This episode was worth recording twice (technical issues).

From humble beginnings in CA, America he would not have imagined travelling the World teaching seminars and influencing the grappling world with his dominant and offensive style.

As a former high school wrestler, he began his submission grappling career in 2003, going on to become the only American ever to win the No-gi World Championship 3 years running.

The host of The Matburn Podcast, alongside a sometimes present Keenan Cornelius.

Another phenomenal guest and great human that has a lot to contribute to the fight community.

Joseph Coyne is an exercise physiologist, sports scientist and performance coach. He has worked with a number of professional, world champion and Olympic athletes in Australia, New Zealand and China.

Since recording this podcast, Joseph Coyne is now the Director of Athletics at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai.

He is the host of ASCA Podcast, a must-listen for any coach looking to improve their knowledge of strength and conditioning.

An exponent of Jiu Jitsu.

Danny is the founder of Sigma Nutrition. In the past, he has worked as a nutrition practitioner with a wide variety of clients. He became well known for his role as a performance nutritionist to professional mixed martial artists & boxers.

Widely known for hosting the top-ranked podcast Sigma Nutrition Radio, Danny is also a respected educator in the field.

He has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork. In addition to that research, Danny also completed a BSc. Degree in Biology and Physics Education and spent a year teaching these subjects.

Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and competitive powerlifter.

Meer talks about his experience as a strength and conditioning coach, sharing words from his mentors and giving you insight into the development of rotational movement patterns in combat athletes.

What have you heard about strength and conditioning?

Myth: I don't want to get big, so I'll just lift lighter weight.

Myth: You can spot reduce the abdominal region by doing sit-ups or crunches.

Myth: I should run to get fit. Myth: Squats are bad for your knees and lower back.

You would be right not to trust any of these statements!

We kick episode eleven off with Elliot to squash some of these myths and set the bar straight on what strength and conditioning is for fighters.

Elliot Taylor has had a long career in high performance sport, as a strength and conditioning coach to professional fighters, rugby league players and other athletes. He was also recognised as the best assistant coaches of 2018 by the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association.

I bumped into him after a training session at Athletes Authority and thought we had better get him on this podcast to draw attention to some of the misconceptions, myths and old traditions that need addressing in fight sport.

Do you have a fighters mindset?

Dr Hermansson introduces us to some concepts of sports psychology and we chat about it's relevance to fight sports.

- 5x Olympic Games sports psychologist.

- 5x Commonwealth Games sport psychologist.

- Acclaimed Sports Psychology Author.

- A long career working with professional and semi-professional athletes.

In sport, everyone is striving for an edge and, as physical preparation and skill level even out, mental performance is the deciding factor. We are always told that the mind is 70, 80 and 90% of performance outcome and yet we are given very little training in this area. Psychology coaches are reserved for the top tier of professional athletes.

We are privileged to have Gary on the show and we hope everyone can take something away from this discussion and consider more resources - I'm thoroughly recommending Dr Hermansson's book, 'Going Mental in Sport'.

Why do fighters grind week in week out?

We find out how Cam motivates himself to train for the "W" in the cage and push toward the UFC. We chat about how he balances his training schedule, while completing a world class strength and conditioning program. What he takes from his training in the gym and where he sees it benefit him in fight game.

An insightful chat to the future of Australian MMA. His next fight has now been announced; Cam "Van Damme" Rawston Vs Isi "DOXZ" Fitikefu for the middleweight title @SuperFightMMA.

Do you ever wonder how a coaches mind works?

You may think coaching is only done in the gym, but after discussing the development of gaps in fight athletes with Fab, you may realise it's much more than that.

Fab draws on his experience as a Sport and Fitness Coach at Tafe, Co-owner/Coach of Gracie Smeaton Grange gym, and enlightens our podcast with his experience with athletes at the top of the UFC.

Listen to this podcast to find out how one of the most highly regarded coaches gets the most out of his athletes and the team around him.