Everyone knows that fighters are usually the center of attention but there is always a coach or a mentor behind their success. Hours of training inside the gym, watching tape, and building a game plan for an upcoming fight are the physical aspects of training. So what, at the end of the day, makes a coach “Great”?
That is the question MMA Futures put to a collection of Grey Hat fighters, and their insights into the subject were as profound and intricate as the sport of MMA itself. What they told us is that a coach may be experienced and precipitous in the knowledge he has to share, but he also needs to be able to adapt to the different fighters that come under his wing.
“In my opinion, a great MMA coach is someone who is open minded. He has to able to allow other people’s input. Coaches who learn new tricks daily are the best. They are the ones that change as the fight game is changing. If he is hard headed and sticks to his speicalty, it won’t give his fighters the total knowledge they need!”
“I’ve trained in several gyms. I’ve had a lot of different coaches that helped me get to where I am. I think to train in Mixed Martial Arts, you have to see everything, not just one aspect. It’s better if your coach hasd competed. He doesn’t have to win a championship but he does need to know what it feels like in the ring.”
“It is very hard to actually call someone an MMA coach these days. This sport is made up of different art forms and only a few people have the talent to teach all angles in a productive manner. An MMA coach needs to understand both the psychological and physical side of the sport. And have the right knowledge to mix multiple disciplines in a dynamic way. It’s almost impossible to find someone that knows it all…”
“Besides having been in the cage or at least competed in multiple martial arts, the secret of being a good MMA coach is to be knowledgeable in as many disciplines as possible and pick the best and most useful techniques. Coaches must adjust to the fighters, not just teach the same thing to everyone.”
“A great coach believes in his fighter. He should be wise enough to know his fighter’s style and be able to give him the technique that works best for him. Pushing fighters to the limit is surely one of the best traits of a great MMA coach. And maintaining a good relationship with his team and his fighters. Also Patience is surely a virtue as a coach should be a mentor and ready to understand and teach his students, no matter which background they come from…”
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