MMA Business - December 2012 by HansenHouse Communication

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On The Mat: < Bosu Madness Pedro Says: < Too Much MMA TV? Events: < Fight Summit Recap

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CONTENTS DECEMBER 2012 • VOLUME 3 No. 6

DEPARTMENTS 4 I MIXED THOUGHTS Talk to Me

6 I BUSINESS PLAN

Professional Communication

8 I GOING DIGITAL

Subsribe to a FREE Digital Version of MMA Business

10 I THE BEAT

MMA World Expo Rescheduled, Bellator Plans Reality TV for Spike, ASF Promotions, MMA in Florida

13 I EVENT REPORT

Fight Summit

16 I PROFILE

Cage Fitness

20 I CENTER RING

Ray Sefo and the WSOF

24 I AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

MMA Business is preparing to honor industry leaders

36 I BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Maximize Membership Value

38 I THE FIGHT BUSINESS

Fight Music, Women in UFC, Letter to Editor

40 I WIDE WORLD OF MMA

UFC Gym Sydney, Canada Updates

42 I YOUR GYM

Girl Fight Martial Arts, Tom’s River, N.J.

44 I PRO SHOP

New Products and Services

46 I ON THE MAT

Bosu – Not What You Think

48 I OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON Too Much is Not Enough

W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

DEC EM BER 2012

MIXED THOUGHTS from the Editor www.MMABusiness.com Vol. 3, No. 6, December 2012

MAGAZINE STAFF Publisher Richard Hendricks rh@HendricksBCS.com 612-306-1707

Talk To Me I’m in the communication business. My phone, email and a variety of social media accounts are vital to me. I’ve found ways to connect with people through Twitter, text messaging, and more. Communication today is easy, and this ease helps build businesses. So why won’t you return my phone calls, emails, or LinkedIn messages? Seriously, I’m Talking To You We’re completing our third year of producing and delivering MMA Business magazine. This is the 18th issue we’ve published. I’m proud of this work, and of the unique stories we’ve told about MMA professionals. Some people wonder, “Why haven’t you told my story? Why haven’t you written about my business?” Good question. Did you return my phone call or email? Of course, I have not tried to contact all of you. That’s true. But for all the stories we have told about MMA gyms, trainers, new products and businesses, there are some we haven’t told because I couldn’t reach you. I know; I’m not perfect either. I haven’t returned every email. But if someone tries to reach me a dozen or more times by phone or email, I’ll get back to them. And when someone hands me a business card, looks me in the eye and says “Gimme a call,” I expect them to return that call. So, return my call. Media Relations Maybe it’s because I’m in that hated group called “the media.” We’re despised today, like elected officials and replacement referees. But this ain’t “60 Minutes.” We’re here to tell business-building stories about Mixed Martial Arts professionals. We don’t have a massive audience, but this magazine is mailed to more than 7,000 readers, and we share stories online to thousands more professionals. So here are my two Media Relations tips: 1. Respond to the media. If a reporter contacts you – whether from MMA Business, a local radio station, an MMA fan blog, or ESPN – you have a chance to tell your story to a lot of people. You can either respond and take control of that story, or let the reporter write what he wants. Or worse, ignore you completely. 2. Beat the media to it and contact them first. Most reporters, me included, need stories, information and news. By providing that, you’ll build a communication relationship that is bound to help grow your business. If you don’t, your competition will. Call Me, Maybe From my home office in Southern California, I can do almost everything I need to do. What I can’t do is tell your story unless you respond. Lucky for me, I continue to find great sources who do respond, telling me about their business, their expertise or their products. Gotta go now. My phone is ringing. 909.227.5918

Glenn

GLENN HANSEN

GLENN@HANSENHOUSECOMMUNICATION.COM

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Editor Glenn Hansen glenn@hansenhousecommunication.com Editorial Contributors Ted Czech, Kevin Kearns Dale Shirley (Photographer) Nick Roach, Raphael Garcia Art Director Brett Link, BlinkVisuals Brett@BlinkVisuals.com 612-741-3048 Advertising Sales Representatives White Chocolate Management reed@whitecm.com Erick Marklund emarklund@usinternet.com 952-388-4191 Mike Marchand mmabusinesscanada@gmail.com 226-344-6MMA MMA ADVISORY BOARD John Bostick, Amber Galvanosi, Jamie Gudell, Jeff and Barry Meyer, Hans Molenkamp, Greg Nelson, Pascal Pakter, Erik Paulson, Steve Pinado, Kekoa Quipotla CIRCULATION FULFILLMENT Knowledge Marketing Publishing Services

MMA Business is published 6 times annually by MMA Business LLC, 9444 Deerwood Lane North, Maple Grove, MN 55369. Postmaster: send address changes to MMA Business, 9444 Deerwood Lane N., Maple Grove, MN 55369.

MMA BUSINESS LLC 800-989-8085 President Chuck Blanski Vice President/Sales & Marketing Jimmy Pedro Subscription Information: Free to qualified members of the mixed martial arts industry. To subscribe or renew your free subscription, go to: MMABusiness.com, Customer Service: contact MMA Business, 9444 Deerwood Lane North, Maple Grove, MN 55369. Call 800-8696882, Fax 866-658-6156, or e-mail MMA@ kmpsgroup.com Editorial Submissions: return postage must accompany all manuscripts and photographs submitted to MMA Business if they are to be returned. MMA Business is not responsible for unsolicited materials. MMA Business makes no endorsements, representations, guarantees or warranties regarding products and services presented or advertised within the publication. © 2012 by MMA Business LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Printed in U.S.A.

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BUSINESS PLAN Professional Communication – Listen Up Business communication has never been easier, nor more time-consuming than in today’s environment. How you deal with that contradiction can determine your long-term success with professional relationships. And this business – like so many – is all about relationships. Today’s business leaders need to focus on four key relationships: • With customers and prospects • With other industry professionals • With your staff and co-workers • And with the media Yes, you can do it all. You have to. Here’s how. Listen to Customers You may think you’re already doing this pretty well. You and your staff greet members when they come for training. Maybe you even know them all by name. And you use Facebook and email marketing to communicate schedule updates, announce special deals, and work to reach new customers. Fine. That’s enough about you. With existing customers and prospects alike, the most valuable communication comes from them, not you. This is true for MMA gym owners, for coaches and trainers, and for manufacturers and product marketers. The only way you can satisfy customers and attract new ones is to provide them what they need. To do this well, listen. If and when customers want to know about you, they have plenty of options to find what they need. They can look online. They can ask other members. And they may even ask you directly. That’s when you talk about you. Otherwise, ask about them. What do they need? What would make them more satisfied? What do they dislike about your business? They’ll talk, and they’ll be honest. And if you listen well, you’ll succeed. Share with Industry Professionals This industry is small and it’s young. Yes, martial arts has been around a long time, and internationally that industry packs a punch. But MMA is a professional infant. MMA Business has been in the industry three years now; we’ve crawled and walked, and now we’re running. Along the way, we’ve done our best to share information. We ask questions and listen, then share what we learn. The

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goal is that we’ll gain from this sharing as you do. The other option is to close our doors, stay inside, not answer the phone, and do what we can on our own to grow. Is that your model? Maybe not consciously, but many MMA professionals are doing just that. They keep to themselves because they’re busy, business is okay, and they have full schedules. Plus, some are challenged to find professional sharing opportunities. It doesn’t take much looking, however, to find valuable opportunities to meet, interact with, and share with other MMA professionals. Events like Fight Summit (see page 13), the Member Solutions Boot Camp, Champions Way seminars, and more, are attended by hundreds of industry professionals every year. They should, however, be attended by thousands of industry professionals. All who go invest time and money, and leave with hugely valuable information that boosts their business. You can also share valuable industry communication close to home and frequently by attending training sessions organized by the leading trainers in your area. MMA Business is fortunate to have an office near Erik Paulson’s CSW training center, and when he has a weekend seminar scheduled, we go and listen and learn. Paulson and other training leaders travel the nation and world to share their experience. Take advantage of these opportunities. Or produce your own such events if you have expertise to share. With your Staff and Co-workers We’ve all worked for managers and business owners who feel their power is strengthened by withholding information. That’s not only bad for business, it’s just bad humanity. We’re not talking about sharing every professional decision or all corporate data. Some things need to be kept in the corner office. But many business leaders could find a hidden business boost if they simply said “thanks” more often. Business leaders need to develop the habit of thankful communication, acknowledging when employees succeed at work. To be fair, most managers aren’t intentionally cold hearted. It’s often simply human nature to focus on things that are not working well. Employees need more than a paycheck. Best of all, it’s easy to tell employees you appreciate

their work, and to show them you’re thankful by granting a half-day vacation or giving a gift card to a local restaurant. You might even work with local restaurant owners to trade gift cards for free workouts – hey, there’s an idea. Back to communication; you need to share with employees individually and as a group that their work is valued and important. Doing so – with specifics – will encourage more of that great behavior, and will build a trust that improves relationships for the long haul. We’re from the Media. We’re Here to Help. Communication with the media is completely misunderstood by many MMA professionals. Businesses can buy ads in magazines like this one or on websites. They can sponsor radio shows or support bloggers. That type of paid media communication can be an important part of an overall marketing plan. But it’s not what we’re talking about here. You need to communicate with the media because they can help you tell your story. And you can help them with their job. This mutually beneficial relationship is at the heart of media relations today. How do I know? I am the media. MMA Business writers make countless phone calls working on

articles for each issue. We call a wide variety of industry experts – gym owners, trainers, coaches, product engineers, promoters, fighters, apparel makers – to discuss story ideas, to ask questions, and to get quotes for use in the magazine. Basically, we want to talk about your business, and we often want to tell thousands of readers about your products or services. We’re too often surprised by your inability to communicate back. Lucky for us, we have a growing number of sources who embrace the ability to talk about their businesses in front of our readers. We’ve proved to many industry professionals that MMA Business is a professional communication piece, and that we’re here to help grow this industry. We won’t, however, leave countless voicemails, emails, or text messages for those of you who don’t understand the media. Most often, we want to help tell your story. Yes, it helps us produce our product. But that’s a fair trade – we can help each other. If you’re not interested in communicating with the media, your competitors might be, and we’ll find them instead.

Glenn

GLENN HANSEN

W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

DEC EM BER 2012

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After three years of growth, MMA Business is entering the digital world. Starting with the February 2013 Issue, we will be offering Digital Editions of the magazine you have come to trust and count on. If you would like MMA Business Digital sent directly to your computer Six Times each year (February, April, June, August, October, December), simply go to www.mmabusinessmag.com to register. It’s that easy! MMA Business Digital will continue to provide you with the latest industry news as well as practical and useful articles to help you grow and become more profitable. But now, we can offer even more than the print version has delivered, including active links to

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TheBEAT

FIGHTS + NEWS + HAPPENINGS +

EVENTS + LEADERS

Fourth Annual MMA World Expo Rescheduled

+ The MMA World Expo brings together some of the world’s best trainers and coaches, such as Marcelo Garcia (shown here), Jimmy Pedro and others.

for February 16 & 17, 2013 in NYC “It’s been difficult for everyone,” said Paul Paone, director and founder of the MMA World Expo, speaking of Hurricane Sandy and its impact on New York City and the surrounding areas. “The majority of our audience comes from the five boroughs. Almost everyone involved had some damage done to their home or business.” Paone decided to reschedule the MMA World Expo from its original date in early December; the event will now take place on February 16 and 17, 2013 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. “The decision to move the event

dates was easy when you consider the fact that there are thousands of local residents left homeless and striving to recover from the storm,” said Paul Paone. “It is incredibly difficult to move an event with as many tournaments, exhibits, and special events as the MMA World Expo, but all parties including vendors, attendees, and special guests have been exceptionally understanding and cooperative which is reflective of the unique bond held within the Mixed Martial Arts community,” Paone continued.

The 4th edition of the MMA World Expo in February will continue to host the FILA North American Invitational Amateur MMA Tournament, which has already registered dozens of international and local fighters to compete. In addition, the expo will feature Jiu Jitsu tournaments, training seminars, special events, demonstrations, MMA celebrity signings, educational seminars, and product displays from leading industry companies.

UFC GETS CREATIVE IN NEW YORK In the battle to legalize professional MMA fighting in New York state, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is trying two methods, at least, to break through the ongoing stalemate. On information that NY Governor Cuomo wanted to create a new sports division within the Empire State Development Corporation, UFC urged the Governor and ESDC in October to raise its combined voice to legalize pro MMA in New York. In a statement to the Governor made public, UFC’s Lorenzo Fertitta said, “There are hundreds of MMA schools and training facilities across the state. New Yorkers are helping to make MMA the fastest growing sport in history – both in fans and in participants. “It’s time to let New York MMA fans attend UFC events in New York City, on Long Island, in the Hudson Valley, in the Capital Region, in the North Country, in the Mohawk Valley, in Central New York, in the Southern Tier, in the Finger Lakes Region, and in Western New York.” It’s not clear if the Governor has the legislative power to sign pro MMA into law. The state courts are hearing other arguments between Zuffa, UFC parent company, and New York State. In August, the court dismissed Zuffa’s Equal Protection and Due Process claims. Zuffa amended its complaint against New York, leaving the NY Attorney General as the sole defendant in the lawsuit. Zuffa has also complained of First Amendment violations, noting that MMA is a form of expression. The state is likely to dismiss those claims, too, arguing that sports are not protected by the First Amendment. 10

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MMA in Fla. The Beyond The Cage MMA Expo, South Florida’s Premiere MMA Expo, was held Nov. 25 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Founded by Jerry Gladstone, president of Beyond the Cage MMA, the Expo included training seminars, celebrity appearances, MMA product exhibitors, and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament. Alistair Overeem and Randy Couture were two of the most popular attractions at the show. Couture posed with Don Oriolo, artist of Felix the Cat fame (above), with artwork used in cancer-research fundraiser.

TheBEAT FIGHTS + NEWS + HAPPENINGS +

EVENTS + LEADERS

ASF International Announces Promotions ASF International, a leading provider of billing and software services to martial arts schools and gyms, announces several promotions. Sean Kirby was promoted from National Sales Director to Vice President of Client Relations. He will be working to ensure a cohesive client experience across all points of contact, and also working on new product development. Kirby is on the board of FISA and has chaired the FISA East and FISA West VIP Networking Events for the past eight years. ASF promoted Jason Abucejo to Senior Sales Executive. He’s worked at ASF for over 5 years, leading the company in sales and new client partnerships. He is the highest ranking sales executive within the company and is responsible for business analysis and price setting of new clients. Abucejo studied Tae Kwon Do for nine years and achieved the level of 1st Degree Black Belt. Currently, he is an advocate of both functional Sean Kirby and Kettlebell training, and is exploring new forms of Martial Arts with fitness training integration. Jason Weston joins the ASF teams as new Vice President of Sales and Business Development. Weston’s real passion and goals for ASF are related to innovations in the payments industry, and utilizing technology to add value and efficiency for our clients.

MMA Capital of the Midwest A new TV show, “WI MMA Today,” showcases the fighters and events that make up an increasingly popular MMA scene in southern Wisconsin. The show is a collaborative effort between fighter Anthony Pettis, Duke Roufus of the Roufusport training center, and the Wisconsin National Guard, lead sponsor of the show. The show debuted Saturday, November 10 on local channel WCGV TV My 24 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and surrounding coverage areas. Pettis recently became part owner of Roufusport, and the show is the gym’s latest promotional effort. “For me to become part owner of the gym that started my career in the UFC means the world to me,” exclaimed Pettis. “I get to give other fighters the opportunity that Duke’s gym gave me. I’m looking forward to new challenges, including the television show.” “WI MMA Today” will air 13 original episodes on Saturday evenings, and will rebroadcast each episode on NAFC’s YouTube channel (NAFC.tv) set for the subsequent Monday following its television airing. The show focuses on the state’s amateur adult mixed martial arts and youth Pankration competitors and training facilities. “Stagnant economy or not, we felt the timing couldn’t be more perfect than now to launch WI MMA Today,” continued Joffe. “Mixed martial arts participation and viewership continues to rise and ‘WI MMA Today’ plans on giving Wisconsin’s strong base of fighters and camps a chance to really shine in the limelight on television in Wisconsin and globally online.” 12

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Jason Abucejo

Jason Weston

Bellator Adds Reality Show with Move to Spike TV When Bellator moves from MTV2 to Spike TV in January 2013, the promotion will add its own reality TV show, in the likes of “The Ultimate Fighter” (TUF). Spike TV was the original network host of UFC’s TUF, and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney is confident his new show can give Bellator a similar boost. “There are some wickedly good pros on this show,” said Rebney to MMAjunkie.com. “I think we have the greatest collection of talent that’s ever been on a reality show in this genre.” The new reality show will be produced by Bertram van Munster, the award-winning co-creator of CBS’s reality mega-hit “The Amazing Race.” Bellator has not yet announced the name of the show, nor its production locale. Rebney says the show will be built around good story-telling that lets viewers get to know the fighters while also enjoying MMA action. Bellator hosted open tryouts at American Top Team in Florida over the summer for the show, which is expected to feature lightweight and welterweight fighters. To further build drama for Bellator’s move to Spike TV, the “Bellator: Vote For The Fight” contest is currently running to let fans select the first fight to air on Spike in January. This election includes four fighter candidates: Paul Daley, Ben Saunders, Douglas Lima, and the infamous War Machine. Spike.com ran fighterspecific webisodes throughout November to let fans get to know the fighters. With some old and some new ideas, Bellator is working hard to promote its talent and entertainment against the much-larger UFC and its promotional support from the Fox family of networks.

Good Things in Sma l l Pac k age s B y

G l e n n

Fight Summit, the MMA industry’s lone trade gathering, is as important today as when it launched three years ago. The 2012 event, held November 3 and 4 in Las Vegas, proved that. Too bad most of the industry wasn’t there to see it. Some companies were forced to skip the event due to damage caused by Hurricane Sandy that hit the East Coast just days before. We can’t honestly judge why a company might skip a trade conference like this – any business or person can have good a reason. But we can say this: Those industry professionals and companies who have consistently and actively participated in Fight Summit for three years have received a business-boosting re-

H a n s e n turn on investment. Whether through seminar attendance, active business networking, live training sessions, or post-event relationship building, Fight Summit attendees are better professionals for participating. Industry-specific events such as Fight Summit are important to more than just your business – especially for a young industry like Mixed Martial Arts. Your attendance will deliver rewards immediately. And those rewards multiply exponentially when more professionals attend. So when a company chooses not to participate, it impacts the industry as a whole. We imagine some MMA professionals choose what we’ll call “quick retail” gains over the long-term W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

DEC EM BER 2012

+ Fight Summit can connect gym

+ (left) Fight Summit 2012

owners and trainers directly with product developers. Rodrigo Galvanosi (left) of Fearless Fighting in Greenville, N.C., talks with Pro Strike’s Paul Smith.

concluded with an invite-only Jiu-Jitsu tournament. This win-by-submission event delivered incredible action.

+ (Bottom) How often would

an industry pro get a chance to have a face-to-face meeting with Stitch Duran? Dan Greene of TufMed talks with the famous cutman and his wife Charlotte.

+ (Below) Knockout Athletics, an apparel and gear developer out of New York, attended Fight Summit for the first time, and made serious business connections throughout the weekend.

boost that can come from Fight Summit. That’s proven in part by the number of t-shirt companies that come and go from this industry. And because Fight Summit is not a consumer-oriented retail show, those seeking quick cash will skip it. That’s fine. But the rest of the industry should attend trade conferences like this. Mike Hauben and the Fight Summit staff work hard to organize quality content and training shared throughout the weekend event. For example, the seminar by Bruce Buffer – “Branding and Marketing in the MMA Industry” – was packed with high-quality information that can’t be attained at

other events. Michael Mersch of the UFC took an hour to discuss MMA regulation and sponsorship, and those pros in the room got his undivided attention. Jaco Clothing’s Ryan Loco talked at length about social media marketing, presenting industry specific advice for MMA professionals. And that’s just a few of the seminars. The networking that took place outside the seminars was equally valuable – for those who actively engaged. Hauben is planning the 2013 Fight Summit, and MMA Business will be there again. We hope to see you there.

2012 Fight Summit Exhibitors • American College of Sports Development • Affiliated Acceptance Corporation • Bondi Band • Cleto Reyes • Damage Control Mouthguards • Dollamur • Fighters, Inc. • Five Round Fury

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• Fuji Sports • Karate Insurance • Knockout Athletics • Lister Fighting Systems • Mass Suit • Mindbody, Inc • MMA Business Magazine • Monster Energy • Monster Rings & Cages • Moskova • Mt. Everclimb

W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

• Neocell Sport • Novo Watches • One Coconut Water • Perform Better • Power Systems • Protos Foods/Ostrim • Revgear • Shwag Screenprinting • Triumph United & Osiris Shoes • Zebra Mats

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PROFILE: Cage Fitness The fitness industry is filled with stories of fads, trends and one-hit training wonders. From Billy Blank’s “Tae-Bo” craze to “P90X” to the new “Zumba” revolution, these trends appealed to a range of enthusiasts, and earned varying levels of respect. But they have one thing in common; they’ve continued the belief among many that fitness classes, in general, are more about marketing hype than about fitness gains. That may be true of some fitness programming. The MMA industry is fortunate to have class programming such as Cage Fitness to help break this trend. MMA Business spoke with Steven Holliday, Cage Fitness Director of Operations, to learn more about the company behind the classes. MMA Business: When did Cage Fitness launch? And where? Steven Holliday: We launched Cage Fitness in 2009 at a Martial Arts Industry Association event in Orlando. That weekend, we signed up several martial arts schools to licensing deals right away. The first to sign up included Mike Chat at XMA Headquarters in Los Angeles, the Malakoffs of Kang’s Black Belt Academy in Massachusetts and several others. We now have close to 350 licensed facilities worldwide. This licensing agreement gives these gym and school owners the rights to use the system and programming, and the rights to use the likeness of Matt Hughes in promotions. It’s not a franchise deal; those set up far more detailed structures and rules about business operation. MMA: Are most of these licensors martial arts-type businesses? Or have general fitness businesses signed on? 16

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+ Matt Hughes

is still the lead fighter-spokesperson for the Cage Fitness brand. Here, he helps lead a class at Leading Edge Martial Arts in Pennsylvania.

Holliday: Right now, it’s predominantly martial arts and MMA school owners. But we are now breaking into the gym and health club market. We’re going to offer instructor certifications, and that will help us get into the larger fitness market. It’s not martial arts. It’s fitness that incorporates martial arts. The fitness market is huge; it dwarfs the martial arts market, and that martial arts market is still much bigger than the MMA market. So for MMA and martial arts businesses, Cage Fitness gives owners a chance to invite potential clients who may not want to do martial arts but do want the fitness benefits. All the while, they’re training in a kind of martial arts program-

W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

ming, and in the same school and on the mats as mixed martial artists. A Cage Fitness instructor can incorporate as much or as little martial arts as they want. The instructor has the creativity to fit the class exercises to the people on the mat. Focus it on fitness, or focus it more on martial arts techniques. The versatility is there. MMA: You launched a Cage Fitness home version, how is that working? And does that take away from your licensees business potential? Holliday: Here’s what I explain to licensees or potential licensees: the home kit allows us to spread the brand further, especially near cities

+ Matt Hughes and Cage Fitness trainer

Jessy Norton sign autographs after a class.

kit can help people get started, and then they may join a group class. Our primary goal is to have more licensees, and home kits can help us do that. where we don’t have a licensee presence. We have people out there who run successful programs while we continue selling home kits. The in-school group classes will always be superior. How many people do you know who bought Tae-Bo videos back in the day, and never even unwrapped the plastic? Working out at home is just not the same. Plus, there is nobody there to push you, to motivate you, to watch and correct movements. And the workouts in group classes change all the time – driven by the instructor’s energy. Still, the home product is good for people who can’t easily access a group class, or who might be intimidated by group classes. And the home

MMA: How do you help licensees once they’ve signed on? Holliday: We do our best to stay connected with our licensees. We make recommendations, and try to steer schools in the right direction. We offer advice on programming schedules, class frequency, and more, to help the make the most of Cage Fitness. We have an instructor group page on Facebook; it’s like a forum and it gives these professionals a chance to network with each other on a variety of ideas, from marketing to class routines. We get some good interaction here and people share ideas and ask questions.

of your promotional material. He’s a big part of Cage Fitness. But how does a non-MMA crowd respond to that marketing? Holliday: It gets a response. Even in the fitness world, many people do know who Matt is, or they recognize that he is a nine-time world champion. That gives credibility to the program. Still, the best credibility is, go out there and take a class. It’s like the cliché of “a picture is worth a thousand words.” A Cage Fitness class is worth more than a thousand words. It helps broaden the appeal to what some mistakenly consider a women’s class. Cage Fitness is more like a “group training” class and less like a “group fitness” class. It’s not like Zumba (group fitness), which is popular but appeals mostly to women in a dance environment. Guys can be very comfortable getting a great workout in Cage Fitness.

MMA: You use Matt Hughes in most W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

DEC EM BER 2012

PROFILE: Cage Fitness

+ Jessy Norton (left) and Matt Hughes lead a Cage Fitness instructor training seminar.

MMA: What’s the new relationship with Chael Sonnen and Tyron Woodley? Holliday: Woodley has a license and runs the program in his American Top Team school in St. Louis. Sonnen is a spokesperson, and is involved with us from a promotional standpoint. And Chael – many people either love him or hate him, but everybody listens to him and wants to watch him. MMA: Tell us about your plans for international expansion. Holliday: We have a master licenser in Australia and New Zealand. They’re already certifying instructors there through the Australian College of Sports Development. In Australia, all fitness professionals must be certified; it’s regulated by the government there. We have a master licenser in Germany as well. Germany is very traditional with its martial arts, and MMA is not quite as popular. They know about UFC, but aren’t as recep18

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tive to MMA yet. They understand Cage Fitness, but it’s quite new to this traditional market. MMA: You mentioned certification of instructors. What’s the plan for that in the U.S.? Holliday: In the fitness world, everything is based on certification credentials for instructors. We’ve developed a Cage Fitness Specialist Certification with the International Fitness Professionals Association (IFPA). The new certification will allow us to develop further into the fitness world, and deliver benefits to martial arts instructors as well. The IFPA has created other certification programs. The group will also help promote Cage Fitness to fitness professionals nationwide. MMA: How has Cage Fitness as a business grown since the launch in 2009? Holliday: We are definitely growing,

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though we won’t share exact numbers. Plus, we look at 350 licensed facilities worldwide, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of martial arts schools. We want to help individual martial arts schools grow, too. The fitness aspects will help schools expand and retain students. MMA and martial arts schools have their core business. But for many there is down time in the schedule. Cage Fitness will allow you to add classes into those down times and make money. They could run a Jiu-Jitsu class at 9 am, but they might not get much participation. Cage Fitness lets them tap into the bigger fitness market, bringing in new clients, and generating good word-of-mouth promotion.

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CenterRing Q&A WITH

RAY SEFO Fans of kickboxing are familiar with Ray “Sugarfoot” Sefo and his distinguished career in K1 competition. The 41-yearold fighter earned 56 kickboxing victories, 38 by TKO, and he fought a handful of pro boxing and MMA fights as well. If not for his new job as president of the World Series of Fighting (WSOF), the New Zealander now living in Las Vegas would most likely be training for his next fight. BY GLENN HANSEN MMA Business talked with Ray Sefo following the WSOF’s inaugural fight held Nov. 3 at Planet Hollywood’s PH Live theater in Las Vegas. MMA Business: You’re a fighter, with success in Kickboxing, Boxing and MMA. You’ve spoken about the importance of understanding the fighters’ side of the business. But why is that so important from a business perspective? Ray Sefo: I guess the most important part is understanding their sacrifices, being away from family during training, and realizing what they do to help make this business successful. A network like NBC Sports understands that we have assembled a group of people who have been in the business for many years, with a lot of experience. All our staff has a martial arts background to different degrees. Our matchmaker Ali Abdel Aziz was a judo Olympian. MMA: What other experience do you have that qualifies you to be head of the WSOF? Sefo: With a business partner, I put on a show called Kings of New Zea20

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land; it was a huge show of kickboxing competition against athletes from all over the world. We ran that show with minimal staff. It taught me a great deal about this business. Running that was a good start. Then we were able take the rights to promote K1 in New Zealand. And it + Ray Sefo, left, opens the World Series of Fighting was on prime-time TV; a televised on NBC Sports, with host Todd Harris. hit show. That was back in 2003 and 2004, and we ran that for to a friend to discuss that business. That about six years. friend beat me to it, calling me, but to With all this experience, plus a full op- discuss starting this new league. He’s a erations staff, we can make this a success. silent investor, a huge martial arts and MMA fan. MMA: Tell us about the beginnings of We had event production support the World Series Of Fighting. Where from a company called Tupelo Honey. did the idea come from? How did NBC They have years of experience in sports Sports get involved? event production. And with their experience, we got together with John Miller Sefo: It’s a funny story. I was getting in- (head of the NBC Sports Agency, and terviewed on Tapout Radio and we were chief marketing officer for NBC Univertalking about K1 and who might take sal). And by the end of our first meeting over that business. I knew this was some- with NBC, we had a good agreement. thing I could do. After that interview, When we were in there, we were told on a Friday night, and I was planning on that there were two other fight leagues making a phone call the next morning with proposals into NBC.

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MMA: How did you get fighters for this first event? You promoted “tryouts” on your website? Were those successful?

MINDBODY IS AS VERSATILE AS OUR FIGHTERS

+ Sefo and fighters at the inaugural event’s weigh-ins.

Sefo: We advertised the tryouts on our website and on Facebook. And we got a lot of response in a short amount of time. We had about 30 people try out, and we had five people in that group who are going to be stars someday soon. Another five of those fighters will need some work but are going to help get them there. Of course, signing all the fighters, Ali, our matchmaker, did an amazing job. We went back and forth with recruiting. But as soon as we had the news and official schedule out, our phones were ringing like crazy. Now that we’ve had the first event, it’s even more busy with fighters reaching out to us. ®

MMA: MMA Business attended the first event in Las Vegas, and we were impressed overall with the quality of the production, though we never did see the TV version. Still, you were unable to fill even that relatively small (7,000 seat) arena. Did that surprise you?

r’s ut avie ck o Che a and J e! n c i Joan ess adv n busi

A A K ’s

Sefo: No, it didn’t surprise me at all. We probably sold a little over 3,000 tickets. And we gave away about 3,000. It didn’t surprise me. We’re a new company. Still, I was impressed with the crowd. I looked out into the audience after the first fight, and I was quite pleased. I thought the theater – nearly full – looked incredible, with the cage in front. I can’t thank my team enough. They put in long hours.

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CenterRing together. We’re having those discussions now, and we’ll have schedules for the next events, and more answers in the next few weeks. MMA: Will women fight in the World Series of Fighting? Sefo: Right now, I don’t think there is enough female talent out there. Invicta has done a good job of securing a lot of fighters. And we may do oneoff female fights here and there, but I don’t think there is a division yet.

+ Ray Sefo addresses

his first WSOF fighters following the weigh-ins at Planet Hollywood Live in Las Vegas.

MMA: What’s next? MMA: Though there appeared to be some mismatches (aren’t there always?) you had to be pleased with the quality of the action. How important is that in setting up the next few fights? Sefo: You never know, from a fighter speaking, how good the fighting is going to be. When the night was over, I was so pleased and thankful that all the action was so good. We had knockouts, submissions, controversial finishes. It was a great night of action. People talked about how Tyrone’s fight was mismatched, but that was his first MMA fight. So obviously now we need to find a guy who can step up the game with Tyrone. Many people thought Rony Torres should have won that split decision fight, but Brian Cobb won it. Another fight that was an upset was Tyson Steele beating Gregor Gracie. All of this is good for the first night out. Of course, there are things that need to be tightened up here and there, but that always happens. If you don’t make mistakes you don’t learn. MMA: You’ve said – and so have others in the organization – that you’re not competing with UFC. So how do you 22

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get the best fighters, who all want to be in the UFC? Sefo: Absolutely, we’re not in competition with UFC. We’re in competition with ourselves at this point. One day, we want to be as good as UFC. But still, our biggest challenge is ourselves. We have nothing but love and respect for the UFC; it’s paved the road for all of us to do what we do. The more leagues there are, it can only be great for the sport. MMA: The TV contract is vital to success, not just to air the fights but to promote them. At the start, it appears that NBC Sports is not doing a lot to help promote the WSOF. How involved is NBC Sports as a partner to promote and build this? Sefo: Right now, all I can tell you is that, after the first outing, they are 100 percent with us and want to work

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Sefo: We’re preparing and making negotiations for the next event. For us as a league, we want to put on the best shows we can. Our biggest goal is to

put on entertaining fights. When I was away at UFC 154 in Montreal, every reporter came up to me and congratulated me on our first fight. We know we’re on the right track. And we’re only at the beginning.

Celebrating

MMA’s Finest You still have time – but consider this the

“last call” – to nominate and vote for the MMA industry’s leading companies and people to be acknowledged with an MMA Business Award of Excellence. This new award program will congratulate and celebrate a variety of industry leaders. These are the people driving this industry to growth. These are the businesses delivering stateof-the-art products and providing industry-leading service. Look at the categories below. We’ve received a number of new nominations, and voting is easy. We give you several ways to vote:

1. Email us with your nominations to – MMABusinessAward@gmail.com 2. Share your thoughts with us on Facebook: facebook.com/MMABusinessMagazine 3. Join our LinkedIn Group – MMA Business magazine – and comment there. 4. Visit www.MMABusinessMag.com, and use the link to vote online.

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Emerging Enterprise: This award will go to the most innovative “new” MMA enterprise, an emerging company leading with unique products and services, making its mark with original marketing, driving the MMA industry to future success. Current nominees include: Torque, World Series of Fighting, Invicta Fighting Championships, Cage Fitness, MindBody, Ring To Cage, RYU, Gameness, TufGear Solutions, 4Q2 Fightwear, MassSuit Product Innovation: Creative and effective training has been a big part of this industry’s growth, but good products are always behind that training. This award will recognize the company that has created the best new product or products that MMA professionals must have. Current nominees include: Jaco Clothing, TRX Training, RevGear, Triumph United, Fuji Sports, Zebra Mats, Hayabusa, Throwdown Industries, Do or Die Apparel Event Marketing: While fight events like UFC contests get the most consumer attention, an increasingly full calendar of events exists for both consumers and professionals. Which of these events is doing the most to build success in your business and the industry as a whole? Current nominees include: Grapplers Quest, Member Solutions Bootcamp, Fight Summit, NAGA, IBJJF, MMA World Expo, Xyience, Burn With Kearns World Tour

Branding: Defining a brand is one thing. Growing that brand is another completely. We’re looking for the company that has best defined and built its brand into a trusted and reputable MMA powerhouse, helping it and the entire industry grow. Current nominees include: Xyience, Everlast, UFC, MindBody, Zebra Mats, Title MMA, Century Martial Arts, Xtreme Couture, Monster Rings & Cages, Triumph United, VersaClimber, MMAWarehouse.com

Executive of the Year: Every company needs a good

Business Services: This award will recognize the company that often gets no recognition, the one that is behind the scenes helping your business manage day to day, and doing so in a way that you can’t do without. Current nominees include: Markel Insurance, Member Solutions, MindBody, Affiliated Acceptance Corp., ASF International, Champions Way, Premier Management Group, Paradigm Sports Management

Most Social: Social-media marketing and communication isn’t the only way to promote a business. But those who do it well are creating super-fans that will help build their business and the entire industry through today’s word-ofmouth marketing practices. This award will go to the business or personality that is best using online promotions and social media. Current nominees include: Champions Way, Ariel Helwani, Dana White, Bellator MMA, Urijah Faber, Zebra Mats, Member Solutions, Tapout.

leader. The best companies have leaders that support each department, every employee, and the larger industry. Which corporate leader would you most like to work with? Current nominees include: Shannon Knapp, Invicta FC; Steve Pinado, Member Solutions; Sarah Fields, Century Martial Arts; Craig Clement, Hayabusa; Paul Reavlin, Revgear; John Lennon, Xyience; Adam Sedlack, UFC Gyms; Paul Paone, MMA World Expo

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F I T N E S S E QU I P M E N T TR E N DS & P ROD UCT GUIDE

GROW GROW Staff Report You have two options for growing your business. Number one is to find all the people who might be interested in martial arts-style training. The growing exposure of MMA is increasingly positive (though not always) and does encourage some people to seek out this alternative training option. Get these people to come train with you. Number two? Market to the far-larger audience of people just interested in getting in shape. Far more people are interested in fitness in the U.S., and perhaps they might be interested in the training expertise you offer. No, you don’t need to change your business philosophy. But you do need to look at the facts, and then check your equipment. 2 51.4 million. That’s the number of health club members in the U.S. (according to a January 2012 study by IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association). 2 Certified Personal Trainers. That’s the No. 1 Fitness Trend (as reported in a study by the American College of Sports Medicine, or ACSM). 26

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The opportunity is clear. Your MMA training business is a far better place for those 51.4 million people to work closely with a qualified trainer. Few of the national-chain health clubs offer the same quality of personal training service that most MMA gyms provide. But these health clubs have a lot of equipment, and people like that. Now you need to make sure you have the equipment and tools needed and desired by this group of 51.4 million. MMA Business spoke with a wide variety of trainers, coaches and equipment makers to find out what is hot today.

Hot Equipment Categories Suspension Training

Equipment like the TRX Training tools helped ignite this product category. While these are popular for home training, home users may quickly run out of training ideas and will need advice from a professional. Equipment like this is inexpensive; for $250 or less you can get a TRX trainer or similar equipment from Purmotion, CrossCore and others.

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You can suspend these units individually from a fully supported bag rack, and they’re easy to move out of the way when not in use. You can incorporate them into group classes, too. If you have the space and the money, step up to a complete rack system like the Purmotion Functional Training System.

Resistance Training As old as exercise itself, resistance training continues to evolve and is made more functional by tools like KettleBells, ropes and items like the Stroops resistance trainer that combine tension with body-weight resistance. Sure, dumbbells and weight plates are still popular in the general fitness and “weight lifting” crowd. But the more dynamic demands of martial arts conditioning require trainers to think outside the barbell. Of course, CrossFit training makes the most of barbells and plates, but in a much more dynamic way than traditional weight lifting. This increasingly popular training method is most often done in curriculumspecific centers. But many MMA coaches

are acquiring the basic CrossFit credentials so they can take advantage of the marketing popularity of the program, and incorporate the simple equipment used, like weights, plyometric boxes and pull-up bars. For KettleBell workouts, trainers should have at least a set of 20-pound bells for women, and 35-pound bells for men. Some KettleBells use metric measures, so multiply the kilogram weight by 2.2 to convert to U.S. pounds. Conditioning ropes encourage trainers to get creative and combine strength training with aerobic conditioning. The ropes are available through a variety of sources like Rage Fitness, Power Systems and more. You buy either 1.5-inch or two-inch diameter ropes in lengths from 50 feet and up.

Traditional Combat Training What’s “traditional?” For martial arts and combat training, that means heavy bags, dummies, gloves and training pads. And these are essential products, of course, for any MMA school. Coaches and trainers must make sure their students are well equipped with the right gear. You can work with product providers like Revgear and Ring-To-Cage to make sure your pro shop is stocked. You should also consider giving new members training gear packages, with the cost built into the price of a new membership. Companies like Zebra and Century have a range of training dummies that can be used for grappling work and for striking. These versatile tools can last years, they’re portable, and they’re great for sparring when people don’t want to get hit back. “Traditional” means something else in the world of fitness equipment. The category can include everything from jump ropes and resistance bands to plyometric boxes and fitness balls. Having this equipment in your gym can make new members feel comfortable with equipment they’ve seen and used before. Much of this equipment is also surprisingly affordable and encourages creative training that can energize routines that might get too routine (pun intended).

Expert Advice from Trainers MMA Business asked a wide range of training experts for advice on fitness and conditioning products. And at the end of this guide, you can find the names and contact information for dozens of companies that can provide what you need.

[

Kevin Kearns, strength and conditioning coach, owner of Burn with Kearns, Boston, Massachusetts: One of my favorite training products is a Bosu ball. This is mistakenly considered the aerobic chick toy. But I’ve been using this tool to train fighters and other athletes for years. The Bosu ball trains you in an unstable environment, and when you do that you become more stable. It lends itself to the explosive environment of MMA. People don’t see the value in this right away; they think it’s just for up-and-down training. But the Bosu ball is amazing for a variety of strength and conditioning work. I’m also using a Purmotion body-weight trainer; it blows away other suspension trainers. This is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment there is, for everyone from fighters to weekend athletes. I also like resistance bands for versatility and ease of use. They’re perfect for travel.

[

Ace Ramirez, Head Instructor at Kru Muay Thai, Tenafly, New Jersey: In general, because I’m in Muay Thai, my Thai pads are my best training tools. I use them all the time, as a focus trainer, a resistance trainer, for agility work and more. I could take a Thai pad and use it to replace a lot of other equipment. I travel to a lot of different gyms and schools for training, and I can’t always rely on each gym having the same pieces of equipment. So I rely on my Thai pads to help me lead training and prepare fighters. It’s my essential coaching aid. My second favorite would be the heavy bag. I train a lot of fighters, some bigger than me, of course, and I need the bag to take some of the abuse. I can’t always use my Thai pads!

[

David Dunn, Fight Academy MMA and Int’ l Federation of Mixed Martial Artists, Santa Clarita, California: I use a lot of Stroops resistance products – the change-and-shoot stuff, the explosive bands, the long ropes. As far as conditioning, I can accomplish most of what I need with these products, and through the training tips on the Stroops website. I have a fairly small facility, and these are great for my smaller space.

[

Kevin Dungee, War Athletics, Los Angeles, California: My favorite training equipment is the extra heavy bag – one that’s about 300 pounds. Anytime that thing moves, it’s an accomplishment.

And for this work, you need the right gloves. As a trainer, your clients and fighters are going to have different needs. A client just looking to workout and get in shape – no sparring or any contact – can get by with a pair of 16-ounce boxing gloves. But a fighter – once he has some money to spend – should have one pair of gloves just for using on the bag or with hand pads, plus another pair for sparring. On top of those two pairs, if the client is into MMA, they’ll need a pair of MMA-specific gloves, plus shin pads, headgear, hand wraps, tape, and a mouthpiece.

[

AJ “Ajax” Bulchandani, certified personal trainer, KettleBell instructor and MMA conditioning coach, Owner Ajax Fitness, San Francisco, California: KettleBells are my favorite training tools. With this single, compact piece, you can get strength, mass, power and metabolic conditioning training. As a trainer and fitness business owner who has passed the Russian KettleBell Challenge instructor training course, I’ve built part of my business around these simple little hunks of iron. The benefits are endless and your creativity is truly the limit; you can put together some crazy routines. On top of all these benefits, KettleBells are portable; you can bring them virtually anywhere (parks and beaches are my favorites). Here’s a “fun” pattern my clients love:

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Find a large staircase, and place the KettleBell at the top. Sprint up the stairs, then knock out 20 swings or snatches, for an allotted time or as many rounds as you’d like.

[

Anthony Eisenhower, Owner/Head Instructor, Brood 9 Martial Arts, Los Angeles, California: The MostFit Suspension Strap is one of my favorites; it not only adds balance, strength, and dynamic movement to your workouts, but it makes every exercise a fully body workout. You can hook it up almost anywhere – a doorway, at a park over a tree, or in your gym – and you can add even more resistance using a partner. It’s helped me increase agility, speed, and conditioning in all of my fighters – and myself.

Expert Advice from Product Manufacturers and Suppliers MMA Business also spoke with several companies that make and supply training equipment to industry pros. Here is a sample of their advice and input, plus some leaks on new product.

[

Jamie Gudell, Century MMA, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Century has a new line of products coming out in January called “Creed.” This is going to be the best line of training gear we’ve ever produced. This is still a young sport, but athletes are getting stronger every day. Some of the best athletes in the world are now involved in this sport, and the gear needs to evolve and improve to match these improved abilities. We’ve worked with some of the best trainers out there to create this new line. Head gear, MMA gloves, sparring gloves, Thai pads, focus mitts, etc. All of this stuff exists in the market today, but we went through extensive development to make the Creed line, producing products with a new level of performance to match a stronger market.

[

Jeff Dilts, Star Trac, Sr. Director of Marketing and Product Development Irvine, California: One of the foundational training methodologies includes diverse cross training. Star Trac and its partnership with the UFC clubs offers a wide variety of strength and cardio products that provide MMA coaches the opportunity for both high intensity strength training and high intensity cardio interval training. Rou28

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tines include high-intensity interval hill training on a Star Trac treadmill; and explosive, compound, power lifting moves; strength or speed striking drills on the Star Trac BoxMaster. Star Trac provides the tools coaches need to offer a diverse training environment that challenges all the metabolic systems that will build a stronger fighter and athlete.

[

Jeremy Christofferson, Rage Fitness, Denver, Colorado: One of the best conditioning tools are the conditioning ropes or battling ropes. Attached to a pole, a tree or even a heavy kettlebell, they are among the best conditioning tools available. Sand bag training is also big – using just dead weight lifted overhead. Slam balls are another great training tool; they’re designed not to bounce, and when used in a repeat motion they work the entire body. This is key for MMA fighters and athletes; they need to keep their whole body conditioned so it will work consistently during takedowns and stand-up fights. Medicine balls are also great for MMA. Use high-velocity throws, constantly throwing to a partner to create that explosiveness. Ranging from light to heavy with a vinyl cover and 14 inch diameter, these balls are all designed to be thrown and caught repeatedly.

[

Shannon Messer, Power Systems, Knoxville, Tennessee: Coaches need to think about functional training; using every part of your body during each exercise is key for your MMA athletes. You can do this with ropes, medicine balls and body-weight training. These tools help you cover so many different body parts and muscles without isolate one particular muscle group. This kind of training focuses on cardio, quickness and strength – just like the quick bursts they’re doing in the cage or ring.

[

Jimmy Pedro, Pedro’s Judo Center, Wakefield, Massachusetts and Zebra Mats, Maple Grove, Minnesota: The most important thing for me and my students is the mat. For Judo, it’s really the only equipment we use, along with gis. Regardless of the brand of mats, safety is paramount. With that in mind, the safest mat is the 1m x 2m tatami-textured mat made in Europe. It’s the quality standard, with its open-cell foam that absorbs impact for safety and durability. For MMA training, the Zebra L bag rack uses a trolley system to give a gym multi-purpose space. All the bags can be moved easily,

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bringing them in for stand-up training and moving them out for Jiu Jitsu. When you can increase training versatility all in one place, you create a better training environment.

[

Mohsin Mughal, Ring-To-Cage, East Rutherford, New Jersey: The proper training gear – hand wraps, boxing gloves, shin guards, and shorts, to start – is essential to good training. This package works well, especially when included in a membership price. As they go to the next level, add MMA gloves, head gear, and maybe a protective cup. Coaches and trainers need to be equipped with gear like punching mitts and Thai pads for striking. Ring-To-Cage makes an allin-one Pro Belly-and-Thigh pad combo for trainers. It offers complete body protection and can help a coach give a more intense striking workout.

[

Jorge Bonnet, founder of Purmotion, Pelham, Alabama: The Purmotion equipment and system lets users – not the equipment – define the training. We combine different conditioning systems and filter out the risky movements that lead to injuries. A lot of the systems we’ve created are based on combat and martial arts, because that’s where I come from. You don’t need the entire rack to start. Coaches can use the Airfit Pro body-weight training system and take movement patterns to a whole new level.

F I TN E S S & T R A I N IN G E QUIP M E N T GUIDE

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FACILITIES EQUIPMENT

2 (Cages & Rings) Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Everlast Kontact Sports Monster Rings & Cages Rival Boxing The Mat Warehouse Throwdown Industries Title Boxing/MMA Zebra

2 (Mats, Pads & Flooring) Century Martial Arts Champion Sports Equip. Dollamur EZ Flex Sports Mats Fairtex Get Rung Great Mats Kontact Sports Mancino Mats Norberts Proma USA Rage Fitness Resilite Revgear Swain The Mat Warehouse Title Boxing/MMA Zebra

2 (Bag Racks) Combat Sports Int’l. Everlast Fairtex Gopher Performance Monster Rings & Cages Rage Fitness Throwdown Industries Zebra

[

Training/Strength/ Fitness Equipment

2 (Equipment) Century Martial Arts Everlast Function First Gopher Performance Hyperwear Kontact Sports

Mass Suit Power Systems Rage Fitness RepMaxx Rival Boxing Star Trac Versa Climber

2 (Bags & Dummies) Aries Fight Gear BY Group Cage Fitness Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Everlast Fairtex Focusmaster Fitness Gopher Performance I&I Sports Kontact Sports Proma USA Revgear Ring-to-Cage RioFightWear Rival Boxing Shock Doctor Throwdown Industries Title Boxing/MMA Up-Rev Zebra

2 (Weights, Kettlebells & Bars) Atomic Athletics Burn Machine Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Dragon Door Everlast Gopher Performance Hyperwear Kamagon Fitness KettleBell Concepts Kontact Sports Power Systems Proma USA Rage Fitness RepMaxx, Inc. Star Trac

2 (Miscellaneous) BY Group Cross Core Fitness Anywhere-TRX Gopher Performance Grapple Grip Gym Boss Power Punch Gloves Power Systems Rival Boxing Stroops Up-Rev

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F IT N E S S & T R A I N IN G E QUIP M E N T GUIDE

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COMPANY DIRECTORY Aries Fight Gear 1838 Route 7A, PO Box 195

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2 Shaftsbury, VT 05262

Atomic Athletic 500 Lehman Ave., #21 Bowling Green, OH 43402 www.atomicathletic.com

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Century Martial Arts 1000 Century Blvd.  Oklahoma City, OK 73110  800-626-2787 www.CenturyMartialArts.com Champion Sports Equipment 109-21 117th Street, Suite 2F  South Ozone Park, NY 11420 www.championsports.com Combat Sports International  14865 W. 105th Street  Lenexa, KS 66215 www.combatsports.com CrossCore, Inc. 1191 Huntington Drive, #16 Duarte, CA 91010 www.crosscore-usa.com

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Dollamur 4709 South Edgewood Terrace Fort Worth, TX 7119 www.dollamur.com Dragon Door – Russian Kettlebells PO Box 4381 St. Paul, MN 55104 www.dragondoor.com/ kettlebell/

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Norberts Athletic Products P.O. Box 1890  San Pedro, CA 90733-1890  www.norberts.net

Swain Sports International 138 W. Campbell Ave. Campbell, CA 95008 www.swainmats.com

Power Systems 5700 Casey Drive Knoxville, TN 37909 www.power-systems.com

Great Mats 117 Industrial Avenue Milltown, WI 54858 www.greatmats.com

Proma USA 1000 Main Avenue, #2F Clifton, NJ 07011 www.promausa.com

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Rage Fitness 4995 Lima Street Denver, CO 80239 www.ragefitness.com

Hyperwear 2210 Denton Dr., Ste. 103 Austin, TX 78758 www.hyperwear.com

RepMaxx 9255 Creekside Lane Modesto, CA 95357 www.repmaxx.com

I&I Sports Supply

Resilite Sports Products 200 Point Township Drive Northumberland, PA 17857 www.resilite.com

Kamagon Fitness 7715 E. 111th St., #119 Tulsa, OK 74133 www.kamagonball.com KettleBell Concepts 349 5th Ave., 7th Floor New York, NY 10016 www.kettlebellconcepts.com Kontact Sports 1545 Le Corbusier Laval, Quebec Canada H7S2K6 www.kontactsports.com

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RioFightWear 8987 E. Tanque Verde, #309-301 Tucson, AZ 85749 www.riofightwear.com

The Mat Warehouse 21340 Lancaster Run, #1311, Estero, FL 33928 www.TheMatWarehouse.com Throwdown Industries 92 Argonaut, Ste. 100 Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 www.throwdown.com Title Boxing/Title MMA 14711 W. 112th Street Lenexa, KS 66215 www.titlemma.com

Ultimate Sandbag Training Henkin Fitness Systems

2 735 Gelding Drive, Suite 4 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 www.ultimatesandbagtraining.com

Up-Rev, Inc 2885 Electronics Drive, Suite D13 Melbourne, FL 32935 www.stri-king.com

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REVGear Sports 15073 Keswick Street Van Nuys, CA 91405 www.revgear.com Ring-To-Cage 27A Poplar Street East Rutherford, NJ 07073 www.ringtocage.com

Star Trac 14410 Myford Rd. Irvine, CA 92606 www.startrac.com Stroops Bldg. A15 Freeport Center PO Box 160327 Clearfield, UT 84016 www.stroopsperformance.net

Monster Rings & Cages 1020 Cable Court P. O. Box 728 Lawrenceburg, KY 40342 www.monsterringsandcages.com

Grapple Grip PO Box 6417 San Pedro, CA 90734 www.grapplegrip.com

19751 S. Figueroa Street Carson, CA 90745 www.iisports.com

2 Power Punch Gloves 2400 E. Main Street, Suite 103-304 St. Charles, IL 60174 www.powerpunchgloves.com

2 (Bubba II dummy)

Rival Boxing 9810 Rue Saint Urbain Montreal, QC Canada H3L2T2 www.rivalboxing.com

Gopher Performance 2 2525 Lemond St. SW Owatonna, MN 55060 www.gopherperformance.com

Gymboss P.O. Box 303  St. Clair, MI 48079 www.gymboss.com

Everlast Worldwide 183 Madison Avenue, Suite 1701 New York, NY 10016 www.everlast.com EZ Flex Sport Mats 7450 Whitehall Street Richland, TX 76118 www.ezflexmats.com

Get Rung 2251 N. 32nd St. #14  Mesa, AZ 85213 www.getrung.com

Mancino Mats  4700 Wissahickon Ave. Building E, Suite 109 Philadelphia, PA 19144 www.mancinomats.com Mass Suit 28025 Dorothy Drive, Ste. 102 Agoura Hills, CA 91301 www.masssuit.com

Focusmaster Fitness 44 Biscayne Blvd. Troy NY 12182 USA www.focusmaster.com

Cage Fitness 3662 Avalon Park East Blvd, Suite 201 Orlando, FL 32828 877-650-2243 www.cagefitness.com

Function First 3974 Dove St. San Diego, CA 92103 www.functionfirst.com

Burn Machine, LLC 26305 Glendale  Redford, MI 48239  www.theburnmachine.com B.Y. Group Ltd 85 Scarsdale Rd. #104 Toronto ON Canada M3B2R2 www.bygroup.com

Fitness Anywhere, Inc – TRX 1660 Pacific Avenue San Francisco, CA 94109 www.trxtraining.com

www.ariesfightgear.com

Fairtex 2044 Old Middlefield Way Mountain View, CA 94043 www.fairtex.com

Versa Climber Heart Rate, Inc.  1411 E. Wilshire Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92705 www.versaclimber.com Vipr PTontheNet 3528 Tejon Street, Suite #110 Denver, CO 80211 www.viprfit.com

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Weight Vest 2108 West Highway 33 Rexburg, ID 83440 www.weightvest.com Zebra 9444 Deerwood Lane North Maple Grove, MN 55369 www.zebramats.com

MARTIAL ARTS

SAFETY

with an

IN$URANCE TWIST S t o r y

B y

Michael A. Swain, ARM, SCLA

In the October issue of MMA Business, editor Glenn Hansen wrote about Injury Prevention and safety precautions coaches and trainers can take to protect members. That’s a good start, and there is much more to the “safety” of your business. A competitive mixed martial artist without a solid game plan will be facing a real challenge when he or she steps in the ring. So will an MMA school or gym owner without a good strategy to manage the risks of their business.

ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN Practicing martial arts safety is part of an effective training program. Unfortunately, accidents occur regardless of how well you manage your safety efforts. These accidents usually involve unexpected occurrences resulting in unplanned injuries to students, parents, or guests. Unintentional injuries and accidents are not limited to the practice area – they’re silent menaces that can strike a business anywhere, at anytime. Typically, it takes a monetary settlement to resolve these kinds of accidents. If you have insurance, these accidents usually involve your insurance carrier. Whether or not you have insurance, these accidents ultimately impact your cost of doing business. Having insurance is a personal choice. It depends on what level of loss you’re willing to bear or that you feel your business can tolerate. Injuries that result from negligent behavior can cost hundreds, thousands, and sometimes millions of dollars to resolve. The insurance coverage you choose should be based on an educated decision process. Discuss all aspects of what you teach and sell at your school or gym. To find and establish insurance coverage that is right for your business, you need to provide your insurance agent with a clear understanding of what your art involves and your overall philosophy toward safety.

A few recurring liability insurance losses: • Failure of instructors and experienced students to maintain control during sparring events and practice sessions. • Failure to use appropriate protective equipment. • Slip and fall accidents.

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AVOIDING LOSS OF CONTROL Many claims involve martial arts teachers or coaches misjudging or failing to control their strikes, resulting in an unintentional injury to a student. How this occurs depends on a number of factors: executing a maneuver without sufficient training; aggressive handson training; and failing to maintain control of an individual’s discipline; and others.

THE “CLOSED FIST” CLAIM In one recent claim, an instructor and a student were engaged in a non-contact sparring event. The student threw a punch with a closed fist and the instructor ducked to avoid being struck. The instructor then punched back and landed a blow with a closed fist to the student’s rib cage. The student incurred more than $50,000 in medical expenses, and the claim ultimately cost more than $100,000 to resolve.

SETTING A STANDARD OF CARE Maintaining control and exercising a professional standard of care would have prevented this claim from happening. “The duty owed is to protect the student or athlete from the foreseeable risk of unreasonable harm,” is

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how Linda Jean Carpenter defines “standard of care” in Legal Concepts in Sports: A Primer. In the closed fist claim, the teacher failed to maintain a proper standard of care when he punched the student. Thus, a costly error occurred. How a standard of care is applied in a situation can vary. Much depends on the hazardous nature of the activity. Also, how a standard of care is interpreted may be influenced by several factors: each participant’s age or maturity; skill level; health and conditioning; amount and quality of supervision; and class size. Anyone running a workout or teaching a class needs to set and maintain a high standard of professionalism and accountability to make the supervisory activity effective. Allow for quick-reaction time in the event of an emergency and allow for no distractions while an activity is being supervised. Have a plan and a backup plan. Don’t place inexperienced and unskilled supervisors in situations beyond their experience and expertise. In the event of a lawsuit, plaintiff’s counsel, otherwise known as the attorney of the person suing you, will closely scrutinize this aspect. If possible, match different teaching styles with

+ Left: Anyone running a workout or teaching a class needs to set and maintain a high standard of professionalism and accountability to make the supervisory activity effective. + Right: As a martial arts instructor, enforcing the use of proper protective gear must be a daily requirement, regardless of the student’s skill level. It’s a matter of establishing a standard of care and abiding by it.

similar learning and training situations. A standard of care can also be determined by your state’s legal environment. As a martial arts professional, you’re held to a higher standard of accountability when providing a standard of care owed your students. If you don’t, you too may commit a costly error that can result in loss of students and possibly increase your insurance cost. Just imagine the personal and professional cost if a closed fist claim were to happen at your school, and you had no insurance coverage to help pay the loss. Your best opportunity to prevent this type of loss from occurring is to adhere to your discipline and training. You can also establish an accountability program that outlines possible violations that may lead to termination, expulsion, and other forms of discipline for violating your safety program.

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DEC EM BER 2012

SPARRING RULES Sparring rules are among the most important class-specific safety guidelines you should have in place. These rules may vary dependent on the styles you teach, but consider these common elements. Some may seem like common sense, but you can’t take anything for granted.

SPARRING RULES: • Avoid putting novices in with fighters training for competition. • Require participants wear protective gear (including headgear, mouthpieces, groin protectors, and guards). • Clearly state that there will be no contact above the shoulders or to the groin and that only light contact to the headgear is permitted. • Keep sparring rules in line with sanctioning body regulations and review them annually for any necessary revisions. • Have both students and parents (guardians) acknowledge they have received and read your sparring rules.

USING PROPER EQUIPMENT Equipment-related claims usually occur due to improper use and placement of floor mats, students failing to wear proper equipment, and using worn and defective equipment. As a martial arts instructor, enforcing the use of proper protective gear must be a daily requirement, regardless of the student’s skill level. It’s a matter of establishing a standard of care and abiding by it. If equipment appears worn or develops a tear, take it out of use, discard it, and replace it with new gear.

USE HEADGEAR Because of the frequency and severity of some head injuries associated with martial 34

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arts programs, many insurers require the use of headgear for arts that involve headshots. In fact, some policies may specifically exclude insurance coverage if a head injury occurs and the injured party was not wearing protective headgear. Depending on the nature of the art you teach, striking contact to the head may or may not be permitted. Styles such as boxing, Muay Thai and karate typically involve contact between participants that may result in various types of head injuries. These inju-

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ries may be as minor as a bruise or as severe as death. While headgear is designed to decrease the occurrence or severity of a head injury, no headgear can prevent all head injuries. Nevertheless, not wearing appropriate headgear highly increases the likelihood of a major head injury or trauma. Make it a requirement for all ages and skill levels. Ultimately, it’s your obligation to protect your students from head injuries. If you fail to do so, you may have to pay the student’s medical bills, as well as damages, if you’re sued.

FIT GEAR TO THE STUDENT Today, many martial arts students are children. They come in different shapes, sizes, and levels of maturity. Keep this in mind when you provide equipment. Matching students with properly fitting gear is important to their safety, and reduces their potential to get hurt. Pain can deter a child’s desire to learn. If they lose the desire to learn your art because of a preventable injury, you may lose a student. You may also lose other students who witnessed or heard of the injury. A number of martial arts schools have inquired about liability concerns associated with the use of gender-related gear. Require students to wear gender-specific protective gear. While many may argue that there is a comfort issue, you may be held accountable for an injury if a student under your care wears inappropriate equipment.

PROPER USE OF MATS A recent analysis of claims data revealed a number of injuries relating to the improper use of mats. Improper maintenance can cause a mat to deteriorate sooner than manufacturer’s recommendations, creating a mat defect. Using defective mats can cause significant injuries. Strains, sprains and ligament damage to knees and ankles are common injuries resulting from the use of defective mats. Other areas of concern regarding the proper use of mats include where mats are placed and how they are anchored. You should inspect and clean your equipment and mats each day. If you notice a defect, correct it by replacing the equipment before an injury occurs. Your investment in your equipment is an obvious reflection on your investment in safety. In addition to reducing the potential for injury, keeping your mats clean and free of bacteria can also reduce the likely transmission of MRSA, Staph, and ringworm infections. Michael A. Swain is Senior Loss Control Specialist for Markel Insurance Company, specializing in development of risk management strategies for martial arts, camp, youth

Proper Use of Mats: • There should be no movement in the mats. • Mats should be clean and free of bacteria. • Floor mats should protect students in case they slip. • Floor mats should be firm enough to pivot for spinning kicks. • Floor mats should have enough cushioning to break falls.

recreation programs, non-profit organizations, youth clubs, and other industry groups for Markel. With 25 years industry experience, he has a broad background in risk management. Michael, a 1984 graduate of Va. Tech, holds certifications as an Associate in Risk Management, a Senior Claim Law Associate and various other youth program related risk management and safety certifications.

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Sponsored

Member Solutions

How to Maximize Membership Value What’s your biggest income generator? If you’re like many MMA businesses, it’s your monthly tuition from students. It’s imperative, therefore, you structure tuition agreements to maximize value. This article discusses four major membership structures. Each has its plusses and minuses, and each can be effectively implemented in certain situations. Pay as You Go (PAYG) isn’t really a membership type but rather a usage fee. PAYG enables consumers to walk into a facility, pay a flat fee, and participate in a session or class. The main advantage to PAYG is that it’s an easy sell. The big downfall however is that there is little to no commitment from the student. PAYG can be a customer acquisition strategy to bring people into your business. Demonstrate your value by providing great service, and you’ll be able to move your memberships into a more valuable structure. Session, Visit, or Class Packages can enable members to buy a predetermined number of “uses” or sessions over time. You can put time limits on session packages by setting expirations to drive attendance. Pricing strategies can also be deployed to facilitate greater revenue per session, and stimulate sales of packages with more sessions. This structure is often used with personal trainers, in yoga studios, or other personalized fitness programs. Martial Arts businesses can use session packages for private lessons, promotion preparation, or specialty training. The same goes for adult fitness; session packages are developed to keep members motivated and focused on meeting a fitness milestone. Ongoing or Open memberships, also called month-to-month, generally do not have a predetermined expiration date, but require members to give notice in advance if they decide to cancel. Typically the advanced notice is 30 to 90 days prior to the cancel date. Open memberships don’t require long-term

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commitment; that makes them easier to sell. This can be a viable alternative in today’s marketplace where many consumers are reluctant to sign longterm contracts. Term memberships are the opposite of Pay as You Go. Students sign on for a specific period of time, typically six months or longer. The clear advantage of a Term membership is that you now have a strong commitment from the student to attend class (and pay for the classes) over the set term. The result for you is a more stable, active membership base, consistent monthly revenue, and a strong accounts receivable balance. Term is often a good up-sell structure. Once someone has been in your school and has identified a goal, term membership can be used to demonstrate commitment to that goal and add predictable revenue to your business. Bottom line: Which membership structure you deploy won’t make any difference if you aren’t providing great customer service and delivering value to your students every single day. You must deliver exceptional service in a facility that works for your students, and also remain focused on acquiring new students. With that done, using membership structures that fit with the way you do business is a key operational tactic. By maximizing the value of your student membership structures, you can drive greater certainty and stable cash flow to your business, along with stronger customer commitment.

Steven

STEVEN PINADO

Steven Pinado is the CEO for Member Solutions, a leading provider of billing, servicing, and business support for Martial Arts schools, fitness clubs, and health-related membership businesses. This article is a modified excerpt from the Member Solutions report: Membership Strategy for Martial Arts Schools. To download your own copy, visit MemberSolutions.com/FreeReport.

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THEFIGHT BUSINESS

CENTERRING

Letter to the Editor I feel compelled to respond to the interview with Savant Young in your October issue (Center Ring, October, page 18). Mr. Young’s idea of creating a fighter’s union does have a potential benefit, but the benefit seems to be to Mr. Young’s bank account. If you read through the interview you will find a few key phrases that clue us into his vision. On page 20 in the middle of the page he states “...and then we’ll be able to offer more benefits for our fighters. Until then, our goal is to make money for ourselves...” Later on the same page Mr. Young adds “it will also help to keep our fighters fighting for us in our gyms. We need to make sure we get some benefit from this.” If these statements weren’t self-serving enough, he goes on to add “We want to get to a point where all the fighters are part of the MMFU (his union).” Hmmm, this sounds more like someone concerned with power, control and money than people’s interests. I will be the first to admit that there are a few bad apples in the promotion business, but that is the nature of any business and the bad apples will be weeded out through attrition. I am not criticizing Mr. Young for wanting to increase his income and make a living, that is the American way. But don’t criticize promoters for wanting to make a profit. If there wasn’t a profit, no one would be willing to put in the countless hours of work and stress required to run a successful show. Mr. Young did offer a number of justifications for his fighter’s union and I could go case by case pointing out the flaws in his reasoning, but I don’t think that is needed...perhaps for another issue? I will end with this thought: When you find a bad promoter, don’t fight for them. When you find a good promoter work with them and build a relationship. They have the same goal as you: to put on a great show, build careers and have everyone make money.

Chad Beatty, Owner, Spa City Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Matchmaker, Kaged Kombat Editor’s note: MMA Business asked Savant Young of Mixed Martial Fighters Union if he’d like to respond to this letter. Here is that response: First of all, I can see how any matchmaker for a smaller unknown show would find himself compelled to dislike a group such as the MMFU because of the sheer fact that he is no 38

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Q&A WITH

SAVANT YOUNG SOME OF THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT FIGHTING IN MMA RECENTLY HAPPENED NOT IN A CAGE OR A RING. IT HAPPENED ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND IN OTHER DIGITAL ARENAS. WHEN A WIDE VARIETY OF UFC FIGHTERS ATTACKED JON JONES, BLAMING HIM FOR THE UNDOING OF UFC 151, IT TURNED INTO AS BIG A BRAWL AS WE’VE SEEN IN THE CAGE. SAY WHAT YOU WILL ABOUT JONES’ DECISION TO FOREGO A LAST-MINUTE CARD CHANGE, BUT THE RESPONSE FROM HIS FELLOW FIGHTERS SHOWED THAT – AT LEAST FOR NOW – FIGHTERS ARE JUST LIKE PROMOTERS. THEY ARE IN THIS FOR THEMSELVES. BY GLENN HANSEN Somebody needs to change this. Savant Young may be that guy. Owner of Fight Academy MMA in Pasadena, Calif., Young coaches MMA enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. He’s also a fighter, a manager, and has promoted several fights under the “Proving Grounds” name at his gym. Now, he’s launching a new plan. MMA Business: What is the Mixed Martial Fighters Union? Savant Young: At first, when you hear “union,” you might think I’m trying to organize fighters to go against the establishment, but this is different. Yes, it’s a union, but I’m taking a different approach. I’m getting some local gyms involved – you might call this a co-op – because we’re the ones who get this fight business started. We, as gym owners, need something that we own. We need something that stands for our interests. It is time for the gym owners and fighters to take control of the amateur and pro-am fight promotion business. We’re not organizing to go against the UFC; we’re not saying they’re doing something wrong. Our goal is to support the up-and-coming 18

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fighters, especially those who will never make it to the UFC. MMA: What problem will this union solve? Young: First of all, we’re focusing on our region in Southern California. In this area – including Los Angeles, Orange County, and the San Bernardino area – there are too many amateur shows, with a lot of former pro-fight promoters doing amateur events now because they don’t have to pay fighters. This is an unacceptable exploitation of fighters and the gyms who support them. It takes money to do these shows. I know because we’ve done several at Fight Academy. And I take my fighters to other promoter’s fights. I could continue to do my own shows and try to make money on those. And so could a gym in L.A., or in Orange County, and it might present some opportunity for their fighters. Or we could come together and help each other. The most valuable part of this whole sport is the fighters

and the gyms who train them. Meanwhile, some of these promoters want the fighters to do all the work promoting an event, while the event promoter makes the profit. If gyms and fighters work together, we can create fair, entertaining shows that will build opportunity for even more fighters. The MMFU will promote amateur and pro-am fights. The fighters are the ones who make the show; they make the event happen; they draw in the crowd of fans.

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longer needed in the process of creating an MMA show from which he could profit. I have invested my life not only as a fighter but as a business man as well by opening a gym and continuing to build and cultivate fighters, many of whom don’t even pay me to train – as you should know if you’re a gym owner yourself. So the “Trying to fatten my pockets” argument is way off course. If you really read and understood what I’m working on you, would know that we are joining together gym-by-gym, owner-by-owner and collectively investing our money and in our ability to create revenue together for: (a) The owners of the gyms involved; and (b) the fighters who come out of the said gyms. There is no way that I’m trying to obtain some kind of power for myself. I have made a name for myself fighting, teaching, managing, and now promoting the great sport of MMA, with which I have been involved professionally for more than 13 years. I also see no harm in us working together to create a blanket insurance plan for the fighters who fight out of any MMFU-supported gym. I’m sure your Kage Kombat promotion does nothing along these lines. You also say not to criticize promoters for wanting to

make a profit. This is exactly the problem I have with most promoters. First, the fighters are what make your show a success. Second, the coaches of the gyms are the ones who provide these fighters that compete in “your show.” Third, we bring the audience, most of which are our gym members, and those are the people putting asses in the seats. Most local shows are filled with family members wanting to support a loved-one on his or her quest to be in the big show, and I’m almost certain your show is not there final destination. As we strengthen the MMFU, we will be able to at least pay a lot more and provide a lot more for our fighters than any single promoter trying to make his investment back along with some pocket change and the ability to feel like Dana White for a night. I could go on and on about some of the low-level promoter practices, but I’m too busy working on something that will be long term for us gym owners and for our fighters who may never make it to the UFC but will continue to love the sport of MMA.

Rukus: It’s starting to catch on, but it’s still a small percentage of fighters. I’m among the first to make this a career. I’ve created more than 100 theme songs. Gradually, companies and fighters are learning they can use music to better connect with a demographic, and it can help draw more attention to a fighter. I do have a rate sheet, but it’s still on a case-by-case basis. I have complete production packages for theme music. And I have different cost structures depending on whether I own the music rights or not. I always have a library of music to which I have the rights, and then a fighter can lease a song for a period of time.

Savant Young, Owner Fight Academy Mixed Martial Arts

Fight Music Custom fight music producer Mikey Rukus, known for creating theme music and walkout music for fighters and companies worldwide, is joining forces with Addison Sports Management to create customized theme songs for the fighters it represents on the upcoming Invicta FC 4 card in January. The alliance between Rukus and Addison Sports is a first, where a management company joins forces to have theme songs specifically created for clients. MMA Business spoke with Mikey Rukus to learn more about the fight music business. MMA Business: When working with promoters and fighters, do you set up long-term deals? Or is it more often one-time music creative? Mikey Rukus: These are done on a case-by-case basis. Maybe a fighter wants one song for a big fight, or a promotion wants theme music. Or they might want a library of music. Or maybe they just need short pieces, 30-second bumps, or instrumental music for weigh-ins. MMA: How popular is this custom-music in MMA? And what does it cost?

You can hear some of his work at: www.soundclick.com/MikeyRukus. MMA: What’s the creative process like when you work with a fighter? Rukus: It’s very interactive. I like to get with the client in person or over the phone, and I ask them what they want the world to know. Plus I want to know their favorite artists and songs. I want to know why they fight. Do they have favorite quotes? Then we work through samples of music. I can usually nail it down with just a couple changes. But I make sure they’re 100 percent satisfied before delivery.

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DEC EM BER 2012

WIDE WORLD of MMA NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

UFC Gym Sydney Opening Soon

UFC Gym announced that its first non-U.S. facility will open in Sydney, Australia. Opening in February, 2013, the 32,000 square-foot facility will be located in the suburb of Alexandria, just south of Sydney’s central business district. “Australia has waited a long time for something like UFC GYM,” said Selena Short. With more than 30 years experience in the fitness industry, Short and Lusiano Afeaki are the local partners who will operate UFC Gym Sydney. “The club’s unique programming and premier training helps people of all ages and fitness levels realize their goals and enjoy the community that the brand develops,” said Short. The UFC Gym Sydney increases the company’s rapid expansion rate. The Long Island, New York location will open in the spring of 2013. Following on the opening of the BJ Penn-branded UFC Gym in Honolulu, the New York and Australia locations will be the sixth and seventh UFC Gyms. The Australia gym will be a member of the Green Building Council Australia, and will incorporate some of Sydney Corporate Park’s environmentally sound structures. It will feature solar power water and intelligent lighting systems, making Sydney one of UFC GYM’s most advanced facilities to date.

B.C. Registers Referees When the British Columbia, Canada, Legislature passed its Athletic Commissioner Act, it set in motion the plan “to ensure the safety of participants in combat sports such as mixed martial arts, and to implement consistent rules, policies and procedures across the province,” as stated in the act, also known as Bill 50. The province is also hoping to create a framework that makes it easier to major promotions like the UFC to bring events to B.C. After muchpublicized difficulties between the UFC and Vancouver, 40

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B.C., the UFC has held multiple events in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, and hasn’t visited B.C. since June, 2011. Part of this plan also includes new rules to require anyone who wants to judge a professional mixed martial arts fight to get certified. Big John McCarthy’s California-based Certification of Officials for Mixed Martial Arts National Development (COMMAND) program recently held a certification course in Vancouver. Referee candidates must pass several tests, including a techniques test, a written test, a practical application test and a situational test. Candidates must also know dozens of takedowns, submissions, positions, sweeps, kicks and strikes.

YOURGYM NAME: Girl Fight Martial Arts LOCATION: Seaside Heights, N.J. OWNER: Prairie Rugilo YEARS IN BUSINESS: 3 DISCIPLINES: Muay Thai for adults and kids, Self-Defense, MMA, Yoga, Fitness “I just wanted to get girls together to push each other toward better fitness,” said Prairie Rugilo. “I was hoping to start a class for about 20 girls and hold it twice a week. I had no intention of doing this full time and fighting, too.” On December 7, 2012, Rugilo, owner of

ways thought I wanted to do kickboxing, but it was always cardio kickboxing and I thought it was so lame. Then I found a local Muay Thai program and I loved that. But it was so expensive. So I begged the trainer, ‘What can I do around here? Clean toilets?

Girl Fight Martial Arts in Tom’s River, New Jersey, was inducted in the New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame as the Female Muay Thai Fighter of the Year. Like many school owners, Rugilo trained in martial arts as a child, specifically taekwondo. “I lost touch with taekwondo for a number of reasons,” she said. As a young adult, Rugilo started doing boxing fitness workouts through a police athletic league. “I al-

Anything?’ Then I started teaching so I could keep training.” After that gym closed, Rugilo was pushed into action. “I was doing real estate, and was doing well, but was getting fatter and fatter. And I wanted to get in shape, and inspire some other girls. I wanted to do real martial arts and fitness, not cardio kickboxing.” Rugilo found a space where she could lead a part-time martial arts

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class. “The first class, I had about nine girls,” she said. And it built from two days a week, to three days, always adding more and more girls. “Then I had to decide to cut this back, or to start my own business. At the same time, I was training for my first fight. Not a good decision to open a new business and train for a fight at the same time. Still, I knew if I was going to be a good trainer I would have to fight, at least once.” She lost that first fight. “And that was the best thing that could have happened to me,” Rugilo said. Rugilo continued fighting, and also opened Girl Fight Martial Arts in 2009. “Now I have more than 100 girls training here, including three from that first class. All this superseded any goals I have had. I just wanted 20 girls, and to fit in my skinny jeans.” The curriculum includes yoga, and self defense along with the different levels of Muay Thai training. “Beginning sparring and the Kids classes teach the basics and fundamentals of the art,” said Rugilo. “The Advanced Sparring is all out war, for girls getting ready to fight.” Girl Fight Martial Arts is not just a fighter’s gym. In fact, it’s mostly nonfighters. The gym surprises most who come in, fighters or not. “The girls who first come in, they’re comparing it to kickboxing like at the health club,” said Rugilo. “Then they are shocked. It’s tough fitness and combat training with

all the respect of martial arts tradition, but it’s not ‘tough guy’ serious.” “We’re a group, and a family, and we train that way. When one girl is getting ready for a fight, we all go through it together. And the girls really live for those moments.” The aptly named gym is created for women, but it’s not exclusionary. “We do have a co-ed class,” Rugilo said. “And I always say it’s for real men. Because only a real man will proudly say, ‘Yes, I train at Girl Fight.’ The co-ed classes work well for dads who have young girls, according to Rugilo, or for husbands and boyfriends of Girl Fight members. “And it works for guys who don’t want to sign a contract or pay the high fees of other martial arts gyms.” Rugilo admits that other business owners have said to her, “we wish you would charge the rates we do so it would be more of an area standard pricing.” But the Girl Fight demographic is different. “It might be nice to consistently charge $150 per month, but it’s not like that for my members,” she said. “I have a two-times-per-week plan, and I have an unlimited plan. I have been doing the trial and error, and I know what works for my demographic.” The word is spreading about this business. Girl Fight has tried tradi-

tional marketing. But word-of-mouth attracts the most new members. Rugilo recommends the “simple things” as high-quality marketing tactics. Her website has always been No. 1 for recognition. “I do a lot of charity events,” she said, “where I donate a one-month membership. Traditional paid advertising in local papers, or ads in shopping centers hasn’t worked for me. But when I print simple postcards and distribute them by hand around town, that works. And once somebody did an article on us in a local newspaper, and that exposure was big.” Probably not as big, however, as the exposure Rugilo is getting as a fighter. “I got to fight at Madison Square Garden,” she said. “My opponent and I were the first females to fight there, and I became the first title holder. That’s when I got the letter from the New Jersey Hall of Fame. I’ll be up there with true legends of the sport.” The same day MMA Business first spoke with Rugilo, a representative from Bellator visited Girl Fight, hearing about the gym’s and Rugilo’s credentials. “We going to talk about opportunities,” she said. “We’re all amateurs here, and I’m the only one who could maybe go pro. But I’m not sure anybody’s first pro fight should be on TV.”

Rugilo will continue to develop growth opportunities for Girl Fight Martial Arts, too. “I would like to make this school as big as it can be, then maybe open a second school,” she said. “Then perhaps I’ll create a licensing program to help other females open similar businesses.” It’s that same attitude – wanting to help women – that created Girl Fight in the first place. And it’s what continues to amaze and impress Rugilo about her business and its members. “The camaraderie among the women is inspiring,” she said. “I remember one time there was a class with a new girl who was falling behind, struggling to finish exercises, but all the other girls cheered her on to finish. I was emotional. The support in this group is different than I’ve ever experienced in a group of women anywhere.” “But I don’t ever want to say that I’m the one who did it. Girl Fight has raised the level of competition for women in the area. We’ve changed the industry here. I hope that we could inspire other women to start their own schools.”

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DEC EM BER 2012

PRO SHOP

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B Mt. EverClimb

This revolutionary, continuous rope-climbing machine simulates actual rope climbing in a space that doesn’t require endless ceiling height. This one piece of equipment enables users to achieve a full-body strength and cardio workout. Numerous safety features allow individuals to exercise at their own pace with minimal stress, all in a controlled environment. It’s made using a welded tubular-steel frame and it runs off of 110-volt power. Its stable and portable design makes it versatile and safe. Visit mteverclimb.com.

C Mass Suit Trainer

The Mass Suit is a patented resistance-training suit for the entire body. It uses rubber resistance training bands that provide resistance during any type of athletic movement. The Mass Suit increases the resistance to your shoulders, arms, back, core, hip flex, quads, and hamstrings by attaching the MASS sleeves, straps and rubber cords to your body, elbows, hands, knees, and feet. The unique design of the Mass Suit allows any athlete to intensify a training routine. The Mass Suit is adjustable to increase or decrease resistance, and comes with a training book. Visit masssuit.com.

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ON THE MAT Train In Chaos The marriage of Mixed Martial Arts and functional strength training is an easy one. Or at least it should be. Still, many MMA fighters train like bodybuilders, instead of training like fighters, because they think that’s the right way to train. Fighting is not bodybuilding, and its training serves a completely different function. MMA is a combat sport with many different levels and components. The MMA athlete must have a knowledge of boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. There is no bench pressing, no lat pulldowns, no leg extensions. Bodybuilding is mostly ordered and structured. An MMA fight is organized chaos. In this chaos, MMA athletes find themselves in different and awkward positions, often with limited or no balance. Many traditional strengthtraining exercises, therefore, have limited or no place in the octagon. What does belong is stability-limited training. Coaches and trainers need to put MMA athletes in chaotic and unstable environments. One of my favorite pieces of equipment to use to test MMA athletes this way is the Bosu. I use this simple tool in a variety of ways to challenge the central nervous system, and to recreate the instability of combat. I know, everyone thinks the Bosu is just for female aerobics instructors. Sorry, that is far from the truth. I have been using this tool in my coaching around the world, improving in MMA conditioning for top-level fighters and coaches. This device is not just another plyometrics tool or aerobics step. The Bosu works because it:

> Is functional > Requires little space > Is portable > Can be unstable > Is multi-purpose

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Specific Bosu Training The Bosu can improve a fighter’s ability to sprawl, an essential skill for preventing takedowns. When you consider the sprawl, the athlete needs improved conditioning in several aspects:

> Level change > Push and pull > Timing > Explosiveness > Balance Here’s how a coach can – using a Bosu – train a fighter to better execute the sprawl. This challenging routine works well in a circuit-type routine. You can do this for a selected repetition count, or in timed rounds. 1. While standing, the athlete grabs the Bosu with round side out 2. Then the athlete explosively drops to the ground – like a sprawl – landing with the Bosu bubble down. 3. Then the athlete shoots his legs backward, dropping all his bodyweight.

tween your legs and drop a knee on it as you drop a punch as well 6. Alternating Sityodtong Muay Thai Knees – Stand on the Bosu bubble, and hit those Muay Thai knees 7. Slide outs – Grasp the Bosu bubble side down, and try to pass guard from side to side 8. Double step overs – Step onto the Bosu with both feet, then step off. 10. Curve knees – grab the bosu bubble side down and then bring your knee to the outside of your elbow. The Bosu is also a great tool if the athlete has an injury that may prevent him from live sparring. Sprawls with the Bosu allow the combat athlete to practice an essential move for the octagon while

4. His arms are locked out on the Bosu to mimic blocking the shoulders or head of the opponent. 5. The athlete then pops back up to a standing position. I’ve created an entire Bosu workout (below). Complete these exercises in three rounds, like this – Round 1: 30 seconds of work with 15 seconds of rest at each station; Round 2: 40 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest; Round 3: 1 minute of work and 30 seconds of rest. By the time you finish the second round you will have a newfound respect for the Bosu. Give it a try, and tell me what you think. 1. Bosu Box jumps – Stand with the feet outside the Bosu, then spring up to the top and jump back down. There is no impact on your joints. 2. Float knees to the bosu (OnTheMat 1) – Lay prone over the bubble-side down Bosu, and hold it push-up style. Drive your knees as if you are kneeing someone in the back. 3. Sprawls – Hold on to the bosu and drop into a sprawl, bubble-side down 4. Knee in the belly with 2 hits (pic 674) – Place a knee on the Bosu and deliver two strikes. Then post and change sides. 5. Knee drop bunch down – Place the Bosu be-

rehabbing an injured shoulder, wrist, or elbow. The Bosu has become one of my favorite tools for my training tool box. It’s versatile and functional. And its instability makes it perfect for the demands of Mixed Martial Arts.

Kevin

Kevin Kearns

Kevin Kearns (also known as “Coach K “ or “Dr. Evil”) has worked with more than 15 UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce fighters over the past seven years, including Kenny Florian, Marcus Davis, Stephan Bonnar, Kurt Pellegrino, and more. His company Burn With Kearns has created an MMA Fitness Trainer Certification system that is in use worldwide. Kearns can be reached at Kevin@burnwithkearns.com, or check www.burnwithkearns.com for training dates and affiliate information. www.burnwithkearns.com

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DEC EM BER 2012

OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON Here We Go, Again Back in the mid-90s, most people couldn’t wait for Thursday nights to watch “Seinfeld.” Using the “Must See TV” tagline, NBC created appointment-television, gluing viewers to their sets for each season’s 20-some episode run. Then we couldn’t wait for the new season to begin. Today, you can watch multiple episodes of “Seinfeld” every day. But, of course, you don’t. For one thing, it’s old. For another, it’s just not special anymore. Is UFC going the way of syndicated “Seinfeld”? It seems like there are so many fights on TV that they’re just not as special anymore. Even for a huge fan like me. I can’t keep up with it. And I order less pay-per-view fights than I used to. Oversaturated Marketing Working on this column, I clicked on Fuel TV. Sure enough, there’s a fight on. It’s not a new fight, it’s just another fight. And I don’t care to watch it. The recent “UFC on Fuel TV 6” fight from Macau, China, was replayed three times in the same day. This was most likely due to the event locale’s time difference from the U.S. Somebody must be watching these fights. And that is good for sponsors that get increased viewer impressions. That turns into increased TV revenue for the Fox family and UFC. But three airings in one day? And with UFC fights now on pay-per-view, Fox, FX or Fuel TV, the televised events have lost their significance. Growth Has A Cost If general sports fans are channel hopping, maybe they’ll bump into a UFC fight on TV, tune in for a bit and become fans. The more people see televised MMA, the more the sport might truly become a household word. More sponsors might get involved to reach this growing audience. That can be good for the sport and for many of our businesses. But if the quality of the action is diluted, that can be bad for all fans. Yes, it’s amazing that we’re up to UFC 150-something already. And it’s also a good sign that the industry is able to support pro leagues such as Bellator and possibly the new

Jimmy

JIMMY PEDRO

Jimmypedro@zebramats.com 48

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World Series of Fighting, as well. Quantity, however, is not synonymous with quality. More of something is not always good. Starbucks learned that and had to close hundreds of outlets when it overbuilt. NASCAR learned that as its increased race schedules met declining attendance. And NBC TV executives learned that when they tried to engineer countless sitcoms that might recreate the “Seinfeld” buzz. Solution? First of all, it’s not clear there is a problem, other than the glut of UFC fights as perceived and noted anecdotally by this fan. I know, however, I’m not alone in forecasting a slow decline in fight quality as fight quantity ramps up. One possible solution is Fight Seasons. Think “Seinfeld,” or better yet NFL, MLB, or any majorleague sports franchise. They’ve all expanded and added teams, and they all try to increase TV contracts to maximize viewership. But they don’t mess with seasons. And that seasonality is what keeps fans excited. You miss football from March to October. You can’t wait for Sundays in the fall to watch football. The UFC and televised MMA has certainly boosted Jiu-Jitsu participation in the U.S. And as the incredible fitness of MMA athletes is broadcast to a mainstream audience, that can help grow all our businesses. But a good part of this comes from the buzz and excitement of high-quality fight action. Not from overdone fight cards and re-aired fights that might look like Seinfeld re-runs. We need fewer fights, and increased quality. Maybe we need Seasons. Or the UFC’s “Here We Go” tagline should be changed to “Here We Go, Again.” Jimmy Pedro has earned two Olympic Bronze medals, and was Judo World Champion at 73 kg in 1999. He is active as a USA Judo national team coach and as owner of the Pedro Judo Center. Now as a vice president for Zebra, a leading provider of facility equipment for martial arts and MMA businesses nationwide, Pedro has a wealth of experience in the industry.

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