Who is a good fighter?  What makes a combat athlete?  To answer these questions one might refer to what they see in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.  The assumption is made of the fighter who wins, or is the champion must be a good fighter.  However, when you ask someone who is familiar with the UFC to describe any fighter you will get the reply “He’s a good stand-up fighter” or “he has good ground skills.”  In this case, he is not a well-rounded fighter, which in turn is not a good fighter.  I know what’s on your mind.  You must be thinking- well, if he wins on a consistent basis he must be good -until someone comes along with better stand-up skills, or better ground skills than he has.  The weaknesses in “good” fighters will always be seeked out by top competitors and will be exploited.  The end result?  The good fighter will win.

        The argument is still there but the point is made.  You always want to train as if your opponent knows everything.  If you neglect one single part of your training, in this instance standing, clinch, or ground, your opponent will find the neglect and capitalize.  In Yudansha we train for all phases of a combative engagement; standing, clinch, and ground.  We do not neglect.  If we focus  stand-up combinations for that session, we end the class by stand-up free sparring.  If we train throws and takedowns, we end by randori, and if we train ground strikes or submissions, you guest it, we finish the class by grappling and striking. 

        One will ask the question; “How can you be the best, or expect to be getting the best instruction in Yudansha?”  Yudansha is not a specialist.  A specialist trains in only one of the three phases.  A kick-boxer, or Muay Thai fighter is a stand-up specialist.  A Judo or wrestler is a takedown specialist.  A Jiu-jitsu man is a ground specialist.  Yudansha is the study and practice of the fighting arts.  A Yudansha practitioner is none of the above and yet all of the above.  Not a specialist, but rather a specialist in practicing all phases.

        If you broke down the three phases into percentages of how much you train them what numbers would you come up with?  Most would come up with 25% standing, 15% clinch, and 60% ground.  Where is the neglect here?  Most Jiu-jitsu schools focus their training 90% ground, 10% clinch, and zero% striking.  What is being neglected here?

        Now, if you broke down your abilities from your training into percentages once again, what would you come up with?  Again, most would say, I’m really good on the ground, I’m ok with my throws, buy my stand-up is lacking, or I revert to natural ability for my standing.  So if this were broken down into percentages it would probably look like 45% ground ability, 20% throws, and 5-10% stand-up abilities.  Where’s my 100%?  Exactly.  The definition of a good fighter has been identified.  The Yudansha fighter strives to fulfill that percentage.  Not to 100, but beyond.  Perfection is not achievable however, if you achieve 85% in all categories; standing, clinch, ground, then you can consider yourself a good fighter.  

        The Program: Training your four best.  Take a training session and divide it into 3 sections, preferably 30 minutes long with a 5 minute break between each session.  For the first training session practice your four best standing striking combinations in a row.  For the second session practice your four best takedowns or throws.  For the third training session practice your four best submissions on the ground from different positions.  Training your four best is a no-time-wasted training session.  It maximizes your strengths and allows you to perfect what you are best at doing.  It also enables you to develop your game plan in all three phases of the fight. 

Copyright: Yudansha Fighting Association 2006