Daredevil
17 March 2003, 15:50
Frogstyle, job opportunity
http://www.maxfighting.com/Coverage/usmc_031703.php
Tarawa Fight Club : :
By Cpl. Arron Barringer / United States Marine Corps (March 17, 2003)
The atmosphere is tense and charged with electricity aboard the USS Tarawa, as nearly two thousand Marines and sailors of the 15th marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) train for the possibility of war. Nestled snug among the Cobra gunships and Harrier on the hanger deck is a group of individuals preparing for another kind of war. The kind fought in a cage.
Led by Sgt. Nick Williams, Lcpl. Jason Bond, and Cpl. Arron Barringer, the group known informally as the Tarawa Fight Club trains every day to wage another kind of war as well; a war on the mat. The three coaches split the game three ways, each lending their knowledge to the group. Participants are also encouraged to share their experience with the team as well. The club was started before the Tarawa set sail on January 6th, 2003, during the training period known as 'work-ups', and consists of approximately 20 regular participants.
Sgt. Nick Williams, 24, of White Mountain, Arizona is a squad leader on the TRAP (Tactical Recovery of Aircraft Personnel) team and the Muay Thai coach for the fight club. He has trained primarily at Serventes Gym, in Az as well as Fairtex Chandler and the Straight Blast Gym in Oregon. Nick is also an apprentice instructor of Paul Vunak's Progressive Fighting Systems. Nick developed an appreciation for Vale Tudo while training at the Straight Blast Gym. "[MMA] fighting is pure. You can talk all you want to, but in the fight is where it all comes out," said Sgt. Williams. He believes in training hard, and develops his workouts accordingly. This intensity is obvious in the way the club trains, summed up by what Nick says is a; "No B.S., straight forward, suck-it-up or get out," attitude.
Lcpl. Jason Bond, 20, Newbury Park, California is a machine gunner for Golf Company, BLT 2/1 and the group's wrestling and takedowns coach. Jason is the youngest of three brothers. His oldest brother is Machado brown belt Kenny Bond (Street Sport), who also recently placed second at the Nationals. His middle brother, Timmy, is a champion wrestler as well. Naturally, Jason was born into the sport. Jason wrestled for Newbury Park High School and Moor Park College. Jason started training with the fight club a few days after it started, but was quickly propositioned by the crew. "He has incredible takedowns and defense." Says Arron, "Not only that, but he is a very technical teacher as well." Another of the cards Jason brings to the training table is his positive attitude. "It's so easy to get good, all you have to do is train." said Jason, whose goals in MMA are just as simple. "All I want is to win fights. and get chicks."
Cpl. Arron Barringer, 28, from Dallas, Texas, is a Recon Marine in the 1st Recon Battalion as well as the group's submissions coach. Arron received his blue belt from Dan Gonzalez (Carlos Machado). He has trained at the Dog Gym in Dallas; Jackson's Gaidojutsu in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and is a current member of Team Magnitude under Michio Grubbs in San Marcos, California. "For me, I have to train," said Arron, explaining why he began forming the club as soon as he set foot on the deck of the Tarawa. Friends told him about Nick, and the two became partners as soon as they realized they had the same goals in mind. Fighting.
While the training is intense aboard the ship, safety is the order of the day. The Marine Corps has it's own hand to hand fighting system called MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program), and can be very reluctant to allow individuals to train on their own. "The first week we started up, there was a lot of dramatic whispering on ship about a 'fight club'" Remembers Arron, "So a few officers and staff NCO's came down and watched us train. They were so impressed with the professionalism and attitude from everyone, that not only did they give us a thumbs-up, now several of them train with us." It is for reasons of safety that people are not allowed to walk up and roll with the class. Everyone must go through a couple of classes first, to insure not only that they have an understanding of safety, but that they have good attitudes as well. "My coach, Michio, always says that you can only get as good as your training partner will let you." Says Arron. "We want intensity, but we don't need egos or 'tough guys'. They get people hurt."
A typical class goes along these lines:
5:45pm - People begin to show up, carry the mats up from below, unroll them and clean them.
6:00pm - Stand Up: Thai Clinches, Jabs, Straights, 20 Thai kicks each leg, knees and drills.
6:30pm - Takedowns: Pommel Drills, sprawls, sit-outs, stand-ups, technique and application
7:00pm - Submissions: Guard passes, spin drills, etc. Two techniques (usually a positioning technique) then drill.
7:30pm - Roll for position, no submissions
8:00pm - Free Rolling
While these classes happen once a day, for now, once the ship begins to head back, there will be two classes a day, seven days a week. The club has attracted so many individuals that there is limit of fifteen allowed in each class due to mat space restrictions. One of the people attracted to the fight club was Sgt Dan Frawley. Dan was grabbed by Arron as he was heading to the gym because the fight club was short a body. Not knowing what he was getting himself into, Dan decided to check it out. "I had seen the UFC and always thought it was cool, but I had never done anything before. No wrestling, no boxing; nothing. Now I'm hooked," said Dan, who is now one of the core fighters in the group. "He's always early, he's there everyday to give everything he's got. He started out so uncoordinated it was funny, but within a week we weren't laughing anymore cause the guys an animal," said Arron.
Currently, the Fight Club convenes when it can in the dust and dirt of the Kuwaiti desert. They drill on plywood, and train stand up in large general-purpose tents during sandstorms. They do what little they can because they believe any training is better than no training, and that a little training goes a long way. Waiting near the Iraqi border for the word 'go', they talk about getting back on ship and training their asses off on the way back home. So look out, because when the boys of the 15th MEU are done kicking the butt off a certain dictator, they are heading for a cage near you.
Side note: The Tarawa Fight Club is looking for a guest instructor to join them on ship in mid July as they sail from Hawaii back to their home port of San Diego. They would like a BJJ brown belt or higher, and highly prefer a pro or semi-pro fighter. They will pay all airfare, and a fee. Room and board are compliments of the ship (small, small beds- but we'll give you a mint!) There is a full gym on ship as well as wrestling mats and other gear. Interested parties should email Arron Barringer: barringeraj@tarawa.usmc.mil
Pictures
http://www.maxfighting.com/Coverage/usmcpix.php
http://www.maxfighting.com/Coverage/usmc_031703.php
Tarawa Fight Club : :
By Cpl. Arron Barringer / United States Marine Corps (March 17, 2003)
The atmosphere is tense and charged with electricity aboard the USS Tarawa, as nearly two thousand Marines and sailors of the 15th marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) train for the possibility of war. Nestled snug among the Cobra gunships and Harrier on the hanger deck is a group of individuals preparing for another kind of war. The kind fought in a cage.
Led by Sgt. Nick Williams, Lcpl. Jason Bond, and Cpl. Arron Barringer, the group known informally as the Tarawa Fight Club trains every day to wage another kind of war as well; a war on the mat. The three coaches split the game three ways, each lending their knowledge to the group. Participants are also encouraged to share their experience with the team as well. The club was started before the Tarawa set sail on January 6th, 2003, during the training period known as 'work-ups', and consists of approximately 20 regular participants.
Sgt. Nick Williams, 24, of White Mountain, Arizona is a squad leader on the TRAP (Tactical Recovery of Aircraft Personnel) team and the Muay Thai coach for the fight club. He has trained primarily at Serventes Gym, in Az as well as Fairtex Chandler and the Straight Blast Gym in Oregon. Nick is also an apprentice instructor of Paul Vunak's Progressive Fighting Systems. Nick developed an appreciation for Vale Tudo while training at the Straight Blast Gym. "[MMA] fighting is pure. You can talk all you want to, but in the fight is where it all comes out," said Sgt. Williams. He believes in training hard, and develops his workouts accordingly. This intensity is obvious in the way the club trains, summed up by what Nick says is a; "No B.S., straight forward, suck-it-up or get out," attitude.
Lcpl. Jason Bond, 20, Newbury Park, California is a machine gunner for Golf Company, BLT 2/1 and the group's wrestling and takedowns coach. Jason is the youngest of three brothers. His oldest brother is Machado brown belt Kenny Bond (Street Sport), who also recently placed second at the Nationals. His middle brother, Timmy, is a champion wrestler as well. Naturally, Jason was born into the sport. Jason wrestled for Newbury Park High School and Moor Park College. Jason started training with the fight club a few days after it started, but was quickly propositioned by the crew. "He has incredible takedowns and defense." Says Arron, "Not only that, but he is a very technical teacher as well." Another of the cards Jason brings to the training table is his positive attitude. "It's so easy to get good, all you have to do is train." said Jason, whose goals in MMA are just as simple. "All I want is to win fights. and get chicks."
Cpl. Arron Barringer, 28, from Dallas, Texas, is a Recon Marine in the 1st Recon Battalion as well as the group's submissions coach. Arron received his blue belt from Dan Gonzalez (Carlos Machado). He has trained at the Dog Gym in Dallas; Jackson's Gaidojutsu in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and is a current member of Team Magnitude under Michio Grubbs in San Marcos, California. "For me, I have to train," said Arron, explaining why he began forming the club as soon as he set foot on the deck of the Tarawa. Friends told him about Nick, and the two became partners as soon as they realized they had the same goals in mind. Fighting.
While the training is intense aboard the ship, safety is the order of the day. The Marine Corps has it's own hand to hand fighting system called MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program), and can be very reluctant to allow individuals to train on their own. "The first week we started up, there was a lot of dramatic whispering on ship about a 'fight club'" Remembers Arron, "So a few officers and staff NCO's came down and watched us train. They were so impressed with the professionalism and attitude from everyone, that not only did they give us a thumbs-up, now several of them train with us." It is for reasons of safety that people are not allowed to walk up and roll with the class. Everyone must go through a couple of classes first, to insure not only that they have an understanding of safety, but that they have good attitudes as well. "My coach, Michio, always says that you can only get as good as your training partner will let you." Says Arron. "We want intensity, but we don't need egos or 'tough guys'. They get people hurt."
A typical class goes along these lines:
5:45pm - People begin to show up, carry the mats up from below, unroll them and clean them.
6:00pm - Stand Up: Thai Clinches, Jabs, Straights, 20 Thai kicks each leg, knees and drills.
6:30pm - Takedowns: Pommel Drills, sprawls, sit-outs, stand-ups, technique and application
7:00pm - Submissions: Guard passes, spin drills, etc. Two techniques (usually a positioning technique) then drill.
7:30pm - Roll for position, no submissions
8:00pm - Free Rolling
While these classes happen once a day, for now, once the ship begins to head back, there will be two classes a day, seven days a week. The club has attracted so many individuals that there is limit of fifteen allowed in each class due to mat space restrictions. One of the people attracted to the fight club was Sgt Dan Frawley. Dan was grabbed by Arron as he was heading to the gym because the fight club was short a body. Not knowing what he was getting himself into, Dan decided to check it out. "I had seen the UFC and always thought it was cool, but I had never done anything before. No wrestling, no boxing; nothing. Now I'm hooked," said Dan, who is now one of the core fighters in the group. "He's always early, he's there everyday to give everything he's got. He started out so uncoordinated it was funny, but within a week we weren't laughing anymore cause the guys an animal," said Arron.
Currently, the Fight Club convenes when it can in the dust and dirt of the Kuwaiti desert. They drill on plywood, and train stand up in large general-purpose tents during sandstorms. They do what little they can because they believe any training is better than no training, and that a little training goes a long way. Waiting near the Iraqi border for the word 'go', they talk about getting back on ship and training their asses off on the way back home. So look out, because when the boys of the 15th MEU are done kicking the butt off a certain dictator, they are heading for a cage near you.
Side note: The Tarawa Fight Club is looking for a guest instructor to join them on ship in mid July as they sail from Hawaii back to their home port of San Diego. They would like a BJJ brown belt or higher, and highly prefer a pro or semi-pro fighter. They will pay all airfare, and a fee. Room and board are compliments of the ship (small, small beds- but we'll give you a mint!) There is a full gym on ship as well as wrestling mats and other gear. Interested parties should email Arron Barringer: barringeraj@tarawa.usmc.mil
Pictures
http://www.maxfighting.com/Coverage/usmcpix.php