Greg Jackson teaches students at his seminar inside Ultimate Martial Arts Canada!
Sunday November 25, 2007
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Greg Jackson Seminar at Ultimate Martial Arts in Scarborough
By: Sean McManus
What do UFC superstars George St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Nate Marquart and five times King of the Cage Champion Joey Villenasor have in common? They all train in the hotbed of MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. under the direct supervision and training of Greg Jackson. Greg Jackson has mentored and trained over ten world champion MMA fighters and his name is well respected and very much sought after in the fight game. Simply put, fighters flock to Albuquerque to soak up what Mr. Jackson is dishing out.
MMA students in the Greater Toronto Area had the opportunity to train with Greg Jackson on Saturday November 24th at Ultimate Martial Arts in Scarborough. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to hone their skills with one of the most respected trainers in the game.
Greg brought Julie Kedzie with him from his camp in New Mexico. Julie is a phenom in the woman’s realm of MMA and is best known for her unanimous decision loss to Gina Carano at the EliteXC Destiny show on February 10, 2007 which was stamped ‘fight of the night’. If you need any more proof that women’s MMA is the real deal, simply ‘YouTube’ her fight with Carano and you will know that women in MMA are carving their path, led by fighters like Kedzie and Carano.
Greg would instruct visually with Julie and then all of the students were paired up and would follow suit. Greg then would call all of the students into a circle and go over what they had learned. Greg is a phenomenal motivator. It is easy to understand why he is so successful in the game. He is a very well spoken and intelligent man as well as being very down to earth and especially easy to converse with. After the seminar all of the students had a chance to get a picture and autograph with Greg.
The event was being sponsored by a company called Staredown Fight Wear (www.staredownfightwear.com). I had the chance to chat with the two owners Derek Salvatin and Joshua Wight. These two guys are dedicated in supporting MMA’s growth in Ontario and in Canada. They are primarily a clothing company, however their mission statement tells a bigger picture. You can check out their dedication to foreseeing MMA’s success in Ontario here http://www.staredownfightwear.com/welcome.htm. Through sponsoring events such as this, these guys are well on their way. Stop by their website and support local fighters.
It was truly a pleasure to watch Greg work his magic while the students obviously hung onto his every word. There have been events in the past for instance where George St. Pierre or a number of other fighters have taught seminars to students, however it is not everyday that young and promising fighters have the opportunity to learn from the mind that trains these fighters to be champions. Greg was gracious, humble and passionate about what he has and continues to accomplish in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. He told me that he loves Toronto and would jump at the chance to come back, so stay tuned for more terrific opportunities coming your way.
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