GREAT FIRST DAY AT NEW LOCATION!
Starting this week: prospective members can come in for a one week trial! Existing members: buy 6 months and receive a one month membership gift certificate and a private session to give to a friend or family member!
Awesome beginners class followed by mma. Jehiah drilled arm bar, triangle, and omo plata defenses. Keep it up team!
NEW LOCATION STARTING 12/12/2011
WE’LL BE AT THE NEW LOCATION STARTING MONDAY 12/12/2011. OPEN MON-FRI CLASSES STARTING AT 6PM EVERY NIGHT. 479 S. HWY 62 AT THE CORNER OF HWY 62 AND E TUCKER CHAPEL RD. JUST ABOUT 6 MILES FROM THE LAST LOCATION SO NO EXCUSES! SEE EVERYONE SOON! STOP BY FOR GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR CHRISTMAS TOO! LOTS OF DIFFERENT PACKAGES TO CHOOSE FROM. 4796331373.
Check us out ASAP!
Boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, judo, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, wrestling, mma and cardio/strength training for adults and kids. Private sessions available as well. No contracts. 3 month or 6 month or 1 year packages to chose from right now.
We have a 3 month special for $199 or else it’s $80 a month. Gimme a call for more info!
Phonics by Proust, ABCs by Emerson -Jehiah Burchfield
Imagine trying to teach a child to read by teaching them each word of a famous poem or piece of literature. Trying to convey the nuances and depth of great pieces of writing to a new reader would require constant steps backwards and excessive repetition; and while some gifted few would eventually grasp the beauty therein and simultaneously learn to read, most would suffer in frustration and miss the opportunity they had both to experience a superb art form and to acquire a valuable utility.
In other words, if you learn the basic elements first, everything else has a chance to fall into place; and poor methodology can ruin even the most potentially beautiful activities (insert sexual joke here).
Things work the same way in the gym. If you don’t know the basic stuff, you won’t be able to play the game as quickly or as well, which means you will appreciate your time on the mat less. There is nothing fun about constantly getting your guard passed and/or getting choked from mount over and over and over and not really getting much better at prolonging the inevitable. However, if this is happening to you, the answer is not to work on the latest way to control someone’s hands with their gi skirt while pulling a crazy upside down helicopter guard “whose your daddy?” toe hold sweep-I don’t know if that even exists, but if does, leave it alone for now.
Focusing on things like that will continue to get you smashed.
Actually, no matter how you train someone will smash you, but if you want to get smashed less then focus on what is actually holding you back. I will bet you money it is something very straightforward that you simply have not practiced enough. For example, at the end of a long rolling session the other night one of the students asked me “How do you keep passing my guard?” to which I replied “I move your legs out of the way”. I was partially joking with him by giving an understated answer, but the comment was also meant to encourage him that it really is pretty simple stuff that makes the biggest difference. So, we talked about that briefly, and it turns out he could tell some of the main reasons why he couldn’t pass my guard and I could pass his-he just needed to reinforcement that he was on the right path.
There is a concept known as “capacity constraint resource” in operations management, which basically means you need to identify the primary limiting factor of a system if you want to make the most useful improvements to its performance. Obviously there are a number of things you could get better at; the question is which one has the best tradeoff in positively affecting performance? There are a lot of data out there to be considered, but what you need is information that can be put to use.
I realize that many athletes do not come to the game with the ability to do this for themselves, and it is my opinion that coaches should be primarily working on providing this service. A student can run you tube searches for the snazziest technique of the week, they do not need me for that (and honestly, I know disappointingly few). On the other hand, what will put them on the fast track to actually being able to play the game they have chosen to play is to learn their way around it so they can get to the business of rolling instead of continuing to be confused spectators in their own grappling matches.
This is what I strive to provide, and this is what I want from a higher level BJJ coach when I go train somewhere. I would rather have someone simplify what I currently see as complex or correct me on something I am already pretty good at. That changes your game much more than a glut of new techniques. A coach should have a sharp eye attuned to the present moment; they should be a source of relevant information, and a dispenser of the next thing that a student needs to hear, not the next thing the coach wants to say.
In a later piece, I will write about the one conceptual model that has most affected my learning and teaching in the last couple of years, and that I feel brilliantly captures the points I am making above. I came upon it through SBGi ( www.straightblastgym.com
The truth gorilla: J
I would leave you with this thought-try to pay attention to what is missing and what is working well in your game. A lot of what is important will be clear to you if you pay attention, and guidance will provide you with a number of shortcuts that will be completely common sense as soon as you see them. If you ever feel I have strayed from this path and am showing you something extraneous, feel free to call me out on it. If it is not apparent why something is useful, ask, because maybe it is not.
Let’s Kick Some Ass -Jehiah Burchfield
I hear these kinds of statements all the time at fights and it never fails to make me smirk. I will make no bones about the fact that I find this kind of “pumping up” through junior-high level poseur bullshit amusing at best. This is another thing I like about the way it is with the TCB team backstage. No mean frowns while singing Slip Knot songs, no wildly gesticulating Eminem imitations, no putting your face in front of a teammate and telling them that they are a “bad mother fucker”, demanding that they “get mad”, etc. I will detail below what I think is so important about getting this approach right.
Take off your mask 
Displays of aggressive music, chest thumping, etc. leading up to a competition-think about what is behind that. Very often these behaviors are a response to fear-they are an attempt to cover up the truth that there is a certain aversion to what is about to happen. There is a certain attraction to it as well, but I believe you miss the most attractive part if you insist trying to cover up your concern by blasting your favorite music for angry souls and loudly proclaiming that you are going to “destroy” or “kill” your opponent or whatever other pretentious overstatement you prefer.
This guy never threatens to kill his opponents…
…which should make you feel silly if you do.
By doing this, you are missing the opportunity to face your fears for what they are-you are failing to be honest with yourself and you are putting up a front to keep the fear at bay. This is why I have always liked fighters like Randy Couture, Fedor Emeliananko, GSP, etc. These kinds of competitors have the air of the quiet professional; they don’t feel the need to convince anyone that they are there to fight, they know that the fight will happen soon enough and that it will be what it is. I also have respect for each of our competitors who step up in the cage and face their own fears with composure. It is a maturing experience if you let it be, and you can see the mark it leaves on people’s lives when it is handled correctly.
Not quiet professionals:
This is why I don’t like trash-talking and self-aggrandizement. Time and time again in my life I have seen the loud over-actors break and quit. What that looks like to me is that some people spend a lot of energy trying to convince themselves that they are not afraid of something when they are, which leaves little energy for actually rising to a challenge. It is more authentic to simply recognize that humans have natural aversions to certain situations and that they respond psychologically to these types of predicaments. In my opinion, the only worthwhile reason to subject yourself to this is to grow from the experience. However, if you never look deeply enough at your experience then the opportunity for increased self-knowledge is missed and the growth does not occur.
This spills into other areas of life as well. For instance, if you can learn to not experience excessive anxiety when your ego, reputation, or body is at risk, if you can be sincere in trying circumstances, you will experience a level of authenticity that will greatly change your entire life experience. You will learn more about worry and anxiety through true introspection in difficult conditions than you would learn from reading 200 self-help books and continuing to blast “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” every time you “need to get psyched up” for a situation involving a modicum of stress.
I have faced a (very) few combative situations where death or serious physical maiming was a real possibility, and I never left the situation feeling more arrogant for having escaped unscathed, I never felt like fist-pumping or “raising the roof”. I know a number of men who have more experience in this regard than I do. Without exception, those experiences have left them more humble, friendly and realistic. They are not your boastful caricature of a “tough guy” who acts like a one-man mosh pit at parties, I can promise you. I think the reason for this is that facing your own mortality is not the kind of experience that makes you mouthier, it makes you quieter. As Denzel Washington’s character in American Gangster said “The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room”.
Combative sports can be viewed as a microcosm of this kind of confrontation with your own finitude. They offer the opportunity to experience the fear that comes from threats to self. Maybe not all-or-nothing, “death in battle” threats , but very real threats to ego and to physical comfort. And I believe they are superior to all other competitive activities because of this. So if you are ever at a fight and see me respond to someone’s fervent plead to “kick his ayy-uss!” by chuckling to myself, now you know what I am thinking. Enjoy your training.
-Jehiah Burchfield
A Different kind of “Head Start.”
We always start them out just playing on some type of obstacle course that’s a lil different every time, they LOVE it. Then comes wrestling, they go for 3 short rds or less always making sure we leave them wanting MORE (all of these things are done ONLY if they WANT to) if I sense the slightest hesitation then we leave the gym. They don’t just “hang out” at the gym all day every day because then it would obviously lose its appeal, that way when they do come to the gym they automatically associate it with high energy, FUN, “play” time with Dad. They occasionally will do some stick sparring which is ALWAYS a big hit, (sometimes standing on a balance trainer at the same time), and finish up with some boxing or kicking. At home they have 2 strings hanging in their rooms, one for vertical leap and one for kick height, they regularly jump and/or kick these strings which is for some reason great fun (they’re VERY competitive). When I see them start hitting the strings consistently then I trim a lil tiny bit off when they’re not watching, then naturally they don’t know that they “shouldn’t” be able to get it and soon they’re touching/kicking them once again. They love holding mitts for eachother and are exceptionally health and fitness conscious. They know the names of almost all their muscles and are learning about fats, carbs, and proteins. A common question is “Daddy, is this healthy”. They are VERY in tune with their tiny lil bodies and take a lot of pride in both the gym and what they can do. They won’t leave the house in the morning until they have taken all their vitamins (and reminded me to take mine).
At this stage what you see them do is just pretty much instinctive, I’m not critical about form or technique, just encourage them to have fun and maybe give ONE little pointer every time we play. More importantly, I make sure they SEE things done at the highest level possible once in awhile. That is, after all how children learn. It’s not from some one critiquing every little detail until they completely lose interest (which I see many, many parents do).
Annikka is also on her way up so watch for her (she’s 1 1/2) and my oldest (Jaxon 10 yrs old) is a phenom at everything he touches. You’ll see some of their work soon…this reminds me of a quote from one of the Gracies, something like, “We were training every day of our lives, we just didn’t know it.”
Blizzard Warning
Today we started with a “push workout” meaning chest and tris primarily. We did a rep scheme of 10, 8, 6, and 5 sets of 3. That type of rep scheme allows lighter weight fighters the ability to add a crazy amount of strength without putting on excess weight, thereby allowing them to stay within the limits of their weight class. We followed that with an ab circuit for approx 15 minutes before working into boxing class.
We cross trained heavily with our wrestling team today intertwined with our boxing which is a very nightmarish formula for our opponents…not only is our signature TCB hybrid stand up system evolving/improving by leaps and bounds but we are also defending hundreds of shots/takedowns a day from some of the state’s best wrestlers which is making it increasingly difficult to bring us to the ground. After boxing and clinch work, we transitioned right into BJJ which is also known to be a strength of ours (approx 40 percent of our wins are by submission).
In the event you DO take a TCB fighter to the ground you will now be defending an arsenal of sweeps, submissions, and ground and pound. It reminds me of the old sniper saying “run if you want, you’ll only die tired”.
The Making of A TCB Fighter; Written by Josh Rivers
Growing up in Rogers, Arkansas TCB always had the reputation of being well…As Aaron would say the Boogie Man of places. I always had thoughts of going up there just to see, figure out if all the rumors were true. Which all the rumors that swirl the gym to this day, still intrigues me to hear some of them example being were watched by the FBI as a gang. Coming back on subject, I always liked being active and trying something new dad said I should do some boxing but instead signed me up for football (which I played from 6th grade till my 12th grade year). The earliest I remember watching MMA fights was back probably my 10th grade year and always thought man I wish I could do that. Little did I know, I would begin training for MMA without subconsciously knowing.
I was approached my 11th grade year about wrestling (In my mind I was thinking what wrestling? But I can not turn down a chance to compete) so I told the coach I would come check it out after football season. This is where everything began; I put in countless hours of training and sweat to make it in the sport. My seasons were plagued with injuries and I never really achieved much in wrestling with a record of about 18 and 7, but as a team we went to state and won a state championship but at the end of the season I felt lost, I couldn’t compete anymore I was done. This is where my new competition and hunger to grow in a growing sport began. It all started with a message to Mr. Aaron Kimball A.K.A– AK-47 owner and operator of TCB BOXING/ The Fight Factory. I began talking to him and asking him about classes and told him I was a wrestler ( His ears were probably perked up hearing this) in his head he knew he was going to choke me out a lot… and he did but I did not give up I just kept pushing. I just wanted to learn and if that takes for someone to choke me out and show me how to change my approach to things I was all for it.
TCB turned into my family something I never in a million years would have guessed , Aaron even started allowing me to teach my wrestling knowledge to the team on certain days. I was like a little “hyper dog” as Lylna and Aaron would say. I just wanted to show them so much but knew that wrestling can not be taught in a day along with everything else we do. We are just a different breed of people, as I was teaching I could just see everyone so hungry to learn and grow and it excited me that I could teach someone else.
I was training everyday from June 17th 2010 (which was the day I had sent the messaged that sparked this whole ordeal) until my first fight on August 14th 2010. I was training so hard for that fight, which I had no idea was even going to happen. You have no idea how much time AK puts into his line of work, COUNTLESS hours and blood, sweat and on occasions tears from sheer pain but nothing that did not make us stronger. I can honestly say that Aaron is like my older brother and would be there for me if I ever need him, along with Marcelo and Lylna who feels like my sister. The gym is more than just the hard work that each fighter puts in; it’s about the bound and the family aspect that comes with it. I guarantee that if anyone us was in trouble at 1:00 AM and we called members from the gym they’d be there in a heartbeat. We all joke and have a good time while at the gym but when it comes time to train it’s a serious matter. The fun and games stop and its time to train like someone said they were going to kill you. Someone that probably helped me a lot in preparing for the fight was Marcelo, while AK was helping the new people or making rounds on helping people correct their various mistakes Marcelo was helping on getting my stand up and grappling underway. Marcelo did not by any means take it light when we first met, the first sparing session consisted of me throwing a bunch of haymakers and marcelo picking me apart and showing me that they go as hard as you go. I don’t know if it was from my work horse attitude or my willingness to listen, or shear just wanting to learn but I gained Marcelo and everyone’s respect at the gym. After gaining the respect of the others in the gym was when the true training came. Non-stop Monday-Friday 5 pm to 10 pm was how it was and about the beginning of July or some where in the middle is when Stephen Gourley arrived back at TCB. This is where my jiujitsu started to transform, he showed me how to slow down from the explosive aggressive wrestling sport to a more relaxed chess like sport of Brazilian Jiujitsu. This all was the building blocks to the coming of the fighter I was to become. Your never just a complete fighter where there is nothing else to learn, your just constantly growing and learning and training along with refreshing your mind on new things that you might have learned. As I continued to train my days began to get closer to the day I had to go off to college, Aaron approached me with the opportunity to fight in Pride of The Cage in Missouri (which of course I agreed). So it was set I would fight 1 week before I had to leave for school. This is when my training kicked into high gear. I was nervous because as with every fight you never truly know the out come so you prepare and prepare until the time comes to fight and hope that fate has you in its favor for the night. This is exactly what I did with one of the best in the business and with the best team I could ever ask for. The night started off good everyone winning then heartbreak struck when my training partner and friend/brother Marcelo lost via submission to a guy he was beating but again anything can happen and fate just was not on his side. In my head I was thinking how am I supposed to win? One of our best fighters just lost but I snapped out of it as soon as we went to the back, AK started warming me up and everything became serious. There was no real game plan, only that AK said if standing up goes south, go into wrestling mode and take it to the ground. The walk to the cage was pretty nerve wrecking but after standing there looking at my corner and AK saying “Lets go Brotha,” I knew it was time to do battle. The cage door shut and my mind flipped a switch in a way that there were no nerves, nothing just pure adrenaline. The fight ended pretty quick. About a minute and a half in via verbal submission due to strikes. I had won. Everything had paid off. All the body shots, gang boxing, bag work, sparring, countless hours of grappling, all the hell that Aaron along with Stephen put us through had paid off, and now I am hooked! I just want to extend my hand and thank everyone that made it possible Lylna, Celo, Stephen, Veral, Steven, Jehiah and the man himself Aaron Kimball. Thank every one of you guys. You’re the best trainers and training partners and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Josh Rivers
“Get a Grip”
Strength/Conditioning Friday 1/29/2011
10 sets of:
40 sledge hammer swing, tire flips, 100 lbs overhead 50 yard carries, 200 lbs kettle bell farmers walks 50 yards, sand bag cleans.
Almost 2 hours of round robbin sparring and another hour of round robbin rolling.
Youth Wrestling Program coming soon!
New MMA Cage!
TCB is excited to announce that we have added an in-house 20 foot round MONSTER brand cage (ring) to our facility. Now, from the comfort of our training facility you can get a feel for what it is truly like to be fighting from a cage. It is a totally different experience compared to the traditional boxing ring. The cage takes on a whole new level of intimidation. Also, with having a cage you will be able to work on practical cage fighting techniques that you could use in your next bout. This is an advantage that few MMA students get to have.
Want the upper hand in your next cage fight? Join TCB Fight Team, and experience the difference.
