The fighter , his eyes bulging from asphyxiation, looks to his companios at the divider and asks how much time is left, while trying to hold his opponent down. As he discovers only 5mins have gone by and there are five left to go before the saving bell sounds, he wonders how he will manage to make it till the end. In fighter talk running out of gas is something every fighter has gone through.It happens, its normal. But can it be avoided, or at least curbed?
To the experienced Renzo Gracie losing their cool is a fighters worst enemy. "What is important is to hold back, to act using the head rather than the heart". The coach of the pitbulls in the IFL, believes training in the gym teaches alot. "One should fight with the same rhythm as in a training session". The gas rarely runs out during a training session, especially when you dont want to ask to stop. Remaining calm to Renzo, creates opportunities. "when the opportunity arises, use some of your gas to get the submission".
Alexandra Paiva, master at Alliance, calls attention to the breathing "When you learn to breathe properly and concentrate on that, you are able to forget exhaustion and your body starts to act on instinct". Another important factor: to know how to posistion yourself during a fight. "when the gas runs out the trick is to administrate, by trying to get in the least tiring position" says Roberto Gordo, trainer of the Gracie Barra combat team. Six time world champion Saulo Ribierio names his favourite positions. "Generally I'll rest when the fight is standing or in close guard, or even half-guard. I never rest in a transitional position or one of disadvantage".
But to bring down the pace may not be the only formula. To Fabio Gurgel, sometimes speed is the best way to get refreshed: "Even tired, one needs to accelerate to get to a comfortable position and rest. To stop beforehand could be fatal" says Marcelo Garcia's master Vitor Shaolin, a world champion in the gi that now shines in the K-1 Hero's ring, points out the different strategies for when you need to rest. "Even in Jiu Jitsu there is a way to manage exhaustion. In MMA, it is almost impossible. Comparing, in the gi, the type of fight allows the athlete ways to save energy and get back the breath. In MMa the absence of the gi and the adversary's punches and kicks make managing exhaustion difficult". Renzo agrees with Shaolin and even suggests a strategy. "In jiu jitsuone only need let the adversary pass the guard and concentrate on defence. In MMA it's different, as the beat-down is coming at you whereever you are. so in this case your jiu jitsu had better be good or you'd better pray to God, because it's as the saying goes: the ring in MMA is the land where the son cries and neither the mother nor the father listens". Black belt UFC fighter Hermes Franca is more radical: "When the gas runs out in the middle of the fight, there is nothing you can do. It's over, done". Waiting for July to come to dispute the lightweight belt against Sean Sherk, Franca laughs at himself. "the times when that has happened to me, I remember thinking : "SOB! Why didn't you train for real?"
Psychological gas
Gordo thinks staying calm is the key to coming out on top. "At the Pan of 2003, rener Gracie had me in a triangle for almost seven minutes. When I got out I was exhausted, but i kept my calm to stay in the fight and win", he narrates. Saulo adds that often differences in weight can leave you exhausted. "At the Brasileiro of 96 I decided to fight in the absolute , at 80kg. I got thrown all over the place by Ricardo Americano. In the end, I managed a sweep in an explosive reversal. I used up the very last of my gas, but I must admit I left there dead". Gurgel remembers the MMA battle with Mark Kerr in 1997 in Sao paulo. "At a very tough point in the first my legs burned from keeping him in my guard, I kept asking the whole time and there were only 12 minutes left. I relaxed and tested my limits. The fight went till the end and i came out even more in one piece than I was at that moment" Like Gurgel, Marcelo Tigre thinks the biggest part of exhaustion is psychological: "I think the gas depends alot on your desire to win. Gas is really just emotional. You might even be well-prepared, but if your head is not in the right place, there is no way around it, your gas will just run out explains the Banni Cavalcante black belt. Hermes franca adds the experience factor to the list of weapons against exhaustion "For example, against Ray Cooper, in 2005 and against Josh Thompson in 2004, I was not well-prepared physically. I lost, but gained experience. Afterwards against Jamie Varner, last year Im sure I won using more the noggin than the body" affirms the leader of team The Armory. Renzo, the Gracie with the most official MMa fights today, says sometimes the blame for exhaustion falls on the adversary. "I fought several guys that played more of an anti game than push the action, and that ends up tiring you out more, as defense is always more efficient and quicker than attack. Its a good thing though that even though i was exhausted, they didnt have the tactical experience to beat me.
When dead tired in the ring, there are means to avoid a massacre, but ideally you would guarentee yourself enough gas through preparation. "It is important that the athlete learns to train tired because when it happens in a fight, he would already be accustomed to the situation" stresses Gordo. SAulo teaches that the best path to preventing fatigue is perfected and almost instinctive technique. "if you think, you are too late. If you are late, you exert energy and if you exert energy you tire and wear out or tap out. Renzo emphasizes the importance of orienting the fighter and gives the example of his cousin Rickson, "When I fought Kikuta, at pride 2, Rickson came to my room to ask me not to hurry in the fight, as there was no time limit. Each position won had to be maintained and improved on, the gas and breathing had to be rationed for the crucial moment. He told me as well that he loved watching me fight tired, as that was when my jiu jitsu would show through. The fight lasted 51 minutes, until he fell into my guillotine and went to sleep. He was at least 15 kilos heavier than me, and if I hadn't used the technique Rickson told me to, the outcome could have been different". Beyond proper nourishment and rest, fundamental aspects, the winning shaolin highlights the importance of warm up and reveals how he does it. "A good warm up is vital, especially focusing on specific fighting situations and on the regions of the body with the most demand on them like the legs, arms and lumbar region". Speaking of rest Tigre is extreme "Dont even think of partying, and I'll go even further, not even sex. The fighter has to follow the example of the race horse that only becomes a stud after retired. With fighting its the same thing, sex only has a place in it afterwards".
This article featured in the May 2007 Gracie Mag
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