The last time I hung out with Denis Kang we shot a series of short videos on MMA techniques. It's rare to get an MMA fighter who wants to show you all his best techniques, but Denis is an awesome teacher as well as a great fighter. That's why I've received some great feedback about these mini-MMA-instructionals. Today's video is about a mount escape that's gaining popularity in MMA. The … [Read more...]
Denis Kang
Breaking down the Ankle Lock
Originally published in Grappling Magazine (August 2005 issue) The ankle lock has a long and varied history. This technique was used by many of the traditional Ju-jutsu schools in medieval Japan, North American Catch Wrestling as well as in pre-World War 2 Judo. Then it fell onto hard times. Judo banned the ankle lock. Catch Wrestling faded in prominence. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu never actually … [Read more...]
MMA Ground and Pound
Here's a short MMA video I recently shot with my friend Denis Kang. He's a very knowledgeable fighter, and I wanted him to share some insights on the ground and pound aspect of MMA. Like it or not, striking people inside their closed guard is part of the game. Hitting someone in the head repeatedly is probably the best way to get them to open up their guard, and you can even finish the fight … [Read more...]
Countering the Double Leg with a Sitout & Switch
I respect most grappling arts, not just BJJ. Freestyle and collegiate wrestling, in particular, have a lot to offer to submission grapplers and BJJ practitioners. Obviously we can get a lot of good throws and takedowns from wrestling, but we can also 'steal' some very powerful moves on the ground as well. … [Read more...]
The Double Leg Takedown in MMA
I recently had the opportunity to meet up with my friend and professional fighter Denis Kang. I wanted to pick his brain about some MMA techniques. He shared a lot of stuff, and because I had a video camera with me I can now pass that information on to you. … [Read more...]
Knee Slide Guard Pass
Many Brazilian jiu-jitsu guard passes can be adapted for use in mixed martial arts. Here the cross knee slide guard pass is used to achieve side mount control. … [Read more...]
Leg Swing Guard Pass
This guard pass requires commitment and some athleticism, but is quick and can take an opponent by surprise. … [Read more...]
Denis Kang: Double Leg Tackle Counter to Neck Lock
This may seem like a flashy technique, but it definitely works. It can be used standing or on the knees to get to a match-ending neck lock submission. As his opponent shoots in to take him down Denis secures a front head lock, trapping the opponent’s head and left arm with his own arms Denis drops to the mat, making sure he is off to one side Continuing the momentum he … [Read more...]
Denis Kang Cartwheel Guard Pass
The cartwheel guard pass is most often seen in the Japanese lightweight MMA divisions, but it can also be used in Submission Wrestling and BJJ. Here's how to do it correctly... … [Read more...]
A Sneak Peek Into a Fighter’s Conditioning Routine
Most of my text message communications to my friends are pretty short and mundane. Recently, however, I had a very interesting conversation with MMA fighter Denis Kang, partially over the phone but mostly using text messages. … [Read more...]
Refusing to Concede the Sweep
I trained with Denis Kang for the first five or six years of his MMA career. At some point during that time he became very, very difficult to sweep. Partially this was due to his increasing technical knowledge, but it was also more than that. … [Read more...]
Congratulations Denis Kang
My friend and training partner Denis Kang recently fought in the Pride Grand Prix, in the Yokohama Arena, Japan. To get to this point in the world's most prestigious welterweight tournament he had already knocked out Brazilian fighter Murilo 'Ninja' Rua … [Read more...]
Denis Wins in Pride
I am very happy to announce that my once-training-partner Denis Kang has advanced further in the Pride 'Survival' Middleweight tournament! To move to the semi-finals he decisively took out Amar Suloev, no mean feat given that Suloev had dispatched veteran BJJ fighter Murilo Bustamante in the first round of the tournament. … [Read more...]
Blood in the Water: MMA Killer Instinct
On June 4th Denis Kang did it again. Fighting in the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix he took on feared striker Murilo "Ninja" Rua from the Chuteboxe Academy. The fight did not go long: he KO'd Ninja in 12 seconds! … [Read more...]
Congratulations Denis Kang!
Congratulations to my friend, team-mate, and former training partner Denis Kang who defeated dangerous striker Mark Weir at Pride Bushido last Sunday. The fight ended at 4:55 of the first round after Denis landed a devastating series of punches and knees. … [Read more...]
DVD Announcement
My Mixed Martial Arts, the instructional DVD featuring the favorite MMA techniques and training drills of Denis Kang is NOW AVAILABLE. I have been working on this video for 7 months, during which time Denis has won two fights in Pride, the biggest and most prestigious MMA event in the world. … [Read more...]
Eat, Sleep, Train
First I’d like to congratulate friend and former training partner Denis Kang on his recent victory in Pride Bushido 8 in Japan. He out-punched and out-grappled UFC veteran Andrei Semov to earn a unanimous decision. Even more impressive is the fact that he broke his right hand 4 minutes into the fight, … [Read more...]