'This is...hockey or baseball for people who like to punch and kick'
Published Tuesday November 3rd, 2009
Bathurst Mixed Martial Arts Club affiliated with UFC star Chuck Liddell
Dave DeGrouchie is excited about the opportunity to work with the man who helped make Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell one of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world.
Liddell reigned as the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) light heavyweight champion for two years, from 2004 to 2006. Known for his knockout ability and takedown defence, Liddell developed a very unorthodox hands down stance under the direction of trainer John Hackleman.
"We are the only team in Canada affiliated with Chuck Lidell of UFC," explained DeGrouchie, head coach of the Team Xcellence Fight Club in Bathurst. "Chuck Liddell's trainer John Hackleman is now my trainer, too."
The Team Xcellence Fight Club trains out of the Naturally Fit building on MacDonald Street, and includes 16 members who practice mixed martial arts (MMA).
"Most of the guys are all recreational members, meaning they have no desire to compete they just want to learn the sport for fitness and fun," explained DeGrouchie, a sixth-dan black belt in Bujutsu. "But we do have two pro fighters. Denis Poirier fought pro in March and Andre Godin will make his professional debut in Nova Scotia (Nov. 28)."
DeGrouchie said being able to work with Hackleman will allow him to better train his fighters.
"Chuck is the star but John is actually the brains. He's the trainer," he said. "You never hear about him but John Hackelman is the man behind Chuck, and it is his education I want so I can get better and I can deliver the best for my guys here too."
DeGrouchie got the good news last month. In addition to receiving information from Hackleman through the Internet, he will travel to San Louis Obispo, California twice a year.
"I get to go to my first training conference with them in March," he smiled. "I've always loved Chuck's style. He is a very unorthodox fighter. That's not just by fluke, he's got a very unorthodox technique people couldn't figure out. That doesn't come from him, that comes from his trainer. As a trainer, I'm always looking for higher education for myself so basically I was shopping for a trainer. I had heard that their camp in California had an affiliate program...so I applied and luckily enough I got a spot."
DeGrouchie has been teaching traditional martial arts locally for years, and has students ranging in age from five to 45. He said mixed martial arts often attracts people who are intrigued by the mystique of martial arts but are not necessarily interested in the traditions and formality that go along with it.
"Martial arts in general is very traditional – you've got the uniform, you've got the rank," he explained. "A lot of people don't want the uniform and the belts and all that. They don't want to have to bow to a person in the front of a room and call them sir. That isn't for everybody.
"With mixed martial arts, (you) can be as gruff as you want to be, and can get your stress and frustrations out and enjoy the camaraderie of mixed martial arts. Most sports offer that, this is just hockey or baseball for people who like to punch and kick."
MMA mixes a lot of different fighting styles, creating one of the fastest growing sports in North America.
"It takes the most successful sport fighting applications and mixes those together," said DeGrouchie. "Mixed martial arts never claims to be the Mecca of self defence, it is a sport. But, from a sport combat point of view, you've got the best in punching, kicking, groundwork. That's what mixed martial arts does."
Although MMA has a reputation as a brutal sport, DeGrouchie said various protocols help keep the fighters as safe as possible.
"The misconception that a lot of people have is when they watch a fight, they think that is how a class goes. It actually doesn't," he said. "Even the best in the world, of which we are lucky to be associated with one of them now, don't train that way. They train with full body padding and everything is controlled. In here, we practice the same way, but it is a contact sport, so there have been injuries. We haven't had many but there have been some."
"There is a medical protocol that we follow, and...it is chock full of rules," he continued. "It is not guys all sparring around me. Two guys are sparring, and I'm right on top of them, everybody else is working on drills. When someone gets hit, I stop it. There is a certain procedure I take them through, there are certain questions I ask. If I've got any suspicions whatever...that is the end of it for tonight."
Concluded DeGrouchie: "If they get hit and one leg gives out, it is obvious they've been rocked, right away it is 90 days with no contact."
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