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KELLY
CRIGGER Author
of Title Shot: Into the Shark Tank of Mixed Martial Arts
©Marc
Wickert Lieutenant
Colonel Kelly Crigger is a chemical and biological warfare officer in
the U.S. Army. However, ultimate fighting enthusiasts would
probably know Kelly better as the author of Title Shot, an
innovative book that takes readers on a guided tour of some of
America’s best known MMA gyms. At
the time Crigger wrote the book he was assigned to the 1st
Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, Washington (just outside of
Seattle), but now as Knucklepit.com catches up with Kelly for
this interview, he is assigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia (just
outside of Washington DC). As
stated in Title Shot, the Lieutenant Colonel has served in “a
variety of assignments worldwide, including the 1st Special
Forces Group and the 3rd Infantry Division, and has completed
the Army’s grueling Ranger school.” Here
the sentimental Kelly takes a moment to reflect on the latter with fond
memories: “Ranger school is hell. It’s ten weeks of training
on Ranger tactics in several environments – Georgia mountains,
deserts, swamps – and under austere conditions: lack of food, sleep,
constant movement, heavy packs, etc. During the course, each
student has to lead successful patrols in each phase, so you can’t
just be a mindless physical machine and get through. You have to
keep your head about you and lead troops in very bad conditions.
It’s rough and the Ranger Training Brigade, which runs the school,
takes pride in students having to find strength they didn’t know they
had to graduate.” Kelly
has done two tours of Korea, and has been assigned to various Army units
for the last 18 years, including Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort
Stewart, Georgia; Fort Irwin, California; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort
Lewis, Washington; and now Fort Belvoir, Virginia. “It’s the
only thing I wanted to do since my dad was an Army officer as well,”
says Crigger. In
book, Fedor, Russian grand master Fedor Emelianenko says, “In
my opinion, spending time in the army is something all boys need to do
in order to mature, learn about responsibility, and become prepared to
fight for their country.” I
decided to ask Kelly for his views on this subject. “I agree
that the Army helps mature boys into men (it did for me), but I
absolutely disagree that everyone should serve. Here in America we
have an all-volunteer force, meaning only the people who want to join
the military do so. No one is forced into it or drafted anymore.
That means we have a level of professionalism that’s unmatched in the
rest of the world because all of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and
marines are in uniform voluntarily instead of conscripted. “I’ve seen armies firsthand whose ranks were filled with conscripts and they just don’t have the same morale or professionalism as ours. In that sense I disagree with Fedor. If everyone were forced to serve it would dilute that capability. I also think there are some people who do not take well to authority and rebel against it, sometimes violently. I knew some guys in basic training who couldn’t take the structure and discipline of the Army. They had no idea what they were signing up for and eventually the service made their lives worse. There was even one suicide in my company.”
Kelly
Crigger and Bas Rutten Kelly,
what were the biggest surprises of your journey to the MMA gyms? “The
way MMA can change lives. MMA takes a lot of discipline. You
have to eat right, sleep right, take care of yourself, stay out of
trouble, and train hard to be successful in the sport. Jorge
Masvidal is a perfect example: He was a street-fighting thug who
couldn’t hold down a job, but he cleaned his life up through MMA and
found the structure he needed to succeed. Sure there are some
punks out there, but those guys get weeded out quickly because they
can’t cope with the discipline involved in MMA and because no one
wants an asshole in their gym who’s only interested in himself instead
of the team as a whole. Therefore most MMA fighters are
disciplined and more intelligent than they’re given credit for.” Is
MMA the best thing that could have happened for wrestlers being faced
with having to retire from their sport after college? “Absolutely.
Wrestlers like Koscheck, Jake Rosholt, Matt Lindland, Brock Lesnar –
and the list goes on and on – are having great success and
making money with all those grappling skills they’ve sharpened over so
many years through MMA. It’s great for them.” After
touring so many major MMA gyms in America, did you find a common element
in these gyms that made them special and caused them to produce so many
successful fighters? “Nope.
Every gym is different. If they had one common thread running
through them it’s just hard work and determination. There were
huge differences in the atmosphere of each place, such as the jovial
atmosphere at Jackson’s MMA, the sheer discipline of Team Quest, the
family environment at American Top Team, and the physical closeness of
Sityodtong.” What
makes a great coach/trainer? “Dedication
to his fighters instead of himself. Clearly the best trainers give
everything they have to their guys instead of thinking about
themselves.” What
traits make a great fighter? “That’s
an unanswerable question. Each one is different, but discipline is
definitely key. Without discipline, nothing else matters.” You
mention the use of leverage in BJJ, which is something Saulo Ribeira
talks about in his “Jiu-Jitsu University” book. Do you feel
leverage is underestimated by many athletes new to MMA? “Some fighters today underestimate it and use sheer strength to achieve their goals, but others, like Kenny Florian, use leverage very well. If you want to be a submission specialist, you have to understand the physical properties of the human body and use them to your advantage. Certain joints aren’t made to bend in certain directions and knowing that and how to get to a point of leverage will win fights.”
Kelly
Crigger and Greg Jackson When
you arrived for UFC 79, you said, “I didn’t see a single fan over
forty.” Do you think that is changing? Do you think more
people over forty are taking an interest in MMA now? “Maybe
some, but it’s a slow process. I think my generation (I turn forty
next week) are still slow to accept it, although I know quite a few
forty-year-olds who watch it. Some demographics (like the
military) are ripe for MMA, no matter what the age. We gravitate
toward it naturally, even at the highest levels because of our close
association with combat and respect for the fighters. Allegedly,
one of our four-star Generals in the Army is a big fan, but I haven’t
confirmed it.” What
did you think of the Lesnar vs. Couture fight? “I
was in the camp that was rooting for Randy and didn’t think Lesnar
deserved a title shot. But he won, so what can you say? I
think Nogueira will submit him though. Brock is very talented and
could stick around for quite a while, so get used to him and his
freakishly huge tattoos.” Should
fighters have to weigh-in closer to their fights so they are competing
at their true weights? “Nope.
I don’t think it matters when the weigh-ins are: Fighters will always
find a way to manipulate the system to their advantage. They’ll
always find a way to wait ‘til the last minute to cut weight and then
re-energize. I want them to be rested for the fight and come out
at their peak, unlike Paulo Filho who didn’t in his last two
fights.” Do
you still train with MMA guys? Do you compete? “I
never competed (which is the one thing I’d change if I did it all over
again) and I don’t train anymore. I sit behind a desk in
Washington DC, pushing papers and sending emails all day, so it’s not
like a tactical unit where you have the time to train and a command
climate that encourages it. When I’m done being a desk weenie, I
have a family to spend time with, so training is a luxury that doesn’t
fit my lifestyle anymore. I wish I did, but that’s the sad truth
right now. I plan to retire from the military in 2011, so maybe
then I can start training again.” When
is “Title Shot
2” being
published? “I’ve
thought about a Title Shot 2 but haven’t put anything in motion
yet except for an outline that’s based off the things I would do
differently. I think if I do something like this again, it will be
focused internationally, i.e. spending time in MMA training camps around
the world, like Chute Boxe, Red Devil, Grabaka, and Wolfslair.
I’d probably spend time at BJ Penn’s gym in Hawaii too because I
respect the guy a lot. He got me headed down the road to writing Title
Shot in the first place, so I owe it to him.” Kelly,
is there anything you’d like to add? “I’m working with Greg Jackson on two books based on his fighting style: one for striking and one for grappling. I’m really excited about it because we’re adding a strategy section, a street-fighting section, and historical lessons to make these books different from anything else out there. Jackson is an incredible thinker and it’s a pleasure to work with him.”
Kelly
Crigger’s site: www.intothesharktank.com. For
Knucklepit’s review of Title Shot/ Into the Shark Tank of Mixed
Martial Arts: http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-knucklepit%20book%20review.htm. For
Kelly Crigger’s clothing line: www.rangerup.com. For
more on the 1st Special Forces Group: www.groups.sfahq.com/1st/. For
more on the 3rd Infantry Division: www.stewart.army.mil/3DIDWeb/Homepage/3idhome.asp.
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