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GregJacksonmixedmartialarts

GregJackson
MMAFromtheBigChair

MarcWickert,
18December,2009
www.knucklepit.com
specialthankstoRichardKottenstette
GregJacksonisoneofthemostsuccessfulmixedmartialartstrainersintheworldtoday,whichisplentygood
reasonforKnucklepit.comtocatchupwithhimatJacksonsMMAgyminAlbuquerque,NewMexico,whereat
thetimeofthisinterview,Gregsayshessittinginmylovelycouch.
WhenyoustarttalkingwithJackson,youinstantlywonderwhyG.J.everneededtotakeupaselfdefensesystem
whenhisfriendlypersonalityissodisarming.ItseasytoseewhysuchbignamesasGeorgesStPierre,Rashad
Evans,DavidLoiseau,AdamLynn,KeithJardine,NathanMarquardtspeaksohighlyoftrainingatJacksons
MMAgym.ButenoughaboutGregsgoodnaturewereheretopickhisbrain.
GregsayshisgrandfatherwasthefirstJacksonfamilymembertotakeupwrestling.Billdidntdoitonthe
levelthatmyuncles,myfatherandbrotherdid,butheboxedandwrestledasakid,sothatswherewekindagot
thestart,saysG.J.
BillwasjustanathletickidhealsoplayedfootballIthinkinthattimeandplace,mygrandfatherdidwhat
otherkidsdidthekidswouldbox,wrestle,playfootballandswimItwasjustsomethingthathedid.Andmy
oldestuncle,UncleJohn,hestartedwrestling,andImnotexactlysurewhyhejustlovesfightingand
wrestling.ThenUncleEddiditandmyfatherfollowedafterthat.Ithinkhewastheonewhosetthetoneforit
andmygrandfatherwasverysupportive,sowekindakeptthespiritalive.
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GregsfatherwasborninTrenton,NewJersey,butmovedtoIndianawhenhewasakid.Helaterrelocatedto
Washington,D.C.,whichiswhereGregspenthisearlyyearsbeforemovingtoNewMexico.
Despitehavingwrestlinginhisblood,Gregsaysitwashisneedforaselfdefensesystemwhilstgrowingupin
Albuquerquethatmotivatedhimtotrain.IvebeenwrestlingwithmydadandunclesandlittlebrothersinceI
canremember,butwhatreallygotmestartedinthemartialartswasjustaneedtodefendmyself.WhenIwas
youngmyparentswerepacifists,sotheytriedtoputmeinaikido.Itwaslikeanonviolentmartialart,andthat
didntlasttoolong.Itsnotaterriblyeffectivemartialartfortodaysrealities.
Greg,youdidjudoaswell.
Yeah,Ibouncedaroundanddidjudo.Iveneverhadajiujitsulesson,atleastnotBrazilian.Itcamedown
mostlytokickboxingandwrestlingwiththesubmissiongrapplingstuff,andIhadtofigurethatoutformyself,
exceptforthekickboxingwhereIhadMikeWinkeljohnasmyinstructor,andheisamazing,hesgreat.
Onyoursitewww.jacksonsmma.comitsaysyouoriginallycombinedjudolockswithwrestlingtocreate
Gaidojutsu.Werethetakedownsandpositioningthemainthingsyoutookfromwrestling,andthenthejudo
submissionstofinishit?
Right,exactly.AndoncetheUFCcameoutIsawtheGracieshadthisgreat,greatstylesoItriedtoemulate
that.Therewasnoonetoteachme,soIjusttriedtoemulateitasmuchasIcould,usingphysicsandgeometry
tofigureouthowtogetthebestleverageandhowtofinishsomebodythere.ButGaidojutsuhaditsorigininthe
wrestlingandjudoforsure.
AroundthetimeyousawRoyceGracieintheearlyUFCs,youcommencedtraininginkickboxingwithMichael
Winkeljohn.DidthatthenmakeGaidojutsuatrueMMAstyle?
IthinksoImeanIthinkthatalotofitdid.Wewerejusttryingtofigureoutwhatworksandwhatworksbest
foreachindividual.Ihadtrainedatotherkickboxingplacesbefore,buttheywerentasgoodasMike
Winkeljohnobviously,sohewastheonetotakemetothatnextlevel.Hewastheonewhosatmedownandgot
mybasicsbetter,gotmehittingharderandthatkindastuff.ItwasarealpleasureandhonorwhenIstarted
workingwithhim.
Doyoudomostofyourowntrainingwiththefightersyoucoach,ordoyoudosomeofyourworkoutsasidefrom
whenyoureinstructing?
Alittlebitofboth:Idoalittlebitofworkingwiththem,andthenIalsohavestuffthatIdoonmyown,likea
lotofconditioningstuff.ButthesparringIdowiththeboys.

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InKellyCriggersbookTitleShot:IntotheSharkTankofMixedMartialArts,hevisitsJacksonsGym.Did
youenjoyKellystimethere?
Oh,yeah.Kellyisgreathesphenomenalandmakesmelaughallthetime.Hesactuallyreallysmart,and
whatIlikebestabouthimiswhenwegotonthesandduneshereallywantedtogetinthereandseewhatitwas
like,soIrespecthisintelligenceandenthusiasm,butIalsorespectthathelikestogetinthereandmixituptoo.
Itwasprettycool.
KellysaidinTitleShotthattherewererumorsofyourtakingfightersonrunsintheSandiaMountains.Do
youtakethemonrunsthere?
Yeah,wehavealotofdifferentrunsthatwedo:someintheSandiaMountains,someinthefoothillsofthose
mountains,andsomeinthesanddunesaroundAlbuquerquedifferentrunsfordifferenttorturedays.
YouhavetheRashadEvansvs.ForrestGriffinboutcominguponDecember27.Howdoyouseethatgoing?
Well,wenevertakeafightthinkingweregoingtoloseit.Forrestisanincrediblytoughopponenthealso
presentsalotofproblemsthatarehardtogetaround.Ithinkifwehaveagoodperformancethatnight,andifwe
dowhatRashadiscapableofdoing,thenwellwin,butitsnotgoingtobeaneasyfightatall.Forrestisan
amazingfighterandifwemakeonemistake,thatcouldbeit.Hopefullywellhaveagoodnightandcomeaway
withthevictory.
HowsGeorgesStPierrespreparationgoingforhisBJPennrematch?
HesbeentrainingwellhejustleftherelastweekandIllbegoinguptoMontrealnextweekortheweekafter
tohelphimoutafterRashadsfight,andwellbeworkingcloselytogetherwithFiras,PhilNurse,andhisother
coachesaswell.
MichelleWatersonwasapleasuretointerview.Doesshehaveanyboutscomingup?
WeresettingsomethingupfortheendofFebruaryforbothMichelleandforJulie(Kedzie),probablyin
Washington,D.C.,butwedonthaveanythingsolidyetalthoughMichellehasbeentraininghardandimproving
alot.EachtimeIthinkshellgetbetterandbetter,soitwillbeagoodthingifwecangethershowcasedona
bigstageandshecanreallydisplayherimprovement.
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IsJacksonsGymoneofthebiggestgymsforfemalefighters?
Wereallyare.Weonlyhavetwoorthreefemalefighters:JulieKedzieiskindatheleaderandshesjust
phenomenal,andthenwehaveMichelleWatersonandHollyHolm.Weretryingtogetsomemore,butoutside
ofthatweonlyhavethreeorfourfemalefightersatthemoment.
SoJulieKedziesdoingwell.
Oh,sheisamazing.Ifeelthatshehasimprovedthatmuchinthelasteighteenmonths,andshestheoneIm
mostexcitedabout:Shegetsstrongerwitheveryfightanditsapleasuretoworkwithher.Shehassuchagreat
workethicandsheissotalented.Shehasthatcombinationthatyoudontseeallthetime.Itmakesmyjobreal
easy.
InKellyCriggersbook,hesaidthatshehasawarriorsheart.Butwhenyouspeaktoher,shessodownto
earth.
Yeah,shesallsmilesandgigglesoneminuteandthenshesfighting,andshejustwontquit.Atthecore,
thatswhatmakesheragreatfighter:Shehastalentandagoodattitude,butatthecoreshesafighter.Shell
takeaswigofvodkaandfight,sotospeak.
Whatotherpeoplefromyourgymhavefightscomingup?
WehaveDonaldCerronefightingfortheWECtitleagainstJamieVarnerattheendofJanuary.LeonardGarcia
willprobablyendupfightingMikeBrownfortheotherWECtitle,butImnotsureaboutthat.Asfarasbig
fights,wejusthadElliotMarshallwinthispastweekend,andGeorgesandRashadhavefightscomingup,of
course.
RingPhysicianDr.GaryFurnesssaid,IknowGregmeetsdozensofpeople.butontheoffchance,pleasesay
hitohimfromthedocthatfirstchattedwithhimatJardine/SilvaUFCinMay,thenStrikeforceaweeklater.
ThenquizhimonthestripclubandalcoholplanforJoeyVillasenorwhenhewasgoingagainstPhilBaroniin
NewJersey.
Oh,yeah,fortheprefightinterviewsitskindathesamedealeverytime:Theyaskyouthesamequestions,soI
decidedIdtellthemthatItookJoeytothestripclubandgothimdrunkwithabunchofwomentotrysomething
unorthodox.ItsonYouTubeIguessyoucanwatchit,andeverybodysbeenlaughingatmeeversince.IfI
canmakesomebodysmilemydaygoeswell.
IalsohaveaquestionfromKellyCrigger:AskGreghowheenjoyedhistriptoMountVernon.Itookhimthere
whenhewasinDCandwhenhesawthebedroomwhereGeorgeWashingtondied,hewasmoved.Greg'sa
hugehistorybuffandappreciatesthatkindofstuff.
Thatwasamazing.Youknowwhatmovedmewasthatandhisbackporch:Iwassittinginthesameplaceas
GeorgeWashingtonhadsatandthatblewmymind.IhaveacoupleofheroesthatIreallylookuptoandGeorge
Washingtonisoneofthebigonesjusttobewherehewas,toseethebedhediedinandtoseethedeskwhere
hemadeallhispresidentialdecisionsIdbeentoplaceswherehedhadsomeofhishardshipsandIalways
wonderedwhatwassospecialaboutMountVernon:Whydidhewanttogobackthere?AndthenwhenIgotto
goandIsawhowbeautifulandamazingitwasIsawhisgraveandhistombitwasamazing.Itjustblewme
awayandIwassohappy.
Greg,isthereanythingyoudliketoadd?
Thankyoutomywife,Stephanie,forallhersupport,andmykidsforbeingsounderstandingthatIhaveto
travelallthetime.

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FormoreonGregJackson:www.jacksonsmma.com

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