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The four-time World’s Strongest Man’s biggest takeaway from martial arts training is energy conservation.
Last updated on December 13th, 2023
Since retiring from competitive strongman, four-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Brian Shaw embarked on his training for his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut. He will compete in an MMA tournament on Feb. 17, 2024, at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
To ensure he’s well-prepped, Shaw received access to the UFC Performance Institute to train with former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. On Dec. 5, 2023, Shaw published his training with Mir on his YouTube channel. Check it out below:
[Related: Strongman Martins Licis Lives and Trains Like a Sumo Wrestler]
Takedown and Grapple
Mir’s coaching began with various takedowns and how to grapple an opponent. From hand holds to head positioning, the skillset is honed via a ton of volume, something Shaw is well versed in from all his years in the gym.
Mir instructed Shaw to attack the front leg for a hold of the other fighter’s body. If the opponent avoids such an attack, Mir demonstrated pivoting to a higher hold with a “head pinch,” clanging one of the instructors into the cage and miming various punches and elbow strikes.
Conserve Energy During Submissions
Shifting to train ground game, Mir taught Shaw various choke holds. Shaw already knew how to reset an opponent’s arm and shoulder for a deeper choke. Mir told Shaw not to squeeze the “noose” — meaning the arms around the neck — but to instead drive the elbows in to limit the space for his opponent’s arm and neck. Both options are effective for increasing the pressure of the choke, but the latter conserves more energy.
Escape Bottom Position
Escaping the bottom position after a takedown involves Shaw flinging his legs away and rotating to maneuver to the top position. Mir coaches Shaw to maneuver takedowns to choke holds to reversals to arm bars and shoulder pulls via Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques. Shaw’s exposure to these techniques helps him think critically about offense and defense simultaneously.
After experiencing headlocks while standing against the octagon’s cage. Mir suggests that the S grip — hooking the fingers over each other like two hooks — or the Gable grip — pinning both thumbs to their respective index fingers and wrapping the hands together perpendicularly — are sufficient for a headlock, presuming the bottom hand supinated.
Mir taught Shaw how to escape a headlock through the use of leverage. While a headlock is dangerous, even during an escape attempt Mir is conscious to preserve energy.
“Being smart helps a ton,” said Mir. “If someone explains to you, you’re just doing ‘this.’ They give you the right reads, objectives — I hate when people [are] just like, ‘I’ll just figure it out.’ You should be in shape, but that shouldn’t be the answer. There has to be a way to do things properly. It shouldn’t be the tip of the spear.”
Shaw’s opponent for his MMA debut has not yet been announced at the time of this article’s publication, but it seems that the former WSM champion will be ready for whoever steps up.
Featured image: @derekwolfe_95 on Instagram
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