Mixed Martial Arts in DC News Blog

MMA Class at Fairfax Jiu Jitsu

HERNDON, Va. – On a Saturday of the winter month of December, Bill Easlick, the mixed martial arts head coach at Fairfax Jiu Jitsu, has his team out on the mat for warm up. The class knows him as the head MMA instructor, and the students run through the warm up drill. As a native from the state of Ohio, Easlick has been through Division I wrestling at Kent State, MMA fights in caged rings, and grappling at BJJ & Submission Wrestling tournaments. When making a decision to move from his native state back to Virginia, Easlick was asked by his friend David Jacobs to participate in the operation of a new location for Fairfax Jiu Jitsu in 2007. “We’ve always been great friends,” said Easlick.

MMA Head Instructor, Bill Easlick

In a unified motion, the Fairfax Jiu Jitsu fighters and students at the MMA class steadily jog around the fenced area used for sparring. One fighter after another aimed to warm himself up with constant movement. Slowly, the temperature began to rise as the cold of winter pressed against the high walls of the training compound. In preparation for the ensuing sparring session, each fighter prepared his focus, loosened his limbs, and bounced around the edge of the mat.

The floor was protected with pristine mats that had endured the battles that many people never get to see. Most spectators that witness the melee at mixed martial arts events only see the end result of long and arduous training camps. Few fans see the blood and sweat on the mat after a vigorous evening of training. The evidence of sparring disappears at the end of the training sessions, as the mats are cleanly washed with soap and disinfectant. “We believe in training hard and making each other better through that,” said Easlick.

MMA Class at Fairfax Jiu Jitsu

At the sound of the bell, the warriors commence their training. In a controlled atmosphere designed by the instructor, one group of fighters spar in MMA, another group practices no-gi grappling (on the ground), and the third group practices “dirty boxing.” Quickly, the temperature rises in the facility. Each fighter focuses on using technique and pushing their own cardio limits. Sweat beads down the head and body of the competitors, and no talking could be heard. Only the sounds of grunts from competitors climbing the mountain with their future goals in mind. When the sound of the bell blares in the room, the fighters switch partners and/or stations to work on different skills.

Matt Nielsen, the muay thai coach who fought in Japan, spars with the fighters. While training with the MMA students, muay thai strikes from many angles come from Nielsen. While using controlled strikes, he focuses mainly on the technique. Spinning elbows, knees to the body, punches to the head…what could be lit with deadly force is constrained to motion through control.

Bryan Lane at the MMA Class

Bryan Lane, the Welterweight Champion of Operation Octagon, engages in MMA sparring with his teammates. His precision shows when he lands throws and takedowns in a controlled way. Signs of his hard work are evident, showing the tenacity that won him the Operation Octagon title. “Coaching wise and teammate wise, this is a good group of people and they have plenty of resources…” said Lane.

When asked to describe his MMA team, Easlick went on to describe the importance of transitions. “I believe my guys are very good and they have a great understanding technically of transitions…they mix in striking and grappling together,” said Easlick. As an examples, he went on to say, “When they are in the clinch it is not just limited to a muay thai clinch or a greco or wrestling, they are able to dirty box, and use muay thai and maybe hit a judo trip…into a wrestling single leg…it is a big transition game.”

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