Issue 087

April 2012

FO signs in with the most-wanted coach in MMA, submission grappler extraordinaire Ricky Lundell, to explore his virtual world of viral video coaching

Reading through his extensive list of accomplishments and accolades, you can tell immediately that Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Ricky Lundell is something special. Not only is he a multiple-time world submission grappling champion, but, at the age of 19, he became the youngest North American in history to earn the rank of BJJ black belt, under world-renowned instructor Pedro Sauer.

Now aged 25, the submission sensation has coached some of the leading stars in mixed martial arts, including Georges St Pierre, BJ Penn, Frank Mir and Vitor Belfort.

However, Lundell’s success as a teacher initially caused some problems. With so many athletes from all over the world looking to benefit from his expert knowledge, Lundell found trying to coach everyone at once an unmanageable task. Speaking with Fighters Only, he explains: “I was having difficulty getting around everywhere. I had one guy on the east coast, one guy in the mid-west and another down in Vegas and getting out to each individual person was almost impossible.” 

Being the exceptional individual he is, Lundell devised a revolutionary method for teaching his students. “I started thinking of the Skype concept like, ‘I don’t necessarily have to be there if they have a digital interface.’” Lundell began using the internet to communicate with his athletes, sending instructional videos thousands of miles in mere seconds via the magic of the web. 

Lundell has his students send him videos of them performing particular techniques so he can coach them whenever, wherever. “I’d watch it [footage], go through it and write notes on the minute and second margins where there was an obvious mistake that we had to fix... Then I’d film exactly what I wanted them to do and send it to them, so they had something to work on even when I wasn’t there.”

Along with Olympic gold medal wrestler Cael Sanderson, Lundell has continued to improve his cyber system so that he is now able to give lessons to his students at his school in Utah no matter where he is in the world. “[My school] will live stream to me exactly what’s going on into the room with a hi-tech digital camera and I can zoom around and move the camera and see what’s going on all around the room. I can check in on the training and [my students] can see me on the other end of the camera, so I can do moves for them across the web. Now I can run my school and keep my fighters happy.

“I’ve been working on this program for [submission] grappling and I’ve been working on it with Cael Sanderson for wrestling. With this digital program I can teach schools worldwide and give them the information they need every day.”

As well as being extremely inventive, Ricky is also a caring and committed teacher, and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure his students receive the best possible tutelage. “One problem for a lot of coaches is that they take on more than they can handle. Then you can’t work one camp because you have to be at another camp... So what do you do? Take on less fighters? Don’t show them anything until three weeks before the fight? At the elite level of coaching it’s something that you’ve got to fully invest yourself in.”

Of course, though the internet has made communicating and accessing information quicker and easier than ever before, watching, recording and uploading videos still takes time, especially when you’re a coach striving for perfection. But Lundell is a man prepared to put in those extra hours, as he explains: “I feel that if you’re fully committed to your athletes then you’re going to take the time to make sure that they’re working on the right things regardless of where you’re at. It does take some time but it’s been worth it.”

This revolutionary new training method has enabled jiu-jitsu genius Lundell to oversee his fighters during the most crucial moments of their training camps. But, as with any student-teacher relationship, getting the best results requires dedication from the instructees as well as the instructor. “They have to have somebody video [their training] then they need to upload it to me, but it’s a pretty simple process... You can pick up an iPhone or an Android and upload directly from there. Some of the guys are sending me stuff directly during training and I’ve been able to answer their questions in a few minutes.”

With the rate that both technology and the sport of MMA continue to grow, the possibilities for the future of online training are virtually endless. Lundell is highly enthusiastic about the prospects of his internet training system. “The exciting thing about that is there’s no limit to how far you can go.”

For more from Ricky Lundell check out his school universityofgrappling.com

eading through his extensive list of accomplishments and accolades, you can tell immediately that Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Ricky Lundell is something special. Not only is he a multiple-time world submission grappling champion, but, at the age of 19, he became the youngest North American in history to earn the rank of BJJ black belt, under world-renowned instructor Pedro Sauer.

Now aged 25, the submission sensation has coached some of the leading stars in mixed martial arts, including Georges St Pierre, BJ Penn, Frank Mir and Vitor Belfort.

However, Lundell’s success as a teacher initially caused some problems. With so many athletes from all over the world looking to benefit from his expert knowledge, Lundell found trying to coach everyone at once an unmanageable task. Speaking with Fighters Only, he explains: “I was having difficulty getting around everywhere. I had one guy on the east coast, one guy in the mid-west and another down in Vegas and getting out to each individual person was almost impossible.” 

Being the exceptional individual he is, Lundell devised a revolutionary method for teaching his students. “I started thinking of the Skype concept like, ‘I don’t necessarily have to be there if they have a digital interface.’” Lundell began using the internet to communicate with his athletes, sending instructional videos thousands of miles in mere seconds via the magic of the web. 

Lundell has his students send him videos of them performing particular techniques so he can coach them whenever, wherever. “I’d watch it [footage], go through it and write notes on the minute and second margins where there was an obvious mistake that we had to fix... Then I’d film exactly what I wanted them to do and send it to them, so they had something to work on even when I wasn’t there.”

Along with Olympic gold medal wrestler Cael Sanderson, Lundell has continued to improve his cyber system so that he is now able to give lessons to his students at his school in Utah no matter where he is in the world. “[My school] will live stream to me exactly what’s going on into the room with a hi-tech digital camera and I can zoom around and move the camera and see what’s going on all around the room. I can check in on the training and [my students] can see me on the other end of the camera, so I can do moves for them across the web. Now I can run my school and keep my fighters happy.

“I’ve been working on this program for [submission] grappling and I’ve been working on it with Cael Sanderson for wrestling. With this digital program I can teach schools worldwide and give them the information they need every day.”

As well as being extremely inventive, Ricky is also a caring and committed teacher, and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure his students receive the best possible tutelage. “One problem for a lot of coaches is that they take on more than they can handle. Then you can’t work one camp because you have to be at another camp... So what do you do? Take on less fighters? Don’t show them anything until three weeks before the fight? At the elite level of coaching it’s something that you’ve got to fully invest yourself in.”

Of course, though the internet has made communicating and accessing information quicker and easier than ever before, watching, recording and uploading videos still takes time, especially when you’re a coach striving for perfection. But Lundell is a man prepared to put in those extra hours, as he explains: “I feel that if you’re fully committed to your athletes then you’re going to take the time to make sure that they’re working on the right things regardless of where you’re at. It does take some time but it’s been worth it.”

This revolutionary new training method has enabled jiu-jitsu genius Lundell to oversee his fighters during the most crucial moments of their training camps. But, as with any student-teacher relationship, getting the best results requires dedication from the instructees as well as the instructor. “They have to have somebody video [their training] then they need to upload it to me, but it’s a pretty simple process... You can pick up an iPhone or an Android and upload directly from there. Some of the guys are sending me stuff directly during training and I’ve been able to answer their questions in a few minutes.”

With the rate that both technology and the sport of MMA continue to grow, the possibilities for the future of online training are virtually endless. Lundell is highly enthusiastic about the prospects of his internet training system. “The exciting thing about that is there’s no limit to how far you can go.”

For more from Ricky Lundell check out his school universityofgrappling.com

Here’s our brief guide to getting the most out of your internet training:

Get a good angle

Remember, whether you’re trying to learn or teach, whoever you send your video to can only see what you show them. Make sure you get a good shot of the technique(s) you’re doing so that your student or teacher understands what you’re trying to show them.

Invest in the internet

If you get your MMA tutelage online then chances are you’re up to speed with the net. But if you aren’t then you should try and get the best connection possible before you start sending and receiving videos. The whole point of the online system is to enable you to get training as quickly and efficiently as possible, so dial-up simply won’t do.

Dedicate yourself

A coach’s job is to get an athlete motivated, and when left to train by oneself it can be easy to lose motivation. Taking the time to work out and film it isn’t easy, and Ricky Lundell is clear about how he feels when fighters don’t put in the time. “If an athlete isn’t dedicated enough to upload videos for me then I don’t know if that’s the kind of athlete I want to be working with.” You’ve been warned.