12/02/2007
Contributed by: Seth Davis/YourHub.com staff on 12/2/2007
http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Stories/Sports/Professional/Story~371678.aspx
Brian Wood spends much of his time meditating and exploring his spiritual side. He has worked hard to transform himself into an easygoing and likeable guy from the admittedly angry kid he once was.
He now teaches kids at the Wheat Ridge gym he owns, Next Level Training Studio, to fight not to hurt people, but for self-defense.
On Dec. 1, though, when 5-foot-6-inch, 145-pound Wood finds himself warding off slashing elbows and knees from another skilled welterweight fighter, his only goal will be inflicting enough punishment to knock the other man out or make him submit.
Although Wood, a 30-year-old Arvada resident who starred as a wrestler for Arvada High School and the University of Wyoming, is comfortable with his decision to enter the cage for his first mixed martial arts match at a Ring of Fire event, he said he is aware of the how fighting appears to conflict with his spiritual practices - especially when someone very close to him points it out.
"My older sister questioned the contradiction from my spiritual yoga/Tai Chi/peaceful meditation lifestyle to this - I guess - violent competitive fighting," Wood said.
Wood compared his motivation for fighting to that of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Georges St. Pierre, whom Wood said he admires because St. Pierre is using fighting as a vehicle for a spiritual quest. St. Pierre's humility, positive attitude and lack of ego are qualities Wood aims to incorporate in his own quest for a championship, he said.
According to Wood, Ring of Fire is a Colorado-based mixed martial arts organization that has basically the same rules as UFC and is a stepping stone to all the major fight organizations in the world.
Besides enjoying a good, competitive fight, Wood said his decision to enter the cage in front of 5,000 screaming fans had something to do with economics, which a friend recently helped him to see. When Wood asked a friend, Allen Watkins, why he should fight, Watkins told him, "You have a great image and unbelievable skills. Win a championship, get respect for your school, retire on top. Treat it like a business decision."
Wood is no stranger to high-pressure combat in front of crowds, having more than 1,000 wrestling matches under his belt. With all that experience, Wood said fighting in front of a hyped-up crowd at the Broomfield Event Center in an event that will be televised on HDNet should seem like just another day at the office.
"That's what Sven ( Bean, Ring of Fire creator and promoter) said, is that wrestlers have the ability to be comfortable fighting in front of 5,000 people, whereas someone who might be a great fighter steps in off the street and crumbles," Wood said.
After 22 years of wrestling, which is primarily about controlling takedowns, Wood has had to train for defending and delivering punches, elbows, shin kicks and kicks to the thighs. According to Wood, an unconditioned athlete can be felled by as little as one kick to the thigh, so he knows he needs to get his legs strong enough to take punishment. If Wood fights his way, though, he said he shouldn't need to find out how many kicks it takes to put him down.
"My style isn't going to be how many kicks I can endure to show how tough I am. My goal is to be elusive enough and fast enough that I don't have to endure thigh kicks," Wood said.
If Wood's opponent does manage to get him in a threatening situation, such as a chokehold, he said his meditation, which improves his composure and focus and helps him control his emotions and energy, will aid him in the cage.
"I have the ability to withstand a beating for quite some time and waste hardly any energy in the process, and that person tires trying to choke me out," Wood said.
Duane "Bang" Ludwig, a mixed martial arts veteran who has fought for organizations such as UFC and Ring of Fire, has known Wood for about a year and said he is impressed with Wood's wrestling abilities and other qualities.
"Great conditioning, very tenacious, super strong. (Georges) St. Pierre's a great athlete - that's how Brian is. I think he'll go far," he said.
Ludwig's best advice for Wood to prepare him for his first fight is to "test the water with other experienced fighters" by engaging in actual, realistic sparring.
Wood said he believes he has what it takes to become a world champion, whether it's in the UFC, World Extreme Cagefighting or another organization. His fight in December will be his first step on the journey to the top, he said.
"By setting a date of Dec. 1, I now have a goal to work toward. I have a dream and aspiration to build upon," Wood said.
Sven Bean's Thoughts About Brian Wood:
"I tell them it's their stage and to go out there and perform. If they don't, they'll come back and say woulda, coulda, shoulda. There's no worse feeling in the world than regret for a fighter."
-Ring of Fire creator and promoter Sven Bean on the pre-fight pep talk he gives fighters
"(Brian Wood is) a talented guy, talented athlete. I'm really glad he's decided to fight. I know he's got a really strong wrestling background, but it's kind of a dichotomy because he's really a pacifist."
-Bean on his impressions of Brian Wood
"Whenever I'm dealing with new fighters, I look for the ones who can perform well in front of a big crowd and not fall apart. I don't think Brian will do that. He's not a kid, he's a grown man. I think he has all the right tools in place to be a really good fighter in this industry. It's up to him to make it happen, but I have faith and confidence that he will."
-Bean on how he thinks Brian Wood will do in the mixed martial arts world