@Captain_Kaboom shared this with me recently. I’ve watched a lot of Joe Lewis footage. This video (outside of his DVDs) may have the most wisdom and knowledge about fighting packed into a half hour that I’ve ever seen. In the last 10 minutes he talks about what is missing in MMA (interview was in 2007) and what would make it better.
This man was a fucking genius. He had a better understand of fighting than just about anyone else I’ve ever watched or listened to. For me I read just about anything when it comes to martial arts, but my main guys are Bruce Lee, Bas Rutten, and Joe Lewis. Does anyone else have any fight geniuses they have followed over the years? Any cool videos or footage to share? I absolutely love fight philosophy.
I’m not denigrating Lewis, I’m just saying that it’s much better to be able to slip punches & avoid blows than it is to be a stationary fighter who has to rely on blocking shots & the ability to soak up punishment. During my amateur & pro career I was a walk-in banger with mediocre head movement. I had a tight lower back & my shoulders weren’t very fluid. So, like Lewis, I had to adapt by blocking as many punches as I could & crowding my opponents with constant pressure.
Fortunately, I had a very good chin and a head like a rock, so I was able to have a long career as a fighter and paid sparring partner for some of the best fighters of my era ( the '80s into the early '90s ). By some miracle, I was able to escape the neurological & cognitive issues that many fighters deal with later on, especially those who have a style like mine.
Had my son decided to follow in my footsteps into the ring I’d have much rather he’d have had good head movement & been able to duck, weave, bob & slip punches rather than standing & trading blows like I did.
