This is a copy of the last article I submitted to ESSAY Magazine. E-mail me and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy. Peace

Click on the Pic to view the trailer

The popularity of MMA continues to grow at an incredible rate. Clothing companies, toy manufactures and movie makers alike are all jumping in to capitalize on MMA’s explosion around the world. Movies and TV series like “Red Belt”, “Never Back Down”, and “Entourage” are just a few that have featured Mixed Martial Arts and fighters. Who benefits from this type exposure? MMA as a whole! The more fans there are of the sport, the more it helps the local shows with attendance. This helps the athlete as well in regards to fight purses (win money). So, I guess it was just a matter of time when yours truly got into the mix. 
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I was talking to my girlfriend about how I would love to be a Fight Choreographer/Technical Advisor in the movie industry. I’m a movie freak and always critique the fight scene’s or gun battles in movies. I’m always yelling at the TV saying things like, “how about not holding the gun like an amateur you freak!”  
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My background while I was in the Marine Corps, besides MMA, was as a member of the Special Reaction Team (the Marine Corps’ version of SWAT), Hand to Hand Combat Instructor, K-9 Instructor among other things. I am very knowledgeable when it comes to anything violent; I don’t know if that’s a good thing…hmmm.
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Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, I was talking about how I want to be in the movie industry.  Then, a week later I received a call from my Kickboxing Coach telling me that he had someone that wanted to talk to me about being in a MMA web series. The producers, Kevin Williams and Vincent Sergovia, needed someone to be in one of the shots to basically get knocked out by the star of the show. We talked briefly, and I told them to come over to the gym. I had just got done with The Agoge Class (Group Conditioning Class) and was working with one of the fighters, Debbie Garcia, getting her ready for her upcoming fight when the guys came in. After I finished coaching, we got to talking and they offered me to play the head trainer in the series as well as the fight coordinator. Of course I jumped at the chance.  
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The series is called “Caged”. The series is about an up and coming MMA fighter named Alex Caspian (Vincent Sergovia) and who lost his parents and is trying to raise his younger sister Emily, as well as deal with all that life has to throw at him. 
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I wanted to keep the fight scenes authentic to MMA. You won’t see crazy spinning flying back kicks or any wire tricks. The techniques you see are true MMA techniques used by today’s fighters. Some people don’t realize that MMA has a lot of high impact movements already. Techniques like Superman Punches, over the top throws, submissions and knockouts are what make the fight scenes exciting.  
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The lead, played by Vincent Sergovia, has a Kickboxing background, so it was an easy transition. In essence he has become a client at The Spartan Pit and Alive MMA. I work him just as I work any of the fighters. I felt that if he is going to play the part of an MMA fighter, he should know what the training regimen is like. In addition he has to have the swagger of a fighter. Fighters have certain mannerisms, and vocabulary that we wanted him to be exposed to.   
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First, we worked some basic punching and kicking combinations, clinch work and grappling. I fine tuned some things and adapted them to MMA. Next he had to understand how fighters condition themselves. This was the fun part. I put him through a basic Spartan Pit session circuit course. Understand Vince is in good shape. He trains more along the line of a bodybuilder. I knew this would be a shock to him. I won’t tell you how it went because I don’t want to put Vince on the spot, but he said that it was the most brutal thing he has ever done. You’ll have to see the behind the scenes.
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Now we had to put the scenes together. I needed people to play his opponents, so I thought who better than to use than our fighters? I would like to thank Martin Johnson, Rance “Buster” Olison, and Vincent Alexander. Thanks also to good friend Aaron Rosa for helping out as well. Thanks guys for helping us with those parts and dedicating the time and effort it took to rehearse the scenes over and over. They all put a great deal of effort into each scene and I believe you will see that come through in the final product. 
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We filmed at local venues such as The King of Kombat, and TAMMA (Texas Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Association; thanks Ron Hernandez and Chip Thornburg for allowing us to film at your events. The crowds were great and loved the scenes. Most of the people thought the fights scenes were real and were cheering and going crazy; you gotta love MMA fans. 
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The Web Series “Caged” is set to air on www.Revolt3.tv some time in February or March of this year. You can also check on www.SpartanPit.com for the play by play.
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