sold the gym months after my fight, and I was definitely feeling an itch to get back to some good old-fashioned training. I was also starting to take a look at the Team Tompkins gym, which was the biggest and most popular gym in London, for a change of scenery. But before I did, my friend and an acquaintance convinced me to train at Suffer System in the mornings, as I was working the night shift at the factory. This way, we had the octagon ring to ourselves, and it was great for me at that point in time, as we would work on all the things I needed to address.
That was the first time I learned the Brazilian jiu-jitsu technique known as “the teepee,” which is an alternative to the triangle where your feet shoot straight into the air once the opponent’s head is squeezed between the thighs, without the traditional trapped arm. You lock it up by hugging the legs and trapped head with your arms until your hands clasp together, then squeeze with your thighs and arms, and “voila,” the opponent has so much pressure projected on his neck that he will either tap from pain or fall asleep from the lack of oxygen going to the brain. This move is not commonly used or even known and is quite easy to implement for someone like me with long legs and arms. It would prove to come in handy throughout my training sessions.
We had a lot of fun pumping our loud metal, rap, and techno music as we pushed ourselves to the limits. Given that no one wanted to stop before anyone else, we sometimes ran into three-hour training sessions. One day, my acquaintance had an idea. He had finished watching the Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar training session on the UFC All Access show on Spike TV, which gave fans a glimpse into the training regimen of a top fighter before a big fight. They had aired a marathon and showed how Sean Sherk, who would become UFC champion, was steam-rolling through countless reps and exercises of some the most abstract and MMA-oriented strength and conditioning programs that anyone had ever seen, at a gym called API—Athletic Performance Inc., located in Minnesota.
They also aired the heavyweight monster Brock Lesnar’s training regimen. He was once a pro wrestler and had quite a fan base, which he brought over to MMA. They showed him doing similar exercises and unbelievable circuits that were exhausting just to watch, also at the famed API gym. Our acquaintance suggested that we take a trip to train in Minnesota at the API gym and at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, which was located right next door.
The idea more than intrigued me, as the timing could not have been any more perfect. My career at the factory was coming to an abrupt halt as the economy had hit its bottom and all of North America was in the grip of recession, especially the automotive industry. There were rumors circulating around the factory for months until we finally received our letters that the factory was officially closing and that we should look for employment elsewhere.
I was beginning to get used to layoffs, as within my five years at the factory, I had been laid off four times, ranging from a week to months, but this was different. I knew I was not coming back this time. As scary as it was, on the flip side it was a blessing, as I could move on in my life and career, away from the factory. I only meant to work at the factory for one year, but I got sucked in, and the months flew by because the checks were enticing, so one year turned into five and easily could have ended up to be a lifetime. However, now there was no excuse for not stretching my wings and soaring out into the world.
Beata saw going to Minnesota as a great opportunity because with more research, we found out that API was certifying instructors and that class would start the day after my last shift at the factory. Fate could not spell it out any clearer for me; this was definitely something I had to do, but more importantly, something I wanted to do more than anything else. Just like that, I packed my locker, said my farewells, and was ready for the drive down to Minnesota, where once again I had no idea what to expect—all with a big smile on my face.
Chapter Four
GOT CAVEMAN TRAINING?
“‘Shit...Fuck’... is my barometer for when I have reached the perfect level of strength and conditioning for groups.... I also like, ‘I’d cheer for you but I can’t breathe!’”
—Matt Olson API Owner/Instructor
At the border, we chatted about MMA with the border cop, which was a clear indicator of the quick rise in popularity of MMA. Once in the United States, we were met with many toll plazas, which to us Canadians was a new experience given our pay highways are express highways that can be taken by choice. For the direction we were headed, Wisconsin and then Minnesota, we took the toll routes for some reason. Illinois had over a dozen tolls, and after we paid the first two, we figured it would be fun to just blow through them. That’s exactly what we did, and every time we drove through one without paying, we made comical faces toward the cameras like seven-year-olds. It was fresh and fun to act like goofballs, especially after escaping the drudgery of life’s responsibilities back in Canada.
The trip was tiring for all of us, as we had barely slept the day before. The entire trip was 830 miles, which took us just over fourteen hours to travel. Along the way, we stocked up on energy drinks to help us keep our eyes on the prize.
Once we arrived in Wisconsin, the flat plains consisted of farmland as far as the eye could see. Unfortunately, it was the only thing we could see. It was really dull to watch, so we discussed MMA as the testosterone level increased in the car, helping us stay alert. Once in Minnesota, we were reinvigorated; we knew we were almost there. Had we known then what was lurking for us, I’m not sure we would have been so giddy.
Our hotel was literally minutes from the famed Athletic Performance Inc. (API) Training Center and the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, which are next door to each other. As we approached the building, the huge, and I mean gigantic, industrial complex loomed in front of us. The buildings were connected, looked very new, and were at least forty feet tall. The area was very well-maintained and honestly did not look like your typical gym. It was an honor to pass through the doors into such an elite fitness gym.
API was established by Scott Ramsdell and Matt Olson. Scott is the one you see sporting the long goatee in the UFC All Access shows yelling to motivate Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar. It is one of the premier strength and conditioning gyms in the world, catering to the best athletes in several different sports. They are known for their “pain is weakness leaving the body” attitude and pushing their athletes into the red zone.
API includes 150 to 300 students/practitioners depending on the time of the year. Including high school programs, classes, specialized specific groups, fighters, and personal training clients, there are about 200 members at the Minnesota location. As for schools affiliated around the world, Matt Olson put it best when he said that “We have a shit ton! A metric shit ton.” [laughing] “I think by the time this comes to print, we will have over twenty API affiliates worldwide!”
Their caveman routines are tough, with exercises hand-picked for maximum results and that make the practitioners stronger, faster and more agile, like well-oiled machines that do not let up! With specimens like Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar to tout in their company profile, it says a lot. Matt Hughes was known to frequent the gym as well. The routines are endless and are constructed with specific goals to achieve faster and better results. Caveman training came from the philosophy of going back to the basics with clean natural food and functional training that can be transmitted directly into the cage. The concepts are derived from the actions of cavemen, such as throwing, picking up, and flipping rocks.
The second benefit to training with API is the brotherhood formed from working with such intensity, similar to that in the military. The mind gets tougher, too, as you work through many points of exhaustion and fatigue; you want to stop, but you keep going, with everyone helping to motivate you. Once you step into the ring or cage to fight, you know you did all that you could to prepare. The fight would probably be easier than the grueling training, and that edge alone could prove to be the deciding factor between getting a Win or Loss on a fighter’s record.
API’s Matt Olson grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota after being adopted from South Korea along with his two older sisters. He also has a younger brother from his adoptive parents, regarding whom Matt added, “Poor Adam; he grew up thinking he was Korean until he started the first grade.” Matt had the typical upbringing playing many different