WHAT WE TEACH

The Endeavor MMA Combat Submission Wrestling (CSW) program is the primary no GI grappling program at the school. What makes it unique is it is specifically formulated for grappling without a uniform or a “GI”. It also heavily focuses on the possibility of your opponent striking you while grappling. Generally due to the systems that influence, it is more aggressive and it seeks to gain dominant control quickly.

Our Instructors maintain a safe training atmosphere so your primary focus can be on education and growth. Grappling, Wrestling or jiu-jitsu can burn a tremendous amount of calories in a short amount of time as well as building strength and flexibility. Due to this, training is not only fun but a fantastic way to get into shape and maintain the high levels of fitness that is part of the martial arts lifestyle. The grappling arts use leverage, strategy and technique to prevail over brute strength so they offer very effective self defense answers.

Another difference between gi and no-gi grappling has to do with strategy. When grappling with the GI there is use of the sleeves, collar and pants. Practitioners can execute collar chokes, or use the sleeves of the GI to tie up a partner’s arm. In no-gi grappling, on the other hand, grabbing the clothes is generally not allowed. Instead, practitioners can try to control an opponent by gripping the body’s natural handles: the neck, the wrist, the elbow, the knee, the hips, etc.

CSW teaches a reformulated shoot wrestling curriculum founded by Erik Paulson, former world light heavyweight shooto champion. It’s a blend of grappling techniques and concepts from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai & Lethwei Kickboxing, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling, with techniques and submissions from shoot wrestling, Judo, Sambo, and Catch-as-catch-can wrestling, as well as striking from French Savate, and Western Kickboxing. CSW has produced champions in both Pride and the UFC. Many top level MMA fighters train in CSW including Sean Sherk, Josh Barnett and Ken Shamrock.

STX KICKBOXING

At Endeavor MMA the STX (Savate-Thai Cross Training) program is a hybrid striking system developed by Erik Paulson which focuses on explosive techniques in Boxing, Panatukan, Jun Fan/JKD Kickboxing, Savate, and Muay Thai (Thai & Dutch methods). In STX Kickboxing, students will learn a blend of elbows, punches and knees from each art. These skills are easily translated in MMA, kickboxing, and self-defense situations. From glove drills, focus mitts, Thai-pads, to sparring, Combatives Unlimited students will have a variety of striking options.

From Savate, STX draws its footwork and evasiveness. Savate is known for incorporating longer range kicks and constantly moving which makes you harder to hit and allows attack at multiple angles. Coaches at Endeavor MMA will demonstrate how STX can also capitalize on Savate's many fakes and set-ups so that the opponent is constantly guessing as to which attack is real and what is just a misleading fake. Following the evasive attacks is a system of extremely fluid combinations that help to allow the fighter to land more hits than the opponent while moving in and out of range. On defense, STX draws from some of the unique defense and counter techniques that help to keep your opponent out of their game and help you to set up your shots more strategically.

ENDEAVOR MMA

Once you understand striking and the ground game, it will be time to put it all together into one seamless transition of levels and ranges. Going from kicking to punching to clinching to grappling ranges with ease. You will learn to control your opponent while standing how to properly employ takedowns and how to submit an opponent once on the ground.

ABOUT COACH ERIK PAULSON

Starting with judo in 1974 at age of 8 and then moving to Taekwondo two years later, Paulson has trained in many disciplines including Freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Arnis/Kali/Eskrima, Sambo (martial art), Catch Wrestling, Shoot wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, studying first with Rorion Gracie, Royce Gracie, Rickson Gracie in his garage in 1989.[2] He has studied with 40 different teachers in nearly 50 years of training including Yorinaga Nakamura, Tim Tackett, Ajarn Chai Sirisute, Rob Kaman, Rigan Machado and the legendary Guro Dan Inosanto, who claims Erik is one of the world's most dynamic grapplers.

He runs the CSW Training Center in Fullerton, California, where he trains MMA fighters such as Josh Barnett, Ken Shamrock, Renato Sobral, Cub Swanson, and James Wilks. He is closely affiliated with Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.

Coach Paulson came out of retirement in October 2007 to headline the first HDNET MMA fight card. Paulson took on Jeff Ford in the main event of the night. Paulson made quick work of Ford, winning by spinning arm bar in the opening minutes of the first round.

Coach Paulson holds the rank of 6 degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Rigan Machado. He also trained extensively with Rorion, Royce, and Rickson Gracie. He trained Shoot wrestling under Yori Nakamura. Erik is the founder of Combat Submission Wrestling, and STXKickboxing.

Coach Erik Paulson is the coauthor of the book "Rough and Tumble" along with American Combat Association president Matthew Granahan and JD Dwyer on the History of American Submission Wrestling.