While fighters are in the center of attention, there is always a coach or a team of coaches behind their success. Countless hours of training and techniques inside the gym along with building game plans for the next fight are the tangible pieces to to the puzzle. But what ultimately makes a coach “Great”?
That is the question ArabsMMA put to a collection of Arab fighters, and their insights into the subject were as in-depth and complex as the fight game itself. What they revealed is that a coach may be well-versed and steeped in the knowledge he has to share, but he also needs to be able to adapt to the different fighters that come under his wing.
Haider Rasheed
In my opinion, a great MMA coach is someone who is open minded, being able to allow other people’s input! Coaches should be ready to learn new tricks everyday in order to evolve as the fight game is evolving. If he is knock headed and sticks to his background only, it wont get his fighters far!
Besam Yousef
I’ve trained in many gyms in europe, had alot of different coaches that helped me get to where i am. I think to train MMA, not just one aspect of it is key. It would be better if the coach had competed before, not necessarily being a champ , but knows what it takes and the psychological part of entering the cage. Also Patience is surely a virtue as a coach should be a mentor and ready to understand and teach his students, no matter which background they come from!
Abdullah Abou Hamdan
It is very hard to actually call someone an MMA coach these days. This sport is made up of different arts and a few people have the talent to teach all angles in a productive manner! An MMA coach needs to understand the psychological and physical side of this rough sport, along with having the right knowledge to mix multiple martial arts in a well designed way. It’s almost impossible to find someone that knows it all!! (Unless you’re Lebanese :P)
Mhamad Karaki
Besides having been in the cage or at least competed in multiple martial arts, the secret of being a good MMA coach is to be knowledgeable in most martial arts and pick the best and most useable techniques. Coaches must adjust to the fighters, not just teach the same thing to all.
Yazan Janeb
A Great coach believes in his fighter. He should be wise enough to know his fighter’s style and be able to give him the technique that works best for him. Pushing your fighters to the limit is surely one of the best traits of a great MMA coach along with maintaining a good relationship with his team.