Local fighting legend and submission expert Ronnie “Warfrog” Britt has joined the staff at Martial Arts America. The “Warfrog” has had a lengthy fight career and has been a true inspiration to every person he has come in contact with.  Spawning the careers of UFC veteran and MCC co-owner John “Hurricane” Halverson, WEC veteran and MCC champion Chris “Mad Dog” Mickle, and influencing countless others such as Josh Neer, Kevin Burns, Mikey Van Meer and too many others to name, Ronnie has become both a fighter and fan favorite. Known for quick submissions and a variety of holds, Ronnie has ended most of his fights in the first round using techniques from Sambo, Jiu Jitsu, Catch Wrestling and various other fighting styles.

“The techniques I will teach will be from the basics of positioning to submissions from those positions. I have been doing submissions since 1982 and have acquired a vast library of holds. Some are high percentage, others are just fun. As the class progresses we will venture more into the application of those holds to MMA. This class will have something for everyone, from those that are fans just wanting to know more about the sport to those that want to compete at the professional level. Not only will we cover the technical aspects of fighting, but also the mental and physical stratagems needed to be successful”

Ronnie “Warfrog” Britt
11 years of cage fighting experience
30 years of submission experience

For More information:
Visit us at :
Martial Arts America

http://martialartsamerica.net/

621 S. Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, IA
Call: 515-963-3494

What Veterans of the sport have to say about Ronnie Britt:

“I learned more in the first year of training with Ronnie Britt than I have in all my years of MMA. He is like a living MMA encyclopedia with as much practical experience as anyone in the game. I definitely attribute much of my success to him.”
John “Hurricane” Halverson
2 x UFC veteran

Ronnie Britt has been one of the most important training partners and cornermen I’ve had while competing in Mixed Martial Arts.  He has a good mind for the sport, it’s history, what it takes to compete, and enjoys teaching the basics to those just starting out.
Dan Anderson
MMA veteran

Anyone that was wanting or needing to know mixed martial arts grappling, could not have a better instructor then Ronnie Britt.
Chris Bott
Mixed Martial Arts Judge

Ronnie Britt is a top notch instructor. He is so well rounded in every area of the game.
Josh Neer
Multiple UFC competitor

Ronnie Britt has been doing sub grappling for  a long time and has tons of knowledge and experience to impart, and a master of the guillotine choke!
Joe Brammer
MCC champion

Brammer vs Mickle. Another big fight in the MCC looms close and I look forward to it like many of you do of course, but I also have some trepidation.  You see, the fighters involved are two friends of mine and this fight means a great deal to both of them.  Someone is going to win and possibly move on to bigger things, the loser will have to regroup and start all over again. I have trained with both of these guys extensively over the years, most recently to prepare for my final fight. Both Chris and Joe have been instrumental in making me a better fighter and I cant thank them enough for their dedication.  I love them both and have a tremendous amount of respect for them not only as fighters but also as friends. Come Sept 5th, I will be elated for one of them, heartbroken for the other. Given the nature of the sport, I have become somewhat accustomed to guys I know competing against each other. Heck, I too have fought guys I consider friends, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. I will be glad when its over, that’s for sure!

Joe Brammer used to train with the DMEF team quite a bit several years ago. He was one of the youngest guys that came to our gym, but he had a world of potential.  Not everyone endures brutal sparring sessions with seasoned tough guys…and then comes back the next day for more. Not only did Joe do that, he would go to other places to train as well. I marveled at this young kid and his humble manner and I still do. He soaked up any training advice we could give him or any techniques as well.  Joe hasn’t changed at all, he is still the same dude…just a hell of a lot tougher. Joe has traveled and trained at a variety of places and its paid off for him. He is one of the most well rounded fighters to compete for the MCC. His stand-up game is precise and accurate, he can kick and punch as well as anybody. Joe has heart and a great chin that complements that stand up game very well.  He trains with the Des Moines Jiu Jitsu Academy so you know his ground game is top notch. Fans of the local fight scene know Joe can go the distance and he can end it quick.

A few months after Joe moved on, Chris Mickle was introduced to the DMEF (Des Moines Extreme Fighting) team by Mike Van Meer and he has trained with us pretty much most of the time since then aside from is service with the military until recently.  Chris is a fighter at heart through and through, he was born to be a warrior.  I don’t know if I have ever seen anyone with as much determination and heart as Chris. What he lacks in precision, form and accuracy, he makes up for in volume, ferocity and intensity.  He is like one of those horror movie guys that just keeps coming after you, even when you think they are done. Right away I recognized Chris for the hard nosed kind of fighter he was, seldom do you see a guy with as little fear as him. He doesn’t care if he gets punched or kicked, in fact I think the little demented goof likes it. Most people will shy away from going toe to toe with someone, but Chris has a way of actually bringing that out of you while sparring and in fighting.  The next thing you know you are in a slugfest. But Chris is well rounded as well, his ground game is under appreciated. What Chris is known for is his stamina and granite chin, but I think he just stubbornly refuses to get tired or hurt. A big part of his success in reality is his strength and his skill set that he applies with it.

So how do I see the fight going? Probably not to different than many of you.  I don’t know if I can see either of them submitting the other, at least not right away. Maybe in the 4th or 5th round if one is rocked or tired perhaps, but I don’t think it will be a submission. I can say that while doing many rounds with these guys, they don’t usually look for a sub right away, they will both bang a bit.  Can either of these guys knock the other out? Most definitely. Joe has good, sneaky hooks that can make you see stars, Chris has punches that come from nowhere that makes the birdies tweet in your head. Also in the striking department, Joe also has tremendous head kicks, lord knows I have felt those on many of occasions. He will throw kicks in combinations and mixes them in very well. Chris can kick but it isn’t his forte, he will throw lots of punches with very bad intentions. I can see both guys coming out and taking their time till the first flush punch lands, and then it will be on!  Look for Chris to press Joe and look for Joe to use precision counter punching. Both guys are experienced and patient fighters, they will not rush into any mistakes.  Joe can be very hard to hit, he is very elusive. Chris can be very easy to hit, mainly cuz he likes that. This is probably going to be a huge factor, but you recall how I said that Chris has a way of turning it into a slugfest? Well, his head is right there and the temptation to punch him is too overwhelming (don’t try it if you meet him though). Both guys are as tough as they come, Chris has inhuman pain tolerance and Joe will have his hands full.  So who is going to be the winner?  Well, it’s you… the fans! See you guys at the cage.

Ronnie Britt, also known as the “War Frog”, is a 44 year-old mixed martial arts fighter in Des Moines. Outside of the cage he delivers oxygen and medical supplies, and is a quiet, easy-going fellow. Inside the cage, he is a tough competitor that uses choke holds to make his adversaries submit, or “tap out.” Over the years, he has earned a grass-roots, blue-collar following that has made him one of the most popular fighters around, and I was fortunate enough to follow him around for about seven weeks as he trained for his last fight. Anyone whose spent any time around Ronnie knows that the MCC has lost one of the ambassadors of the sport.

This is the first of what I hope to be a series of photo essays of mixed martial arts fighters in the Des Moines area. If there is any other fighter who would be interested in their story being told, drop me a line (brian |at| bfrankphoto.com).

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy viewing as much as I enjoyed shooting this story.

http://bfrankphoto.com/

Winner

11 seconds. A lot can happen in 11 seconds. A kick returner can return a kick for a touchdown. One can heat up a slice of pizza. A fighter can finish out a career with a choke. As I look back on this fight, I was saddened that it seemed so anti climatic. I lamented as such to many of those that approached me after the fight to congratulate me. I was assured by most people that they preferred that I win quickly and than endure a prolonged battle. Several fans said they had come to expect quick submissions and that what was expected of me.  I looked at the dejected face of my opponent as I knelt on the cage floor after the fight, and wondered which of us looked sadder.

I must say that I usually don’t feel too much nervousness before a fight.  But this one was different. Maybe it was the attention I was getting, all the media stuff, the newspaper article, the tv show, the radio spots, the photographers. Maybe it was the number of family and friends that were attending, many from far away distances and others that had never been to fights before. Or maybe it was the realization on my part that the end was near. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Not to mention the fight itself. My original opponent was a very dangerous fighter, athletic and well versed in Jiu Jitsu. So I trained very hard for 7-8 weeks. However, he was injured in an motorcycle accident and the MCC staff scrambled and found a very capable Travis Nath.  When asked by Shawn T at the weigh ins whether he was scared or not, he said he was scared of no man. Why would he be? He had 43 wins and 21 losses, seemed he would fight anyone, anywhere at anytime.  I expected a good fight with a game opponent, and to top it off, he was left handed.  I love fighting southpaws. I feel I can punch them easier and kick them in the head at will.

Before the fight

I was worried that with all the hoopla for this fight going on that I might not have the intensity or focus that I usually like to have.  I had so many distractions and I found that it was hard to do my usual mental routines. However, as the fight itself drew close, I found myself getting more and more amped up. My corner men Danny Anderson and Kenneth Robertson prepped me and fired me up. I could hear the strains of my music above the den of the cheering crowd and that always gets me pumped.  I looked into the crowd and saw many familiar faces as I paced my corner of the cage. I looked down as I heard someone shouting above the others, it was Kevin Burns with his recently broken hand from his last fight in the UFC gesturing like crazy, he was really getting into it.  For some reason that fired me up as well. I wanted to have a great battle like all fighters do. The bell rang and I was ready to punch Naths head off, or at least follow with a head kick that would finish it… I was hoping. However, Nath shot under my punch and attempted a double leg take down. My take down defense is nothing great and I felt I was about to topple over. I instinctively applied the guillotine choke and landed it. I knew it was in good. Over the years it is the one move I have really mastered, once I get it in, most people will tap.  I debated with myself if this was what I really wanted to finish this fight with.  A million thoughts went through my head. I thought of my friend and MCC promoter, Ryan Haas, who hates quick guillotine wins. I thought of my friend and training partner Danny Anderson, who promised me a black eye if I prolonged this fight by passing on any submissions. Lol. I had once passed on several submissions during a fight a year ago in hopes of getting a KO later and winning a watch…until my opponent elbowed me in the head and knocked me silly. Danny was cornering me at that time and was unaware of what I was doing. In his eyes, my opponent was escaping every submission hold I was putting him in and Danny was flipping out. He told me to never do that to him again. So here I was…thinking…  It seemed like an eternity, my hamstring started to tighten up and ache (an old injury). I almost let go. But I decided it was better to be safe than sorry, this kid I was fighting knows how to win and how to hurt people. I strained a bit more and he tapped. No black eye for me!

Fight begins

I went through a myriad of emotions. Disappointment. Elation. Relief. Saddness.  Confusement (I love that word, Thanks President Bush!). I wanted to get a KO. Or at least a submission that most people don’t get to see. I had worked so hard for so many weeks, and the fight was over in a blink. As I ambled over to get my hand raised, I realized this was it.  I was done. I called my dad to the cage and gave him my gloves. I told him to hold onto them, to never let me have them back and to kick my ass if I ever wanted to fight again. He assured me he would.  My family and friends are happy that I am done fighting. Well most are, there are a few that think I should keep on fighting. My girlfriend is excited that I am done, this means I will get to spend more time with her. I have been asked several times what I will do after fighting and I have answered with some smartass replies. But the truth is I am a fighter at heart, I will always be a fighter. I will probably venture into one on one personal training and doing instruction at some gym.  But my 15 minutes are up. And I am glad.

I look back at these blogs and wonder what other fighters might write. I wonder what they would relay to you. I wonder if they will go into aspects of toughness or macho idealism that pervades this sport. I wonder if they will delve into the animosity other fighters have for each other, things I didn’t get into. There is a whole other world in the fight game that I see but I don’t really get into, nor did I touch on it. Maybe in a future blog if the chance arises?  I don’t feel like I am anything special, I have just been around the fight game for a long time. I am an average fighter at best who just talks a lot and is sort of affable, lol. I hope you have enjoyed an insight into my life. I have tried to write in such a way that is as if I was talking to you as I speak. I could have written this in a more eloquent way, but that really wouldn’t have been me. Soon you may have another so called local fighting legend doing these blogs someday.  I think as the sport of MMA continues you will see more and more older fighters and maybe one day you may see a guy much older than me fighting in the MCC. I feel the sport of MMA lends itself to older fighters being more competitive. Boxing relies on speed and athleticism so much and once that’s gone, so is the boxer usually. Whereas with MMA there are so many different variables that experience and skill can offset youth, speed and athleticism. I see so many of these guys in their 30’s that are in amazing shape, far better than I ever was. If they take care of themselves, you will have them in a cage near you for decades.  Providing the learn the necessary skills required.

I would like to take this time to thank Ryan Hass and John Halverson for providing such a quality event to showcase the local fighters. What an honor and a privilege it has been to fight for the MCC.  I truly have been so fortunate.  I would also like to thank all the fellas at the Des Moines Extreme Fight Team, the Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts Academy, the Des Moines Jiu Jitsu Academy and the Round Kick Gym. I have trained at all these facilities at one time or another over the years and have met so many great people. Especially at my home gym with the DMEF crew, these guys are like family and I will love them always. I don’t have very many sponsors, but that’s not without reason. I have had offers, but I wouldn’t support a product, say like Budweiser, if I didn’t drink it. I don’t care how much money they offered. That’s easy to say, lol. I’m sure I would change my tune if I saw 6 or 7 zeros on a check huh?  So believe me when I say thank you to these guys, I mean it, I believe in them as they have believed in me.  Thank you Nutrishop, you have kept me going with that fountain of youth over there. Thank you Spartan Strength & Performance, I feel in as good as shape as ever. I could walk through walls if need be!  Thank you Blades Massage and Therapy, you gave me relief when I needed it most.

I would also like to thank my family and friends for enduring all these trials and tribulations over the years. I have been absent from your lives at the cost of my selfish pursuits in the fight world, thanks you for loving me still. I mean it.  Thank you to my girlfriend Keri, she has endured my aches, pains, suffering along side of me when I hid it from every one else. She has waited for me patiently to come home and now I am there for her.

I hope, like many fighters, that you will remember me.  I hope I made a mark.  I recall after one of my fights, a man approached me. I was in a hurry, I was being pulled in a dozen different directions and had a zillion things on my mind. I stopped and listened like I always try to do, I love making time for fight fans. Its one of the best things about being a fighter in my opinion. But this guy was different. He told me I was an inspiration to him, that he had broken his neck and had been paralyzed in a motorcycle accident I believe. He said I was his favorite fighter as I was an older guy and different than the other guys. He loved my style and quick subs. He said he thought of me often as he endured rehab and was eventually able to walk again. I was touched, I was somewhat speechless for once. I didn’t know what to say, after all I am just an average goofball who happens to fight for fun. I was blown away, how did this happen?  Before I knew it, he had shuffled off using a cane, the vestiges of that accident were still apparent. I look back at that and I wish I could talk to that guy again, get his name, get his story. Did he truly mean what he said?  There are times where I wish I could stop time and just soak it all in. Life comes and goes so fast that you don’t realize whats going on till its over. If you are reading this mister, find me and talk to me. I could use a little inspiration myself as I head into this new chapter of my life.

Farewell fight fans, see you at the fights. I will be sitting next to you. Say hi to me.
Love you all,

Ronnie Britt

Eric Marriott and Chris Mickle

Ronnie Britt

More photos in the Gallery.

Focused

Hello faithful reader. As you read this we are on the last few days before the fight this Friday and the final blog before the fight. I am not in the most chatty mood I have been, I hope you understand. I have concluded another arduous week of training unscathed for the most part. Its rare to go through weeks of of physically demanding workouts without pulling or tearing a muscle or any other number of injuries. One could also suffer all kinds of injuries to the joints, get staph or get injured from the hard contact of sparring. As it is, I am very fortunate for this fight, I have a few bumps and bruises but nothing to hinder my performance at all. I am ready to go. This week I will just work on sweating and cutting a bit more weight. I will eat smaller portions and drink a lot more water, up to a gallon and a half a day. When Thursday morning rolls around and I have to weigh in at the Twisted Parrot that night, I hope to be about 174 lbs.  I don’t like to cut a lot of weight on weigh in day anymore, at my age I don’t recover as well as I used to.  It seems to effect my performance when I lose anymore than 5 lbs the day before.  Unfortunately I have to work at my job on both Thursday, the weight cut day, and on the day of the fight, Friday.  In truth, its really not that big of a deal.  Working kind of keeps me occupied, keeps me from thinkin about food on Thursday and keeps me from getting too worked up about the fight on Friday. Ideally I would like to be able to lay around and play violent video games and watch Braveheart, Rambo and other macho guy movies the day of the fights.  As it is, I will just think violent thoughts and be content with that.

In the last blog, I mentioned I would give my thoughts on MMA past and present. I became a fan of MMA much like everyone else watchin the early UFC’s. I saw my first UFC in 1994 while attending college and became enamored with it.  The internet wasn’t as evolved as much as it is now, so I relied on a nickle and dime publication called Hook’n'Shoot to get updates on fights from around the world (usually in Japan or Brazil, as well as the US). I also recall a 1-900 number that I used to call to hear the latest rumors about the UFC and MMA fighters. There was even a ‘video magazine’ I subscribed to that came monthly that had a guy sitting in front of a self operated camera commenting on MMA news.  You really had to be a fan in order to find anything about the sport or the fighters. It was such a niche sport.  As they say back home, I was ‘ate up’ with MMA. The first fighters to compete were usually guys that studied a singular martial art, but when I first competed in 1998, a few guys were crosstraining in several styles, but not many. Brazillian Jiu Jitsu was somewhat rare and lessons were expensive. Most fighters were traditional martial artists of some sort. They were your neighborhood instructors down the street, policemen, firefighters, teachers etc that studied Judo, Karate, Kung Fu or some other style. Not too much different than today I suppose, but they all had something in common. They usually trained in some traditional gym that had a code of conduct and a strict regimen. There were not too many thug types involved in the sport at all. Its ironic that in the beginning the sport was basically without rules and contested by men who believed in their particular styles. Now the sport has rules out the wazoo and is fought by men of no particular style (in the traditional sense).

Today everyone is well rounded…usually. Or should be, considering how much MMA is on tv now.  It used to be I would submit someone in a match and they would ask me afterwards what I caught them with. They would ask me to teach them that particular technique and I would do the same when I got caught. Now it seems there are no surprises, you cant sneak up on anyone anymore with a submission (but I still try!). Everyone crosstrains now, which is a good thing. The popularity of traditional martial arts has waned as MMA has exploded. Part of me thinks that’s a good thing, especially when I recall trying to learn to block punches with me feet in Tae Kwon Do so many years ago. Its no wonder the school bully got my lunch money so easily!  Now one can enroll in classes at a MMA gym that teach combative techniques that are proven to be effective by MMA fights.  However, I wonder if we lost something that those old school dojos used to teach. Those things like respect, discipline and honor.  Many traditional martial arts schools were and still are involved in community activities and cater to teaching children those principles. When you watch the UFC or any MMA fights now, many fighters don’t seem to care about any of those old school beliefs. It was bound to happen though. MMA is big time now and it attracts all kinds of people.  Part of me thinks this a good thing too. As one trains to compete in the demanding sport of MMA, they will undergo a change in order to meet those rigorous demands.This means getting people to alter bad habits, like doing drugs and living an unclean lifestyle. It can also be very humbling and that’s a good thing for the mind.  Besides, well rounded fighters are fun as heck to watch. Even if the sport does attract a few bad apples, they wont spoil it for everyone. I have to admit, Mike Tyson was a less than stellar human being, but he made for some great boxing matches and some must see tv moments. Same thing can be said for some of the modern day bad boy fighters. If every fighter was a model citizen and boy scout, we wouldn’t have the drama and interest in some of the fights as we do.

I had mentioned that this week I am cutting weight. All fighters do it and its probably my least liked thing about fighting (I must say broken teeth and a punctured eardrum are right up there). Actually… I hate it. Well, that’s not an apt description. Let me try again, I hate it with a white hot intensity of a thousand suns. That give you an idea how I feel about cutting weight?  I am really craving some pastries. And I know I am typically a beer and whiskey guy, but I also want a margarita real bad. Abstaining from enjoying things like this really piss me off. And believe me, I am abstaining in more ways than one. By the time I face my opponent in the cage, I will be ready to work him over as fast as possible. Chuck Grigsby commented to me after training one day that I got three rounds to work with, why be in such a hurry?  I replied, I got beer to drink. But that’s just part of it. In my past fights, I came to fight, I don’t generally feel my adversary out and play patty cake. I went right after them, now you know why. I’m hungry and thirsty. But seeing how this is my last fight, I may be feeling a bit nostalgic and take my time. Of course, the guy I am fighting might have something to say about that as well. My strategy for this fight is….well, I cant give that away just yet. At the time I write this, I have a new guy to fight.  I never really know what I am going to do fight wise for sure till I see my opponent standing in front of me.  I have seen a video of him, and I have already come up with some stuff I want to do. If I can pull it off, you will be entertained. If not, then it will be a battle. Heck, more importantly, I hope I enjoy my fight!

Next week will be the aftermath blog.  Hopefully I will be in a good mood, lol. I will go over the fight night, what my plans were and how they worked out. I will also go into what my plans are after fighting. When one door closes, it seems another opens. I hope so anyway.

I hope to see you at the fights,

Warfrog

I love to read, it is one on my favorite past times. However, as I prepare for fights, I don’t have the time to read as much as I would like. That’s unfortunate because I draw a lot of inspiration from some of the material I read as well as a chance to get some introspective insight into myself.  One of my favorite authors is Richard Marcinko. He is a former navy seal, a Viet Nam vet and has more testosterone than any ten men.  One of my favorite books of his is ‘Rogue Warrior’, there is a quote in that book concerning training that goes like this… ‘If you aint getting bumps and bruises, you aint doin it right’.  Granted he is talking about training for warfare, but training for a cage fight, that kind of mentality comes in handy.  Right now I am bruised and battered, my body has bruises on it everywhere. I ache in almost all of my joints. I feel wore down much of the time, aches and pains are an everyday reminder that I getting closer to the end of my fight career for good reason.

I have heard it said that fighting is 90% mental, and I can agree with that to an extent. Mental toughness is needed to endure grueling training day after day for weeks on end.  Its also needed to be successful in the heat of combat. I have seen fighters full of potential quit when the fight isn’t going their way. That said, you may have the fastest car in the world, it ain’t goin’ anywhere without gas. You have to put in the rounds and hard time to get ready.  You put your body through hell to get ready, but mental toughness is developed here, in training, when no one is watching. Some guys are athletically gifted and they get by with their physical attributes. Others have this innate aggressiveness and a strong desire and they break their opponents will.  Lol, I don’t have any of that!  I wish I did.  I don’t profess to have any more mental toughness than the next fighter, but I am willing to take the hits. I am willing to endure the pain and discomfort because even if I don’t come out on top, I know I gave it my all. I wont tap just because I am tired. I wont quit just because the other guy is beating my face in. I wont quit unless I am asleep or caught without escape. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I just gave up. My dentist has told me that I have an extremely high tolerance for pain. I like to think I have the ability to put pain to the side and live with it. My pain is something I have earned, just as I have earned the battle scars and the bent nose. These are my badges of courage, a testament to my will. Pain is substance of the mind. Now I wouldn’t be human if I hadn’t cracked at some point. We all have that point where we just cant take anymore. I have my limits and I know them. Like most fighters, we test those limits, push them, see how much we can take. There have been times in training where I wanted to quit during a tough row of rounds. And a few times I did in the early years.  I don’t do it anymore, a person will fight like they train I have learned. If you quit in practice, then you most definitely will quit during a fight.

When I have a fight coming up such as I do now, I start to visualize every aspect of that fight night. From the start of walking in the door of the venue, to the fighters meeting, to watching the fights before mine, to right up to my fight. I close my eyes and put myself into the cage with my opponent. I go through every scenario possible with me always persevering and coming out on top. I know some guys like to get angry, they want to hurt the other fighter. They pace and rant and work themselves into a frenzy. One guy told me he likes to imagine the other guy killed his family and raped the dog.  Or something like that. I know another guy that takes a nap right up to his fight time. I am not like either of those guys. My mental preparation really starts at training weeks before. I discipline myself with the diet and making the workouts and sparring sessions. This keeps me from enjoying other aspects of my life and I begin to get a bit surly as the fight draws closer. Denying myself the pleasure of donuts, cookies, sweets, beer, whiskey and sex alters my otherwise happy persona. I do become a bit more serious and short tempered, my girlfriend does not enjoy my company as much as she normally does, lol. My every thought is on the fight, every thing else becomes secondary. I like to make it back to my hometown every so often as I feel it gives me an edge. It reminds me of where I came from and who I am. Its a reminder that I represent my family, friends and a way of life that made me what I am.

People have asked me if I get scared or nervous when I step into the cage. I used to get anxiety so bad that I would feel the strength fade out of me as I walked into the cage. But I have never been afraid, even when I thought I would lose. Its a sport and we have a referee in the cage, what is there to fear?  The other guy is human just like me, just sometimes he might be a better looking human with muscles and stuff.  But this aint Mr. Olympia, this is a test of skills and heart.  Its a kinetic chess match, one mistake and the other guy could get his hand raised and you have to live with it.  I love that aspect of it, to me it’s the ultimate contest.  So I don’t get nervous, I get excited. When they announce my name and my music starts, I am ready to go. I cant wait to get it on!  And thanks to the MCC, I get to showcase my skills to my family and loved ones. So rest assured as you watch me step into the cage on June 26th, know that I am happy, ready for my last hurrah.

Ok, I didn’t get a chance to get into MMA as it was and as it is now, I will try next week. I also apologize for not getting to more stories as have been requested, hopefully next week I will get one in. However, I will fulfill a request for a record of my fights which will follow the end of this blog. I have been running short on time it seems, or maybe I am just getting grouchy…

See you guys soon. Till next week, don’t croak.

The Warfrog

Amatuer Fight Record  0-1
Lose James Wade  6:12  1st rd Mid-West Shootfighting Tournament 6/27/1998
Professional Fight Record  15-3
Win Mike Van Meer Submission (Heel Hook)  2:30  1st rd Sokol Hall Brawl 4 3/8/2003
Win Wayne Porter Submission (Guillotine Choke) 1:17 1st rd Xtreme Kage Kombat 8/7/2004
Win Devon Christian TKO (Strikes)  1:23 1st rd Xtreme Kage Kombat: Doomsday in Des Moines 3/19/2005
Win Ryan Scheeper KO (Punch)  0:11  1st rd Xtreme Kage Kombat: Trials 8/27/2005
Win Tim Ross Submission (Neck Crank)  1:03  1st rd Xtreme Kage Kombat 11/23/2005
Win Wes White Submission (Guillotine Choke)  0:15  1st rd Midwest Cage Championship 1: In The Beginning 2/11/2006
Win Jason Purcell Submission (North-South Choke)  2:47  1st rd Midwest Cage Championship 2: Midwest Xplosion 4/8/2006
Win Josh Pankey Submission (Knee Bar)  0:09  1st rd Title Fight Championship 4/21/2006
Win Jesse Sanders Submission (Arm Bar)  0:54  1st rd Warparty Cage Fighting 2 5/13/2006
Win John Miller Submission (Toe Hold)  0:17  1st rd Warparty Cage Fighting 4 11/11/2006
Win Jeromy Garmin TKO (Strikes)  1:11   1st rd Warparty Cage Fighting 9 11/4/2007
Win Shane Mosby Submission (Modified Shoulder Choke) 3:30 1st rd Title Fighting Championship – The Awakening 1/26/2008
Loss Bryce Teager  (Decision) 3rd rd Midwest Cage Championship 12/3/2008
Win Chuck Rainey Submission (Guillotine Choke) 2nd rd 4:07 Midwest Cage Championship 13 Contenders 4/25/2008
Win Dustin Deprizio Submission (Arm/Shoulder Choke) 1rd 2:57  Midwest Cage Championship 15 Lights Out 7/25/2008
Loss Sam Jackson (Decision) 3rd rd Extreme Challenge 107 9/20/2008
Loss Evan Marks (KO) 1st rd 4:31 Midwest Cage Championship 18 1/16/2009
Win Chad Ruby Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1st rd 2:06 Midwest Cage Championship 19 3/14/2009

Photo courtesy Brian Frank www.bfrankphoto.com

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place… and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently, if you let it. You, me or nobody, is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit… It’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward… how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what your worth, go out and get what your worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits.”

This was a scene from the last Rocky movie.  Its part of one of the more inspirational speeches I have heard from Stallone and it means a lot to me. It epitomizes my philosophy about fighting and life in general and I agree with it wholeheartedly. This week the training has intensified for me and I have been feeling pretty run down.  This week there have been days I don’t want to even get out of bed, let alone go to the gym.  What normal person wants to work hard all day and then go to a gym and put yourself through a puke inducing workout? Or go to nightly sparring sessions for round after round of men trying to punch you in the face or choke you out? Day after day of eating vegetables, fruits and lean meats? I have a passion for fighting and I have made numerous sacrifices for this sport I love. But I am glad I am coming to an end. The last fight draws closer. I just have to keep moving forward.

Perhaps my main regret is that in my early fighting days i didn’t take my ‘career’ as seriously as maybe I should have.  I wonder if I should have approached it with more vigor and ambition. As it was, I just viewed the occasional competition as a test of courage and skill for myself. I wish I had fought more often and with a purpose of maybe achieving something. My goal is the same as always though, I want to win. I cant go out a loser in this fight. I have joked that if I lose, I am coming back for another fight. I will shave my head, change my name and come back as Ronnie Favre or something.

I don’t know too much about this opponent, but that’s nothing new.  I will assume he is bigger, faster, stronger and younger, they all almost always are. I figure he will be explosive and come after me right off the bat. He may try to use his reach and speed on me and keep it standing. He will most likely assume since I am older that I am slow.  Or that I don’t have the stamina to be a threat late in the fight. Perhaps he is reading my blogs and knows I am training very seriously for this final fight. It doesn’t matter, anything can happen in a fight. I may end it quickly and none of that age stuff will matter. Or maybe it will be a war. I am preparing for a three round battle nonetheless, I will leave it all in the cage. I want this one bad, I am preparing for this fight like its my last. I am more than willing to take the hits.

This weeks training has been much like last weeks, alternating nights at Spartan and at team DMEF. The intensity level has been even higher and the rounds have been more numerous. My weight is close to fight weight already and I feel very strong compared to my last several fights. My diet has consisted of fruits in the morning, vegetables and turkey for lunch and chicken, fish or beef for dinner. There have been a few nights this last week that I have felt a bit punchy or wore down. That’s not uncommon when you train with some very tough dudes. You will get your bell rung.  Unfortunately I was unable to make it to training this past Saturday at the DMJJ academy and I was a bit upset about it. I didn’t feel up to training, but you have to keep moving forward, right?  However, my friend and masseuse, Silla from Blade Massage Therapy, called me out of the blue and let me know she had a new gizmo in her office for me to try. She thought it would be very beneficial to me as a fighter.  Maybe God was trying to tell me to slow down and take it easy today I thought?! The new gizmo is called a Migun Thermal massage bed and it was just what my tired old body needed. At ten bucks a session, its a steal compared to a massage therapist session. I am going in again tonight after turning in this blog, lol.  I suggest to my fellow fighters to look into checking it out as the benefits are everything a fighter wants.

Question and answer time again! I was asked by a few of you if i would list the best submission guy, the best striker, best wrestler, etc, i have fought or trained with.  Lets start with the best submission guy, bear in mind that this list is subjective as to who gives me the most trouble, lol. As far as the best submission guy, several come to mind. Chris David is at the top, he is so cerebral and crafty. Another top guy is Doug Owens, he just never even seems to be trying and you end up in bad spots. The best striker has too many people to mention as it seems so many guys have punched and kicked me silly. At the top are guys like Tyrone Roberts, Josh Neer, Kevin Burns and John Halverson. They have all had me seeing stars. The hardest puncher is Josh Neer, he hit me so hard once my legs went numb. The best take down/wrestler guy would be Charles Blanchard from when I trained at Obakes gym. Anthony Porcelli is at the top with him.  The most heart? That’s a tough one, Nick Walker and Chris Mickle seem to have more heart and resolve than anyone. The fastest? Joe Brammer can move about as quickly as anyone, he is not quick, he is sudden! The strongest person I have trained with is Aaron Koiker, an Iowa power lifting champion. But the strongest I have faced in a fight is Bryce Teager, he seemed to be able to bench press Buicks.  The best training partner I have had is Danny Anderson, he is always there when you need him and he is well rounded. He is there when you need to prepare, need a corner, need advice, whatever. What more could you ask from a training partner?

Next week I will discuss MMA in general, the way it was and the way it is.  My mindset for fights and how I prepare mentally. And I will get to more of your questions, as for now, I got to get to that massage thing, later!

See you next week, till then, dont croak!
Warfrog

Copyright 2009 Bfrank Photography

Anything worth having comes at a price. Right now it feels like I am late on payments, lol. This week has been rough. Last Saturday I was in my hometown of Diagonal visiting my mom and pop, but I thought I would get a morning workout and make the best of it. I jogged up to the high school and started doing sprints up a hill for five minutes, took a minute rest and then went to a monkey bar thing at the school playground and did five chin ups and ten push ups for five minutes. I then took another one minute break and then did ten box jumps on a wall about four feet up and ten burpees. It was tough, I was panting like a rabid dog. My dad was there with a timer and suggested I just do the sprints again and call it a day. No way, the harder you practice, the easier the fights. I did the whole workout again and cursed myself the whole time for fighting past the age of 35. Monday morning I did the same workout in my girlfriends hometown of Spencer Iowa. I am sure the family’s at the park I was at appreciated having a hairy nutjob on the verge of vomiting in their midst.

Tuesday I was off to the team DMEF training facility. I had to work late so I got there thirty minutes late but Danny Anderson, Chris Mickle and Mikey Van Meer stayed on to spar with me. We did boxing and these boys came after me. Mikey and Chris really like to bang, they swing for the fences and you better be prepared. Danny’s is less intense and more controlled, but his fists are like heat seeking missiles. And often times his targets are body shots. I hate that. lol. Mikey and Chris are on the same card as I am of course and they have been putting in some serious training time. I would do one round of five minutes with one of these guys and then rest for a minute or less and then a new guy would jump in. As I start to gas, these guys will pick up the intensity and try to light a fire under my butt. I gassed rather quickly, maybe it was the rough workouts over the weekend, maybe it was the intensity or maybe I am just too old. I think I ended up doin around 4-5 rounds. Not good.

Wednesday I went to Spartan Strength (www.spartan-strength.com) and Fitness and endured a grueling session of more kettlebell stuff and other arduous tortures. For the life of me, I cant recall what we all did. Maybe I have been traumatized!  Or as some of you may be thinking, ‘he is goin senile’. I assure you, I am not goin senile, Im just a little punchy.

Thursday I made it too DMEF again and we did kickboxing with takedowns. Danny worked me over for several rounds as usual. We also have a new guy named Peyton that is somewhere around 6′5 and 220, he jumped in and slugged it out with me for a round or two as well.  After several rounds of this treatment, I finished with a round of pad work with Danny. Our padwork consists of constant movement, punches, kicks, elbows, knees and other stuff. Much of it I picked up in Thailand when I trained there in 2005. Many people are surprised when I tell them I have trained Muy Thai in Thailand as I usually don’t use it when I fight. I figure I gotta go to work Monday and so does my opponent, why be brutal if I can finish it with a nice submission? If I finish it quick maybe I wont mess up my hair either!

Friday I made it to Spartan Strength (www.spartan-strength.com) again. Nick Rouse, the trainer/owner, made us do body weight workouts and said it would be an easy night. HA!  Five rounds of constant versions of squats, lunges, chinups, pullups, turkish get ups and other devious stuff. I sweat so much I think I could drink the Raccoon river dry and still be dehydrated. The saying goes the more you sweat in practice the less you bleed in battle. At this rate I shouldnt even suffer a scratch in this next fight!

Saturday morning I fought my way through the Dam to Dam traffic to Chris Davids Iowa BJJ Academy. Here we do MMA sparring in a cage with shin pads and Shooto gloves. It’s a murderers row of fighters. We do five minute rounds with one minute rest, a new guy in on each round for those preparing for fights. My turn comes up and I do my three rounds in a row.  It wasn’t pretty. I got a knot/bruise on my left temple from a right hook blast from Joe Brammer. My left shoulder is tender now after another fighter flips me to the ground. It seems no one respects their elders anymore! After my rounds are over I crawl out of the cage and contemplate what  lung transplant would cost. Eventually I make it back into the cage for 2-3 more rounds and work techniques with these guys. I have been doing cage fighting before many of these guys were even teenagers, but I am still learning. You can never learn enough. I appreciate it fellas,…. thanks for the beatings as well.

It’s Sunday, and the only workout I really have planned today is a flag football game. My girlfriend has threatened to expand on my honey-do list since I commented on it last week, but maybe I can get a chance to recuperate anyway. I have been getting some nice responses from you readers and some questions as well. I will try to get to some of the questions as I can. I was asked how I got the name Warfrog.  Believe it or not, many years ago I used to be able to dunk a basketball. I was 5′7 and could really hop so I got the nickname of Frog. Pretty original huh? Well, as I started fighting, some of my drinking buddies decided I needed a good fighting nickname. I offered the Diagonal Dragon. Rejected. I offered the Ringold Ruffian (my hometown is in Ringold county).  I was told I had no say in picking my own nickname. I look back and I am kinda of glad about that!  My buddies said I just couldn’t be announced as Ronnie ‘Frog’ Britt, who would be scared of that?  Someone jokingly mentioned Battlefrog or Warfrog and we all laughed. Well, that’s all it took, they started calling me Warfrog. I didn’t like it. But it has grew on me and now I accept it and like it a lot. It fits me. I am not an intimidating guy, I don’t have that innate aggressiveness many fighters do. I am kind of goofy, affable and playful.  These are not the qualities you really want if you are a cage fighter by the way, lol.  I wish I could be a savage beast when I get into the cage, but I am not. Some of these guys I have seen, I wonder if their mom hugged them enough! One of you readers mentioned that I seem to be a different person in the cage, but I don’t think so really. I am just focused and intense as you can imagine of course. Its a fight after all.  I am sure I will look across the cage at my opponent on the 26th of June and smile like I always have.  One last time.

That’s it for this week, keep the questions coming. Next week I will go over more training stuff, diet and etc. I will also give thoughts on my last fight.

Till then, don’t croak.

Warfrog

Pictured (left to right) Dan Anderson, Chris Bott, Mike Van Meer (w/ Michigan hat), myself, Dillon, and Chris Mickle

It is a little more than four weeks out from fight night, training is going well. So far no major injuries and my stamina and weight are coming along great. I am beginning to pick up my intensity in both sparring and conditioning. This is where I start to visualize how I expect the fight to go and I develop my strategy and then implement that into my training. I would like to think I am well rounded and capable of fighting both stand up and on the ground, but a majority of my wins have been by submissions. However, I prepare for anything because anything can happen in a fight, and it most often times does.

I was asked by you gentle readers, what fight was my toughest.  That would be the Bryce Teager fight at MCC 12 in 2008. We went at it like two cats in a bag. I dropped down to 155 lbs to fight him for the number one contender status, I usually fight at 170, so I thought I could do it.  At the day of the weigh-ins I was at 161 after coming down from 194 over the course of 5 weeks.  I hadn’t been under 160 pounds in 20 years, but I felt great!  I got into the sauna for 30 minutes with a sauna suit and slathered abolene (opens the pores) all over my body.  When I got out, I was 152, it seemed easy!  However, on the way to the Twisted Parrot to weigh in, I swear I saw a polar bear climbing a fence in West Des Moines along the interstate. I tried to reason with myself, it was March, cold, and it had been a really rough winter after all. lol.  My eyes seemed to have suddenly developed the ability to look in different directions at any given time, I was told this was normal after a dramatic weight cut. I ate and drank to my stomach’s content after getting on the scale. To this day I still think Twisted Parrots pizzas are a godsend! Anyway, onto the fight… I was wanting this fight so bad. I was focused, intense and as confident as I have ever been. I was sure I was going to win. I looked across the cage at Bryce and wondered how in the hell he got to 155? Man, he looked huge. I looked like I could double for Patrick Swayze, after chemo for pancreatic cancer, lol.  The first round went somewhat well for me, I landed an uppercut that dropped him and I almost submitted him as well. I put everything I could into finishing him, but he was so tough! . After the round ended, I went back to my corner completely drained, I don’t know how I made it through the next two rounds. We punched and kicked the crap out of each other for three rounds, after the fight I could barely walk. My face looked like it went through a windshield. I lost a decision….but I was happy.. well, as happy as you can be after losing i guess. But that was the first fight I had ever gone past the first round, I was exhausted, battered and in pain but I didn’t quit. I found out a lot about myself. They say you learn more from a loss than you do a win, and that’s true. The most disappointing thing about that night was after dieting so strictly for a month or so, I didn’t really get to enjoy a well deserved pizza after the fight because my jaw was dislocated.  : /

I was asked which fight was my favorite. That would have to be the fight against Jesse Sanders. The reason for that was because it was the only fight I took that I thought I was going to lose. Jesse was a professional boxer known as Iron Jaw and had quite a following. I had seen him box many times and I knew he was a hard hitting, tough boxer. At the time of our fight, he was 4-0 in mma and I was 8-0. He was to be the main event at the Warparty fights in Marshaltown that night but his opponent dropped out, I was also on the same card and my opponent had dropped out as well.  It was only fitting that we fight each other, but he was at 185 and i was at 170.  Not only was I concerned about the weight difference, but I knew Jesse had also wrestled in high school…how was I going to take this boxer down to submit him? I figured he would be stronger than me, in better shape, younger (that’s a given!) and much better stand up. Well, I wasn’t goin to back down, even if i thought I was going to be eating my teeth somewhere in the first round. I just figured I would give it my best shot and have fun with it while I was awake.  My plan was to really come at him like I wanted to strike and kick, and then go for a take down.  I didn’t want him to get a rhythm going or work his combos. I faked a shot low to his legs, like i was going for a take down, then I came over the top with the hardest punch I have ever thrown. I hit him right in the eyebrow, busted him open.  And he just kinda smirked at me. Part of me about had a coronary, but another part said, ‘lets give him some more’. I started to back into him like I was going to go for a rolling leg lock, he nailed me with a left hook that felt like a ball peen hammer to the forehead, and then followed that with a right uppercut that just narrowly missed. I tried backing in again, Jesse thought I was going to try a spinning kick and he picked me up and slammed me to the mat. After the fight he told me that he was swearing at himself for taking me down as he was slamming me.  Once we hit the mat, I worked my hips out, caught his arm and tapped him with a slipout armbar. I won in 53 seconds, you can imagine my elation, after all, I kept my teeth!

Ok maybe time for a funny story or two.  One time I was cornering some of our guys up north somewhere, Danny Anderson was fighting Manny Quiros I think.  Danny fought a good fight and won somewhat easily. In celebration, as he was leaving the ring, he went to jump over the top rope and miscalculated…or perhaps he just wasn’t as athletic as he thought he was.  In any case, he didn’t make it. He landed on the top rope and proceeded to fall back into the ring ass over tea kettle. It looked like a backward somersault with a landing on his head, but he rolled through it and swaggered out of the ring as if he meant to do it. He even raised his hands triumphantly and acknowledged the laughing crowd as if they admired his acrobatics.  At another one of Danny’s fights he faced a well known tomato can of less than stellar abilities. Early in the first round, Danny had taken the guy down and had him in our corner so he could hear our instructions better.  As Danny was on top in half guard, he went to hammer fist the guy and the guy made a loud whimpering noise. Danny looked up at me in disbelief, I looked back at him and shrugged. Danny then started to rain down hammer fists at various speeds as if the guy was an instrument, however the noises that guy made were not exactly music to the ears, it was hilarious anyway.  Danny mercifully finished the guy with a gut kick, intending to win money from Travis Fulton as Travis didn’t think Danny could knock the guy out. It was ruled a TKO as the guy laid there and moaned and wouldn’t get up, so Travis didn’t have to pay up.

Not really a training story, but I used to host many UFC parties at my house. My basement not only had a cage, but it also had a fireplace and a wetbar (I think every training establishment should look into this!). Mikey Van Meer showed up for one such event wearing a flat billed Michigan hat sideways. I did not care for this as I was a Nebraska fan and they both were vying for a claim to the national championship that year. Plus a respectful person should at least curve the bill of his hat and wear it straight!  He was doing this to basically antagonize me.  The goof took off the hat and set it next to the fireplace for me to adore and went upstairs to use the restroom.  I found a hat of similar likeness and threw that into the fire and hid his ugly hat. When he came down stairs and asked where we put his hat, I pointed at the fire and laughed. He started hopping around like curly of the three stooges, he even tried to save his hat by reaching in to the fire to grab it. He stammered and looked at me like he didn’t know whether he should punch me or find some water to put out the fire. We were all laughing so hard at the way he was panicking and cursing us as he found a poker to get the charred remains out of the fire. I thought that he was in such a state of disbelief that he might actually try the remains of the hat on to see if it was salvageable. At this point it was a black tarry gooey thing that barely even looked like a hat. All I can say is he must really like Michigan.  lol.  We eventually came clean after a few fights had passed, as Mikey was starting to get emotional.  Man was he happy to see that hat had been unharmed.

Ok. I have received more questions about my mindset for fights, how I will feel about not fighting anymore and my thoughts on other subjects. I will go over some of these next week.  I may also include more stories if time allows. A few people have also asked where they could get Warfrog T-shirts, just click this link!  http://www.knockoutsquad.com/Home_Page.php

If you have any other questions, feel free to email me too at Ronnie.britt@gmail.com

Till then, don’t croak.
Warfrog