Humility comes from how you come at the world. Confidence comes from how you come at yourself. —Greg Jackson

If you understand the problem you can come to a solution. —Greg Jackson

If you understand the problem you can come to a solution.
—Greg Jackson

"I get to do what I love to do for a living and that is not a common thing, so I know I'm super lucky and I try never to forget that."

"I always look at things as, instead of a problem, how is this an opportunity?" —Greg Jackson

"I get a huge kick out of training people, out of helping people, out of just being a part of a process that I get to see people's dreams come true." -Greg Jackson

There's an old Celtic proverb that I follow: See much, study much, suffer much is the path to wisdom. It's not sitting and suffering. You've got to have a goal. You're not just making yourself miserable, you don't self-flagellate and become world champ. It's suffering and functioning, focusing. You learn about yourself. You increase the amount you can take. - Greg Jackson

“The sun will rise tomorrow, even if you get knocked out in 30 seconds.” — Greg Jackson

There's not a man alive that can't be broke. Your job, with all that mental training, that suffering, is just to push your own line of mental breaking so far back your opponent can't find it. -Greg Jackson

 

"You do brutal workouts to get used to suffering so that suffering doesn't become a huge defining deal." -Greg Jackson

We work on never accepting the takedown, even if he's in deep. Never think, I'm going to start working from the bottom now. Make him fight for everything little thing, even if you don't know how you're going to get out.-Greg Jackson in "The Fighter's Mind"

Greg Jackson on loving the process

This is a great in depth sitdown with Greg Jackson on the Ari Shaffir podcast. One thing you learn about Jackson through this is that he's in love with the process of getting ready for a fight. He is passionate about strategy, and he often cites legendary samurai and author of The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi. He is in love with the process and everything involved with preparing for combat. That passion for the details in addition to the belief instilled into him, as a child of Quaker parents, that true happiness comes from helping others, has made him a great coach.

More quotes by Greg Jackson

Greg Jackson: People watch MMA for inspiration

Famed MMA coach Greg Jackson, who is a trainer/coach on Bellator MMA's Fight Master and has groomed several UFC champions, notes that people watch fights to be inspired:

Why do people watch fights?...They watch it for inspiration.

If you look at fight that fans adored most in 2011, it was Dan Henderson against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. There was no finish, but it was a back and forth battle and in the later rounds both fighters were running out of gas, the technique was declining, the motions were slowing, but people loved it. They loved it because Dan Henderson wouldn't accept defeat; Shogun Rua would not accept defeat. They had nothing left but kept going, kept fight, kept pushing forward. It reminded them of their struggles, the times when they were down but had to get back up and "fight" in their lives. It inspired them inside to keep going, keep pushing forward, and keep "fighting" for their goals, their dreams, their lives, their children, their family, their..........

It goes on and on and on. But people like the technique, the thrill of the knockout, the exciting of the unknown, seeing who the best in the world is, the wow factor, and a bunch of other elements of mixed martial arts. However, one of the key ingredients to why fans are so drawn to the sport is the inspirational factor. That's where the artistry of mixed martial arts also comes into play; where the fight is not just a competition but a piece of work unto itself that inspires others and everyone views it through their own lens; just alike any work of art.

Greg Jackson on Optimism

Greg Jackson has existential world views, but at his core he knows that successful fighters need to have a certain optimism inside their core to succeed. They have to believe they're going to win no matter what. When the chips are down, things are looking miserable, and you're running into brick walls, you have to still believe. So Greg Jackson emphasizes:

"Fighters have to be optimists.”

Greg Jackson: The UFC is a laboratory where you can try new ideas

 

Famed trainer and coach on Bellator MMA's Fight Master, Greg Jackson

Greg Jackson on Beauty

If you're not after beauty, why the hell are you drawing breath? - Greg Jackson

Greg Jackson: Happiness comes from helping others

 

Greg Jackson on helping people:

I wanted to help people. I was raised by Quaker hippies...True happiness comes from helping others, that's what was pounded in my head from day one...So that began my teaching journey.

Greg Jackson on Working Hard

When you feel as though you are not as talented as some of your competition, there's often a fire inside you to outwork them. As a result you often achieve more success. This is something that Greg Jackson was able to generate within himself in his coaching career in mixed martial arts:

A lot of people were probably much more talented coaches than I am and are, but none of them worked like I did...So if I wasn't as talented as somebody I had that fire in my head where, "Well I got to get better, I got to figure this out, I got to go, I got to do more." And that fire is wonderful.

Greg Jackson on timing and rhythm

The basis of combat is timing and rhythm.
- Greg Jackson

Great Quotes by MMA Coaches

Some of the most respected coaches in Mixed Martial Arts are Greg Jackson, Firas Zahabi out of Tristar Gym, John Danaher out of Renzo Gracie's Academy and who helps Zahabi with training Georges St-Pierre, and Ricardo Liborio out of American Top Team.

With Greg Jackson, a strong them in his philosophy is suffering and the getting used to that feeling of being unpleasant. His concept of combat lends itself to training to the bitter limits and consequently the fight is a relatively pleasant encounter. Jackson has used this coaching style to breed several champions including the pound for pound number one fighter in the world at the moment, Jon Jones.



Firas Zahabi believes in preparation over everything. For the Montreal native, he looks at the fight as something not so much won in the UFC Octagon, but the result of months leading up to it in training. And he also adheres to the philosophy of  focusing on the things you can control, and discarding all thinking about the rest.




BJJ wizard and coach John Danaher is a former professor at Columbia University. He no longer teaches philosophy at the university level, but takes that brilliant knowledge and applies it into the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts. For Danaher, he is someone who focusses on perfection and routine.


Ricardo Liborio is a legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist and head of the American Top Team gym in Florida. Liborio believes in humility and using that trait to learn from everyone, as well as keeping a patient mind on the road to improvement.

 

Greg Jackson: Strategy is My Whole Life

Greg Jackson on using creativity to solve problems and strategizing to win:
Strategy is my whole life. I'm known for that in the game because I try to think of creative solutions to problems.