This story from UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten will give you a newfound appreciation for your shins.
The former UFC champion’s tale details the dangers of submissions, which is very apt considering all the controversy surrounding Rousimar Palhares in the WSOF.
He begins his submission horror story with a fight he had with Frank Shamrock in Japanese promotion Pancrase in the 90s.
“The dumbest comment I ever made in a fight was with Frank Shamrock.”
“He shoots at me, I sprawl, he rolls on his back, I walk away and he says ‘Come, come to the ground,’ and I go ‘Stand up , man. Fight like a man.’ I still feel bad about that saying.”
Rutten admitted being embarrassed over the comment he made early in his career. He explained that he soon began to warm to the ground game aspect of the sport.
“People have no clue about submissions. It is more powerful than striking. Imagine you have the power to dislocate or break pretty much any thing in someone’s body. If I want to break your ankle, I break your ankle, your knee, I’ll knee bar you. That’s a big power to have.”
The Dutch fighter revealed that he first became drawn to implementing submissions into his game during his time in Japan. However, not doing the proper training had dire consequences on one of his opponents.
“I saw on this big screen in Japan a preview for the fight that was going to happen the next day. I see this guy sitting in half guard and he grabs the heel for the inverted heel-hook and he falls backwards. I go, wow, that’s a cool move, I’ve got to remember that.”
“The next fight I’m in that position and I grab the heel and I just fall backwards because that’s what I saw. Since I never did it, I didn’t know how much pressure I would put on his knee. I snapped his shin bone in half.”
“So submissions, very powerful.”
They certainly are, Bas. They certainly are.
Hat-tip to BJ Penn
