Follow These 10 Top Martial Arts Figures on Social Media Today, You Can Thank Me Later!!

I don't know about you but I personally have a pretty extensive (and eclectic) list of top Martial Arts Figures, Industry Leaders and Influencers that I follow online (either through their social media, blogs or website) for one reason or another.  We live in a time where it has never been easier to interact, be motivated by and learn from the best in a whole host of different disciplines/professions.  The flip side to that though is that it can often be hard to see which are the ones worth keeping tabs on.  In a world where time is the one thing you can neither buy nor get back, it is obviously something worth investing wisely.

 

Here I go through 10 top Martial Arts Figures who are very active on social media that I really, really enjoy following and I am sure you will too!

 

Eddie Ng

 

 

For those of you who may not know the name, Eddie Ng is a Hong Kong born Pro MMA fighter based out in Singapore at the world renowned Evolve MMA.  A trail blazer in many ways, Eddie actually grew up in Newcastle and is cited by many other North East fighters as being a major influence in their formative years of training (Alex Enlund, former Cage Warriors World Champion is one such renowned individual).  Fighting under the One Championship banner, Eddie is a hugely respected fighter over in Asia and his current professional record stands at 7.4.0.  I have had the utmost pleasure of having spent time with Eddie whilst over in Singapore on a number of occasions now.

On a personal level he is super cool to hang out with, funny, down to earth and a real Martial Arts aficionado.  Where he stands out for me (both online and in his day to day life) and the reason why he makes this list easily is just how insightful he is.  His philosophical outlook combined with his vast experience and no nonsense approach to training make for great listening or reading.  He seeks out perfection in everything he does and holds both himself and others accountable at all times in this journey.  A Martial Artist through and through.  Follow him on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"It is commonly assumed by coaches that simply teaching a technique and then having students copy it exactly when drilled for reps in a low stress environment with little chance of failure will result in the technique occurring in the heat of battle.

The ability to learn a Martial Arts technique and then be able to physically apply it against another resisting human being is a complex task and goes far beyond the imitation of a physical action. The manner in how a technique is trained determines the chances of the user successfully utilising it against resistance. How matters much more than specifically what the technique is, who taught the technique or which style the technique came from."

 

Rosi Sexton

 

 

Rosi has seen it all.  The former world ranked No 1 female fighter, UFC incumbent and Oxford trained Osteopath is an individual who takes achievement to the next level.  It is hard not to be impressed by anything Rosi does or has accomplished.  Fiercely intelligent and a true force of nature when it comes to applying herself to whatever she wants to excel at in life, she is the kind of role model most parents wish their children would endeavour to emulate.  I have known Rosi for a good number of years now.

She is one of the only people I know that both genuinely listens to everything you say in conversation (it is a rare gift ha ha) and then thinks carefully about her answer as opposed to just hijacking the talk to put across her own pre-determined points of view (see, she is already a better human than me).  Given her experience, intelligence and overall approach to life, her online presence is always brilliant to check out.  Encompassing a wide variety of subject matter, Rosi's writing is humorous, thought provoking and always backed by factual research as opposed to just repeating verbatim the opinions of others.  You can check out a recent article/tutorial I collaborated with her on here!  Follow her through her website, on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of her brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included her in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"I had this conversation with a friend the other day*.

"I think I'm going to quit my job."
"Oh, right! What are you going to do instead?"
"Well, I'm just sick of working in an office. My mate Bob quit his job recently, and he's doing OK, so I thought I'd try it."
"But Bob lives in a one bedroom flat in Scunthorpe that he inherited from his Nan, and makes a living busking on the ukulele. You've got a £1000 a month mortgage, four kids to support and you can't play the ukulele. I'm not sure he's the best person to compare yourself to."
"Loads of people make good money without working in an office, though. Some people get paid millions every year just to play football."
"That's not really a plan, though, it's just wishful thinking. Why don't you have a look at what your alternatives are, go through your budget, run some numbers..."
"Oh, you're always so negative. Sometimes in life you've just got to take a risk."
"Sure. But there's skydiving, and then there's jumping out of a plane with the parts for a parachute and hoping you can put them together on the way down."

 

Nathan Leverton

 

 

Nathan Leverton is the head coach of top UK MMA gym Leicester Shoot Fighters and has had a massive input into some of the best MMA fighters to come from these shores over the past 10 years (Dan Hardy, Andre Winner and Dean Amasinger to name but a few).  A brilliantly talented grappler and coach, he is also literally one of the coolest people it has ever been my pleasure to know.  I know that he often does not post on social media for anything other than to let people know about things that he finds of interest or his opinions on martial arts, current affairs etc but I 100% genuinely love his output online!

Apart from his exceptional details and mindset posts on coaching, he seems to have a real knack for finding stuff that is awesome to either see, learn about or go to. Whether it is a cool event, brilliant piece of art work or piece of über geek merchandise, I am always keen to read what he puts up.  I think he may be wasted in the world of Martial Arts ha ha, they need to hire him on a website such as thisiswhyiambroke.com!  Nathan was one of the first people that I filmed for the Warrior Collective nearly 4 years ago and I remember clearly how much he blew me away with his coaching at that point.  He set a benchmark for excellence that I aways compare others to when I film.  A truly brilliant individual.  Follow him through his website, on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"More Black Friday and January Sales prints arrived..."

 

 

Damien Trainor

 

 

Unless you are completely new to the UK Muay Thai scene or even to the Warrior Collective, you should know this name!  Damien, as a former multiple times world Muay Thai Champion is now an internationally sought after coach across a wide range of different striking based combat sports.  MMA athletes, Kickboxers and Muay Thai fighters all flock to his gym in order to gain tutelage.  For good reason as well, he is an exceptionally talented instructor who seems to have no trouble producing high quality drills, methods and training for a wide range of different individuals time and time again with consistent success!

I have obviously spent a lot of time with Damien over the past few years as he has kindly lent his time to me in order to create a whole host of great video tutorials for my channel on a number of occasions now.  A fantastic individual to shoot the breeze with, his passion for martial arts always makes for entertaining conversation and his brain literally seems hardwired for breaking down fights.  His social media is constantly filled with tutorials and training snippets from his coaching.  He shares a phenomenal amount and they are always truly excellent.  You can catch him in action on all his Warrior Collective Tutorials here!  Follow him through his website, on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"An average student can become an exceptional student if the work is put in and an exceptional student can become an average student if the work is not put in....always give a 100% in what you want"

 

John Kavanagh

 

 

The SBG Ireland owner/head instructor, internationally renowned BJJ black belt and world famous coach to elite fighters such as Connor McGregor may well need no introduction to you.  If however for some reason you do not know who John is, let me enlighten you.  I have had the pleasure of spending time in John's company when I filmed with him a number of years ago at SBG in Dublin for the Warrior Collective.  A literal force of nature in every respect.  One of the trail blazers in Ireland for not only the country's involvement in the world of mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu jitsu, but also for it's development in how popular the sports have now become.  It is obviously hard to not discuss the phenomenal rise of Connor when talking about John.  It would be hard to imagine the UFC (and the world of combat sports) today without the huge impact of his arrival.

This was no chance happening though.  John, as Connor's coach, has been behind him from day 1 and is a fundamental part of his ongoing sporting success.  Why follow John?  His no nonsense approach to Martial Arts mixed with his dry sense of humour, awesome life philosophy and unparalleled ability to pick apart/analyse problems (both inside the world of Combat Sports and out of it) ensure that his social media is always brilliant.  A hugely charismatic individual who does more than a lot of good for those around him.  Check him out today and be ready to laugh out loud, get motivated and learn a whole lot about elite level Combat Sports!  I know I do!!  You can catch him in action on all his Warrior Collective Tutorials here!  Follow him through his website, on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"So tonight going into savoy for the world premiere of conor's movie. walking the red carpet then sitting with my family looking at myself on the big screen with my friends for the biggest sports related cinema release in history of uk/ireland shown all over the world. i dont think i can express how strange all this is. i got into this 22yrs ago coz i got a hiding and was looking for something to boost my confidence and help me look after myself. now this. very very strange."

 

John Wayne Parr

 

 

John Wayne Parr is actually the first person on this list so far that I have (as of yet) not met in person.  The Australian born fighter is considered something of a legend within the world of Muay Thai and Kickboxing.  Not for no reason.  Now aged 38 years old and having just passed the 100 fight mark, he is still hugely active on the scene looking for more titles and great encounters to add to his already formidable belt.  I have been watching his fights for a long time and have always been a big fan of his skill, ferocity and tenacity within the ring alongside his fight anyone, anywhere kind of attitude.  However, what sets him apart from lots of other world level fighters is his down to earth personality, crazy sense of humour (he is one seriously funny guy) and his unparalleled ability to connect positively with other people (both in person and online).

It is rare indeed to find someone as talented as he is inside the ring, balancing the constant demands of training, family, work etc with a constant interaction with those that diligently follow him on social media.  I swear, I don't know where he finds the time and energy to not only do so much but to always look like he is having a whale of time doing it.  200,000 people follow him on Instagram alone.  I am one of them.  I suggest you do the same.  You really won't regret it, he is as awesome a person as you are likely to find anywhere in the world of Martial Arts/Combat Sports!!  Follow him through his website, on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"Back when I was younger.
It was a tough choice growing up as I had to choose to either become a model or a fighter.
I told myself I’ll try the fighting first and if that doesn’t work out I will always have the modelling to fall back on.
Unfortunately for myself my plan B didn’t go to plan. After all my fights, my face now looks like a dropped pie so I guess I’ll have to keep fighting "

 

Chatri Sityodtong

 

 

If you have read either of my recent articles on "10 of the Best Singapore Martial Arts Gyms to Visit in 2018" or "50 Great Martial Arts Youtube Channels you NEED to subscribe to today" then you will already know that I think very highly indeed of Chatri Sityodtong.  I have had the honour of meeting and spending time with Chatri on a number of occasions now whilst out filming in Singapore.  I will share the story of how we first met to give you a little more of an idea of the kind of person he is (apart from of course being a multi-millionaire entrepreneur, founder of the world famous Evolve MMA and leading figure behind the global MMA promotion One Championship).

I had travelled out to Singapore end of 2015 (off my own back I had decided that I wanted to go out there and film a documentary on it's flourishing Martial Arts scene) in a bid to travel across the country, spend time at a variety of the leading gyms and meet as many coaches/fighters based there as possible.  Of course, given the status Evolve MMA has, it was firmly on my list to visit.  I arranged in advance through communicating with the centre manager time for me to film there.  I set pretty much the best part of two days aside to be there (given the sheer amount of athletes they have, training sessions they run and locations they operate out of) and arrived bright and early one morning to get as much footage as possible.  I immediately got to do some brilliant interviews with the likes of One Championship star Angela Lee and UFC incumbent Leandro Issa as well as some with Muay Thai legends Namsaknoi and Orono.  Unfortunately though, after that, there had been some miscommunication between some of the staff and I was not able to get any more done.

Obviously I was disappointed but more than happy that I had got to get some done in such an amazing place with such phenomenal athletes in the first place.  I thanked everyone there and left to get on with the rest of my schedule around Singapore.  On the very last day of my trip I received a personal call from Chatri apologising for the miscommunication that had led to me not getting more footage and asked if I was available for lunch.  I was obviously not expecting this call and was blown away to even receive it.  We met up at a restaurant not far from one of the Evolve MMA gyms.  Chatri was dressed casually and greeted me warmly before sitting down for lunch.  He then proceeded to ask me about my life, what my aims were, how I found Singapore and a whole host of other questions related to me.

After about an hour of talking, he out of the blue offered to pay for me to come back out to Singapore as his personal guest to not only get the filming that I had missed out on doing at Evolve MMA but also to get a load more as part of exclusive access to behind the scenes at One Championship and a whole slew of other amazing places.  He even offered to pay for my wife to come with me as I had said that it might be difficult to come back due to family pressures.  So, here was this phenomenally busy industyr leader not only spending time with me off his own back with nothing to gain from doing so but also offering to give me unparalleled access to his own personal passions to help me further the work I was trying to do.  I could of course wax on about all the amazing achievements in his life but this little personal piece is what ensures that I have no hesitation in saying just how great a person I think he is.  Couple this with how inspirational his blog/social media is on a regular basis and it is not hard to see why you should be following him today.  A truly brilliant and unique individual!  Follow him through his website, on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"There are no shortcuts in life, except one.

Success leaves clues. If you want true love, take your 80 year old grandparents out for coffee, and ask them about their love story and what they learned. Study the happiest couples you know, and understand their key success factors. If your dream is to be the best doctor in your country, research what the best doctors in your country did to earn their reputations. If you want to be a millionaire, find millionaire role models who you would like to be someday. If you want to learn how to be the best parent possible, find children who you admire and talk to their parents. If you want to be an entrepreneur, seek out a few entrepreneurs who inspire you. Study how they achieved what they did. If you want to be a World Champion, talk to World Champions and learn how they did it.

 

Stuart Cooper

 

 

If you know the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at all then you will have already come across the name Stuart Cooper.  A trailblazer in many ways.  He is a hugely talented film maker with an immense catalogue of videos, tutorials and documentaries from his extensive travels all over the world featuring some of the worlds leading BJJ gyms, athletes and coaches.  I feel a real kinship with Stuart as we both enjoy a lot of the same things, love making great Martial Arts related content and try to put others at the forefront of what we do.

I have had the real pleasure of filming Stuart coaching tutorials for the Warrior Collective so also know how much of a brilliant BJJ coach he is as well.  He has recently taken up the post of head coach at the world famous Tiger Muay Thai Gym in Thailand, a position which I know he is going to be amazing in!  Following Stuart through his Youtube Channel or any of his Social Media will make you want to quit your job, hit the road and make training your full time thing.  His photos and videos are a thing of beauty and never fail to both motivate and inspire any who come across them!  Get on him today and increase your daily intake of all things Brazilian Jiu Jitsu related by at least 1000%!!!  You can catch him in action on all his Warrior Collective Tutorials here!  Follow him on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"Years ago, my dad asked me what I wanted to do for work. I told him that my dream was to live on a tropical island teaching jiujitsu and making short films.
This photo was taken a few years ago here in Phuket when I was still a Brown belt. After years of hard work traveling, training and teaching around the world, I am very happy to announce that I have made my dream become a reality and am now the head BJJ coach at Tiger Muay Thai. 
I am happy to be back in Phuket, where I am bringing all my experience with me to share with my students and martial arts community. Very excited for the future with my friends and training partners at Tiger Muay Thai!"

 

Chris Haueter

 

 

Chris is the second person on this list that I have not actually met (or even spoken to for that matter ha ha) but for anyone connected to the BJJ world, I am sure the name will already be a familiar one!  I first really started following Chris after filming with some of the UK's best BJJ black belts in the form of Darren and Helen Currie a number of years ago for the Warrior Collective.  The two Combat Base co-founders told me extensively about their experiences in the States and in particular with regards to their relationship with Chris.  Coming from such credible sources I was inspired to look into and learn more about who he is, as coming from a striking background as I do, I am not always up to speed with individuals from other arts.

Chris Haueter is a BJJ black belt under Rigan Machado, a grade achieved on December 1996, making Haueter a member of the "BJJ Dirty Dozen", the first 12 practitioners outside Brazil to achieve the rank of black belt in this martial art. Haueter is also a former US Marine known among the grappling community for his pioneering teaching style and conceptual coaching ability.  He is also incredibly into art and it is that, alongside his brilliant views on coaching, family values and overall lifestyle that have got me hooked on following his social media feeds.  UK based film maker Dan Lewis filmed a fantastic documentary which largely featured him here and it is well worth when watching when you have the time to do so.  If you are a fan of listening to the thoughts of highly intelligent, opinionated and talented individuals then I am sure that like me, you are going to love following Chris!!!  Awesome stuff always from this BJJ legend!!  Follow him through his website, on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

“The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world.
Lies will pass into history.  
-George Orwell"

 

Liam Harrison

 

 

Liam Harrison is a stalwart of the UK Muay Thai scene and seems to have been fighting at the very top level forever and a day.  A professional fighter based at the world renowned Yokkao sponsored centre of excellence Bad Company in Leeds, he has fought a veritable who's who of the best fighters from every corner of the globe including the likes of Saenchai, Fabio Pinca and Malaipet Sasiprapa.  The 8 time World Champion is hugely popular in the UK and abroad having recently been invited onto the Joe Rogan podcast in the States alongside another widely regarded combat sports figure in the shape of Vinny Shoreman.

I have had the pleasure of spending time with Liam on numerous occasions over the past few years now, filming with him at his amazing gym and then following him behind the scenes at one of his fights on Yokkao.  There are of course many great fighters that could have made this list so why have I picked Liam?  Well, apart from his social media constantly being updated with all manner of cool posts, from training snippets to tutorials, backstage photos/videos from his fights and all that he gets up to.  He always says things how they are.  Never one to mince words, he is genuine in all that he puts out.  His northern roots have contributed to his awesome personality and great sense of humour, other aspects that are always apparent.  I have a huge amount of time for all those from his gym (they are all truly brilliant people) and I am an especially big fan of his other main Bad Company contemporary Jordan Watson.

So, if you want to be constantly impressed by some of the highest levels of training/sparring around, enjoy a crazy sense of humour and want regular interaction with one of the UK's legitimate Muay Thai legends, give Liam a follow today, you truly won't be disappointed!!  Follow him on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get a regular influx of his brilliant writing on a whole host of subjects and see exactly why I have included him in this list of 10 Top Martial Arts Figures today!

 

 

"That was absolutely insane. What a guy joe rogan is got to train him then smashed the podcast with Vinny. Absolutely loved it. Big news about our seminars coming soon ??hope everyone enjoyed it. Also anyone who knows me knows about my weird obsession with werewolf’s and the moon, and how traumatised I was as a kid at werewolf in London. Well I met him today he wasn’t that bad. Although I Shit my pants when I walked in the door when it was staring at me "

 

It was actually pretty hard not to make this list containing 10 Top Martial Arts Figures to Follow on Social Media to visit bigger as there were a good few others that could have easily been on it!  What do you think of those on the list?  Are there any others that you think I or anyone else should be following???

 

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