In the Tank with Sharks

I’ve been training with Sensei Eddy Millis for a few years now, mostly private training and in small groups. I’ve been going to the US twice a year for 5 years now seeing all my teachers and also having them over to the UK for seminars, training and so on. This year I was invited to bring my guys to train for a week at the infamous Shark Tank with my teacher Eddy Millis and his group of top fighters. Of course I said great! I then rounded up my close group of students to make the trip out. As I was sitting on the plane I realised that this would be the last time for a week that I would be sitting down relaxing. Eddy is known for his full on teaching style, which in light of the fact that his guys are going in the ring at the top level is very wise. He doesn’t want his guys to not be ready so training is hard. I had a mixed group of guys so he had us in two groups, which became known as dead and deader! I train very hard with my guys in the UK, but even I have never trained in this manner, where we put through 8 hours a day full on training day after day. We couldn’t even eat enough to maintain weight! But the guys never gave up and stepped up to the challenge. After that week Eddy was very happy that the Shark Tank name was in good hands in the UK and after about another week we started to make our recovery!

We had a great chance to train with his top fighters and see them training for the next K1. I have a group of students who compete so this was a great time for them to raise their game and test themselves at this pace. It wasn’t sink or swim, it was swim or be eaten!In-between training and sleeping I talked with Eddy and also one of his teachers in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Professor Joe Moreria who had came down to the Shark Tank to meet us and show us some of his famed guard skills.

Alan Orr: I know you have been busy with training fighters for K1 this last year and it seems to have paid off with your fighter Mighty Mo winning the K1 USA. What was that like for you and your team?

Eddy Millis: It was a great accomplishment. Mo worked very hard in training. I was proud to have one of my fighters win the tournament. K-1 has always been a dream.

A: Please let us the story behind Mighty Mo’s name. I think it will give the readers an idea of what it will take to stop him or not.

E: Mighty Mo got the name when he was younger, a building he was doing construction on collapsed. The next thing they saw was Mo coming out of the rubble, unhurt.

A: The Shark Tank has always been known for its fight team. You have a good group of fighters at the top level of competition. What makes the Shark Tank different than other fight teams? Well after this weeks training I think I know but go ahead.Eddy Millis Well, we train very hard as you know. We do kickboxing, submissions, and wrestling every day. Our conditioning program is very intense as well. Mix them up and you come out a little bit…. shall we say ‘tired’

A: Tell us about your new organization Valor and how that’s developed.

E: Valor is our new fight organization and management company. We produce fight shows and manage several colourful fighters. We wanted to have a show where fighters were treated well as well as put on great shows.

A: You have some big names at your events

E: We just promoted a show with Ken Shamrock. Bas Rutten, Randy Couture, Dean Lister, Guy Mezger all came and supported us. It was great.

A: It’s a long day training again and today we have Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s Professor Joe Moreria down to the Shark Tank showing us his famed guard skills. Let me ask you a few questions why we have the chance. I think Eddy will have me back on the mat any minute, you may save me passing out!

Joe Moreria: He’s a great NHB coach! Also he is an okay Jiu-Jitsu teacher.

A: (laughs, Eddy has Black Belt in BJJ from Joe Moreria) After seeing what you taught today I would say you maybe slightly underplaying yourself!

E: laughing

A: What made you start training Jiu-Jitsu?

J: I started training in Jiu-Jitsu 38 years ago. I lived in some bad neighbourhoods so my older brother put me in for some training in judo. A month later I tried Jiu-Jitsu and I think it saved me from the street. It still feels good after 38 years.
Alan Orr: What keeps you motivated about training?

J: Apart from learning the art, teaching also allows you to develop things within yourself. If I could I would like to teach and fight for another 50 years.

A: What would you say have been the biggest changes?

J: There has been a lot of changes and the game is much more competitive now. Before there were only a few big names with talent in Jiu-Jitsu but now people are working harder, training harder and making the competition more and more strong. This is good because it makes Ju-Jitsu more open.

I also believe that before there were more technical, less strength and power-based fighters. I still prefer the old times because you can see more technique.

A: So, do you prefer to train with a Gi?

J: Yes. I think when you train in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu you should train with a Gi.

A: You train some well-known fighters, could you tell me more about them?

J: I help a lot of guys with their training. Kimo came to me about 10 years ago. He is now a black belt in BJJ, I also train Marco Ruas. A lot of the guys I have been training are also starting to make names for themselves now.

A: What is the best advice you can give to improve your ju-jitsu game?

J: I’m the old man, so I can’t fight power with the 20 year old kids. I believe that although I may have lost power on the mat, I now have more vision for the fight. Before you do something I’m already there and because I practice all the time on the mat everything becomes easy for me. Conditioning is also very important these days. I like the style I teach because it’s easy to develop and good for fighting.

A: Would you say at your level as a 7th degree grand master it is difficult to find anyone to teach you new things?

J: In Jiu-Jitsu all the time there is something new. When you are watching two people train or training yourself there are always new ideas that come out of the interaction. Spending so much time on the mat has allowed me to create and perfect techniques. When I was twenty years old all I thought about was fight, fight, fight but now it is so much more about the art for me.

A: So you are very well known for your guard being impassable, what makes your guard so effective?

J: The game I have and the range of techniques help me a lot. I’m 42 now, the sport is very good for ages 18-25 to compete, but I still believe I can give the kids a hard time.

A: How have you seen Jiu-Jitsu change in the USA since you have been here? Have there been major changes in people’s approach?

J: I am the president of the Brazilian Federation in the United States, which I opened 12 years ago and I remember the first big competition I had. I held it in my dojo, 20-30 competitors but these days one competition may bring thousands. I promoted a lot of Jiu-Jitsu in the US and at the same time competitors like the Gracies in the UFC are showing the application of the art in fighting.

A: Is training different in US compared to Brazil?

J: This is a good question. I have been here for 15 years and for this time I have trained with a lot of American guys. These guys don’t naturally have the technique we have because soccer and ju-jitsu is already in the blood and it’s very easy for Brazilian people to learn technique as they have more hip movement. That being said it is much harder for me over here. The guys who have our technique are also stronger and in better condition. This has helped me keep on with my training over the years. Since I train all the time with stronger people, it makes my game better and when I fight in Brazil I find my game works even better there.

A: In America, wrestling is very big. How has it affected the growth of BJJ?

J: I train a lot of wrestling people, I believe both have the scope to work together. Both arts help each other. If you want to fight NHB you need BJJ, Wrestling and Muay Thai skills.

A: It was great talking with you and thank you for the seminar.

J: Hey, no problem. It was a good day.

A: So was next for Eddy Millis.

E: Well, I want to continue my training. I am hoping to go back to Thailand soon and train. I love doing seminars, so I want to keep doing them as well. I am looking forward to coming back to the U.K.

Ar: That’s right your have been looking for new fighters as well. I now have few guys that I am training that look good to go and when you are in the UK in September we will have a seminar and also be scouting for new UK fighters.

Alan Orr is a disciple of Robert Chu Sifu and the European representative of the Chu Sau Lei Wing Chun system. He is also the UK representative for Guro Mark Wiley in the Filipino martial arts and Sensei Eddy Millis of Shark Tank in NHB/Grappling.

Alan Orr is a disciple of Robert Chu Sifu and the European representative of the Chu Sau Lei Wing Chun system.

He is also the UK representative for Guro Mark Wiley in the Filipino martial arts and Sensei Eddy Millis of Shark Tank in NHB/Grappling.

Web: www.alanorr.com

For further information Tel: 07958 908 196 or email: info@alanorr.co.uk