Being a good fighter and being a good teacher are two separate and completely different animals. Having met Carlos Newton several times before, I knew that he was intelligent and well spoken, but never having trained with him, I didn’t know what to expect from the Seminar. There are plenty of incredible teachers out there that have not had great or even average fighting careers, yet their students swear up and down that their teacher is the best in the world. I would tend to agree, being good at one thing does not guarantee being good at the other. So I really didn’t know what I was going to see when the World Freestyle Fighting Championships invited him down to do a seminar in Vancouver, Canada. Would a man that has had a successful fighting career all over the world including Japan and America be able to successfully translate and communicate his skills to the people at the gym that had come from far and wide to pay for a Seminar with the most well know fighter ever to come out of Canada?

The only answer to that question is a resounding "Yes". Carlos’s natural charisma was evident from the outset as he controlled the class and parlayed his messages articulately and with an edge of humor. His self-professed childlike voice was deceiving as his knowledge and teaching skills were that of the seasoned veteran that he obviously was. He showed all his techniques in full, and repeated the techniques several times over making sure that every one had the opportunity to see and hear what he had to show. He was patient with all questions and answered everything without a hint of impatience or boredom, regularly showing the same movements from multiple angles over and over so the students would have a chance at gathering the most that they could. Just watching a former UFC champ and Pride veteran rolling on the ground with regular guys was something to watch. Seeing a talent that moves as fluidly and with as much natural speed as Newton is something that TV did not do justice to. His catlike reflexes and innate quickness are a sight to behold. The difference between seeing it in front of your face live, and on the TV is like night and day. It made me want to jump out from behind my camera and roll on the ground and train to become a UFC fighter, but alas my sushi belly did not agree. I would compare it to seeing an MMA event live with the best seats in the house and then going home and watching it on a TV screen. It just does not compare. It was something to watch and something that makes you appreciate the talents of the many MMA practitioners that train so hard to fight in the shows that we so enjoy watching.

From beginning to end Carlos’s approach to the class was respectful and he communicated the intricacies of the various seemingly difficult techniques very well. Although he claimed " I am not a professional at seminars" his natural teaching talents and ample charisma were evident throughout and his natural personality came through in spades. The respect of the students for the former Welterweight champ rang through in the gym and was something to behold considering it was a packed house. Each and every student at the seminar listened attentively and stopped whatever they were doing the moment Carlos opened his mouth, which is an abnormality in most class situations in the gym. I would highly recommend anyone who has a chance to see Carlos up close and personal to take the opportunity to train with one of the best fighters in the world and one of the slickest pure grapplers that I have ever seen. He was patient afterwards and signed autographs and posed for pictures long after the seminar was over. They say that being a good fighter does not make you a good teacher and being a good teacher does not make you a great fighter. Carlos Newton handles both with flair. If Carlos ever comes out to a gym near you do NOT hesitate, make sure you take the opportunity to train with one of the best in the world. The "Ronin" Delivers.

Denis Kang, Carlos Newton and David Lea

"The Sushiboy" Gives this Seminar Five Tuna Fish out of a Full Can of Five!!!

© MMA Ring Report 2004