MCS Podcast 69: Win A Bar Fight By Reading Your Attacker With Bas Rutten
Bas Rutten
(Editor’s Note: Please excuse the audio – this was an archive recording on older equipment… but the tips are awesome!) It could be in
Bas Rutten
Winner of over 200 vicious street fights, the legendary Bas Rutten is one of the most dynamic and versatile fighters the sport of No-Holds-Barred combat has ever seen. Known for his fierce striking ability and deceptive ground game, Rutten is one of the most respected and feared fighters because of his notoriety for pulverizing opponents in NHB competitions.
Born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Bas Rutten became interested in martial arts when he was 14 after watching Enter the Dragon, taking up Tae Kwon Do and getting his black belt in TKD in a year. He eventually got his 2nd Dan in Tae Kwon Do, then he trained in Kyokushin Karate , where he competed in bareknuckle full contact karate tournaments. At the age of 20 he started competing in Thai boxing , going undefeated, although he credits Kyokushin karate as the base of his striking skills. Starting as a striker and later on learning submission fighting, Rutten implemented a well balanced mixture of many techniques.
Bas Rutten calls himself "El Guapo" (Spanish for "The Handsome One"). This nickname was given to him by his wife. It is the name of the villain in the movie "The Three Amigos". In his fights, Bas' "trademark" was delivering punches and kicks to the liver of his opponents. In his "Bas Rutten's Big DVDs of Combat" Bas refers to this as a "liver shot". Bas is also known for his characteristic "Rutten Jump," which he performed in the ring every time he won a fight, resembling a jumping split.
Bas began his professional mixed martial arts career with the upstart Japanese fighting organization, Pancrase. In 1993, Japanese pro wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki traveled to Holland to scout fighters for their new "hybrid wrestling" organization, featuring submission fighting, but with no closed fisted strikes to the face. A precursor to what would become modern mixed martial arts, the organization was the first of its kind, and featured such early MMA names as Frank Shamrock, Vernon White, Maurice Smith, Ken Shamrock, and Guy Mezger.
In 1998, Bas signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship became the first person to hold a UFC title in two weight classes.
(Editor’s Note: Please excuse the audio – this was an archive recording on older equipment… but the tips are awesome!) It could be in