Dustin Ware
Professor Ware has had the privilege to have trained countless number of law enforcement & military personal. He currently volunteers time to serve as a Defensive Tactics Consultant for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office Training Academy.
Insights from a BJJ Practitioner Dustin Ware
Dustin, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Could you please give our readers a brief bio on yourself?
My name is Dustin Ware. I am a 3-stripe Brown Belt under Jorge Gurgel. I am the Head BJJ & MMA coach at Columbus MMA here in Columbus, OH, the owner/director of the Ohio Grappling Challenge, & I am the affiliate BJJ coach for Munich MMA in Munich, Germany.
I started training with small club called “Ground Zero Fighting Systems” (GZFS) in September 1998 in Huntington, West Virginia. There were only about 7-8 guys, and only a few had gi’s. We did a little bit of everything; a mix of BJJ, Submission Grappling, wrestling, sambo, & Judo.
Sometime in 1999, I was working with a small MMA show as a “match maker”, that is where I met Jorge Gurgel. I actually ‘matched’ his very first MMA fight. After the fight, I introduced myself and asked if it would be OK if I could train with him. At the time, there was not ONE legitimate BJJ affiliation or coach in WV. To have the opportunity to learn from a BJJ Brown Belt was huge for me and the guys from GZFS. To make a long story short, we (Team Ground Zero – Huntington) went on to become Jorge Gurgel’s 1st affiliate school. Since then, that school has produced 3 BJJ Black Belts (Bryan Atterson, Jeremy Walters, & Dustin Hazelett), a UFC Vet in Dustin Hazelett, 5 BJJ Brown Belts, & I became the VP of the Jorge Gurgel Jiu-Jitsu Association. Not too bad for a small grappling club on the banks of the Ohio River.
How often do you get to train with Jorge?
I am very fortunate that I have never lived further than 2.5 hours from my Jorge. In the beginning, I would say that we trained together 5-7 times a year. When I moved to Columbus in 2004, my school was only 75 miles from his. But as his MMA career took off, and I started life after college…our schedules would not allow for us to get together as often. But, I make it a goal to have him come and teach at our school 3-4 times a year.
Jorge is a smaller guy and you are a big guy, did you ever have any trouble learning because of the size/game difference?
When I first started training as GZFS, my first coach was Ashley Lockwood. He is about 5’10” & 230lbs. Ash has a very technical way of focusing on the basics, not just the big movements. He also spent a lot of time teaching positional control, which I now find to be one of the hallmarks of how I teach my students.
However, Jorge has a completely different approach to BJJ. He has a very offensive & attack oriented style. At first it was sometimes hard to make the connection between what he was teaching and how it would work for me. But as I began to become more comfortable in my transitions, I was able to translate the movements Jorge was teaching & apply to my body type and game plan. Even though he is half my size, he has a way of explaining the techniques in a detailed & specific manner…yet flexible in their application.
I honestly feel that by having a teacher that is half my size has been a blessing. It forced me to learn how to adapt/teach the techniques for all body types. This is very reflective in the students at my school. I have been able to develop a unique blend of attacking, yet positional style of BJJ that works for both large & smaller students. It seems to have worked fairly well; since I have been teaching here in Columbus, I have had one student promoted to brown belt, 6 to purple belts, and over 20 blue belts...and all but 2-3 are under 190lbs!
What are a few tips for bigger guys who are just beginning jiu-jitsu?
First, I think “big guys” need to let go of their EGO. Focus on learning, not always winning!
Second, learn to relax when training. I know this is a universal problem for all new students, no matter what size. Most bigger guys will often try to use power to make up for their lack of experience, skill, or technique.
Third, focus on learning how to master your positions, and then work on your submissions. Unlike smaller competitors, if a big guy misses a move, he will often lose position without any chance of getting to a neutral position. If he would focus on positional dominance, then the set-up for the submission will have far fewer holes & a higher percentage of getting the tap.
I would like to add a fourth tip…there is no such thing as “big man BJJ” VS “little man BJJ”…there is only Jiu-Jitsu. I believe that your willingness to adapt what you are being taught and make it work for you is one of the fundamental aspects of why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is so effective…adaptability!
You’ve been running the Ohio Grappling Challenge for several years now; can you talk a little bit about how it came about?
I have been working on grappling competitions since 2001. I served as an assistant to multiple Relson Gracie & Arnolds submission competitions. In 2003, I became a referee from the North American Grappling Association (NAGA). I eventually started to referee for a lot of the competitions around the Midwest & Southeast.
In the spring of 2006, I was asked by Scott Shelley if I would like to help run the grappling portion at a traditional martial arts competition in Akron, Ohio. I was then asked to provide the same services to another traditional event in Cincinnati, Ohio in December 2006. I soon realized after organizing both of those events that I could do this on my own.
I did not really have an idea for the name of the organization, how large it would like for them to be, or where I would even host the events. At first, I thought I would hold 1-3 events a year, but they became so popular around Ohio, that 3 did not seem like it was enough. By November of this year, the OGC will have hosted its 6th competitions for 2009.
Can you talk about how the tournament has evolved (rules, location, format, etc.)?
As I said above, the OGC got its start by ‘piggy-backing’ onto other martial arts events. However, now we are probably one of the largest BJJ & Submission Grappling competitions in Ohio & the surrounding states. The rules & formats for most of our competitions are uniform. We will occasionally have a “special division” for people to enter or be invited to compete. I try to have at least one ‘special division’ at each OGC. Whether it be a “team VS team”, 4-Man Invite, or a Superfight. We recently hosted a “Submission Only” competition…it was awesome to see BJJ at it purist form!
As for location, OGC competitions have been held all over Ohio (Columbus, Akron, Cleveland, Newark, Pickerington). We also host an event in Union, KY, just 15 miles from Cincinnati, OH.
The OGC is known for being well-run and on-time. Name the 3 most important factors when trying to run a tournament quickly and smoothly?
From the beginning, I had decided to not try and re-create the wheel. Some of the most successful businesses in the world are ones that take a good idea, make some minor adjustments, and repackage the product. So I started to look at what I liked about the competitions I had worked for & competed in. I kept what I felt worked, and took out what I felt was useless. That said, if I had to name 3 important factors, they would be:
1. Surround yourself with good help, and make sure everyone knows their job & responsibilities.
2. Clearly explain to the competitors what is expected of them in terms of how the event is going to run.
3. At the end of the day, more than half of your competitors will have lost a match. It is not my job as the organizer to make sure everyone wins a gold medal. But it is my job as the owner to make sure that every competitor feels that we (the staff) provided a high level of CUSTOMER SERVICE. From the moment someone pre-registers for one of our events, to the closing seconds of the final match of the day…my goal is to make sure they had fun, and that hopefully they choose to return to future OGC events.
What are your goals for the OGC?
The purpose & goal of the OGC is to provide a high quality, highly competitive, and cost effective competition for the BJJ students & Submission Grapplers around Ohio, the Midwest, and beyond! I also want to be able to use the OGC as a way to continue to raise the caliber of the BJJ & submission grappling competitors here in Ohio.
Do you have any plans to branch outside of Ohio?
Yes. I already host the Tri-State Grappling Championships in Union, KY (just outside Cincinnati, OH). I am looking at the possibility of hosting an OGC event in Huntington, WV in April 2010. I am also looking at other cities around Ohio, possibly Dayton.
I have been offered to take the OGC to other states, but I don’t want to expand too fast. The integrity of our events is something I am not willing to sacrifice. Unless I felt I had a solid team in place to assist with the event, I would not be willing to make that move just yet.
You get to watch a lot of grappling matches, are there any up-and-comers that you think could make some waves on the national scene from your tournaments?
The level of BJJ & Grappling in Ohio is at an all-time high right now! With so many highly skilled coaches and reputable schools all over Ohio…there is too many to list all of them. But, some of the guys I like to watch would be Darrin Branch & Andreis Brunovskis (RG/DA), Dustin Hazelett, Jon Meyers, & Camron Knight (Team Jorge Gurgel), Pablo Castro (Strong Style/BRASA), Robin Gieseler & Tom Fiester (Relson Gracie), Jim Kelly (Pedro Sauer), Dan Head (IBJJA), Justin Weir & Jon Toth (Saulo Ribeiro), and I am sure I am leaving some people out!
After watching thousands of tournament matches, have you noticed any relationship between the competitor’s game plan and the outcome of the match (i.e. guys who stick to the basics win, guys who score early seem to win, guys who do X lose, etc.)?
Honestly, when I actually have the opportunity to sit and watch a match from beginning to end, I try to just enjoy the flow of the match. Most of the matches I see are during my OGC events, and being that I am so busy, it is difficult to sit for 5-8 min. straight and watch from start to finish.
However, it has been my experience that the competitor that comes in with a narrow set of skills (regardless how good he may be with those skills), or a mindset that they are not going to deviate from their game plan….they more often than not stumble along the way. Whereas the competitor that has a more complete ‘tool box’, and the willingness & ability to adapt to the situation at hand…they often can/will find a way to win.
You have also established yourself as a solid competitor (being invited to the ADCC trials). Do you still actively compete?
Since I started teaching full-time, my main focus has been towards the growth of my school/students, the growth of the OGC, and my growth as a student of BJJ & Submission Grappling. It is very difficult to try to balance all of this, while still spending time with your family. The hard part for me is finding experienced training partners to push me for a big competition. I tried to secure one of the remaining spots for the ADCC Worlds in the 99+ kilo division…but no luck. I try to compete 1-2 times a year, as the size of the event is not my concern. I just want to stay active for as lon as my body will allow.
What else can we expect from you in the future?
I am not sure, I stay fairly busy. On top of teaching full time & running the OGC, I also serve as a consultant for a few MMA shows around the region. I also try to spend as much time as I can with my wife & daughter.With that said, my number one focus in BJJ is the overall growth of my students & our school. NOTHING makes me more proud than seeing them progress within the art/sport. As for my school (Columbus MMA), if we keep doing what we are supposed to…I think people around the Midwest will be hearing about us very soon.
Any last comments?
First, thanks for asking me to do the interview, it is an honor to be considered someone of note within the BJJ community. When I look at where I am in my ‘BJJ Life’, there are a few people that I always mention; Ashley Lockwood, Tim Dunlap, Bryan Atterson, & Jeremy Walters…these guys will always be my brothers on & off the mat! Obviously, my teacher, mentor, & close friend Jorge Gurgel… he is the reason why my passion for BJJ is what it is. I also want to tell my students how proud all of you make me…even the ones all the way over in Munich! You guys represent me, the school, & Team Jorge Gurgel with the highest degree of integrity; I am honored to call you my team mates! Lastly, my wife; you have always been instrumental in everything that I have strived to accomplish. Without her support, the OGC would not have ever gotten off the ground, nor would my dream of teaching BJJ ever been possible.
If any of you reading this ever find yourself in Columbus, Ohio, please stop by and check us out. You can find more information about my school at www.columbusmma.com. You can also find information about the Ohio Grappling Challenge at www.ohiograpplingchallenge.com.
Quick Hits
Favorite Takedown: Anything from the clinch (double under or over-under)
Favorite Submission: I am a big fan of lower body submissions in no-gi, especially my “splitter”. :) In the gi, I look for lapel chokes from every position.
How many days a week do you train? 5 minimum, sometimes 6
Favorite music to train to: I like a wide mix of music when I roll. Just about any hard rap, reggae, or anything similar to Rage against the Machine.
Ratio of drilling to sparring you recommend? Depends on the experience level of the person & whether or not that have a competition coming up. At my school we spar a lot, but we work drills into our every day training. As a general rule, during competition training, 70/30 spar to drill. Non-competition, 70/30 drill to spar.
Favorite thing to do outside of grappling: Spend time with my wife (OGC Vice President…ha ha) & my little girl! I am also a big PS3 fan, & I love to travel
Favorite jiu-jitsu guys to watch: Anyone that actively looks to win by submission!
Biggest mistake that new grapplers make: Not really a mistake, but a state of mind…EGO! My advice would simply be no matter how big, how strong, or how many ‘street fights’ you may have won (lol)….when you walk into a school, show respect, humility, and a willingness to learn.
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