Ah, the mixtape. Dating as far back as the early days of cassette tapes, the mixtape was a way for folks to compile their favorite songs into one spot. Today, that concept has evolved into mp3 playlists and similar things, but no matter how much the technology changes, the end result remains the same. After all, why should you buy an entire album just to get one song that you really like?

The fine folks over at Victory Belt Publications asked that same question when it came to their instructional books. That is why Lance Freimuth joined up with some of the top MMA fighters to create “The Grappler’s Manifesto,” a single-volume filled with techniques from a ton of top talent who have been battle-tested and fan-approved.

Is this manifesto with so many grappling aficionados worth reading, or does it come short of delivering on what other instructionals have done with just one person? Check out the review to find out!

“The Grappler’s Manifesto” weighs in at just over 350 pages of no-gi grappling techniques intended for amateur or professional MMA combat. The book features techniques from Greg Jackson, Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira, Dave Camarillo, Jon Fitch, Forest Griffin, Neil Melanson, and I think Karo Parisyan even snuck himself in it. That is a ton of talent for just one book, and about three tons worth of techniques.

A variety of topics are covered to improve your ground game, from the different phases of the guard, as well as turtle, cross-body, and front and back mounts. There are absolutely no takedowns in this, but there is a section on what to do after a sprawl. The majority of the book is guard techniques, including sweeps, submissions, and passes. While the main focus is on grappling, this is not necessarily for competitive grappling, and includes striking as entries into many of the techniques. This is very helpful to people who plan on competing and training in all-around fighting, but the moves work fine without the punches and knees too.

Every section is prefaced by a gameplan, where the author breaks down how best to implement the techniques and strategies in the chapter. This general overview is useful to put all of these pieces together into one coherent method of victory for you, and is as close as you will get to personalization in this book since each type of fighter is referenced to a specific combatant (more on that in a bit).

The book features plenty of full color photographs dissecting each move piece by piece, however it was disproportionate to the amount of text in this book. Most moves start with a very large paragraph to introduce the move, and when I say large, I mean that. I am not sure what happened to paragraph breaks since there are none here, but these huge blocks of text are a turn off to me. The instructions are easy to follow and well-written, they just look frighteningly large on some pages since there are no paragraph breaks. The design of the book is more dynamic than previous books, making it more exciting to look at, but the text throws that off.

Here is my one huge complaint with this book, which is a first in a long time for a product from Victory Belt. While all of these diverse instructors sounds very cool, it seems very random and unorganized. There is nothing introducing the fighters who demonstrate the techniques, nor anything to personalize them. Every description is written in the first-person tone of voice, rather than saying the name of the fighter doing the move. There is also very little uniformity in the photos of this book, specifically since everything was shot in different places with different lighting.

Ultimately, the reason for this became quite obvious after reading the press release promoting the book. “I had been working with these guys in the gyms or editing their individual books,” wrote Freimuth, “But in the back of my mind I was always thinking how great it would be to have them write some of their best techniques in one book.” In other words, the book was an after-thought to much larger products, and while the info is great in this book, it comes off random and the lack of uniformity or personalization detracts from the final result.

Instructional books or DVD’s are difficult to do when treated as a compilation. The best way I have seen them work is when each fighter is given a chance to personalize it and explain why they do this move and how it works for their style. “The Grappler’s Manifesto” dives into technique after technique, never giving the fighters a chance to have a distinct voice.

Despite that gripe I have with the book, I still found it very useful and packed with information. Is it my favorite book from Victory Belt? Not even close. Is it a bad book? Not at all. You will learn a lot from the different instructors and it will absolutely help your ground game in many common positions & situations. The book feels incomplete to me in terms of design and composition, lacking a personal touch of Victory Belt’s single-author books since there are so many people lumped into this volume, and none of the moves seeming signature or special to anyone specific in it. Again, there are tons of great techniques here, but the name value of these fighters is undermined by not allowing them to discuss the techniques and be hyped up more.

This book normally retails for $34.96, but you can grab “The Grappler’s Manifesto” from Amazon for a little over $20. I would recommend this book more for a beginner or intermediate level student of MMA, and it would definitely be a great gift for them during the holiday season. Seeing these UFC fighters and others in action all in one book might be more inspiring to them than it was to me, and they will get more than enough information to improve their skills. This book is a good entry-level volume to lead readers towards other books that will start to hone their game, but for the time being, this is a perfect start to a long career in MMA.

Here are some other books that we reviewed that you might like as well: “Marcelo Garcia: Advanced BJJ Techniques, ” “Anderson Silva: MMA Instruction Manual”, and The UFC Encyclopedia.

It’s contest time… again! Yeah, we just ended one contest last week for a signed Fedor photo, now we are diving into another! Why? Because I am The Fight Nerd, and I do what I want. You’re welcome.

In honor of UFC 128, I am doing a contest to honor the combatants of that event. Jon Jones, Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez, who we spoke with yesterday, are all competing on March 19 in New Jersey, and all share one thing in common. They are all sponsored by FORM Athletics, and thanks to the fine folks at Form (mmm, alliterations), I am holding another caption contest. The winner will receive ANY hat and shirt of the winner’s choosing from the FORM Athletics website (pending they have it in stock of course)!

So, what do you have to do to get these goodies? Quite simple – caption the photo above. Quinton Jackson and Forrest Griffin are in their civvies and seem to be chatting about something, and I want you to tell me what’s going on (just keep your quotes PG-13)! The deadline will be March 19 at high noon, hours before UFC 128 kicks off, which you can start watching for free on Facebook at 8 PM. The winner will be announced the following Monday or Tuesday, so be patient. Leave your caption in the comments section below and you must use a proper e-mail address, otherwise I can not contact you to let you know that you won.

FORM Athletics also sponsors Scott Jorgensen, Mark Munoz (who just steamrolled through CB Dollaway last week), Anthony Pettis, and Chad Mendes, so take a look at some of their sweet gear! Good luck and good captioning!

You can never deny that Rich Franklin is a man of his word!

Before UFC 126 went down, Rich Franklin agreed to a bet with his opponent, Forrest Griffin, which was that the loser of their fight had to get a tattoo on their body of the winners choice. Griffin managed to grind out a unanimous decision victory that evening in February, and won the right to demand what Franklin would have inked on his body. Today, we have that lovely piece of art!

Franklin is a man of his word, and Griffin is a benevolent winner as the enormous tattoo you see above is actually a henna tattoo, which will slowly wear off from “Ace’s” backside. Nonetheless, that tattoo is still pretty hideous, but at least it will fade away. On Franklin’s blog, Rich added, “Oh, and Forrest said he would pay for the removal so he owes me a bar of soap!” On a happier note, February 21 is actually “Rich Franklin Day” in Cincinnati, so Happy Rich Franklin day everyone!

Things are starting to heat up with Jakks Pacific’s UFC Deluxe action figures! Wrestlingfigs.com has posted prototype images of three upcoming waves, including their next two-packs. Jakks also recently released images of their UFC Fan Expo exclusive Georges St. Pierre, so check that one out too if you have not, especially since he is the first UFC figure to come with a championship belt made out of medal and leather!

Series 6 will feature Randy Couture, Georges St. Pierre, Tito Ortiz, Frank Mir, Clay Guida, Jens Pulver, Thiago Alves, and a classic version of Bas Rutten. Following that wave will be the seventh wave which includes Anderson Silva, Andrei Arlovski, Diego Sanchez, Gabriel Gonzaga, Joe Stevenson, Forrest Griffin, a Pride FC version of Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera and a classic version of BJ Penn. Series 6 will be out by October and series 7 should be available towards Christmas season… how convenient.

As if that was not enough plastic madness, in October, the second wave of two-packs will hit shelves/ This wave has Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture and Shogun Rua vs. Lyoto Machida. Keep in mind that these figures are subject to change by the time they hit shelves, so while the face sculpts might look funky in prototype form (such as Randy Couture and Clay Guida’s incredibly flat faces), but they should be vastly improved by the time they are up for sale.

Hit the jump for TONS of photos of these figures, and I mean tons!

Round 5 has unveiled its exclusive for the upcoming UFC Fan Expo in Boston on August 27-28 at the John B. Hynes Convention Center. We are getting the first ever three pack, featuring UFC announcer, Bruce Buffer!

The “3-packs” are enhanced versions of the new Round 5 “Versus” line, distinctly new figurines highlighting battle scenes from great UFC matches, supplemented with a Buffer figure, not available in any other Round 5 Series at mass retailers in the U.S. The three matchups available in limited quantities at the Expo are “Rampage” Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva (UFC 92), Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 66) and Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar (UFC 100). Buffer will also be on hand to sign the three packs!

In addition to “3-packs” featuring Bruce Buffer, exclusive to Expo in the U.S., Round 5 will display prototypes of its high-detail “Live” series with Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell. Fans will also be able to purchase the new “Ultimate Collector” Series 3 figurines at the Expo, including new representations of Rich Franklin, Anderson Silva, Antonio Nogueira, Diego Sanchez and both UFC and PRIDE versions of Wanderlei Silva. Wave 2 is currently available now, and you can see our video review of that at this link here!

The 3-pack will sell at the show for $25 per item and, again, is only available in person at the show. Round 5 can be found at Booth No. 2524 on the convention floor.

BY PETER LAMPASONA

Disclaimer: This piece deals with racism and white supremacy in MMA. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors on this web site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the thefightnerd.com. The editor of this site has chosen to censor a few sensitive words in this piece as well.

The bell rang. Round four of the five round title bout between the newly crowned Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and everyone’s favorite red-head, clown underdog Forrest Griffin had just come to a close. I had the champion up by one point on my scorecard, but the majority of the rounds were close enough to go either way. With five minutes left, the most coveted title in all of MMA, the UFC light heavyweight belt, was still up for grabs.

It was the perfect fight, except for the locale. Some poor choices I made that day had me observing the drama from a Hooters in rural Pennsylvania. The waitress, who I guess did the best she could to cover her caesarian scar while still displaying her midriff, couldn’t seem to get the hint that what I was spectating was far more important than whatever horrible food I had to choose from.

The crowd were also Hooters. And Hollerers to boot. Fiercely pro-Griffin based on the nonsensical advice that every drunk has to shout at live sporting events.

Griffin has been a fan favorite ever since his bout with Stephan Bonnar at the end of the first Ultimate Fighter reality series. The Bonnar fight was a slobber knocker with less competent defense than a Harlem Globe Trotters game, far inferior to the technical drama that was unfolding on the big flat screen. But Griffin’s eagerness to bleed for fans has always taken precedence over his ability to win for them. His history of hard-fought brawls and his whacky sense of humor had this crowd won long before he stepped into the cage that night.

Or maybe that wasn’t why they liked him.

“Kill the n****r!”

The shout came from behind me as the round five bell opened. It was the first time I did a 180 away from the action all night. I looked through the room, wondering who could be so classless. But, among the Hooters and the Hollerers, everyone and no one fit the description. What I heard was a ghost.

A specter of something I thought was long dead before that light heavyweight tilt.

During the days before the Unified Rules of MMA, the competitive circuit was nowhere near as robust or standardized as it is, today. No Holds Barred fighting ranged from legitimate precursors to American MMA to bar-room Tough Man fights.

In many rural areas, including small pocket locations in Pennsylvania, NHB clubs were used as a front for white supremacist groups. While a few had real skill, the vast majority were glorified fight clubs. The membership were local tough guys: Strong. Throw mostly overhands. Angry. Care more about laying a beating on someone than accumulating competitive skill. Sucker for a straight left. Perfect for cult or paramilitary recruitment, really.

Long before Forrest or Rampage were household names, I was an 18 year old fight fan going to college in Pennsylvania looking to get back into competitive martial arts. I had become intimately familiar with these groups. It actually took me a solid year to find a legitimate coach.

For all the credit that people give to the UFC for growing the sport of mixed martial arts, there’s one accolade that is often left out. The boom of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s popularity encouraged real training centers to pop up in main stream America. Every region developed its own fight teams and MMA promotions, cutting the cancer of white supremacist rhetoric out of the sport in just a few years.

By the time Griffin squared off against Jackson, the weight advantage of the majority had won out. Google hits for the UFC and the short-lived stroll of EliteXC onto network television had buried the remains of the sport’s darker time. The Hooters and the Hollerers were probably as much a stranger to the idea of extremists in MMA as anyone who grew up training in New York, where the culture was mercifully absent.

But, hearing those three words, “kill the n****r,” my mind started to play tricks on me. Maybe the crowd was pro-Griffin because he’s one of the most beloved name in the sport. Certainly likely.

But maybe I was sitting in the middle of a bastion of something that I thought was long dead. A bunch of hard line white supremacists gathered to witness their great white hope taking the belt from a black man who cut his fighting teeth in Japan.

Of course, it’s far more likely that the voice I heard was just that of an asshole- a creature indigenous to sports bars the world around- just shouting the most obnoxious thing he could think of. But, looking around that night, all I could see was a room full of ghosts.

Listening to UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen talk up his title contention against Anderson Silva, I started seeing those ghosts again.

Sonnen, previously an obscure grinder known for getting some upset victories by sacrificing damage to his body to score takedowns, has quickly risen to prominence through his sheer ability to talk trash. Sonnen’s sheer lack of respect for his opponent and the sport’s most dominant champion has resonated with the MMA fan base.

Anderson Silva’s recent show boating and temper tantrums in the octagon have given him a reputation as a Prima Donna. And the champion’s falling out of favor has provided the perfect spring stage for Sonnen’s mouth.

However, many of the challenger’s comments have had an increasingly less subtle subtext of bigotry. A full treatment of his commentary, including a tweet where he recommends Silva’s manager, Brazilian-American Ed Soares, pray to “whatever voodoo idol” he believes in, can be found on Bloody Elbow. The short version is that Sonnen’s talk has had an air of nationalistic superiority over countries with an African influenced culture.
My initial reaction to Sonnen’s nationalism is, “well, yeah.” Combat Sports are inherently nationalistic. Fighters are always talking about representing their country, which they do. Filipino national treasure Manny Pacquiao is arguably the best pound for pound boxer in the world. Now, they love fighters in the Philippines, but I think the near god-like status of the Pac-Man might have something to do with the fact that he is from the Pacific isle.

Ricardo Mayorga says worse things ordering lunch than Sonnen has said in his entire media circus. Sensitivity to Chael’s fight selling tactics may lead newer fans to wonder why suburban white males are the only people who seem suspicious when they root for the guy they most identify with.

The reason is that specter of white supremacy. Fans could have any of the logical reasons to root for Sonnen mentioned above. But as soon as comments start touching the race line, every Sonnen fan has that phantasmagorical shadow cast on them. Because every legitimate fan is a hiding space for that subculture we wished long dead.

It might seem a radical, even paranoid suspicion. Except for the fact that the Nazis at Hoelzer Reich had to be banned from sponsoring fighters as recently as last year.

This bares repeating. As recently as last year, a group of bonafide, SS thunderbolt wearing, my grandfather proudly displayed his medals for shooting them Nazis were sponsoring fighters.

Some things just won’t stay dead.

Peter Lampasona is a guest contributor for thefightnerd.com. He may be reached for comment or questions at PeterLampasona@gmail.com.

The Fight Nerd, with Tomopop.com, takes a look at the second wave of the “UFC Collector” series from Round 5 MMA collectibles. This line includes five-inch caricatured versions of UFC headliners BJ Penn, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping, Tito Ortiz and Kimbo Slice. Are these vinyl figures worth your hard-earned cash or should you save your money for something more useful? Watch the vid and decide!

Round 5 MMA has released images of several prototypes of its “Versus” line, pairs of distinctly new figures highlighting battle scenes from great UFC matchups. The prototypes were first seen at the Round 5 booth at the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas in May. In fact, we spoke with the owner of Round 5, Damon Lau, before the UFC Fan Expo happened and he hinted at this and a few other things to look forward to in the near future!

The “Versus” series includes collectibles representing the following bouts: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva (UFC 92), 12-27-2008; Forrest Griffin vs. Jackson (“The Ultimate Fighter 7”); Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar (UFC 100), 7-11-2008; and Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 66), 12-30-2006. I personally enjoy the snarling grimace of Brock Lesnar, looking like he is about to tear into Frank Mir like a strip of Jack’s Links Beef Jerky. I am also a fan of the punched-out face Tito Ortiz is sporting in his two-pack with The Iceman!

The “Versus” line, scheduled to hit Toys“R”Us stores in the fall and other retailers later in the year, will be accompanied by an Octagon segment display. Also coming out this summer is the third wave of their UFC Collector series, which includes Diego Sanchez, Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and a different Wanderlei Silva from the one in this line. For more info on Round 5, head over to their official website.

Hit the jump to see the rest of the pics!

The Fight Nerd, in conjunction with Tomopop.com, takes a look at Wave 2 of the UFC Deluxe Action Figures from Jakks Pacific. This wave includes new figures of Mike Thomas Brown, Nate Marquardt, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and re-releases of Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie, Forrest Griffin, and improved versions of Rashad Evans and Brock Lesnar. Are they worth buying? Watch the video to find out!

Wrestlingfigs.com has revealed prototype pics of their upcoming exclusive UFC action figures two-pack, courtesy of Jakks Pacific. This set showcases the match voted #1 in the Top 100 fights of UFC poll held not too long ago, which is Stephan Bonnar VS Forrest Griffin from the first “Ultimate Fighter” finale!

As if this two pack was not enticing enough, how about the fact that both figures are drenched in blood! Just like they did with the Rocky franchise, Jakks is breaking out the crimson paints for this set and giving them the battle-damaged look that made this fight so memorable.

If you want to see the UFC figs up close and personal, check out our video reviews of Wave 0 with Royce Gracie, Brock Lesnar and Rashad Evans and Wave 1 with Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell and Evan Tanner from a few months ago!

The two-pack goes on sale in late June and will sell for $24.99. More pics of the figures after the jump!