Now Ye're Talking - to John Kavanagh

Boards.ie: Niamh

John Kavanagh is Ireland's first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt, Ireland's first MMA fighter in the cage and Ireland's first Coach of a UFC Champion.

Having trained as a mechanical engineer he decided to leave the engineering world behind him and pursue his passion for mixed martial arts.

John runs SBG Ireland, Ireland's first full time Martial Arts facility. It is home to UFC's Conor McGregor and a plethora of MMA superstars. Conor McGregor began training at SBG in 2008 under John. The journey John has been on has been incredible, and he'll be here on boards.ie from the 27th - 29th June to answer your questions about it. He's been spotted around the MMA forum from time to time so he's well used to boards (and boardsies)!

We're opening up the AMA a day early so there will be some questions ready when he logs in tomorrow Thanks John!



As with all AMAs, you can ask anything but John is not under any obligation to answer everything. If your question or a similar question has already been asked and answered, he may not have time to answer yours too. Enjoy!

evolving_doors

What music/songs would you swear by to get psyched before a bout ?

sally cinnamon89

James Gallagher looked very impressive at the weekend, How far can the kid go?

Ush1

Favourite technique to see in an MMA fight?

jjdonegal

Really enjoyed your first book John; anything tentatively planned for the future?

Mr. CooL ICE

With so many fighters fighting everywhere, often at multiple events on the same night, you can't possibly be everywhere. How do you go about delegating corner duties?

Zero-Cool

After the Mayweather fight, if the decision was solely yours, would you have Conor fight for WW belt, Defend LW (against who?) or give Max another go at FW?

maximoose

What do you think of Ido Portal?

connemara man

How quickly is MMA growing in Ireland? Do the MMA community find it annoying that McGregor doesn't get the recognition that he deserves?

Hi John thanks for taking time out to talk to us Also I really enjoyed your book Win or Learn, it was really interesting reading about starting out in a shed and then the gym rising to what it is today.

Do you think Conor will return to UFC after fighting Floyd?

Any up and comers in your gym worth keeping an eye out for in the future?

Phoenix Wright

Are there any young Irish MMA fighters worth keeping an eye out for over the next few years? I would love to see another Irishman rise through a division like Conor did at 145.

bungaro79

john, after reading your book i was really impressed with your description of the fixed and growth mindset and how you related it to your coaching. being a primary school teacher, it is so great to be able to show my class how an irish person they know of can reach the apex of their field by working hard and being willing to adapt and learn. i love when training in bjj the lack of ego it brings, when trying to motivate a class you have, how would you go about getting them to accept failure and letting it go??

ricero

Which current ufc fighter (not part of team sbg) do you find most exciting to watch fight ?

Paully D

Hi John, thanks for doing this.

Impressive win for James Gallagher at the weekend, but one of the main criticisms labelled at James is that he imitates Conor McGregor outside the cage far too much and he is not being himself or original.

While it is only natural that he would look up to a teammate he has seen rise through the ranks from a young age, do you feel that this perception will impact on his ability to capture the imagination of the fans like Conor did? You look at the likes of Paddy, Ais, Cathal - all did their own thing but were and still are extremely popular.

It in a way it feels like James is not getting the credit he deserves nor the support from the public that a young kid with his record and accomplishments to date deserves, seemingly almost entirely because it feels he is not being natural or himself. I am admittedly guilty of it myself.

Can you comment on this as a whole?

Thanks John.

endacl

Why so fighty?

RoboRat

What are your views on the 10th planet JJ style? I like it but I have seen too many people popping their knees doing rubber guard and also destroying opponents knees.

califano

1.) Have you recently ever had to tell a member who has/had great aspirations of making it in the pro ranks that they are not going to make it?.

2.) Bones get broken easier than people believe. With the considerable club gym membership numbers and long opening hours approximately how many limbs were broken accidentally in the gym in the last 12 months?.

3.) Tell us an amusing tale that happened to you in your early fighting days when you travelled alone to the UK to fight?.

4.) Do you ever yearn to take 6-12 months away and go travelling?. Would this be possible?.

5.) What is the beef between you and Noel O'Keeffe about?.

Thanks for doing this.

JoeyJJ

Thanks for your time.

1. Will Conor use any familiar names to boxing world for sparring in LA/LV before Floyd?
2. Will Dillon Dannis be a SBG fighter ?
3. What was your take on Chiesa choke out on Sunday night?

Swashbuckler

Thanks for taking the time to do this John.

With the emergence of Conor, it has also cast you into the spotlight. I have often wondered what are your thoughts to your tweets and every comment you make in the media being dissected to the nth degree?

Is it something you pay much heed to, do you just laugh it off are have you at times thought, yeah maybe I shouldn't have said that?

Boom_Bap

Hi John,

Have you found that there are more people joining up to the gym now and throwing in the towel after a few sessions because of the hard work involved?..or because they don't want to roll?

Anyone to watch coming out of SBG?

Anyone to watch coming out of other gyms?

What is the balance of BJJ/Boxing/Muai Thai/Kick Boxing that you do, is there a larger focus on any of the disciplines?

Daddy or chips?

Cheers

Fox Hound

What is the best and worst experience you have had in your Career so far?

JohnSBG

Gebgbegb wrote: »

What music/songs would you swear by to get psyched before a bout ?

individual choice...but i prefer they listen to soft music.

sally cinnamon89 wrote: »

James Gallagher looked very impressive at the weekend, How far can the kid go?

i can see him being a 2 weight champ

Ush1 wrote: »

Favourite technique to see in an MMA fight?

RNC

jjdonegal wrote: »

Really enjoyed your first book John; anything tentatively planned for the future?

nothing planned..but a lot asking!

Nicolas Cage wrote: »

With so many fighters fighting everywhere, often at multiple events on the same night, you can't possibly be everywhere. How do you go about delegating corner duties?

i'll always go with fighter who's been with me longest. after that i tell them to bring someone they're comfortable with.

Zero-Cool wrote: »

After the Mayweather fight, if the decision was solely yours, would you have Conor fight for WW belt, Defend LW (against who?) or give Max another go at FW?

defend lw against nate or whoever is considered no.1 guy at the time.

maximoose wrote: »

What do you think of Ido Portal?

very interesting person

connemara man wrote: »

How quickly is MMA growing in Ireland? Do the MMA community find it annoying that McGregor doesn't get the recognition that he deserves?

i think we get good recognition?

Deleted User wrote: »

Hi John thanks for taking time out to talk to us Also I really enjoyed your book Win or Learn, it was really interesting reading about starting out in a shed and then the gym rising to what it is today.

Do you think Conor will return to UFC after fighting Floyd?

Any up and comers in your gym worth keeping an eye out for in the future?

yes. all of them!

bungaro79 wrote: »

john, after reading your book i was really impressed with your description of the fixed and growth mindset and how you related it to your coaching. being a primary school teacher, it is so great to be able to show my class how an irish person they know of can reach the apex of their field by working hard and being willing to adapt and learn. i love when training in bjj the lack of ego it brings, when trying to motivate a class you have, how would you go about getting them to accept failure and letting it go??

by exposing them to failure often.

ricero wrote: »

Which current ufc fighter (not part of team sbg) do you find most exciting to watch fight ?

Maia

JohnSBG

Paully D wrote: »

Hi John, thanks for doing this.

Impressive win for James Gallagher at the weekend, but one of the main criticisms labelled at James is that he imitates Conor McGregor outside the cage far too much and he is not being himself or original.

While it is only natural that he would look up to a teammate he has seen rise through the ranks from a young age, do you feel that this perception will impact on his ability to capture the imagination of the fans like Conor did? You look at the likes of Paddy, Ais, Cathal - all did their own thing but were and still are extremely popular.

It in a way it feels like James is not getting the credit he deserves nor the support from the public that a young kid with his record and accomplishments to date deserves, seemingly almost entirely because it feels he is not being natural or himself. I am admittedly guilty of it myself.

Can you comment on this as a whole?

Thanks John.

he's 20
7-0
highly paid
just fought in MSG
he's doing ok

endacl wrote: »

Why so fighty?

why noty?

RoboRat wrote: »

What are your views on the 10th planet JJ style? I like it but I have seen too many people popping their knees doing rubber guard and also destroying opponents knees.

i dont like styles that require an exceptional physical attribute. attributes fade with time

califano wrote: »

1.) Have you recently ever had to tell a member who has/had great aspirations of making it in the pro ranks that they are not going to make it?.

2.) Bones get broken easier than people believe. With the considerable club gym membership numbers and long opening hours approximately how many limbs were broken accidentally in the gym in the last 12 months?.

3.) Tell us an amusing tale that happened to you in your early fighting days when you travelled alone to the UK to fight?.

4.) Do you ever yearn to take 6-12 months away and go travelling?. Would this be possible?.

5.) What is the beef between you and Noel O'Keeffe about?.

Thanks for doing this.

- yes
- i cant remember a bone being broke at all. maybe the odd finger.
- after making 65kgs same day weigh in i rehydrated by eating 2 L dominoes. not smart!
- yes...but not possible!

JoeyJJ wrote: »

Thanks for your time.

1. Will Conor use any familiar names to boxing world for sparring in LA/LV before Floyd?
2. Will Dillon Dannis be a SBG fighter ?
3. What was your take on Chiesa choke out on Sunday night?

- yes some big names.
- you'd have to ask him
- i didnt actually see it. but a ref should never stop a choke until fighter clearly out

Swashbuckler wrote: »

Thanks for taking the time to do this John.

With the emergence of Conor, it has also cast you into the spotlight. I have often wondered what are your thoughts to your tweets and every comment you make in the media being dissected to the nth degree?

Is it something you pay much heed to, do you just laugh it off are have you at times thought, yeah maybe I shouldn't have said that?

its been a steep learning curve!

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Hi John,

Have you found that there are more people joining up to the gym now and throwing in the towel after a few sessions because of the hard work involved?..or because they don't want to roll?

Anyone to watch coming out of SBG?

Anyone to watch coming out of other gyms?

What is the balance of BJJ/Boxing/Muai Thai/Kick Boxing that you do, is there a larger focus on any of the disciplines?

Daddy or chips?

Cheers

- we've a good foundation program where we ease people into training so have very little drop outs.
- yes, all them
- john mitchell bjj cork
- tailored to the fighter's need
- huh?

Fox Hound wrote: »

What is the best and worst experience you have had in your Career so far?

- UFC Dublin best
- worst http://www.sherdog.com/events/Rings-Bushido-Ireland-2963

cloudatlas

How much 'failure' 'learning' is too much?

Why have you elected not to engage a boxing coach for the Mayweather fight? (if that is true)

What is your favourite kung fu film?

JohnSBG

cloudatlas wrote: »

How much 'failure' 'learning' is too much?

Why have you elected not to engage a boxing coach for the Mayweather fight? (if that is true)

What is your favourite kung fu film?

- leading up to a fight fighter should experience success but outside 'camp' cant have enough failure
- no boxing coach has successfully trained a fighter to beat him. we want to try new approach
- Zatochi. technically a jiu jitsu movie i suppose.

Hazys

What impact did the tragic death of João Carvalho have on you, your fighters in the gym and on Charlie Ward? Did it change anything in how you trained or prepared for a fight, reinforce the possible risks, made your fighters more cautious about the sport?

Hi John,

Great to see another 'Salle man making his mark on the world. I remember 25 or so years back we all thought you were like some weird Irish Bruce Lee meets Van Damme hybrid. Couldn't quite understand what this MMA you spoke of was all about but it's clear to see you were well ahead of the curve. Congrats on all the achievements and success you've worked hard for over the years.

Just one question: Would Arnie ever really have stood a chance if he tried to kick your ass up to Chas?

DLS Churchtown, Class of '96

Hazys

With MMA being so competitive these days to be a top fighter you basically have to be all in, training 24/7, making a lot of sacrifices and only a small amount of the top fighters make enough to live comfortably once they retire. Do you worry that fighters can get so invested in the game that they can't turn it off and know when to hang up their gloves and some have sacrificed so much for MMA they are left with little alternatives when they retire? Its was kinda sad to see BJ Penn being a shadow of himself at the weekend and you wish he could retire and move to another chapter of his life.

The White Feather

1. Why does Jesus love knockouts so much and does the Devil love submissions?

2. I am doing BJJ but wonder how much cardio and strength training to do.If I train in BJJ 3 times a week, how do I get the balance right and not be too tired for the actual BJJ class!

3. I think I saw you say that you didn't like the analogy of BJJ is like Chess. Why not?

4. When I was young, I used to play fight with my older brother. He would annoy me by intentionally punching my hands so I would give up. Have you thought of Conor punching Floyd's brittle hands to make him drop them or give up?!!

Alicano

Hey John.

Thanks for all the excitement and enjoyment you and your team have provided in recent years.
Some non mma questions if that's ok?

1)6 celebrity/ non celebrity dinner table guests? Alive or dead.
2)At what time of the day does afternoon become evening?
3)Last 3 dialled people on your mobile :-)

Thanks again and best wishes with everything ahead.

Mellor

Thank so for doing this John.

- What was the highlight of your recent trip to Australia?

- You were Ireland first BJJ blackbelt, at latest count there are now over 50 Irish Black belts. How many have you promoted? (Included your students who revieved their belt from Matt).

- The UFC frequently mentions that Gunni received his blackbelt from Renzo. Were you involved in that promotion at all? Was it simply because he was in NYC at the time. Or was it a decision so that he could compete at IBJJF worlds? (2nd degree blackbelt verification rules)