Paddy Durkin
"Durkin on the other hand comes out of his corner with the kind of look of religious mentalist you meet on the tube in London. Un-nerving...." - MB 5 report
Durkin's is the story of what you can do if you have the hunger to cross train anywhere you can find it, and teach yourself from tapes and experimentation. From pavement scraps to a silver medal at the International Grappling Championships in Florida and representing a 4th degree Gracie Black Belt in England.
25 October 2003
In his own words.....
My D.O.B is 15.2.69. I am 34. My height is 6'3" and my weight fluctuates between 13.5 and 14 stone. My club is called Ainsdale Combat Club, it is a building built at the back at my house, by me and the lads who train here. There are a number of different coaches that have helped me.
My first lesson about grappling was whilst working as a doorman in Southport. Me and a Manchester guy where in seeing eye to eye. A straightener as we went to it. As the scrap started I landed a good left jab; almost a fight ender as I teed up for a big right hand. I was taken down with what I now know as a double leg. I went down heavily and i still remember the wind being taken out of me. For about the next about 15 minutes. I was rolling around standing up getting taken down again. It was only my stamina and I think what Jamie O'keefe describes as biting fighting that enabled me to wear him out. As often happens me and the guy became friends afterwards. He told me he was a wrestler and had wrestled in the British championships on a number of occasions.
He started coaching me in my boxing club, but I went to prison about a month later and never saw him again. His name was Pete Go. I hope he's doing well. Good luck to him - this was in 1992. Yes, before the first UFC. I knew from my street fights you had to know grappling aswell as stand up but I went back boxing and forgot about grappling. It wasn't until i think about 1999 when a friend brought around some UFC tapes and said to me "why dont you have a go at this I think you may be good". I always got the Martial arts mag searching for a coach but none where close to me. One fella told me to go to a judo place. So I started in southport around this time, also I bought some instructional tapes and grappled with boxers I was coaching, Paul Lawler and Richard Hughes.
There wasn't anyone at the judo club that could give me a go, I was told about Aspull in wigan. The coach there would teach me submission. so me Paul Lawler and Richard Hughes went down there. Roy Wood is the coach there and a master of catch wrestling. He wouldn't teach me submission until I could take someone down and control them. He mainly taught freestyle now. Whilst training there I met Joey Kelly and Paul Cahoon. These two started to help me. Paul was busy travelling but still showed me some good stuff. Me and Joe Kelly started to work on submission on a daily basis.
Joe then told me to give Shane Rigby a call to get more coaching. I rang him and he started to coach me at atherton near to mancheter. He is a brilliant wrestler and coach, you should seek him out if you can. Again shane was a busy and put me into one of his submission coaches. He is one of the best blokes and coaches you will ever meet.
Jack Mountford is da man. Jack is assisted by Darren Morris and he is the nearest thing you will ever meet to the incredible hulk. Him and shane have both helped me, a real lot.
The first MMA competition I entered was run by the grappling styles international at Stoke, it was called the National Grappling Championships. It was the submission fighting class. No striking to the head and no striking at all on the ground. I was beaten by a judo lad in the final with a rear neck choke when I went for an ankle lock, I was pleased with my first medal though. After this I went to Andy Jardines gym after this and he recommended N.H.B.
I fought in Millennium Brawl where I fought Danny Brennan and almost knocked him out straight away with a cracking left hook. but he got in a good knee and bust my nose he got around the back and choked me out.
In april 2002 I fought in Millennium brawl - the cage. I fought one of Ian Freeman's students Rob Walton. it was a 15 min draw.
After this I continued training with a bad cauliflower ear, it started in the bout and should of been rested. when I got it right after the operation, I injured my back. but when I got that sorted, I dedicated my self to training like never before. I still trained bits with Jack Mountford, Roy Wood and Darren Morris. I have also trained with Allan Carlisle and Matty Clempner these are also both great coaches and trainers. Anyone who thinks that groundwork is radically different or interior to BJJ should seek Allan Carlisle out.
Training for the International Grappling Championships on Kissemee Florida on Sept. 27th 2003. I dropped almost all of my stroking training. My training week was like this-
Monday 2:00pm heavyweights session including squat, bench press, bent row-all with barbells, curls and triceps pressdowns on cable. straight after a shadow wrestling drills that consist of shrimping, shoots, sprawls, sit thrus, arm bar escapes e.t.c.
Monday 7:00pm Stand up striking and avoiding, avoiding takedowns with my stand up coach Mick smith , a dan grade in okinawan goju-ryu, ex boxer, kick-boxer and sport jiu -jitsu competitor.
Tuesday 2:00pm the same shadow wrestling drills i have described, plus a technical grappling session with Paul Lawler, Mick Smith, Joe Kelly and everyone else who is available. The emphasis of this is moving and flowing and not using strength.
Tuesday 7:00pm All out wrestling session, includes thorough warm up, includes pickups shrimping bear crawls, shoots, sit thrus etc. Me in the middle wrestling for takedown against all the class one after the other. drilling ground attack and defence escaping or maintaining controle. Me on my back mounted trying to escape or on side maintaining controle, alternating posistions etc. then we do some grapping.
Wednesday 2:00pm I did a cardio session with joe kelly. He just times me and tortures me. I do a workout he has worked out for me with contains cleans, rows, curls, bench jumping, pressa ups and sprawls for 45 secs each exercse.
Wednesday 7:00pm I come back and the tech wrestling session I have described. Thursday 2:00pm
Thursday 2:00pm I come back and the tech wrestling session I have described.
Thursday 7:00pm All out wrestling session, includes thorough warm up, includes pickups shrimping bear crawls, shoots, sit thrus etc. Me in the middle wrestling for takedown against all the class one after the other. drilling ground attack and defence escaping or maintaining controle. Me on my back mounted trying to escape or on side maintaining controle, alternating posistions etc. then we do some grapping.
Friday 2:00pm bodyweight exercises including hindu squats, hindu push ups, dips etc.
Friday 7:00pm tech wrestling.
International Grappling Championships in Kissimee, Forida
I had the weekend off and I did this strictly for the 5 weeks leading up to leaving for florida. As I've already leaving for florida. In the actual comp I won silver in the heavyweight master class. I was beaten in the final on points. A I came of the mats after defeating a czech in the first round a man put out his hand and said" nice ankle lock". I just said thanks and walked over to my mate Paul Lawler who had a carb drink waiting for me. After I won my other two matches this man said to me "nice takedowns mate". I introduced myself and I turned out to be Marcio Simas, a fourth degree Black Belt under Carlos Gracie junior. He gave me his number and told me to go to his academy so he could coach me.
I went to his academy and trained vale tudo with marcios brown belt todd broadway and Seth Petroceli. A winner in britain over Buster Ward (at Cage Wars) . the class was full of top class fighters after Marcios came and took the gi class BJJ. Marcio told me that I was grappling a bit loose and the gi work would tighten me up. I trained privately with Marcios over the next few days before coming back. I am going to be a representive for him in the england. I am going back to train with him in november and compete in the state championships that he is organising on the 11th october 2003.
I competed along along with my team of grapplers in the national championships. Out of the six that enter this is what we won
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Paul Loff - silver - 80 kg
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Joey Kelly -bronze-80kg
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Pierce Loff -bronze-90kg
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Me - silver -90kg
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Paul Smith -silver- 90+kg
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Paul Lawler -gold-90+kg
One of my lads Paul Loff who has only trained for 6 months fought Gracie Barra black belt Roberto Attalla. He wrestled well. Roberto pulled out the stops and caught paul with an armbar, set up by a kimura that Paul narrowly escaped. Paul and Joey Kelly also beat one of the SFUK correspondents Carl Fisher. I am now preparing to go back to Florida.
What's next for Durkin?
I'm definitely going to compete in MMA again. Talking to a promoter at the moment. I am going to compete at submission wrestling though as well and I am continually learning to become a better coach. Please could you mention my sponsors; S.E.S ltd. wjich is a security firm , Steve Mawdsley is the managing director. Ed loftus of The Park pub in Southport, Le Beau a beauty salon without this sponsor I couldn't have gone to the USA. And finally Mick Hannaway he has done my corner for boxing, submission and MMA. He only kept his gym open because he thought I could go big in MMA. Thanks Mick.