Former UFC heavyweight champion and Pride legend Mark Kerr has strong opinions about how young MMA stars should develop their skills in mixed martial arts. During his recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Kerr emphasized that submission grappling should be the foundation for any aspiring competitor.
Kerr believes submission grappling offers something unique that traditional MMA training cannot: the ability to learn how to compete without the physical damage of striking.
“Submission grappling,” Kerr explained, “teaches you how to compete, it teaches you how to prepare to compete right, and it teaches you without the impact of striking and punching and all of this.”
For young competitors between 16-20 years old, Kerr sees submission grappling as the essential first step. It provides a competitive environment where athletes can learn the mental aspects of competition – preparation, strategy and execution – without the cumulative damage that comes from taking strikes to the head and body.
The veteran’s perspective comes from understanding that modern MMA requires athletes to compete at such a high level that throwing someone unprepared into the fire simply doesn’t work anymore.
“I literally go, you fundamentally need to build a base of what you’re going to become, right? So submission grappling — if a young kid, like a 16-, 17-year-old kid, even 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kid, I go, you need submission grappling because you can participate in those at a competitive level that teaches you how to compete, it teaches you how to prepare to compete right, and it teaches you without the impact of striking and punching and all of this.”
“So that’s the first foundational piece. And this is just my opinion, right? Foundationally, you have to have a mechanism out there that allows you to compete without having the physical impact that fighting does. So that would be the first thing — like submission grappling, ADCC stuff — all of that really teaches you how to compete, to train to compete, and it starts building that base.”
“Then you start adding pieces in, going, “Okay, I understand this, let’s add the striking components into it now. And let’s do these little PFLs, or let’s do this, let’s do that.” And it just allows you to build out something where you’re not just thrown into the fire, because that s— doesn’t work. I mean, the fighters have become so good now that you can’t just throw somebody in there, because it f—s you up. It might f— your confidence up, and you’re like, “I’m done. I ain’t ever doing this.”
Kerr’s recommendation extends beyond just submission grappling. He suggests that after establishing this base, competitors should gradually add striking components and compete in smaller organizations before potentially moving to the UFC. This methodical approach ensures that when a competitor does reach the highest levels of competition, they have the complete skill set and mental preparation necessary to succeed.
The wrestling and submission grappling background also provides what Kerr calls the most important foundational skill in MMA: the ability to control where the match takes place. As he put it, wrestlers have the unique ability to
“hold a grown ( ) man where he doesn’t want to be held for as long as I want to hold him there and he can’t do a f**king thing about it.”
Kerr’s advice carries significant weight given his own career trajectory. His wrestling background provided the foundation for his success in early MMA, where he became one of the most dominant heavyweights in both the UFC and Pride organizations. It’s a patient approach that prioritizes long-term development over quick advancement, potentially leading to more sustainable and successful competitive careers.
