One
of the most FAQs that I get is "how did a nice guy like you end up in a
business like this?" Well, like all good
stories, the answer to this question is a bit complex and requires just a bit
of "musing".
Now
remember that about 7-8 years ago, the UFC was just another vehicle for tough
guys that liked to fight. John McCain
had labeled the sport "human cockfighting" and the public related MMA fighting
to the old "Toughman" style spectacles where drunks were invited to enter the ring
and fight in 16 oz. boxing gloves.
Since
most states banned MMA fights, the events that we were attending were "underground". Not the basements of bars
as depicted in "Fight Club" but empty warehouses and "off the road"
locations. No advertising as with today's events. Everything was word of mouth. If you didn't know about a fight, it was because you wern't invited or didn't know the right people. Reminds me of an old joke I
learned while living in Houston - "Don't tell my mom I'm involved in MMA. She thinks I’m a piano player in a whorehouse"! (It used to be - Don't tell my mom that I
work in the oil fields.)
There
was also something more happening. Martial artists wanted real opportunities to
train and fight. That primal need to
find out who is better and what styles were superior were what fed the UFC and
the full contact martial arts community.
These guys, and I count myself as one, were fed up with catering to point fighting,
kids karate, and the selling of black belts by McDojo whore instructors. We wanted to take it to the next level
Further,
we were tired of being told by our instructors that we could only
learn one discipline and never bring anything new into the dojo/dojang. This made no sense because we all knew "stand up" doesn't work on the ground. At that time, the most acceptable
thing for many of us to do was to learn Kickboxing. But, again, we couldn't bring that back to
the gym. So, many of us, with an
appetite for more, "snuck out" and began to search out the world as a hybrid, mixed
martial arts.
I was lucky in this respect. I traveled so much in my Sales & Marketing positions (we'll
get to my past life in a moment), I sought out fighters, trainers and coaches recommended by full contact fighters that I respected. These instructors and trainers never wore belts. They had no concern whatsoever about
rank. Most were affiliated with Police
Departments, the military or were former military. In other words, true bad asses who didn't
need to prove anything to anyone. Outlaw
bikers to retired "Black Ops" specialists and everything in-between. Somehow I fit in - I think they just liked
beating on a guy who showed up in a suit and tie with a gym bag slung over his
shoulder.
So,
as I proceeded to getting my ass kicked on a regular basis, I learned "hybrid
techniques". Now I saw the light. I realized that I'd been involved in martial
arts for 15 years and for the most part had become a "one trick stand-up pony". I was finally learning what I came to call
Mixed Martial Arts, in addition to some new wrinkles in self defense. I loved it. But, I also paid a price in wrecked knees, popped Achilles tendons,
dislocated elbows and shoulders, and a host of maladies that I'm reminded of
daily.
Back to the Marketing gig. In my
professional life I've held many positions while marketing everything from office equipment to chocolate. I've been involved
in business development, new product development, product and marketing
management. Then one day, my last
company was acquired and moved down to Atlanta and I decided that I didn't want to work
for anyone ever again.
As a first step, I asked myself
what I knew best. It was only natural
that I looked at the martial arts industry. I knew there were no products being
developed for MMA (THERE WAS NO FORMAL MMA!) and I felt there should be a great
opportunity for a company that could focus on bringing quality MMA gear to a
market where you could only purchase cheap martial arts gear or a Ringside
boxing glove.
In the next step I began to experiment with different padding materials, talked to past
champions and their trainers and the rest is history.That's
why PrimeTime is recognized as the creator of the amateur glove category and why
our training gear is so popular. What
we've done is take a professional background in marketing and product
development, added about 25 years of training and focused that knowledge and
experience on the equipment side of MMA.
We've been very successful thanks to many of the amateur sanctioning
bodies, the US military and many state boxing commissions as these people
recognize quality in a glove built for MMA cross training and amateur
sports.
So
that’s the story. Check out our other
sections and the FAQs for more information on padding, the states and
organizations that approve and recommend our gloves and, most of all, the
buyers guide as you look to make your PrimeTime purchase.
