When you join a martial arts gym, it’s fair to wonder: can these coaches really take me where I want to go? At
SBG Bend, we answer that with a resounding
yes – and we have the success stories to back it up. SBG (Straight Blast Gym) has a track record of turning beginners into champions, and while your goals might not include a UFC title, it’s comforting to know you’re training with methods that have produced some of the best. Let’s look at a few inspiring figures from the SBG family and see how their legacy benefits every student on our mats.
Forrest Griffin – The Ultimate Fighter
If you’re a fan of MMA, you’ve probably heard of
Forrest Griffin. But did you know Forrest started as just another guy walking into a gym, not some prodigy? Long before he became a UFC Hall of Famer and world light‑heavyweight champion, Forrest was training under SBG coaches
Adam Singer and
Rory Singer in Athens, Georgia. The Singer brothers, part of the SBG tribe since the early days, instilled in him the same fundamentals and work ethic you’ll experience at SBG Bend. Forrest went on to win
The Ultimate Fighter reality show and eventually the UFC championship – a journey that put MMA on the mainstream map. His rise from novice to champion exemplifies SBG’s mantra that fundamentals and perseverance win the day. As Coach
Chris Haueter famously says, “It’s not who’s good, it’s who’s left” – meaning the last one standing is the one who didn’t quit. Forrest’s story shows that when you train smart and stay the course, amazing things can happen. At SBG Bend, we take that lesson to heart: we encourage consistency, help you through plateaus, and celebrate progress big or small. You might not be the next Forrest Griffin (and that’s okay!), but you’ll get the same quality coaching and encouragement to be the best you can be.
The SBG Hall of Famers and Innovators
Forrest isn’t the only notable name in the SBG lineage. Take Coach
Matt Thornton himself – the first person from the state of Oregon to receive a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the visionary behind our training methods. He’s coached everyone from hobbyists to elite fighters and even UFC legend
Randy Couture. Matt’s influence ensures that SBG isn’t built on fad or flash, but on solid principles that produce well‑rounded fighters. Then there’s
John Kavanagh, SBG Ireland coach, who mentored
Conor McGregor to multiple UFC titles (making McGregor arguably the biggest UFC star in history). Closer to home, SBG’s Vice President
Travis Davison in Montana has not only built a team of champion grapplers but also developed one of the best kids’ martial arts programs (more on that soon). And let’s not forget Coach
Chris Connelly of SBG Alabama, who has guided fighters like UFC contender
Eryk Anders – yet his top advice to beginners is simply, “Make friends, be part of the community.” The common thread? All these SBG figures prioritize fundamentals, consistency, and a supportive team environment as the keys to success.
What This Means for You
So how do a bunch of big names help the average student at SBG Bend? Motivation and trust. Firstly, their stories are inspiring. It’s motivating to know that the path you’re walking – drilling basic hip escapes, practicing your jab‑cross, showing up week after week – is the same path our coaches used to develop world‑class athletes. The techniques you learn at SBG Bend aren’t just theoretically good; they’ve been proven at high levels of competition. That armbar setup Coach teaches in Fundamentals class might be the very one an SBG fighter used to win a championship match. Secondly, this pedigree builds trust in the process. When you train at a gym with less experience, you might wonder if the curriculum really works. At SBG, you can be confident it does. You’re not a guinea pig for someone’s untested program; you’re inheriting a system refined by many coaches and athletes over decades. And those SBG champions and coaches remain accessible to us – they visit for seminars, they share tips at our annual SBG camps, and they often interact in online SBG forums. Being part of SBG International means SBG Bend’s coaches are constantly learning from this network of experts, so you get the benefit of a brain trust much larger than just our local staff.
At the end of the day, SBG’s success stories reinforce that greatness is possible here – but we equally celebrate the personal victories of everyday students. Maybe your “championship moment” will be the day you conquer your nerves to compete in a local BJJ tournament, or when you lose those 20 pounds and earn your blue belt. Whatever the goal, we have the proven roadmap to help you get there. You’re training with a team that has produced the best, and we’re excited to help you write your own success story on the mats.
