[SideofKO]

Finally in the Corner:

Now your fighter is ready to fight. Wait. No he isn't. He needs to be greased up. Before you get in the ring/cage, take some vaseline and apply it to the brow, forehead, cheeks and the nose of your fighter. I sometimes actually put some on the lips as well. You can be liberal, depending on who is there. Just be sure that there are no globs of vaseline on your fighters face.

Now, he's in the cage/ring and they shut the door and the fight begins. Call out instructions to your fighter. You'll have to use your big boy voice an project from your diaphragm to compete with the rednecks yelling from the stands.

Watch for any signs of weakness from the other fighter to exploit in the next round.

When the round is about to end (this is where the stop watch comes in really handy) creep next to the door and be ready to go to work.

Before I go onto the next part I want to emphasis one thing. There are two cornermen in the corner. You and someone else. You need to assume roles. One guy speaks. The other guy shuts up and goes to work. It's much more concise in this manner.

If you have anything to add and you are working cuts, tell the other guy so that he can tell the fighter.

Now I will split this up into two parts. One for the main corner man, and the other for the second.

1. The Main Corner Man.

Your job is simple. Have the fighter sit on the stool. Ask him to take some deep breaths. Have his legs out a little to bring blood flow to them. You can reach down and pull open his shorts a bit to take pressure off of his stomach and facilitate breathing. Have him sit up straight as well to help his lungs expand. Take his mouth piece out or have him take it out and wash it off. Administer water and ask him to spit the first few swigs. This gets impurities out of his mouth. Then have him drink a small bit.

What is good about MMA is that you can allow him to hold the water because of the gloves and you are free to do something else.

Look your fighter in the eye. Tell him what he needs to hear. If he's doing well, commend him. If he's not doing too well, then tell him that he could do better Don't belittle him or else it can backfire, though some people respond better to yelling I am one of them. This goes back to know your fighter.

Give him simple instructions, keep the hands up, throw a right cross when he attempts that leg kick, etc. Simple strategy that he can remember. Nothing complicated.

Again, praise his good points but be realistic at the same time. If he isn't pressuring when he should be, let him know. If he's going too wild, tell him to be more composed.

Instill confidence, reiterate the strategy, exploit the opponents mistakes and weaknesses.

When it's time for the next round, stand your fighter up (and if he's in super good condition do it before the ref calls you out, this is psychological warfare) and have him breathe again. Constantly remind him to breathe. It's easy to forget. Tell him to kick ass and exit the cage/ring.

2. The Second.

Your job is just as hard if not harder in some cases. You will deal with the physical aspect of the fighter for the most part.

First thing. Take your corner tote and spit bucket/ice bucket inside with you.

Icepack on the back of the neck. It will cool him down very quickly. You can place it on the top of his head as well.

Wipe the sweat from his body with a towel and if need be pour some water or use the sponge to clease the impurities.

Reapply the vaseline where it needs to be. I like to keep globs of it on my hand to keep from having to reach inside of the container the whole time.

Look for swelling of any kind. If there is swelling you can use the Enswell or the Icepack. Place the Enswell on the area and press firmly (but don't force it, this can do more damage) while holding the back of the head for support, or using your free hand to do something else. When using the Enswell there are two things I like to remember.
1. Vaseline on the Enswell makes for a happy fighter. If there's not a small amount on the Enswell, it can stick to your fighters skin.
2. Do not force. Less is more in this case. Don't try to move a mouse away from the eye by brutalizing it and pushing it away. It will only further damage the small vessels in the eye and it will certainly not improve your situation. Good firm pressure, but don't go bludgeoning your fighters face.


Look for cuts or nose bleeds. When dealing with these things you need to remember a few rules.

1. Pressure is the best coagulant. Constant pressure on a cut with the full time you are there should be your top priority. If you do not have any adrenaline or avitene. Wipe the blood away with a gauze pad or a cool towel. And then press firmly on the cut to close it and keep the pressure. An Enswell can be used in the area to decrease blood flow.

2. Have your gloves on. This is just being sanitary.

3. Vaseline is your friend and your enemy. It can be useful to seal the cut after you've used pressure to close it. But it's hell for the doctor to get out when they go to clean it. LOL.

4. Adrenaline chloride. Dip your Cotton Swab in the little brown container to soak it in the epinephrine (remember these terms are the same substance) and place it into the wound to allow the vessels to constrict. Then keep pressure on it to help the miracle stuff work. You can seal it in with some vaseline. DO NOT POUR WATER INTO THE CUT AFTER USING EPINEPHRINE! This just washes it out of the wound, negating any work that was done.

Nosebleeds are treated similarly. I like to use rolled up gauze pads. I soak the top of the roll in epinephrine and place it inside the nose (NOT TOO HIGH UP!!) and apply pressure on the side of the nose so the blood can coagulate. I like gauze or a really big cotton swab for this job.

After the ref yells SECONDS OUT or OUT OF THE CAGE, etc., then finish up, squeezing as much precious time as you can while gathering your corner tote and spit bucket and perhaps the stool.

Second round: Rinse and Repeat.