Inteview with Jackson MMA General Manager Ricky Kottenstette
By John Fullilove, jacksons.tv
jacksons.tv: What is your role for Jackson’s?
Ricky Kottenstette: I’m the general manager of Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts.
jacksons.tv: What are you responsibilities?
Ricky Kottenstette: Basically everything I do for Jackson’s is from top to bottom. I oversee the academy; we have roughly about 200 students now as well as probably headed over 60 fighters. So anything you can think of from the academy, to maintenance of the facilities, to keeping track of all the fighters, the medicals, making sure everything goes really smooth as well getting the fighters fights and being the crossing guard for all the agents and managers within our organization.jacksons.tv: How has the gym evolved?
Ricky Kottenstette: The gym has evolved crazy. We never expected it to get to the point of where it is at now. When I first was here in 1998, there was probably about 25 regular people coming around and obviously as big as it has gotten today, it has definitely evolved, technically wise, with the way that Greg has changed his art and as well as the popularity of it.
jacksons.tv: Can anyone train at Jacksons?
Ricky Kottenstette: Anyone can train at Jacksons. Jacksons specializes in self-defense for men, women and children - firstly. A lot of people don’t realize we specialize in that first and not just the fighters but what Greg does for self-defense transfers over t
o the cage, and you can see the success of fighters winning in the UFC and other organizations.
jacksons.tv: How many fighters train at the gym and which countries have fighters come from?
Ricky Kottenstette: We probably have anywhere between 60 to 100 fighters that are working with us periodically. We have people from all over the world, from Australia, England, Egypt, Japan, Canada and Russia . . . the list just goes on and on. It’s an international hub. It’s become an international hub down here and it’s awesome. You actually get all the different people, different cultures. Different kinds of language barriers always makes it fun but it’s definitely a multi-cultural hub.
jacksons.tv: What is it about Jacksons that draws so many top fighters?
Ricky Kottenstette: Jacksons draws so many top fighters because of Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. The instruction, the game planning and the actual family atmosphere that we provide here is why people want to come here. Once they come here, they don’t want to leave and want to make it their home. It’s very rare you see a fighter come here and go train somewhere else and if they do, they weren’t here long enough to actually take the whole experience in.
jacksons.tv: What do you find most enjoyable about being part of Jackson’s?
Ricky Kottenstette: I think it is probably the respect of team camaraderie and being a winner. I hate losing, and this is the most winning team in the world and we treat each other like family. There are no egos here, and if you have an ego, you don’t last very long and its just a great atmosphere. I've been lucky enough and be blessed to be part of the growth of Jackson's.