Vienna Combat Academy

Win some, lose some.

Yesterday at .austria , we lost all our matches.

That’s the reality of combat sports—you either win or you don’t. In that context, losing is purely negative. But martial arts teach us something deeper.

With a growth mindset, every setback becomes a setup for a comeback. Every loss is an invitation to reflect, improve, and return stronger.

I won’t lie—winning feels a lot better. It’s fun to be the rockstar for a night. But the ones who matter most are those who can absorb defeat, stay disciplined, and get back to work.

True warriors aren’t defined by the absence of failure, but by the ability to rise again and keep learning.

We lost. We learned. And we’re not done. To quote Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Two new color belts at the academy! Congratulations to Konstantin and Anton, who received their and respectively today.

Attention! On Saturday, the 24th of August, head coach Lukas is getting married. There'll be no classes on that day.

Happy to announce two new cookie belts! Congratulations to .ycrocket and for being promoted to and in , respectively. Well deserved!

Another good medal for athlete , who won his division at the .grapplingseries last Saturday. Congratulations, champ!

Two new yellow belts in the house! and .madsen received their well-deserved today. Congratulations!

New - was promoted to a well-deserved yellow belt in . First step done!

Essential skills, Part 5: Submission Grappling

A choke or joint lock is much more reliable than strikes when you're in a situation where you have to finish a fight. , , , , , and other styles offer many battle tested techniques to force your opponent into submission.

What must not be overlooked, however, is that the act of actually submitting an opponent makes a tiny fraction of the time spent on the ground. Surviving the opponent's submission attempts, escaping unfavorable positions, and establishing dominant positions are crucial steps along the way to a submission victory.

Due to its complexity, the ground game is sometimes referred to as . In order to become a good grappler, one needs a high threshold for frustration, a constant willingness to learn and a problem-solving mindset. Also, good cardiovascular fitness and high levels of maximum strength, especially if the isometric type, are really a strong asset.

At the , we teach Brazilian Luta Livre (with an emphasis on ) in close cooperation with the , under the supervision of mestre . Feel free to drop in for a free trial class on Monday at 7:15 PM or Saturday at 10:00 AM.

Essential skills, Part 4:

Striking an opponent that is already in the floor is one of the unique, and probably the most controversial components of . Also, it's very hard to do effectively.

GnP can be used by itself as a means to finish the fight, or as a setup for submissions. This is where differs greatly from sports or . Things are much more urgent as soon as blunt trauma is involved. Even if the strikes do not result in a TKO, the fighter on top is probably winning the round.

For purposes, it is crucial to train from the bottom position and try to get up and away as quickly as possible. Neglecting this aspect of fighting is a grave mistake.

In order to be effective at GnP, a fighter needs to ability to pin and control their opponent after securing the . That is why , especially , , and is such a strong base for MMA.

At the , the striking aspect is always considered during our grappling classes. Even though we do not put on the gloves in every single class, we always put techniques into context.

Essential skills for , Part 3: Wrestling

has produced more champions than any other combat sport. This becomes even more evident when considering all the variations of this ancient form of fighting, such as , , , or .

Usually, the better wrestler will dictate if, when, and how the fight goes to the ground. In some styles of wrestling, controlling the opponent after the takedown is necessary to score or win the match. This skill nearly translates to the control necessary to deliver effective .

A huge variety of techniques can be found in wrestling, depending on the style.

has great upper body takedowns that can be hit from the clinch. This is super useful when it comes to avoiding damage, as the opponents arms can be controlled. From the tire up, trips can also be used with great effect. has brilliant leg attacks that can seamlessly be integrated into striking.

Our wrestling style at the is , which comes with a wide array of submissions and has been refined through decades of exposure.