An Interview with Clarence Thatch, Living Legend of MMA
Have any of you readers seen the recent Spike TV re-run of the August 26, 2006 UFC 62 fight between Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin?
These competitors had been former contestants in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter—and at UFC62, they fought each other again. At least three times during the match, one would smile at the other and extend an open palm in a high-five acknowledgement of a well delivered punch or kick.
This was not in-your-face posturing—this match was a competition between highly skilled and disciplined athletes.
In the late 1990s, Senator John McCain referred to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as akin to human cock-fighting. In a 180 degree contradiction, my experience has been that MMA embraces both compassion and heart.
This is nowhere more evident than in the real life example of local living legend, coach and MMA “Zen-master” Clarence Thatch, who promotes the cosmic MMA paradigm: “The ability to fight is the ability to get along.”
In preparing to meet Clarence at Barnes and Noble for our initial interview, I had spent several unsuccessful hours on the internet looking for a photograph of him. Dan Magnie, President of ColoradoFightEvents.com and I went to the book store and then split up to look for a man built for boxing—which was about all I knew of Clarence’s background at the time.
We ultimately had him paged, and another shopper came to find us because he wanted to meet the legendary Clarence Thatch. Unbeknownst to us, Clarence was waiting for us at a table outside, so we never did connect for this first meeting. When we set up our next appointment to meet at the outside café area, I asked Dan if he would please snap some photographs of Clarence so his next interviewer would be able to find his picture on the internet!
Ever since Dan and I interviewed promoter Sven Bean back in July of 2007, I had wanted to meet Clarence Thatch. I had done background research on him and found testimonials from fighters who credited Clarence with not only their skills, but also with their individual confidence and strength. He coaches them to athletic dominance, and also counsels them on what to eat and how to live their lives as more productive human beings.
Clarence became Sven’s Sensei, and the two men still hold each other in the highest esteem. Clarence says that without Sven, the fighters that Clarence trains would not be where they are today; that Sven is the “ladder” for the qualified fighter.
The heart of Clarence that makes his wake so powerful is best illustrated by an incident that happened outside Barnes and Noble. As we sat chatting outside, an older man walked past our table several times—and each time he rubber-necked at us until he bashfully approached our table and began to introduce himself to Clarence. Clarence didn’t let him finish the introduction, as he grasped the man’s hand, called him by name, and asked how his son Daniel was doing.
The man’s eyes filled with tears at the recognition. He responded with an update on his son, and ultimately moved-on after promising to stay in touch. Assuming that this was a recent Thatch client, I asked Clarence how long ago he had trained Daniel. He thought for a minute and responded that he estistimated that it was ten to fifteen years ago, and was surprised that I was surprised that he had remembered Daniel's father of Daniel!
Although Clarence’s dimpled smile could pass for a man in his young 30's, he is actually 45 years old with two young daughters: London, 14, and Jordan, five, as well as a 19 year old son Brandon, who is an aspiring, talented (and very handsome) MMA competitor. It was clear as Clarence talked about his children that his pride for each of them is individual and special.
Clarence grew up in Denver as the second of four boys. His father had been a Marine and a fly-weight boxing champion who fought in China and Russia. He pushed the boys from the time they were little, and began his formal training at age six.
Although Clarence resented the pressure, he came to believe that there was nothing he could not do. To that end, Clarence is also a proficient musician who plays the saxophone, guitar, and piano, and is currently learning the bass.
During his professional fighting career, Clarence has fought all over the world, trained with the Gracies, worked with Bruce Lee, and earned accomplishments that include:
-Four time World Heavyweight Sabaki Champion (no pads, no gloves, full-contact karate)
-Former ISKA World Cruiserweight Kickboxing Champion (62-2 career record)
-Professional Kickboxing Association (PKA) World Champion (35-4 record)
-Former USKBA Super Heavyweight Champion
-Professional Boxer (20-0 record)
-Licensed Judge with the Nevada State Boxing Commission
-Vale Tudo / Shooto / Submission Grappling (international competitor, coach and trainer)
-Fourth Degree Black Belt in Enshin Karate (under Enshin Founder, Yoko Ninomiya)
-Certified Instructor of Jeet Kune Do Concepts and Filipino Martial Arts, under Paul Vunak
-Certified Instructor of Jeet Kune Do, under the legendary Dan Inosanto
Clarence hardly talks about these accomplishments, and instead focuses on the work he does through his gym, 3D Martial Arts, which he has owned for 26 years. His focus now is to inspire young people in their growth as MMA athletes, using skills that incorporate boxing, wrestling, muay thai, jujitsu,and kick boxing—although always with a focus on safety and protection.
The wide reach of Clarence Thatch’s influence acts as a bridge between promoters, fighters, and the Denver Boxing Commission. He helps promoters match fighters’ strengths and styles for maximum challenge and fan enjoyment. He helps enhance fighters both through improving their physicality, as well as their skills on how to handle increased media attention and how to transition a sport hobby into an income-producing career.
The most recent illustration of Clarence’s advocacy was the communication to the Denver Boxing Commission that the absence of ankle and wrist wraps on the fighters was increasing the probability of joint injury. His reasonable approach, coupled with the respect he holds in the Denver boxing community, led to the Commissions’ reversal of the ban on wraps, and as such, the fighters now have greater protection in the ring or cage.
Stories about the good that Clarence has brought to his protégées may someday be the object of a full-length biography by this writer. As I draw this article to a close, I scold myself for not having saved space for the story of the troubled young man who was kicked out of school for his constant focus on violence—and who ultimately had his life turned around by Clarence, who made him focus instead on what he could give back to his community.
I have met this young man—he is angelic.
And then there is the story that I only have space to mention briefly, about the young woman who had a substance-abuse problem and a dead-end job. Clarence helped her develop a positive self-image to the extent that, when introduced to me, her first words were: “I’ve been drug and alcohol free for over 18 months thanks to my relationship with Clarence."
In an interview with Real Fight Gear, another one of Clarence’s women fighters, Chrisanne “Brickhouse” Roseleip, was asked:
RFG: “Clarence Thatch is a trainer that has been around for quite some time
and competed at the highest levels. Do you get an extra boost of confidence
from working with him”?
Brickhouse: “An extra boost of confidence? That is an understatement! I have the
utmost confidence because I have Clarence in my corner. Clarence Thatch
is the most amazing coach a fighter could ever ask for. I have never
met a person with more knowledge and heart for fighting and for life.
Clarence has the ability to bring out the best in any fighter, and he
has definitely made me the fighter I am today. He has believed in me
and taught me things most fighters only dream about... “
Yep—the stories could go on and on...
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