Duane Ludwig Talks Breaking Down Fight Film While Using Marijuana

It's no secret that the Sacramento based Team Alpha Male has seen a ton of success since former UFC veteran Duane "Bang" Ludwig became head coach a few months ago.

With the team as a whole sporting a perfect record inside the octagon since Ludwig's arrival—highlighted by huge finishes by Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, and Joseph Benavidez—one has to wonder what Bang's secret to success is.

In a  interview with MMAMania.com, the 34-year-old former Muay Thai champ revealed one of his more interesting pre-fight tactics.

"When I watch film, I watch film normal how I am now," Ludwig said. "Then I watch film when I'm high on marijuana. I also watch the film again when I have Alpha Brain in my system."

Now that's a training regimen I haven't heard before. 

For those of you who are not devoted listeners of UFC commentator and comedian Joe Rogan's podcast, Alpha Brain—a product sold by one of his show's sponsors—is a nootropic, or "smart drug," that purportedly improves various mental functions. Alpha Brain has become increasingly popular among the MMA community because of the praise Rogan and others have given it.

While some may mistakenly think that Ludwig's combination of marijuana and other supplements is for recreational use only, Bang believes that the regimen helps him see things in fights that he may have missed otherwise.

"I watch film from three different states of consciousness just to get different looks at things," Ludwig said. "Just to see if maybe I missed a step or a nice little detail just to get different looks on things. I take this serious as hell."

This method is clearly not for every fighter or camp, but if Ludwig's team is seeing results, then who are we to judge? As the ancient Roman philosopher Cicero once said, "To each his own."

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