RealFighters:POW@U1

Tone,
Just wanted you to see this. Here is a few testimonials of the guys from pow. I have about fifteen sent in so far but i just copy pasted the top few to show you. We talked about how everyone of these guys has a story, here they are.
Its important to know how much good you and fokai are facilitating by allowing me to take up time and space in the gym and giving the guys breaks on prices and helping me with fokai…pass this to rome if appropriate.

06/14/2011
I’ve been in Todd’s program for almost a year now, and it’s has been an awesome learning experience for me. Todd’s program definitely brings veterans together. It motivates all of us to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. His program has also gives us more confidence in the things we encounter in our day to day life. When I first started his program I was not in the same shape I was in when I was in the Marine Corps. At the same time I had problems with my lower back, so at first I had to take it slow. Later, I had a small procedure done on my back, because of this I had to sit out for a while. When I started back up I saw a positive change in myself and also the otherveterans in the program. I also had a little improvement on my lower back, yet still take things at my own pace. This program has also inspired me to work out a bit more. Now, I don’t always have the time to make it out to Todd’s classes, because I have to balance my family life. Sometimes my two girls watch my train. I know that one have found a slight interest in what I do. Like I said the veterans in Todd’s program live a better healthier lifestyle. This program is unlike some of the other veterans establishments were drinking and telling war stories is the thing to do. I think Todd has done an outstanding job in making this program run and keeping it going for all veterans.

My name is and I am a sergeant of the United States Marine Corps. I completed two tours of duty in Iraq (OIF1 and OIF2) with Third Battalion Seventh Marines Weapons Company. After I returned home and eventually separated from the Marines, I battled with alcoholism and other symptoms that stem from PTSD. The top four symptoms I experienced were: isolation, anger/rage, insomnia, and depression. The program that Todd Vance offered targeted these symptoms and it has helped. The group has given me a friend base, which helps with isolation, by holding meaccountable to other veterans (who share my expectations in friends). Also the friends I gained are my security net if I am ever in need, they are my first real support community (outside of my family) I have had since the Marine Corps. The classes will push you to the brink of your being and you have tofind a way to go one-step further. This gives me a vent for my anger as well stress and with both under control, I am not as likely to explode. Lastly the P.O.W. program has helped with my depression by exposing me to the most taxing workups one has to offer, which in turn makes me tired at night and eases my insomnia.

In the short time that I have been training with Todd Vance and the P.O.W. crew my life has taken a significant turn for the better. After being seriously wounded in combat, my military service came to an abrupt end and ptsd, anxiety and depression consumed my life. Though I have come a long way, every day is a struggle and you cannot do it alone. Training under Todd is very therapeutic for me and it has motivated me to better myself both physically and mentally. The camaraderie of P.O.W. is very powerful and something I have been without since leaving active duty. Todd Vance is an excellent coach and mentor who genuinely cares for the welfare of each of his veterans. In addition to great physical exercise, P.O.W. has given me a new drive, motivation and sense of belonging.

Coach Vance is an amazing individual who carries his passion for veterans on his shoulders. More than just a coach and mentor, the values that you learn in the P.O.W. Tactics program can also be applied to all aspects of life. A soulful person with a heart of gold and a true warrior, Coach Vancewill help you find focus and balance in and outside the ring.

i was airborne infantry in the 82nd airborne, i deployed to afghanistan to provide security during the elections as well as be QRF for the RC sector south, i was apart of thelargest and most successful mission besides the invasion, it was w/ 173rd LRS, SF, and my platoon (operation unforgiven). ive experienced small arms, rpg, and sniper fire while in the desert. my platoon took over QRF for the sector cause 173rd took too many casualties an command lost confidence in them. so they brought us into the country after a 5 days notice and we executed our mission to the standard that we would have made the oldest, saltiest WWII vet proud. paragraph 2: from the things i saw and did in that country, it affected me for years later. i had a problem with alcohol and felt useless due to injuries (broken ankle) an illness (psoriasis) from the army which made regular exercise painful and depressing. it took a long time to adjust to the fact that even tho i once could do almost anything i wanted to (afghanistan used to be like that, only 25 of us for weeks hunting down al qaeda through the mountains, surviving off food we stole or bartered from the natives) to have to come back and completely re-wire my train of thought an the way i saw the world. but through the program i have been able to see that im not alone in the way i feel andthat others have been affected worse than I. and though you teach us a violent art, it has always kept me grounded and calmed, and i have been in almost no fights since ive started, while before i would fight every time a drink touched my lips. so far in the past year of the program, i have only smoked 5 cigarettes and have cut my drinking down to one or two beers during casual outings and barely more than that on the times of celebration. your program has giving me a sense of pride an confidence that i felt i had lost when i left my brothers to be a civilian and constantly punished myself that i never went to iraq w them when they deployed shortly under a year later. it’s an abstract way of thinking, i cant exactly tell you why, but fighting with fellow brothers and learning a skill has helped turned my life around and now i am in a position where, its not exactly where i want to be, but i am working in the field i have been trying to get into for years
David Cruiz

I enlisted in the Army at 17 years old in the split operation program. I was stationed in Fort Carson, CO and was assigned in the 3rd Bn.29th Field Artillery unit. I was also deployed to Iraq and was stationed in FOB Prosperity. The P.O.W. team has helped me gain confidence in myself and to be positive. I like it here because of the people I am around and the environment. Its a great place to let go of that negative energy and helps your mind to be clear.

My name is and I was born and raised in Milford, Connecticut. I joined the Army at the age of 18 in 2004 and went to Fort Benning, GA for basic training and Fort Gordon, GA for advanced individual training. I spent my 5years of active duty stationed at Fort Drum, NY. I was deployed to Iraq twice with 2-22 INF, 1BCT, 10th Mountain Division (Baghdad 2005-06, Kirkuk 2007-2008). I ETS’ed in 2009 and joined the Connecticut National Guard, where I deployed to Afghanistan (Mehtar Lam, 2010). I’m currently on inactive reserve status in the National Guard.
Shortly after my deployment to Afghanistan, I began having severe depression and anxiety issues. I had frequent emotional breakdowns and great difficulty managing personal relationships. I sought help at the local Vet Center and VA hospital, where I was encouraged to immerse myself in new hobbies to make new friends, develop a sense of belonging andbetter utilize my free time. I was a high school wrestler, and I had enjoyed training combative and jiu jitsu in the Army, so I decided that joining a gym could help. I began attending some classes at a Renzo Gracie academy in Connecticut, but found it very impersonal, hard to follow, and difficult tostick with.
In June of 2011 I decided to move with some friends out to San Diego, CA to start fresh. I loved San Diego right from the beginning, but my friends didn’t. A month after we all picked up and moved out here with everything we had, the only 3 people I knew in California told me they were moving home. The next day they were gone, and I was left by myself one month into a year lease. Again I felt alone and had depression clouding my mind and my judgement. I was drinking heavily and rarely leaving the apartment.
Then one day in July I was driving down University Ave in North Park and I saw Undisputed. It looked interesting and I decided it was worth checking out. After one trial class I was hooked. I started coming every day. At first I could barely last 15 minutes into an hour class a few times a week. By the end of the month I was coming for 2-3 hours a day for jiu jitsu, boxing, muay thai, and MMA classes. I stopped drinking altogether so I could train more often and I began feeling much better. I knew one of my former roommates had a cousin that was living in town, and when Icontacted him he just happened to be looking for a new place. He was another Army vet and we had a lot in common, so he moved in and things started looking up.
Then in August, I heard about a group of people from my gym taking a trip a few hours upstate to support some of Undisputed’s fighters at an MMA event. I decided to tag along. One of the guys fighting for our gym was Todd Vance, and he fought a very impressive fight. I asked one of the guys who he was, and he told me the story of how this guy had organized a team of veterans who trained MMA together at the gym a few times a week. The next week I decided to try it out. The training was great, tailored to fighters of all levels. But even better was the camaraderie. All the guys were very welcoming, and the group emphasizes brotherhood (which it seems has become a sort of unofficial mantra) above all else. Everyone is accountable to the rest of the group and members are encouraged to look after one another,which keeps everyone out of trouble and on the straightened arrow. I’ve only been a part of the POW for a few weeks now but I can say with certainty that my life is better for knowing Todd and the rest of these guys. I started bringing my roommate to classes and now he’s hooked too. It’s good to have support and a network of friends who’ve been through some of the same things that I have. The POW definitely makes me a better fighter, but more importantly it makes me a more complete person.

Joined the Air Force as Security Forces (MP) in December 17 2002 and got out in Febuary 16 2009. Did 3 tours to Iraq in support of OIF and OEF. After my third deployment and witnessing several incidents of bad leadership I decided to get out and further my education in hopes of returning back to the Air Force as an Officer. When I got out the first year was great and I felt great, I started school, joined an MMA gym in La Mesa and began my quest as a college student/MMA apprentice. After jumping around from several MMA gyms I found Infinity BJJ in Santee, CA where my love and knowledge for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expanded. After a few months in school and training I found myself in a dark hole. For a while everything just didnt seemed right. I asked myself what I was doing out of the military, I kept asking myself if i had made the right decision and when will I ever be donewith school. I gave up on training and I gave up on school. After a few attempts to get back to training I finally did it and signed up to fight mysecond fight for Epic Fighting (my first fight went bad and was not as prepare as i should have been) sometime in March. At the last minute my opponent was unable to compete, I kept on training and decided to jump down on my weightfrom 185 to 170 lbs and fight on the following Epic Fighting at 170 lbs. Mygirlfriend Alexis had mentioned to me before that her fellow college friend was also a veteran and a MMA fighter who ran a program especially for military veterans. So i decided to give it a shot and started training with them. I can honestly say that I have never met a group of such great people who have the same passion as I do for this sport and deal with the same problems that I do. Before meeting up with Todd Vance and his POW MMA Team I had no friends or at least any who I can relate to, every day I come in to train with these outstanding group of individuals my day is always better. I no longer feel alone and I have a great group of friends that helped me out get ready for my fight. After training with Todd Vance and the POW Team I was more mentally ready than my first fight and physically ready than ever before. I looked up to Todd Vance and members of the team such as Matthew Zbiek, Jay Jackson, Shane Hanner for guidance and advice for the fight. When the fight night approached and I was walking down towards the cage and my walkout song “La Grange” by ZZ Top was playing I can hear my fellow teammates cheering me on made me feel really comftarble. After the bell rang and the fight began I kept telling myself that I have to finish the fight on top because my teammates came to see me do work and not crumple up. After every round finished I could still hear my friends cheering me on which gave me the last burst of energy to finish the fight and on top. Even though I lost my fight I ended up going home with the fight the night trophy which couldnt have been possible without the help of Todd Vance and his crew. In reality to me the question is not what the team has done for me but what can I do to support and help out Todd Vance and his POW Team. All I can say is that I hope to keep on representing well Todd Vance and his POW Team on and off the cage. Thanks POW Team and thanks ToddVance