# Lions Den Tryouts



## Uchaaa (Apr 22, 2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion's_Den_(mixed_martial_arts)

Have you guys ever heard of that? I dont that this is possible. I cant believe that anybody can do 700 push ups and all the other stuff. And that on one day. But I really like that kind of idea. An inhuman test to only chose the greatest.


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## ToeZup (Jan 7, 2008)

*Tryouts*



> The Lion's Den is known for its brutal try-outs because once accepted into the Den the members would live in Ken's home having their dinner provided by Shamrock. Ken needed to make sure only the best got through. The try out consisted of the following:
> 1000 squats
> 700 push ups
> 700 sit ups
> ...



Wow, that is a sick routine right there. I would say you were worthy if you made it through that.


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## rufio.e0 (Jul 5, 2007)

Yeah they're known for having some rough tryouts. Although I don't think Mezger runs his Lions Den anything like that here in Dallas. Anyway, if you're curious:

Lion's Den Tryouts:

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0m7PFj6wyo
Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjio3mLhGrU

It's rough.


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## americanfighter (Sep 27, 2006)

Yha I think ken was more worried about your heart than anything else. 

I think I remember him saying in his book or somewhere else. "I want the guys that have hart and never quit. I can teach you to fight but I cant give you heart."


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## Arlovski_Fan (Apr 25, 2007)

rufio.e0 said:


> Yeah they're known for having some rough tryouts. Although I don't think Mezger runs his Lions Den anything like that here in Dallas. Anyway, if you're curious:
> 
> Lion's Den Tryouts:
> 
> ...


Holy crap. I wonder if the other camps make you go like that lol


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## americanfighter (Sep 27, 2006)

Arlovski_Fan said:


> Holy crap. I wonder if the other camps make you go like that lol


no that is why the lions den is so famous


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## xeberus (Apr 23, 2007)

1000 squats - possibly given I have the time 
700 push ups - not on my best day 120 tops before i cannot support my body weight without a break, greatly weakened afterwards.
700 sit ups - Yea, if I had to I could do 700.
2 mile run carrying a man of near equal weight on their back - no time limit? yea i could do it over the span of a hour or two. 
Repeated runs up and down bleacher steps - i do that already.
Bear-crawls up steep hills - bear crawls are easiest going up a hill, compared to bear crawls on flat ground. 
lugging heavy barrels of water and sand bags up steep hills


But all in one day? No chance in hell. If you could do this, you have the heart of a lion, or your on he juice. :thumb02:


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## bail3yz (Apr 22, 2007)

I remember on TUF warmachine claimed he got into the lions den.. he didnt specify which one.


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## bbjd7 (Apr 9, 2007)

Arlovski_Fan said:


> Holy crap. I wonder if the other camps make you go like that lol


Nah most camps aren't even close to that to get a black belt in Muay Thai at Chute Boxe though you have to take one hell of an ass whipping.
http://www.ifighter.tv/video/85866-chute-boxe-test-marco-faixa-preta.html
Here's a video


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## Judoka (Feb 23, 2007)

americanfighter said:


> *Yha I think ken was more worried about your heart than anything else. *
> 
> I think I remember him saying in his book or somewhere else. "I want the guys that have hart and never quit. I can teach you to fight but I cant give you heart."


Exactly, It is designed to kill you but they are not expecting you to do them fairly easily but to see if you have the willpower to keep going and not give up.

I have done most of that stuff before anyway but its the massive amounts of push ups, sit ups and squats that would kill me.

From Ken Shamrock's site on Lions Den tryouts.
*
The first test consisted of doing bear crawls around the 20x30’ wrestling mat. Soon after, they had to do 200 push-ups, followed by 500 squats, and then 200 crunches. From here, they had to do a rotation of bags, grappling, and hitting focus pads for about 30 minutes. They then had to spar each other in ground and stand-up fights.*


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## Damone (Oct 1, 2006)

Ken was trained by guys like Funaki & Buzz Sawyer, so it really shouldn't surprise anyone that he had his guys go through hell to be in his camp.


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## Arlovski_Fan (Apr 25, 2007)

bbjd7 said:


> Nah most camps aren't even close to that to get a black belt in Muay Thai at Chute Boxe though you have to take one hell of an ass whipping.
> http://www.ifighter.tv/video/85866-chute-boxe-test-marco-faixa-preta.html
> Here's a video


Dang fighting a lot of Chute Boxe guys in a row is tough enough, but in a purely kickboxing fight? That would suck lol


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## Gluteal Cleft (May 12, 2007)

Uchaaa said:


> And that on one day. But I really like that kind of idea. An inhuman test to only chose the greatest.


 Too bad that they can't seem to produce much of a fighter any more. In fact, after Ken, Frank, and Guy had their run in the early days when MMA was in its infancy in the US, they haven't really produced anybody significant since.




americanfighter said:


> no that is why the lions den is so famous


C'mon, it's because they're a bunch of loudmouths that got in man-drama fights with Tito (and in Ken's case, with anyone who looked at him). Other than that, they're really not very remarkable.


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## Damone (Oct 1, 2006)

Actually, the Den was a really solid training camp in its day, popping out solid fighter after solid fighter. That camp was way ahead of its time, and produced some really solid fighters.


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## rufio.e0 (Jul 5, 2007)

Damone said:


> Actually, the Den was a really solid training camp in its day, popping out solid fighter after solid fighter. That camp was way ahead of its time, and produced some really solid fighters.


Mezger has a bunch of solid up-and-comers coming out of his Lions Den here in Dallas (on HDNet).


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## rufio.e0 (Jul 5, 2007)

bbjd7 said:


> Nah most camps aren't even close to that to get a black belt in Muay Thai at Chute Boxe though you have to take one hell of an ass whipping.
> http://www.ifighter.tv/video/85866-chute-boxe-test-marco-faixa-preta.html
> Here's a video


i gotta "spread rep around" before i can give some more to you for that find. holy crap. when the behemoth came in and bullrushed the guy when he was stretching in between rounds... that was rough.


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## bbjd7 (Apr 9, 2007)

Gluteal Cleft said:


> Too bad that they can't seem to produce much of a fighter any more. In fact, after Ken, Frank, and Guy had their run in the early days when MMA was in its infancy in the US, they haven't really produced anybody significant since.


Is BJ Penn significant because Frank Shamrock is basically the guy who turned him from BJJ practioner to well rounded Mixed Martial Artist.

Also Guy Mezger is training Shane Roller of Team Takedown at least for a while and he has some huge potential.


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## Damone (Oct 1, 2006)

rufio.e0 said:


> Mezger has a bunch of solid up-and-comers coming out of his Lions Den here in Dallas (on HDNet).


This is good to know, since Mezger was a guy who really had it all.


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