Q & A With Phil Dunlap, Owner of Asylum Fight Gym in Ramsey

1.    How did you get interested in mixed martial arts?

I was expected to fight from an early age, it ran in my blood. My grandfather, William “Wild Bill” O’Shaunessy was the recognized lineage holder in the Kachin Fighting Systems and I grew up practicing the fighting arts. I began fighting professionally at 15 years old and was very active till breaking my neck just before my 26th birthday after his passing, I became the designated lineage holder. The rest is history.

2.    How many fights have you competed in?

Between Burmese boxing, Submission Grappling, and mixed martial arts I have competed in 114 professional fights.

3.   What was your worst injury/the worst injury you’ve witnessed?

I was a very active professional fighter between the ages of 16 and 26, until a terrible car accident caused me to break my neck. The doctors told me I would never be able to engage in strenuous physical activity again, let alone compete. I used this to my advantage, and worked hard to rehab my body to what it was prior to the accident. In 1998, at the age of 36, I was back at it again and competing at GSO 3. This stands for Griffin Submission Open Mixed Martial Arts. In most combat sports including MMA the worst injuries I have seen were various broken bones and dislocated joints but in Burmese Boxing I have witnessed several deaths and a number of debilitating injuries. In Burma and most third world countries the safety concerns are  non- existent but in the United States the safety of the athlete is generally one of the primary concerns in combat sports.

 4.      You’ve had a chance to train and compete all over the world (Burma, Thailand, etc.) – What were these experiences like? Any memorable moments readily come to mind?

I was fortunate enough to get to fight in some amazing places and experience things most people would not believe but I would say the things that come to mind most readily and that scared me, were being in Burma/Myanmar during the SLORC crackdown and being detained and questioned by the military. Suffice it to say a very unpleasant experience, and the first time I visited a village and saw skulls lining the path into the village-- it made me question the logic of fighting at the planned event

5.      Is there a fighter that inspires you and you wish to emulate?

Of course my grandfather inspired me more than anyone else and I am still trying to emulate him and absorb the lessons he taught me. When people tell me I am good or great I always say I am not, as I have experienced great technique and I am still trying to get there. As to modern  fighters that inspire me there are many from different disciplines in MMA there is Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva, in Submission Grappling Marcelo Garcia in ,Muay Thai Buakaw Por Pramuk in Burmese Boxing I always loved Nillar Wynn and Lone Chaw and last but not least in boxing I still love to watch early Mike Tyson and old video of Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano 

6.      How would you describe your fighting style & techniques?

I was always more of a technician as I was never a great athlete so I had to compensate for a lack of natural attributes by having good technique. In Burmese Boxing I was known for using the head-butt a lot  and earned the nickname The White Rhino… In my youth I fought with a very aggressive style but when I came back after the accident I had become more of a counter fighter in large part because at that point I was teaching and focused on training others and had been used to reacted to what others were doing.

7.      What is your favorite strike/submission to use in any fight? 

From a striking perspective I would say my favorite would have to be the head-butt I was always more of a clinch-fighter so I favored knees, elbows and head-butts as they tend to be fight enders.  From a submission standpoint I have always favored leg locks and chokeholds.

8.     Why do you believe the world of MMA has increased in popularity, garnered more followers, and televised more frequently these days? (Is it due to audience demands?)

I have been amazed and pleased at the explosive growth of MMA as a sport and I see the growth continuing in the future. I think there are many reasons for this growth, first and foremost the sport is so exciting and primal it really touches something in the human soul. In MMA there are so many ways to win or lose the fight that it  makes it very exciting for a fan to watch. With the larger televised shows such as the UFC and Bellator getting increasingly larger ratings and live gates and smaller promotions popping up and growing I really believe it is a result of audience demand. Once you have gone to a live show and feel the energy and excitement you are hooked. 

9.      Also as an owner of a MMA facility, what is the hardest problem you’ve encountered?

If I had to pick the single hardest problem I have encountered running a MMA Gym I would say it is the false perception by some people that the sport is overly violent, dangerous and populated with thugs. I have found that most people who loudly voice this opinion know very little about the sport and tend to state falsehoods in order to support their opinions. I have always welcomed the opportunity to speak with these people as facts and the truth tend to win out in the long run. The sport is filled with some of the most disciplined, hardest working and kindest people I have ever met

10.  What’s the training like at your MMA facility?

Classes are very informal. The feeling students get at Asylum Fight Gym is like that of a boxing gym or wrestling practice, it’s more of a “team” practice rather than a martial arts class. We strive to maintain a supportive atmosphere, and make everyone feel like they are part of a family. Everyone comes in with their own goal and no one person’s goal is more important than another person’s. It doesn’t matter if the goal is to be a fighter, lose weight or learn to defend yourself there is a support structure of people helping you achieve your goal.

11.   How safe do you consider this sport to be? (What measures do you take to ensure everyone’s safety?)

I consider MMA and Combat Sports in general to be safer than most contact sports. One of the main reasons is that tapping out is part of the fabric of the sport there is a culture of when in jeopardy it is ok to surrender and fight another day. There is a referee in the ring and the sole real purpose for being there is the safety of the fighters. As to day to day training participants have not only the same safety measures the fighters have but unlike most sports the participant has knowledge of what is happening at all times and doesn’t get blindsided like in many contact sports and in training there is safety gear worn that isn’t used in the cage like headgear and shin pads. 

12.  What type of person should get into this, or would be good at it?

I think MMA and combat sports in general is for everyone. It is a great way to get in shape and learn to defend yourself at the same time. As to actual competition we get a lot of former high school and college athletes especially wrestlers and football players who are just looking for something to continue competing in after leaving school but we also get everyone hardcore athletes to a 50 year old mother and a 56 year old business man.

13.  Among recent fighters who practice/train at Asylum Fight Gym, who is your favorite and why?

This one puts me on the spot! I love coaching all my students. Having been a fighter myself I enjoy training and training with the young up a coming athletes with bright futures but being 50 years old now I would say it’s the less talented fighters and people fighting to fulfill a dream later in life. I have a 50 year old female fighter Jody-Lyn Reicher who just turned pro after being ranked # 10 in the world as an amateur that I would say is the most rewarding and inspiring. I am fortunate in that I get to be part of someone else fulfilling a dream. 

14.  What is the most fulfilling aspect of training/teaching others?

As I said in the last question being part of someone else’s journey in  fulfilling a dream be it a fight or losing 20 lbs is the most fulfilling aspect of teaching followed by watching someone struggle with a technique or concept only to have the light bulb go off and they get it. I am fortunate I get to have an impact on other people lives.

15.   What is something people might not know about you?

It’s funny that you ask that question because for years I worked in the corporate world and most people were amazed that I did something as extreme as Burmese Boxing or trained fighters as I tend to be very mellow and even tempered. The thing now that people seem to be amazed at now is that for over 30 years I have been a vegetarian and have a background in Chinese Medicine.

16.  What do you want to be remembered for at the end of your career? (fighter or founder of the Asylum Fight Gym?)

It’s funny I am proud of my fighting career and wouldn’t trade it for the world but I would prefer to be remembered for the impact I am having on people’s lives as a coach, trainer and mentor. Fighting is a very selfish endeavor it was all about me but teaching others is truly leaving a legacy and making the world a better place.

About Asylum Fight Gym:

The Asylum Fight Gym, located in Ramsey, NJ, shows first timers that they have the ability to reach new heights in fitness while also training those with years of experience for upcoming fights. Classes and/or training include: fitness kickboxing, mixed martial arts, burmese boxing (fighting with uncovered hands and feet, using the entire body as a weapon), and sambo/submission wrestling (clinch and ground fighting techniques with the aim of obtaining a submission using submission holds).  For more information, visit www.asylumfightteam.com or call 201-828-5860.