Hey I just wanted to see if anyone here was familiar with Straight Blast Gym (Matt Thornton) and if so what kinda vibes do you get with that system? PEACE

I'm familiar in the sense that I've read a lot of his writing, listened to interviews, and watched several instructionals. Besides being 6'8", he is a Machado black belt and a former sparring partner for Lennox Lewis. He helped Randy Couture learn jiu jitsu back in the day.

The vibes that I get is that he's an intellectual and an existentialist. He seems very well read. I think he views martial arts as a form of expression. He has a significant dislike for things that don't evolve.

Check these links:

http://www.straightblastgym.com/freedom.htm
http://www.straightblastgym.com/blog/index.html

i got a straight blast gym video but its a pretty old guy on the instructional. its pretty basic but its somewhat effective

Trained in a Straight Blast Gym in Illinois for about a year. Was excellent. Everybody who coaches/teaches at SBG has to be certified by Matt Thorton. They have to show themselves competent in Standup/BJJ/Wrestling, including sparring vale tudo (MMA rules).

They do "live" training. As in, they show you a technique a couple times, then have to practice it at 50% resistance, then you "fight" for it with a partner. It's a very effective way to learn, as opposed to most schools who drill techniques with no resistance then spar after drills. You combine them and you learn the techniques much better.

Very practical, very effective. They also kick-start you with everything. Right off the bat you get basic stand-up, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling. They set aside time for everything and you get A LOT of "hands on" experience.

My coach was awesome: trained with professional boxers, strong greco-roman background, purple in jiu-jitsu.

I can't say if everywhere was as good as my gym, but I highly recommend it. The only reason I quit was because the instructor/assistant instructor were police/swat members and they often didn't show up because of duties. So the schedule was really hectic, and having to drive a long way, it just didn't pan out. But, that's a special case.

So, there you go.