Box jump 20
KB snatch 15
Backward sled pull 50 meters
Ropes gone wild 15/15/15

Box jump 15
KB snatch 12
Backward sled pull 40 meters
Ropes gone wild 15/15/15

Box jump 10
KB snatch 10
Backward sled pull 30 meters
Ropes gone wild 10/10/10

Box jump 5
KB snatch 5
Backward sled pull 20 meters
Ropes gone wild 5/5/5

Time to beat 13:16
Middle of the pack 15:40
Last man 19:36

Four rounds for time of:
Row 300m
20 scissor jumps (Left leg forward in a lunge, then jump so you land with your right leg forward in a lunge. That’s one)

Time to beat: 6:09
Middle of the pack: 7:02
Last man: 9:35

Anyone who’s spent a minute with Tim Kennedy in person or reading his latently sadistic workouts here on the Rhino Den knows what ludicrously good shape he’s in. We all secretly hate him for this, but since he’s a professional athlete, we guess that’s being fit is a good thing. Muscle and Fitness magazine, the premiere health and fitness mag in the world, took notice of Tim’s…abnormal…workouts and wrote a feature on him. This eight page layout shows Tim teaching killer techniques that every guy can use and provides ample eye candy for he ladies, so check it out.

Read the full story here

Number to beat – 64
Middle of the pack – 40
Last man (who was beat by a girl) – 34

Appearing in his second “Strikeforce Challengers” bout in three months, Army veteran and middleweight Tim Kennedy (11-2) proved he’s ready to move on to the organization’s big shows. Kennedy showed a relentless attack as he cruised to a second-round submission win over formerly undefeated prospect Zak Cummings (10-1). Kennedy picked up where he left off in a June win over Nick Thompson, overpowering Cummings with powerful wrestling and crushing strikes from top position. Cummings proved a game opponent, rolling to avoid blows and submission while absorbing punishment from the top. It simply delayed the inevitable. After closing a dominant first round, Kennedy came out aggressive again in the second, leaping to a standing guillotine choke that forced Cummings to scramble. When he did, it was into an even deeper north-south choke. Kennedy squeezed tight, and despite Cummings valiant efforts, he was forced to submit. The win was Kennedy’s third-straight, and pushed him to 2-0 for Strikeforce. Cummings loses for just the first time in his career.

Meanwhile in Butte, Montana, Sam Rauch defeated Mike Crissman by guillotine choke in the first round at “FightForce – Great Falls Rumble.”

Strikeforce…Fightforce…how many more Forces does Ranger Up have to dominate? Congrats to Tim and Sam!

Congratulations Tim Kennedy

by

Nick

The bright lights are on and the announcer’s voice is booming as I look out across the thousands of screaming fans. Filled with nervous energy, I bounce back and forth, throwing some light jabs and hooks, visualizing the coming fight. There is so much on the line here that the magnitude of the event has me almost frantic – victory is essential. Outside the cage in the corner are Dave Camarillo, Andy Chappelle, Tara Larosa, and Brandon Garner – it couldn’t get much better. Across the ring is Nick Thompson, ranked ninth in the world at welterweight. Normally, I cannot help but like this guy – he works hard, is incredibly genuine and kind, and is a true professional. But tonight, I hate him. I am angry that he has the balls to get into this ring – pissed that he thinks he can possibly measure up. I want to destroy him.

This is the feeling I have had every time I’ve entered the ring or cage, whether it was wrestling, jiu-jitsu, judo, boxing, or MMA. This time, however, it wasn’t my fight. Tim Kennedy, my good friend, was about to fight for the first time in eighteen months and I wanted him to win with every fiber of my being.

Many of you might be thinking, “That’s a no brainer – Ranger Up sponsors Tim. Of course you want him to win.” And that’s true – we obviously want our fighters to win. But this last Friday, it ran a little deeper than that.

Tim is a brother to us. Those of you in the profession of arms know how hard the life can be. Those of you that know what Tim does understand the mental toughness and sheer courage necessary to run nearly 200 missions in three months – getting shot at virtually every time. You understand that he has had to move further, faster, and fight harder than us mere mortals. You understand that every time he stepped out, he risked his life, while his children and wife waited for him at home not knowing if he would be back. You realize he did the missions that most of us can’t handle – even if we pretend we can over a beer.

After September 11th, Tim made the decision that he had to join the Special Forces. At the time he was ranked 9th in the world at middleweight and improving rapidly. Had he not joined the military, he would likely be a UFC superstar right now, but he made the decision that the defense of our nation was more important. He decided that he needed to be part of something bigger than himself. He has served us with distinction: by every account from his teammates he is as good as they come, consistently showing courage in the face of overwhelming odds, even attacking the enemy when he himself was badly injured from an IED.

And now he was back in the ring. He had wanted to fight for the Army, having no desire to leave the service. He wanted to keep representing his brothers and sisters in arms. Unfortunately the Army wouldn’t let him. He almost turned his back on fighting forever, but his friends – those who had served alongside him on all those impossible missions – told him he had to do it. They wanted him to represent them and show the world the strength and honor of the Special Forces and United States Military. They wanted him to finally get recognized for who he is and what he has done.

The decision for Tim was impossible. He couldn’t imagine not being a Green Beret anymore. He couldn’t imagine not stepping off the little bird or the Blackhawk into a hot LZ. What would happen if one of his friends needed him? The cage just wasn’t as important. But his buddies didn’t let him off the hook. They wanted him to succeed. They wanted him to be world champion. Tim finally gave in and started training full time. He was going to be a fighter again. He had to make them proud.

So there he stood. Not by himself in the ring, but with the support of his men, his team, the military community, and his brothers from Ranger Up. We were all in there with him. We didn’t want him to feel anything but joy – didn’t want him to meet with anything but success. Frankly, he had to win because no one deserved it more.

The bell rang and Tim was on Nick Thompson from start to finish. He rapidly got Thompson to the ground and pressured him for a round and a half before Thompson finally submitted due to strikes. The whole time Tim fought, I was standing, either hands on my head, anxious, or shadow boxing or faking a shot – yeah I looked like a giant moron.

When the referee raised Tim’s hand in victory, Team Ranger Up and the all of the 2nd Ranger Battalion guys and infantrymen from Fort Lewis went wild. One of our own had just done the improbable, and he had done it in spectacular fashion. He had finally been given an ovation, albeit in an arena different, for everything he had done for his country.

Later that night, as we all sat around sharing a drink or two celebrating Tim’s victory, he looked from person to person – from us to his coaches to his good friends who had come to support him – and thanked us from the bottom of his heart. He told us that he knew with our friendship and support; he could never fail – win or lose. What he doesn’t realize is that every one of us considers ourselves honored to be his friend.

You see, while we’re all successful in our respective lives, none of us quite measure up to Tim. None of us were quite willing to sacrifice all that was necessary to achieve what Tim has accomplished on so many fronts. We just aren’t strong enough.

In simple terms, when I was a kid growing up, dreaming about the future, I didn’t dream about business success, or women, or money, or even of being an infantry officer, for that matter. I dreamed of being a hero – of being the guy that would put himself on the line against all odds and somehow come out on top. I dreamed of being Tim Kennedy. We all did. And to know that he not only exists in real life, but counts us among his closest friends is more than enough to make this infantryman a little emotional.

Congratulations brother. The best is yet to come.

[View with PicLens]

 

In a special edition of Inside MMA dedicated to those in uniform, Tim Kennedy visited the Inside MMA studios last Friday night. Watch this video and see Tim’s interview: