Elite Cage Fighting 40
T-shirts
SHIRTS ARE TOTALLY SOLD OUT
Ranger Up and a few of my sponsors have arranged to produce these quality MMA shirts to use as a fund raiser. As most of you know, I'm making the leap from amateur fighting to the professional level this May. One harsh reality is that fighting pro has some expensive startup costs with travel, advertising on this beautiful web site, and licenses and insurances for each state I fight in. So, we're offering these T-shirts to raise some cash. Each one will come autographed, not because my autograph is worth anything (yet!), but because it's the least I can do to thank you for your support.
If you're not familiar with Ranger Up, everything they make is quality and this product is no exception. This is not the Do-it-Yourself, iron-on cheap wear. In tribute to the military roots, the shirt is close enough to the issue brown undershirt to match what soldiers wear, and the graphics have been stratigically placed to be concealable under the ACU top.
(This means all you military guys out there can keep this on the wall and then use it as a backup when you realize after PT you forgot fresh laundry on the way out the door, and need a clean shirt for the duty day.)
Taking pre-orders now for $17 per not including s/h (if necessary). Usually these caliber of shirts go for between $22- 30 but Ranger Up has graciously produced this limited run at a deep discount for me to pass onto you.
Sizes Small for the tiniest ladies through 2XL for the guys who make me feel small.
Eli's Post-Combatives Tournament Interview
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=video/video_show.php&id=76378
367th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Video by Pfc. Jenna Lindauer
Date Taken: 12.19.2009
Posted: 01.04.2010 08:07
Video Location: Camp Bucca, IQ
What i learned at the All Iraq Combatives Tournament
Basically for me the tournament went like this: I showed up to a grappling tournament not expecting to do as well as I did, but determined to use it to test and improve my worst aspect; grappling. Strikes are not allowed in the preliminary rounds of a combatives tournament (with as many as 8 fights in a day, we'd never survive. Cuts alone would eventually stop everyone from competing.) I got to test a lot of things I always wanted to try in a tournament and get back into a competitive spirit with a safe environment, both physically and mentally safe and nurturing to the warrior ethos. Even the finals fights are limited strikes; no elbows or knees, and only open hand slaps not punches to the head (eliminates head trauma and prolongs the fight, encouraging better technique).
First of all, Mom was right. Doesn't matter if you grow up to be a General or a Janitor, or if you become the champion or lose, be a gentleman. You will win the crowd, and ultimately your own self-respect. The ability to accept losing gracefully is an important facet to being a good fighter and role model. (While we're at it, you can't blame the ref for a bad call without accepting responsibility for putting yourself in a position for him to have to make that call... i.e., if I hadn't given up side control, the early stoppage wouldn't have been an issue.)
Secondly, Indiana Jones was right; just because you lose doesn't mean you have to like it. A friend produced an old maxim, "The quickest way to wind up dead in a firefight is thinking about what happened, instead of what needs to happen." Sounded a lot more cavalier when he said it, but the point is, pick yourself back up, get in there and do what needs done.
Next, and probably most importantly, is that I have a couple of battle-buddy team mates in my life that, if I am humble enough to go to and confess, "I can feel my attitude getting sideways, help straighten me out," they will provide an understanding ear and the exact right formula of insight and expletives to get my mind back in perspective. That's the strength of a team. You might catch one of us on a bad day, but there will be a couple of us watching his back and keeping his mind battle- strong. And a strong mind beats a strong-bodied opponent any day.
Lastly, self- doubt is a waste of time. God promises not to give you anything you and Christ can't handle, so if I am going to say I truly believe God wants me to fight to represent soldiers, to enhance training, and to develop the warrior ethos training model, then I need to believe that He gave me the tools I need to get it done. Regardless of your belief system, stick to your beliefs faithfully, all the way.
Fight of the Night
2009 All Iraq Combatives Tournament "Fight of the Night" Heavyweight bout, Eli "the Riot" Donker vs. Jesse "American Assassin" Riemer. Intermediate rules (no elbows, closed fist to the head, or knees).
Modern Army Combatives tournament
All Iraq Combatives Tournament at Camp Bucca, Iraq on December 19, 2009.
A Marine opponent in the prelimenary bouts.
Choking a Marine on my way through the preliminary bouts.
Big thanks to 2-127 for putting on such a great tournament.
Team Absolute Redbull won 2nd overall, cruiserweight champ, heavyweight runner-up, fastest submission and second- fastest submission
Combatives in Basra
Capt. Eli Donker, from Fairbanks, Ind., assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 150th Field Artillery, demonstrates the guillotine choke hold during a Modern Army Combatives class at Contingency Operations Base Basra in Basra, Iraq, Aug. 29. Donker trains Soldiers to keep them ready to react to hand-to-hand contact in order to deter and defeat assault and kidnapping attempts.
Sullivan native shows off cage fighting
Sullivan County native, Captain Elias Donker has two trips to Iraq under his belt, and is now in charge of hand to hand combat training of troops that are being shipped overseas. In order to keep in shape, and enhance his fighting skills, Donker got involved in mix martial arts cage fighting.
The Belt
Nick Barlow and I after our wins. He's my grappling training partner. Indiana Guardsmen went 3-0 at ECF28!!
Big thanks to KG Elkins (right), who dragged me through many conditioning workouts to bounce back from terrible rehab and sickness with the phrase "You can quit anytime...anytime you are ready to admit you got beat by a girl."
Dan MacDonald and I. Dan is a Marine EOD, and good friend who cornered my first ever fight.
My BDE XO and BN XO after the first fight.
About Me
I am currently deployed in Iraq with the Indiana National Guard. I am a instructor in Combatives – the Army’s hand-to-hand fighting system. I started competing in MMA to develop my fighting skills and test my abilities so that the training I provide soldiers is as realistic and effective as possible. I have fought multiple bouts in the Army under various rules ranging from traditional boxing to open striking to BJJ- based tournaments, as well as lethal and nonlethal weapon training.
My background includes amateur boxing in college and MMA training under Dr. Jason Winkle, the founder of Martial Concepts and Winkle Combat, and the current president of the International Tactical Officers Training Association. I served as an artillery officer in the 101st Airborne Division for two tours in Iraq and began fighting amateur MMA contests when I returned to Indiana. I fought four times with Elite Cage Fighting, run by Gary Hoyd and Phil Walsh out of Indianapolis, where my record is 3-1. Mr. Hoyd and Mr. Walsh can attest that I am uniquely dedicated to my fighting. I kept my first scheduled title shot match with Elite despite breaking my foot a month prior. That fight is my only loss.
I am dedicated to putting on a good show, and I understand that the best fighter in the world does no good for the sport or the industry if he cannot win the crowd over with entertainment value. I strive to represent MMA as a noble, professional athlete who can serve as an excellent role model. I have come to understand that being a good fighter is not enough; so I have groomed my ability to create a positive rapport with the crowd. I believe in winning the crowd to keep drawing them back to the sport. I respect my opponents and present the image of a clean-cut American Midwest Farmboy- turned-Soldier. My introduction, my theme music, and my demeanor are all designed to attract attention and give the spectator a feeling of “I would not want to fight this guy, but I would still be proud to let him date my daughter.”
My background includes amateur boxing in college and MMA training under Dr. Jason Winkle, the founder of Martial Concepts and Winkle Combat, and the current president of the International Tactical Officers Training Association. I served as an artillery officer in the 101st Airborne Division for two tours in Iraq and began fighting amateur MMA contests when I returned to Indiana. I fought four times with Elite Cage Fighting, run by Gary Hoyd and Phil Walsh out of Indianapolis, where my record is 3-1. Mr. Hoyd and Mr. Walsh can attest that I am uniquely dedicated to my fighting. I kept my first scheduled title shot match with Elite despite breaking my foot a month prior. That fight is my only loss.
I am dedicated to putting on a good show, and I understand that the best fighter in the world does no good for the sport or the industry if he cannot win the crowd over with entertainment value. I strive to represent MMA as a noble, professional athlete who can serve as an excellent role model. I have come to understand that being a good fighter is not enough; so I have groomed my ability to create a positive rapport with the crowd. I believe in winning the crowd to keep drawing them back to the sport. I respect my opponents and present the image of a clean-cut American Midwest Farmboy- turned-Soldier. My introduction, my theme music, and my demeanor are all designed to attract attention and give the spectator a feeling of “I would not want to fight this guy, but I would still be proud to let him date my daughter.”
A few questions
These are the questions I get asked the most:
“Why in the world would anyone want to cage fight?!?” I get asked this question a lot. Fighting is a crucible that tests what I teach soldiers. Like any devoted and passionate instructor who loves his students, like any academic soul questing for knowledge, there is a passion for that moment of discovery that comes from experiments. High and lofty sounding theory, I know. But Mixed Martial Arts contests, commonly called cage fights, were founded on the principle of making a fight as realistic as safely possible. Now, as an instructor of Soldiers who will be going into harm’s way, I have a duty to both test the theory of our fighting systems and also test it’s application in the most “close-to-combat” scenario possible. For the record, my own mother occasionally asks this question, and although she understands my answer, she still doesn’t come to my fights. That is completely acceptable; I know she loves me and cannot bear to see her boy get hit, so I enjoy her unconditional love and support in the form of watching my daughter on Fight Nights. Even she, as a mother, understands and agrees that it is far better for me to take a few black eyes and bruises in the cage, if the knowledge gained brings a Soldier home victorious and safe.
“But why not just keep training with your soldiers?” Because we fight using a certain fight plan, using a certain fighting system. If we just only practiced among ourselves, it would get old. Wherever the threat is coming from, Al Quada, North Korea, or the next global superpower to challenge us, you can bet that they are training hard, and they are not training on OUR combatives system. We will have to beat something we are not used to. Hence the appeal of the “mixed” in Mixed martial Arts. I may be facing a boxer, a wrestler, a judo expert, or all three. So I get to truly test the system. A good friend of mine is an anthropologist with more degrees than a sun dial, and she calls this “scientific experimentation.”
“Cage fighting just seems so…brutal though!” Well, the term “cage fighting” is misunderstood. People hear that and think of the old Mad Max movie about Thunderdome, where Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves. That’s not it. Actually, the cage is there to keep the athletes safe; original MMA fights were held on wrestling mats, but as the crowd grew the action needed to be elevated. Promoters started having fights in raised boxing rings. The problem was that unlike boxing, once the fight went to the ground it wasn’t uncommon for one or both of the combatants to slide under the ropes and wind up on the scoring table or dropping to the floor. No good. So the cage actually is there to protect us, and they darn well better lock the door. When two guys in my weight class hit that doorway, it’s about the force of a small truck, and if it busts open and we go spilling out down the steps, no one wins.
“Still, don’t you worry about getting hurt?” Not nearly as much as other sports. There are a lot of safeties in place. In college, I did some amateur boxing, and that was far more dangerous. First of all with boxing the repeated head blows are just devastating, and there isn’t nearly as much of that in MMA. Cage fighters have to contend with all kinds of attacks, so there are a lot fewer head shots in quick succession. And secondly, there is a referee who has much more power to stop a fight and declare a winner than in any other sport. That alone is a great advantage for it, but the biggest safety measure by far is the tap- out rule. MMA has a unique respect among fighters that allow a guy to “tap out” and end a fight before it gets out of control, and you shake hands and go after it again the next time you meet. So to get hurt in MMA takes either a fluke accident, or a guy sort of brings it on himself.
"Is your wife cool with this?" My wife is my biggest fan. Win or lose. And i have to admit it's nice to know that after every fight, I am going home with a smoking hot redhead LOL!
“It still seems like a violent sport.” It is. So is football. So is life. And a true person of discipline understands that there is a time and place for violence, and a time and place to control it. People who never learn to deal with violence end up mis- using it. In my humble opinion, it is far better to master it and keep it in it’s place than to pretend it doesn’t exist. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to put on my uniform one morning and show up to work and be told that I’m laid off because the world doesn’t need warriors any more. But until that day, I will do my best to keep us all ready.
“Why in the world would anyone want to cage fight?!?” I get asked this question a lot. Fighting is a crucible that tests what I teach soldiers. Like any devoted and passionate instructor who loves his students, like any academic soul questing for knowledge, there is a passion for that moment of discovery that comes from experiments. High and lofty sounding theory, I know. But Mixed Martial Arts contests, commonly called cage fights, were founded on the principle of making a fight as realistic as safely possible. Now, as an instructor of Soldiers who will be going into harm’s way, I have a duty to both test the theory of our fighting systems and also test it’s application in the most “close-to-combat” scenario possible. For the record, my own mother occasionally asks this question, and although she understands my answer, she still doesn’t come to my fights. That is completely acceptable; I know she loves me and cannot bear to see her boy get hit, so I enjoy her unconditional love and support in the form of watching my daughter on Fight Nights. Even she, as a mother, understands and agrees that it is far better for me to take a few black eyes and bruises in the cage, if the knowledge gained brings a Soldier home victorious and safe.
“But why not just keep training with your soldiers?” Because we fight using a certain fight plan, using a certain fighting system. If we just only practiced among ourselves, it would get old. Wherever the threat is coming from, Al Quada, North Korea, or the next global superpower to challenge us, you can bet that they are training hard, and they are not training on OUR combatives system. We will have to beat something we are not used to. Hence the appeal of the “mixed” in Mixed martial Arts. I may be facing a boxer, a wrestler, a judo expert, or all three. So I get to truly test the system. A good friend of mine is an anthropologist with more degrees than a sun dial, and she calls this “scientific experimentation.”
“Cage fighting just seems so…brutal though!” Well, the term “cage fighting” is misunderstood. People hear that and think of the old Mad Max movie about Thunderdome, where Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves. That’s not it. Actually, the cage is there to keep the athletes safe; original MMA fights were held on wrestling mats, but as the crowd grew the action needed to be elevated. Promoters started having fights in raised boxing rings. The problem was that unlike boxing, once the fight went to the ground it wasn’t uncommon for one or both of the combatants to slide under the ropes and wind up on the scoring table or dropping to the floor. No good. So the cage actually is there to protect us, and they darn well better lock the door. When two guys in my weight class hit that doorway, it’s about the force of a small truck, and if it busts open and we go spilling out down the steps, no one wins.
“Still, don’t you worry about getting hurt?” Not nearly as much as other sports. There are a lot of safeties in place. In college, I did some amateur boxing, and that was far more dangerous. First of all with boxing the repeated head blows are just devastating, and there isn’t nearly as much of that in MMA. Cage fighters have to contend with all kinds of attacks, so there are a lot fewer head shots in quick succession. And secondly, there is a referee who has much more power to stop a fight and declare a winner than in any other sport. That alone is a great advantage for it, but the biggest safety measure by far is the tap- out rule. MMA has a unique respect among fighters that allow a guy to “tap out” and end a fight before it gets out of control, and you shake hands and go after it again the next time you meet. So to get hurt in MMA takes either a fluke accident, or a guy sort of brings it on himself.
"Is your wife cool with this?" My wife is my biggest fan. Win or lose. And i have to admit it's nice to know that after every fight, I am going home with a smoking hot redhead LOL!
“It still seems like a violent sport.” It is. So is football. So is life. And a true person of discipline understands that there is a time and place for violence, and a time and place to control it. People who never learn to deal with violence end up mis- using it. In my humble opinion, it is far better to master it and keep it in it’s place than to pretend it doesn’t exist. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to put on my uniform one morning and show up to work and be told that I’m laid off because the world doesn’t need warriors any more. But until that day, I will do my best to keep us all ready.
