Josh Koser is a grinder, and as a result of his constant hard work, the SBG Buford fighter has been granted a mixed martial arts title shot on June 25th right here in Buford GA.
Josh “The Dozer” Koser has been training at Straight Blast Gym since the summer of 2015. Since that time he has been a consistent presence in SBG’s Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts classes. Even before he came to Straight Blast Gym, he was an active mixed martial arts competitor, having fought several times on the local amateur circuit.
Coming to Straight Blast Gym Buford, Josh described his style of fighting as “grimey”. In other words, he wasn’t overly technical but he wasn’t afraid to put his chin down and keep moving forward, taking damage if need be if it meant he could also dish it out. Flash forward six years and Josh “The Dozer” Koser is still plenty grimey, but now he’s got the technique to go along with his hard-nosed style.
Straight Blast Gym Buford’s Head Martial Arts Coach Phil Gentry had this to say about The Dozer’s progression over the years:
“Koser exemplifies Tribe. In the fight game, you come across a lot of people that are selfish…they’ll expect people to help them to prepare for competitions but then when it’s time for them to help others they are nowhere to be found. Josh is always available to help whoever needs it, regardless of if they are his size or 40 pounds heavier than him. Koser is the hardest working MMA fighter in our gym, and win or lose, Koser always puts it on the line. He’s not just a fighter, he’s a true martial artist.”
This is high praise coming from a coach that has put in time with hundreds of men and women that have professed their desire to want to be a competitive MMA/Muay Thai/Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor. Whereas most of these people will flame out after they discover how difficult the journey is, Josh embraces the grind. Josh often trains twice per day, and only takes days off when Coach Phil tells him that he needs to give his mind and body a break.
Not only is Josh an incredibly hard worker, but he is one of the most coachable martial arts students at Straight Blast Gym Buford. Muay Thai Coach Jim Sheppard said this about Josh Koser:
“A lot of students and competitors hit a point in their journey where they start to think they know it all. They adopt a certain style and resist adding anything new or changing things up. Even after a decade of training in martial arts Josh still asks a lot of questions and is receptive to his coach’s feedback, whether it is complimentary or critical. This attitude has led to tremendous improvements in his game, especially over the past year. Josh is not only one of my favorite students but also one of my favorite sparring partners. I can always get a fast-paced, barn-burner of a round with Josh while also knowing that I’m never in danger of getting hurt or injured. He’s a very safe training partner and our rounds are very technical.”
It isn’t just his coaches that are an appreciation for Josh, his work ethic, and his dedication to his friends/team. His best friend of many years is Jesse Wable, who is not only his teammate at Straight Blast Gym Buford but also the match-maker for the National Fighting Championship (a martial arts promotion in the Atlanta/Buford area that puts on MMA and Muay Thai fights). We asked Jesse why he calls Josh Koser his best friend and he had this to say:
“Josh has been my best friend since the 7th grade. He is one of the few people out there that is universally liked by everyone. He’s such a stand-up person that I can’t imagine someone having beef with him. He’s gone above and beyond so many times to help me out, including dropping everything he was doing and driving 30 miles to save me and my wife after we broke down on the side of the road. More recently, Coach Sean (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach) told me that Cason (Jesse’s son) was being promoted to the Leadership team and that as part of the process he would be teaching his favorite technique to the adult Jiu Jitsu class. I asked Josh to help me out with this and he came over the house for three consecutive nights, after work, to train with Cason and help him feel confident with his technique.”
All of us at Straight Blast Gym Buford are excited to support Josh for his upcoming Mixed Martial Arts title fight on June 25th at the Tannery Row Alehouse in Buford GA. Some are supporting him in the gym by helping him to get in optimal shape and improve his martial arts technique, and others will support him by attending his fight (get your tickets right here) and making a ton of noise when his name is called to enter the NFC cage.
Congratulations on being selected as June’s Martial Arts Student of the Month, Josh. We’re incredibly proud of you and appreciate all that you have given to the SBG tribe. Now….let’s go win that title!!
