He was born in the Netherlands with the name Sebastiaan Rutten, but to mixed martial arts (MMA) fans around the globe, he's known simply as "Bas." Also recognized by the moniker "El Guapo," which means "the handsome one" in Spanish, Bas Rutten is a man consumed by his passion for the sport, leading to success both in and out of the ring.
As a fighter, Rutten was a three-time undefeated King of Pancrase (a Japanese predecessor to modern MMA) and an undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, before serious knee and bicep injuries forced him into retirement. Since then, Rutten has become one of the most versatile personalities in the game, with the additional titles of author, color commentator, coach, entrepreneur, actor, television host and, most importantly, teacher, on his resume.
"Teaching is rewarding," Rutten said. "You put a lot of work into someone, and then they compete and you see them excel, and that's very rewarding."
Rutten is in Austin educating potential instructors on the basics of The Bas Rutten MMA System, which is currently taught by 21 certified instructors in 11 states and Canada. The system delves deeply into techniques Rutten first made popular in his instructional DVD, "Bas Rutten's 'Lethal Street Fighting' Self Defense System," and his CD/DVD package, "The Bas Rutten Mixed Martial Arts Workout."
"The basics [have] to be perfect, because if you're not perfect, then you can't build on it," Rutten said. "You got to build on perfection, otherwise everything goes wrong. So, now they better do it all right."
High standards and hard work are as synonymous with Rutten as the tattoos on the palms of his hands, his trademark liver shots and his celebratory leg splits in midair, known as the "Rutten jump." Growing up, Rutten suffered from a skin disease that forced him to often wear protective gloves, which prompted taunting and bullying from other children. Before long he discovered martial arts, became dedicated to the discipline and vowed to defend himself against harassment.
At a recent reunion with his childhood peers, Rutten received a measure of revenge when the jaws of his former tormenters dropped in awe of the 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound MMA guru.
"It was fun when I walked in there because everybody thought there was no way it was me," Rutten said. "And all these bullies that you see in movies, they were all losers. It was exactly like in the movies."
With six motion picture appearances and numerous television acting gigs under his fifth-degree black belt, Rutten knows a few things about movies and show business. However, Rutten is most well-known on the small screen for his entertaining style as a color commentator. Rutten currently works for the International Fight League and is a former analyst with Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships, where he called some of the biggest fights in MMA history.
But teaching is where Rutten's heart truly lies, and on Saturday, Aug. 11, he will be conducting a seminar on MMA in Austin covering aspects such as striking, sparring, grappling and fight strategy. Unfortunately, with Rutten's knee surgery looming, attendees shouldn't expect to see the "Rutten jump."
"I can't, I'll break in half," Rutten said.
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