{{short description|Grappling coach}} {{Infobox martial artist | name = Neil Melanson | image = Neil Melanson.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | College = | martial_art = Catch Wrestling, Judo | teacher = Gokor Chivichyan, Gene LeBell, Karo Parisyan | team = Hayastan Studio, Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts | rank = ''Black belt in Hayastan wrestling'' | spouse = | students = Dominick Cruz, Vitor Belfort, Randy Couture, Todd Duffee, Gray Maynard, Karo Parisyan, Goran Reljic, Chael Sonnen, Michael Chandler }}
'''Neil Melanson''' is an American submission grappling coach. Melanson specializes in catch wrestling, while drawing elements from judo, and focuses his coaching specifically, but not exclusively, on grappling in mixed martial arts. He is especially known for his guard work, leg locks and triangle chokes.<ref name=BIO>{{cite web |url=http://www.xtremecouture.tv/Instructors/Trainer_NeilMelanson.htm |title=Neil Melanson |accessdate=2010-10-02 |publisher=XTREMECOUTURE.tv |date=2010-10-02}}</ref> He is currently the head grappling coach at Jaco Hybrid Training Center. He is the former head grappling coach at both Xtreme Couture Las Vegas, Blackzilians and Alliance MMA.
Melanson's hybrid grappling style comes from his training under Gene LeBell, Gokor Chivichyan, and Karo Parisyan (who awarded him his black belt) at the Hayastan MMA Academy. Gene LeBell learned catch wrestling from feared wrestlers Lou Thesz and Ed "Strangler" Lewis, which is mixed with Gokor Chivichyan's expertise in judo and sambo. Melanson considers this unique style a massive influence on his grappling, and has since incorporated techniques from Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling into his own style.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gould |first1=KJ |title=UFC 129 Interview: Neil Melanson, Randy Couture's Grappling Coach |url=https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/4/19/2119810/ufc-129-coach-interview-neil-melanson |website=Bloody Elbow |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>
Throughout his career, the professional fighters Melanson has trained include: Randy Couture, Karo Parisyan, Gray Maynard, Todd Duffee, Goran Reljic, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Anthony Johnson, Patrick Cummins, Michael Chandler and also professional wrestler Bryan Danielson.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/superstar-hobbies-26114054/page-6 |title=That's What They Do: Wildest Superstar Hobbies |access-date=2013-05-11 |archive-date=2013-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830142045/http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/superstar-hobbies-26114054/page-6 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Melanson spent seven years in the United States Navy and five years as a Special Agent for the Federal Air Marshals,<ref name=BIO/> before joining Xtreme Couture and later Blackzilians.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Neil-Melanson-Joins-Blackzilians-as-MMA-Grappling-Coach-89527 |title=Neil Melanson Joins Blackzilians as MMA, Grappling Coach |accessdate=2023-02-02 |publisher=Sherdog.com |date=2015-07-22}}</ref>
Melanson's book "Mastering Triangle Chokes: Ground Marshal Submission Grappling" was released by Victory Belt Publishing. The book serves as a complete guide to the physiology and science of triangle submissions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neilmelanson.com/ |title=Triangles From The Guard |accessdate=2010-10-02 |publisher=NEILMELANSON.com |date=2010-10-02}}</ref>
==Personal life== Melanson was born with Behcet’s disease which caused him to go blind at the age of 28. With the help of doctors and Remicade infusions, he regained sight but only in his right eye.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elitefts.com/documents/neil_melanson.htm |title=An Interview with Neil Melanson: Newest Member of Team EFS |accessdate=2010-10-02 |publisher=ELITEFTS.com |date=2010-10-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903061508/http://www.elitefts.com/documents/neil_melanson.htm |archivedate=2010-09-03 }}</ref> After experiencing trouble with a toe in 2011, Melanson had it removed after it became arthritic due repeated injuries so that he could continue training.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/mma/post/_/id/2578/neil-melanson-chooses-mma-over-body-part |title=Neil Melanson chooses MMA over body part|accessdate=2011-06-23 |work=ESPN.com|date=23 June 2011 }}</ref>
==References== <!--- See Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://neilmelanson.com neilmelanson.com] * [http://xtremecouture.tv xtremecouture.tv] * [http://victorybelt.com victorybelt.com] * [http://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/fighters/neil-melanson]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melanson, Neil}} Category:Living people Category:American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Category:American catch wrestlers Category:American male mixed martial artists Category:Mixed martial artists utilizing catch wrestling Category:Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Category:Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Category:Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainers Category:Mixed martial arts trainers Category:Year of birth missing (living people)