# Neil Melanson

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{{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](/source/Catch_Wrestling), [Judo](/source/Judo)
| teacher         = [Gokor Chivichyan](/source/Gokor_Chivichyan), [Gene LeBell](/source/Gene_LeBell), [Karo Parisyan](/source/Karo_Parisyan)
| team            = Hayastan Studio, [Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts](/source/Xtreme_Couture_Mixed_Martial_Arts)
| rank            = ''Black belt in Hayastan wrestling''
| spouse          = 
| students        = [Dominick Cruz](/source/Dominick_Cruz), [Vitor Belfort](/source/Vitor_Belfort), [Randy Couture](/source/Randy_Couture), [Todd Duffee](/source/Todd_Duffee), [Gray Maynard](/source/Gray_Maynard), [Karo Parisyan](/source/Karo_Parisyan), [Goran Reljic](/source/Goran_Reljic), [Chael Sonnen](/source/Chael_Sonnen), [Michael Chandler](/source/Michael_Chandler)
}}

'''Neil Melanson''' is an American [submission grappling](/source/submission_grappling) coach. Melanson specializes in [catch wrestling](/source/catch_wrestling), while drawing elements from [judo](/source/judo), and focuses his coaching specifically, but not exclusively, on grappling in [mixed martial arts](/source/mixed_martial_arts). He is especially known for his [guard](/source/Guard_(grappling)) work, [leg lock](/source/leg_lock)s and [triangle choke](/source/triangle_choke)s.<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](/source/Imperial_Athletics). He is the former head grappling coach at both [Xtreme Couture Las Vegas](/source/Xtreme_Couture_Mixed_Martial_Arts), [Blackzilians](/source/Blackzilians) and [Alliance MMA](/source/Alliance_MMA).

Melanson's hybrid grappling style comes from his training under [Gene LeBell](/source/Gene_LeBell), [Gokor Chivichyan](/source/Gokor_Chivichyan), and [Karo Parisyan](/source/Karo_Parisyan) (who awarded him his [black belt](/source/Black_belt_(martial_arts))) at the Hayastan MMA Academy. Gene LeBell learned catch wrestling from feared wrestlers [Lou Thesz](/source/Lou_Thesz) and [Ed "Strangler" Lewis](/source/Ed_Lewis_(wrestler)), which is mixed with Gokor Chivichyan's expertise in judo and [sambo](/source/Sambo_(martial_art)). Melanson considers this unique style a massive influence on his grappling, and has since incorporated techniques from [Brazilian jiu-jitsu](/source/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu), [Greco-Roman](/source/Greco-Roman_wrestling) and [freestyle wrestling](/source/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](/source/Randy_Couture), [Karo Parisyan](/source/Karo_Parisyan), [Gray Maynard](/source/Gray_Maynard), [Todd Duffee](/source/Todd_Duffee), [Goran Reljic](/source/Goran_Reljic), [Chael Sonnen](/source/Chael_Sonnen), [Vitor Belfort](/source/Vitor_Belfort), [Anthony Johnson](/source/Anthony_Johnson_(fighter)), [Patrick Cummins](/source/Patrick_Cummins_(fighter)), [Michael Chandler](/source/Michael_Chandler) and also professional wrestler [Bryan Danielson](/source/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](/source/United_States_Navy) and five years as a Special Agent for the [Federal Air Marshals](/source/Sky_marshal),<ref name=BIO/> before joining [Xtreme Couture](/source/Xtreme_Couture) and later [Blackzilians](/source/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](/source/Behcet%E2%80%99s_disease) which caused him to go blind at the age of 28. With the help of doctors and [Remicade](/source/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)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Neil Melanson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Melanson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Melanson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.