Why Pro Athletes Like Lane Johnson Choose MMA Training in the Preseason
Coach Kirby Farrales, Head Coach at Beacon MMA, Chapel Hill pictured with 2X SuperBowl Champion and Philadelphia Eagle, Lane Johnson at Beacon MMA Headquarters in Cherry Hill, NJ.
With all the excitement in Chapel Hill—Bill Belichick on campus, UNC football ramping up, and NFL training camps just around the corner—this time of year always feels electric. The lead-up to camp is where real preparation happens. And while teams focus on OTAs and early installs, many players use this window to train with intention, working on the physical and mental tools that will carry them through the season.
During the 2019 offseason, I was sought out to work with one of those players, Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson. At the recommendation of his longtime strength and conditioning coach, Lane incorporated MMA into his training, and I had the privilege of leading those sessions.
Though the pairing may have seemed unconventional at first—an All-Pro offensive lineman working with a 5'6", 150-pound Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach—the results spoke for themselves. This wasn’t about brute strength. It was about leverage, timing, and technique.
Tailored for the Trenches
I built the sessions around the kind of close-quarters combat Lane faces every snap on the line of scrimmage. Muay Thai clinch work and BJJ grip fighting provided the technical framework for the training, with an emphasis on:
Hand Fighting: Using rapid-fire pummeling drills and clinch entries from Muay Thai, Lane sharpened his ability to clear hands, gain inside position, and reset engagements under pressure.
Maintaining Inside Control: Drawing from both BJJ and striking disciplines, I focused on reinforcing the importance of centerline dominance—crucial for a lineman trying to neutralize fast edge rushers or powerful bull-rushers.
Redirection & Off-Balancing: Through BJJ positional flows, Lane worked on using his opponent’s momentum to create angles and manipulate balance—skills that translate to better control in pass protection and run blocking.
Hip Flexibility & Mobility: Martial arts are loaded with dynamic, multi-directional movements. Incorporating Muay Thai kicking drills and mobility-focused BJJ transitions helped Lane improve flexibility, control, and fluidity through his hips—a key asset for any lineman looking to stay injury-free and explosive.
Precision Over Power
What stood out during these sessions wasn’t just Lane’s athleticism—it was his ability to absorb unfamiliar concepts and apply them quickly. He approached the work with humility and intensity, recognizing that adding even a small edge in hand placement or foot positioning could make a huge difference on the field.
Despite the massive difference in size between us, the technical nature of the training was right at home in the high-performance world Lane lives in. That contrast—Lane at 6'6", 315 lbs and me at a lean 150—is clear in the photo, but it underscores the point: mastery of movement is attainable at any size.
High-Level Work, Short-Term Focus
This wasn’t the first time our coaches have been tapped to train professional athletes from the Philadelphia Eagles (as well as the Philadelphia Flyers), but due to their grueling schedules, these sessions are always hyper-focused, short-term collaborations that allow Philly’s finest to approach NFL training camps with some fresh tools and insights drawn straight from combat sports.
It’s a great example of how disciplines like Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can bring real value outside of the cage or the mat—especially for athletes who operate in high-contact, high-leverage environments. When you're up against the best in the world every Sunday, the small technical advantages gained from mixed martial arts training with us can make a real difference.
More Than Just a Gym
At Beacon Mixed Martial Arts, our coaches bring years of experience and a technical mindset to everything we do—whether it’s prepping a pro athlete for camp or helping a brand-new student build confidence through their first few rounds on the mat. The work I did with Lane back in 2019 is just one example of how fundamentals, applied with intention, can reach beyond traditional boundaries.
Whether you're chasing performance at the highest level or just trying to train like an athlete, we’ve got the structure, knowledge, and experience to help you level up. And while most of our training isn’t with NFL linemen, the principles stay the same: timing, technique, control, and consistency.
Thanks again to Gabe Rangel for making the connection and trusting me with a small part of Lane’s off-season. It was an honor to work with one of the best—and a great reminder of what martial arts can offer athletes of every kind.
