Dwyane Wade Enlisted Black Belt Martial Arts Trainer in 2011 After Demoralizing Finals Loss To Dirk Nowitzki and Co

Following a demoralizing NBA Finals defeat, Dwyane Wade resorted to training with a martial arts black belt trainer.

Dwyane Wade was one of the most athletic slashers in NBA history during his heyday. The man, appropriately nicknamed ‘Flash’, had some of the most Jordanesque posters and plays during his career.

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Wade could do it all on the floor. He could score from anywhere inside the 3-point arc. He could post up, run the pick-and-roll or score in iso situations. And when you threw double-teams at him or blitzed him, he’d split them or facilitate.

Given his elite first step and his ability to initiate contact and draw fouls whenever needed, Wade instantly became one of the most potent scorers and late-game finishers in the league.

His Big Three trio alongside LeBron James and Chris Bosh made it to 4 straight NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014. They won 2 championships before James went back to his hometown team for another 4-year spell.

Dwyane Wade consulted a black belt martial arts trainer from 2011

The Miami Heat star was smarting after losing an eminently winnable Finals series in which they were up 2-1. Despite their loss in the series, Wade was the clear best performer in the faceoff. And he wanted more – a second championship trophy.

His pursuit of excellence led him to try and trim his body fat in an attempt to become more durable. Understandable, since Wade had both of his meniscuses removed due to injuries in his Marquette days.

Already at an extremely low body fat percentage of 4.8%, Wade came back in 2011-12 at just 3.5% body fat. His weight had also dropped to 230 pounds in his attempts to play at a new body weight.

His trainer Ed Downs wanted Dwyane Wade to focus more on his core strength, and that is what they did. Downs put Wade through a routine that included him training with rubber bands and balancing discs. Downs said

“I was tired of seeing him falling on the ground all the time. So the better his balance, the more he lands safely on the ground. We all know he can do all the moves, but I want him to land on his feet and avoid injury.”

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