Demonstrate. Repeat. Demonstrate. Repeat.

Former Penn State wrestler Dan Vallimont spent the early stages of his coaching career working with youth wrestlers.

Handling novices is fine and requires patience. But Vallimont has found different fulfillment training an advanced athlete.

Vallimont’s current project involves preparing Mixed Martial Arts veteran Yves Edwards for his lightweight bout against Sam Stout during Saturday’s UFC 131 card in Vancouver. Working with Edwards contrasts training youth wrestlers.

“It’s weird for me,” Vallimont said. “I have coached kids and stuff. But working with Yves is very easy. He’s older and he picks things up really quick.”

Vallimont and Edwards work regularly in a gym outside Hollywood, Calif. Farther down the southern California coast, Adam Lynch, one of the Vallimont’s Penn State teammates, trains bantamweight star Dominick Cruz. Cruz fights Urijah Faber during next month’s UFC 132 in Las Vegas.

Vallimont and Lynch are in California for identical reasons — to hone a fighters’ wrestling skills.

“How many times in my life will I get to leave for two months to do something like this?” Lynch said.

Lynch met Cruz through former Penn State teammate and rising MMA light heavyweight star Phil Davis. Cruz and Davis are based out of the Alliance Training Center in Chula Vista. Lynch, a key part of Penn State’s 2011 NCAA championship team, wrestles with Cruz once or twice per week.

“It’s definitely been a good experience for me,” Lynch said. “With coaching MMA, you’re thinking about other things such as chokes and punches. It’s kind of cool how wrestling works into it.”

SeeWrestling, Page B3