Mixed Martial Arts Tampa Matt Arroyo MMA Tampa

Aug 222013

MMA Tampa Coach and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Matt Arroyo shows the secret to the Guillotine choke!

Gracie Tampa South MMA instructor Matt Arroyo unveils his lethal guillotine choke!

MMA Tampa

With Chael Sonnen’s main event victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC on FS1 the entire MMA world was reminded how powerful the guillotine choke can be when properly applied. The guillotine is one of the most diverse techniques in all of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Arguably the most effective variation of the choke is the elbow high or “Marcelotine” version. This particular guillotine is made so effective by the arm positioning that simultaneously allows the attacker to apply an intense amount of throat crushing leverage as well as counter the most common defense. These factors make this submission nearly inescapable once it is locked in place.

Here is a video of Ultimate Fighter Season 6 veteran Matt Arroyo. Matt honed his guillotine skills while working with MMA Tampa coach Rob Kahn (Royce Gracie’s first black belt) as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Marcelo Garcia. Matt and his Tampa MMA students have used this technique en route to numerous victories in both sport grappling and professional mixed martial arts.

If you live in the Tampa area check out Matt’s MMA Tampa gym – Gracie Tampa South visit http://www.gracietampasouth.com

MMA Tampa

Tampa Gracie top MMA Tampa source!

Dutchess County MMA Gym – Precision MMA, the Premier MMA Gym in the Hudson Valley, Undergoes Renovations

martial arts, MMA No Responses »

May 202013

Dutchess County MMA Gym

Not all Mixed Martial Arts gyms in Dutchess County, or anywhere for that matter, are created equal. Aside from all the skills necessary to successfully teach martial arts classes, knowing what equipment is necessary for a good facility and having an eye for presentation are entirely different matters. Many Mixed Martial Arts instructors tend to believe that teaching is everything and entirely neglect the training space in which they teach, feeling that the lessons are the only important thing. Many a world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has been known to teach out of their garage or in their basement. While it is true that the die-hard Mixed Martial Artists and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners will train just about anywhere so long as the instruction is quality, we must remember that they only comprise maybe 5-10% max of those who seek out instruction. In fact, of those serious mixed martial artists, most of them started off casually and may have been turned off by an uncleanly, unkempt and cramped facility if they had been looking for a top notch school. In addition to this, many future mixed martial artists start as children needing their parents’ consent, and so it is important that a facility not only looking good to the trainee, but also his or her legal guardians, as well as the passers-by in the street who may be put off by an unattractive training space. Precision MMA in Dutchess County, New York has recently made renovations to make it even more use-friendly and attractive to the general public, as well as more useful to its long time students. In this blog we will cover some of the changes made and aspects which make Precision MMA the premier training facility in Dutchess County.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Dutchess County, New York is a total of 5,000 square feet including the waiting area, the mat, the ring, the bathroom and changing room. This is already a much larger facility than most martial arts gyms. We had previously had only 3,400 square feet of training space, in terms of the training mats and boxing gym, but recent renovations have added 600 square feet of mat space to our facility, giving us a whopping 4,000 square feet of training space. The fact that even decided to make any renovations at all, given that the amount of training space we had previously had was already twice that of the total space of many gyms, shows our students and potential students that we are always striving for improvement. Some of the renovations, like the repositioning of our 20 by 20 foot boxing ring, something else most gyms do not offer, had to do with the fact that we felt the ring itself sometimes got in the way of the kids classes. Children would sometimes stray towards the ring area, making the class a bit more chaotic. For this reason, in addition to our desire to offer more mat space, we decided to move the ring to the corner of the gym and knock down one wall. The result has been nothing less than astounding. The ring is no longer a hindrance during the kid’s classes and all of our students have been raving about the extra mat space which also makes us a safer facility because students are less likely to collide into each other while practicing takedowns. This an important point to make because many other Mixed Martial Arts schools in Dutchess County do not even include takedowns in their curriculum because of lack of space.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Dutchess County offers just about every sort of training equipment a student could want. Along with our extensive mat space and 20 by 20 foot boxing ring, we have an assortment of bags which can be used for striking, including heavy bags, slip bags, long Thai bags, double end bags, uppercut bags and a human shaped training dummy we affectionately call “Bob”. We also have multiple other types of training equipment, such as pull up bars, resistance bands, a crash pad, zebra mats and medicine balls. Most other Mixed Martial Arts schools in Dutchess County do not have this wide assortment of training equipment. We also have an assortment of hand-held pads for our Muay Thai and Boxing classes, including kicking pads, Thai pads and punching mitts, all which have their own antimicrobial bio-shields to insure that none of our students who use them contract any sort of skin conditions. In addition, we have multiple jump ropes, foam rollers which can be used for any cramps developed during training and a very useful timer we use to keep track of the length of our Mixed Martial Arts, boxing and Muay Thai rounds for our aspiring fighters. We even have padded walls which are very useful for Mixed Martial Arts training for simulating the surface of a cage and which prevent injury. Again, most mixed martial arts gyms do not offer all this equipment, in fact, many necessaries are ignorant to the many uses these training tools have, and it is their students who lose out in the end.

In addition to training equipment, Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Dutchess County has many other features which make its’ facility accommodating to students, aspiring students, parents and visitors in general. Because we have so much mat space we are able to teach two classes at a time, which is very convenient for both our students and instructors. To accommodate this we include two large dividing curtains which can be placed between separate classes so that the training spaces are kept separate. We also have a good sized changing room for our mixed martial arts students, something which many gyms do not have, forcing their students to have no option other than to change in the bathroom. Of course, we also have a sanitary bathroom including a shower, another feature most schools do not have, and which helps many of our students who drive longer distances from contracting contagious skin diseases by rapid washing after class. We also have large leather couches for parents of students and visitors, benches for our students to sit on, so they don’t get the couches sweaty, a cabinet where students’ shoes can be kept, as well as a fridge a flat screen TV and dvd player, and a desk and computer for our employees. We are also keep our gym sanitary at all times, mop all mats and the ring at least once or more a day, and spray down all equipment, which are measures that many schools do not take and which result in the spreading of infectious skin diseases.

As can be seen, the new and improved Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Dutchess, county New York has all its bases covered as a facility. Come by and check us out for 30 free days and you will not be disappointed.

Dutchess County MMA

Precision MMA is currently offering a 30-Day FREE trial for new members. If you’re interested in learning self-defense, getting into shape, and training with the best in the area, then stop in at 1097 Route 55, Lagrangeville, NY or call us at 845-392-8495. Don’t forget to ask about our free trial and intro lesson!

Jamey Bazes is a lifelong martial artist holding a brown belt in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpo Karate. He also holds a master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz. He is a student of Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrange, NY (near Poughkeepsie) and a decorated competitor including a Delaware Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship and a NAGA World Title. To train with Jamey in Poughkeepsie NY check out Precision MMA http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Poughkeepsie Martial Arts – Javier Vasquez Seminar A Hit Amongst Students at Precision MMA

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May 092013

On Saturday, April 20th, martial arts’ students at Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie, New York were lucky enough to have veteran Professional MMA fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Javier Vasquez in the house for a 2 hour no-gi seminar. Having fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and amassing a number of victories, all by submission, Vazquez was one of the best martial arts that Precision has had teach for us to date. For this seminar, Vazquez focused on attacks from back mount and rear naked chokes in particular. His attention to detail was magnificent, and his tips for maintain the back and getting the choke finish, unique and innovative. In this article I will explain some of the details outlined by Vazquez in his seminar, and why we hope he will someday come back to give another class.

One of the main details that Vazquez focused on was not riding too high on the opponent’s back while in back mount. This is a position that Jiu-Jitsukas and Mixed Martial Artists often lose control of at critical moments in a match or fight. This should not happen, seeing as back mount is perhaps the most dominant position in all of Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts. Students in Poughkeepsie were first shown how to keep an opponent who arches up on all fours from shucking them off by gaining a kimura grip on one of the arms. This grip is then used to torque the opponent’s arm, disrupting his balance and causing him to lose his posture so that the attacking martial artist can begin working on a choke.

Following this, martial arts’ students in Poughkeepsie were taught specific methods for maintaining the hooks on an opponent who tries to hip out and also how to get under the chin of an opponent who tries to block a choke with his jaw.

Another technique which wowed the Poughkeepsie Martial Artists in attendance was a grip fighting pattern which allowed the attacker to always be one step ahead of the defender in achieving the rear naked choke. Some commented that the hand pattern looked almost like a Wing-Chun technique, another martial art which has become popular in the Poughkeepsie area, but which generally tends to have less effectiveness than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is offered on the Precision syllabus.
Vazquez also taught proper usage of a single leg ride known as “the mulligan” which can be almost as dominant as any double hook back mount, and showed a number of methods for trapping the opponent’s arms, such as the “mission control trap”. This is technique where the martial artist in back mount uses one of his legs to trap one of the opponent’s arm, taking it out of the equation and making the choke much more difficult to defend. The attending students in Poughkeepsie were particularly impressed with this one.

The Mixed Martial Artists at Precision in Poughkeepsie, as well as some visiting students from AMA fight club in New Jersey, were very lucky to have Vazquez stay afterwards to watch them work and share some tips from his long fighting career. For many BJJ students like myself, this was the first time we had ever had an actual former UFC fighter critique our movements.

Vazquez focused in particular on the importance of not being hit, especially while on bottom, even if it leads to a lull in the action. He stated that he felt MMA is a sport where too often fighters take risks resulting in their own injury when simple self defense could lead to a better outcome, with them still winning the fight and taking less damage in the process. In particular, when he watched me work to escape bottom mount by trying to simply elbow escape as quickly as possible, taking a number of blows in the process, he stated that I was trying to escape too quickly without focusing on taking fewer punches. He showed me how to escape more slowly, taking fewer shots in the process, and for this I was very grateful.

He also showed a move for defending strikes while an opponent stands up in one’s guard which he himself had created, which he referred to as “master control”. The move was similar to what we Poughkeepsie martial artists and Jiu-Jitsukas refer to as the “de la Riva” guard, where the outside leg is laced on the inside of the standing opponent’s knee. The other foot is then placed in the hip of the same leg of the standing opponents, and his near wrist is controlled with both hands of the opponent on the bottom. I had never seen this move before and was amazed to see how hard he was able to make it for the opponent on top to hit him, and how he was easily able to strike back, submit and take the back, as well as sweep and get back to the feet whenever he wanted.

Though these were only a few of the moves showed by Javier at his seminar at Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie, had he shown no more than these few movements it would have been enough to make the price of the class worth it for the martial artists in attendance. His attention to detail and focus on maintaining back mount, fighting the hands for the choke, and avoidance of taking strikes while on the bottom were revolutionary. His teaching style was very patient, his demeanor affable, and his style seemed as though it would work equally well for no-gi, gi and mixed martial arts competitions. All the martial artists at Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie hope that Vazquez will come back soon to share more amazing techniques in the near future.

Dutchess County Boxing

Precision MMA is currently offering a 30-Day FREE trial for new members. If you’re interested in learning self-defense, getting into shape, and training with the best in the area, then stop in at 1097 Route 55, Lagrangeville, NY or call us at 845-392-8495. Don’t forget to ask about our free trial and intro lesson!

Poughkeepsie Kickboxing – The Multi-Faceted Sport of Kickboxing: Proudly Represented at Precision MMA

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May 062013

Of the different martial arts offered at Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie, New York, most have very specific boundaries in terms of the techniques they incorporate and the disciplines they encompass. For example, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is on the Precision syllabus, has very specific rules in tournaments and though it can incorporate other styles like wrestling or Judo, when you watch a BJJ match you usually have a good idea of the kinds of techniques you may expect to see. Likewise, boxing, also offered at Precision MMA, is very particular in it’s focus. No one has ever watched a boxing bout and wondered whether or not they were watching a Karate match, for example. However, the sport and martial art of Kickboxing has a much wider grey area in what spectators can expect to witness in terms of skill set, and what competitors can expect to learn when they sign up for classes. Though Muay Thai is, of course, a style of Kickboxing, and one which is offered at Precision MMA, it can have many differences from what one may witness at a local Kickboxing bout. Likewise, boxing is a part of Kickboxing, but has many differences from the latter as well. In this blog I will hope to clarify some of the arts encompassed under the umbrella of the term “Kickboxing”, some of the common rules of the sport, and how it is trained at Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie.

Kickboxing, as a sport and martial art, has many different styles. One of the more common styles, which is taught at Precision MMA by local Poughkeepsie AKBF Champion Karl Nemeth and others, is Muay Thai. The style of Muay Thai allow kicks to the leg, body and head without shin pads, as well as knees to all these targets, elbows to the head and body, and punches, as well as clinching and trips. No matter what the rules of a local kickboxing fight, practitioners of Muay Thai will be likely to find success. However, going into the event it is very important that they know the rules because many techniques that are legal in Muay Thai may or may not be legal in a local Kickboxing fight. For example, leg kicks are often illegal in kickboxing, or if allowed the competitors will often have to wear shin pads. Knees are often not allowed in Kickboxing competition, or if allowed, they may not be legal to the head. Trips may or may not be allowed in competition, and the amount of time fighters are allowed to spend in the clinch can vary. Finally, elbow strikes are very often illegal in Kickboxing events, while they are considered possibly the most lethal weapon in a Muay Thai bout.

Another common style of Kickboxing is the Dutch Style of Muay Thai, which is most notably represented in K-1 events. This style tends to combine the leg kicks, knees, clinching and elbows of Muay Thai, with the hand techniques, footwork and head movement of boxing, and the straight forward punching style and unique angular kicks of Kyokushin Karate. Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie, New York offers classes which cover techniques from both traditional Muay Thai as well as the Dutch Style and the common style of western boxing. Our instructors have been trained in all three styles and also freely exchange information with students who hold high ranks in arts such as Kenpo Karate, Shorin-Ryu Karate, Jeet Kune Do, and Takedwondo, in order to make sure that the kickboxing we offer, as opposed to other schools, is multi-faceted and never rigid. It is particularly important that we do this because some of our instructors and students who have had “kickboxing” fights in nearby Poughkeepsie have had to adapt to unusual rule sets, sometimes even mid-fight. For example, our instructor Karl Nemeth had one fight a few years back where he was told that kicks to the head were legal, and so he began landing them at will. However, it was then deemed that he was starting to do a bit too much damage with them, and the referee suddenly decided to make them illegal mid-fight. Though this kind of thing shouldn’t happen, because Kickboxing as a whole can have so many different rules and amateur fights are often more chaotic than professional ones, things like this do occur with more frequency than some might like to admit. There are both styles which allow and those which prohibit head kicks, and both are known as “kickboxing”, so a school like Precision in Poughkeepsie which is more versatile is likely to find more success in kickboxing matches with varied rules than some other schools. Because of our multi-faceted approach to the sport, coach Karl was able to have success in this fight even despite his head kicks being suddenly prohibited mid-fight, but for some other fighters from more rigid schools this sudden rule change might have led to defeat. Likewise, another one of our students had a recent Poughkeepsie Kickboxing fight where full body throws were legal and he did not become aware of this fact until his opponent utilized them in the fight. This is highly unusual. Some, in fact, many kickboxing fights do not allow trips or takedowns of any kind. Traditional Muay Thai Kickboxing does allow certain foot sweeps as well as takedowns which involve lifting an opponent directly off their feet and delivering them to the mat. However, even Muay Thai does not allow full body throws and slams done from unusual angles or which involve lacing the opponent’s legs. Nevertheless, because Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie also offers classes in Wrestling, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which most of our kickboxers cross train in, the student in question was quickly able to get his bearings about him and use his knowledge of these arts to defend against the takedowns and win the fight. Once again, it was shown in this example that “kickboxing” as a sport can include any number of different rules, and that the more versatile one’s school is and the more multi-faceted their kickboxing program, the greater chance its students will find success in competition.

One very popular style of kickboxing, which is often the basis for the rule sets of local events, is the American style. This sport came into popularity in the 1970s with fighters such as Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis and Bill “Superfoot” Wallace. The rules generally prohibit leg kicks, knees, elbows, or any sort of trips or takedowns and also disallow lengthy periods of clinching. Basically, the American style is more similar to boxing mixed with Kyokushin Karate than it is to traditional Muay Thai from Thailand. Though Precision in Poughkeepsie does offer traditional Muay Thai techniques which coach Karl Nemeth has learned from none other than world Muay Thai champion Kaensak Sor Ploenjit, we are fully capable of competing under the American rules. This is because we also incorporate so much boxing into our style, which our students learn from experienced boxing coaches, such as Derrick Ohlhoff, who is himself a three times Golden Gloves’ champion. When far fewer kicks are allowed, and knees and elbows are prohibited, then sharp boxing skills are that much more important in attaining victory. Most of our sport kickboxers cross train in boxing so that they can have success in bouts which have American rules, but this is unfortunately not possible for those martial artists at other more rigid schools which do not offer Boxing classes. Our school also has students who hold brown and black belts in styles of Karate like Kenpo and Shorin-Ryu, so if a student knows he is going to be competing under American rules he can cross train with them in order to gain a wider knowledge of upper body kicks in preparation.

Another area of Kickboxing which is very subject to change is the length and number of rounds. In some local kickboxing events the rounds have been known to be as short as one minute or one minute and fifteen seconds. Other times the rounds may be a minute and a half, two minutes, three minutes, or even five minutes. Though most local kickboxing fights these days tend to be three rounds, there are cases where they are only two rounds, and there are also cases where a fight can consist of a total of five or even ten or more rounds. This wide variation in length and number of rounds can make preparation for an upcoming Poughkeepsie Kickboxing fight stressful and chaotic. However, because our instructors and students have competed in fights with so many differing round lengths and numbers of rounds, our students can properly prepare for any scenario. If the rounds are only one minute in length then our instructors will know how to train them, both psychologically and physically, for the short bursts of energy they will need to expend. However, if the rounds are longer, or there are more of them, then our coaches will also know how to prepare our competitors so they will have the necessary cardio and mental endurance to make it through wars of attrition.

As can be seen, “kickboxing”, as both a sport and martial art, has many rule sets and many changing variables. To be prepared for these a martial artist needs a wide array of skills and first hand instruction from trainers who have fought under different scenarios themselves. Whether fighting under Muay Thai rules, Dutch or American Kickboxing rules, or some other variant, students of Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie, New York will be prepared to take home the gold. This is because we train under so many different conditions that if need be, we will simply beat you at your own game.

Poughkeepsie Kickboxing

Javier Vazquez Seminar April 20th

MMA No Responses »

Apr 152013

On April 20th from 11am-1pm UFC and WEC veteran Javier “Showtime” Vazquez will be at Precision MMA for a no-gi seminar covering attacks for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Javier is one of the country’s top instructors, don’t miss your chance to train with the best!

To find out more about Precision MMA call 845-392-8495 or click here

Hudson Valley Martial Arts Competition Training

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Apr 092013

How Precision MMA Can Prepare A Student for Martial Arts’ Competition

Various authorities on the subject have stated recently that they believe martial arts have evolved more in the past 20 years than in the past 200 years. This may seem a bold claim, but is quite possibly true with the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993 and the vast network of information provided by the Internet. Along with the increased awareness of styles found to be effective in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has come a vast increase in practitioners of those styles, and with this has come an increase in the number of competitions held. This not only includes increased competition in both professional and amateur MMA, but also a greater number of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, kickboxing and Muay Thai fights, Judo competitions, and also more interest in school wrestling programs and local boxing programs. While almost every town has a martial arts’ dojo of some kind, most cannot provide the kind of quality instruction necessary to prepare students for these kinds of competitions. Precision Mixed Martial Arts, located in the Hudson Valley region of New York, boasts instructors who are experts in all these disciplines, and can get students of any style in competition shape.

When a student signs up for Precision Mixed Martial Arts they may not have competition in mind at first and the idea of testing themselves may come to them at a later point in their training. At some schools this could be a dilemma because the type and pace of the training offered may be very opposite from a tournament or fight atmosphere. For example, let’s look first at the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as it is practiced at many schools versus how it is taught at Precision in the Hudson Valley. First of all, anyone acquainted with the martial art of BJJ will know that there are two distinct styles: Gi Jiu-jitsu, where the competitors wear a full kimono with a top, pants and a belt, and no-gi Jiu-Jitsu, also known as submission grappling, where the competitors wear a pair of shorts and a rash guard. While the two styles have many similarities, they also have many differences when it comes to grips, pace of the match, takedowns, and overall strategy. Many martial arts’ schools only offer instruction in one or the other, and this becomes a problem if the student has interest in competing in the style not offered by their dojo. Many a BJJ student has entered a no-gi division at a local tournament after training a year or two with the gi on, believing the two styles to be nearly identical, only to meet with defeat because they were unprepared for the differences. The same has also occurred the other way around, with students training exclusively no-gi, then entering a gi competition and finding themselves confused by the different grips and chokes. Luckily, Hudson Valley’ martial artists training at Precision can train in both styles and be prepared to compete under both formats. In fact, the two styles can complement each other and work as training tools for competition in the other. For example, training with the gi on can help a no-gi competitor work on his grip strength. Or, if the student trains without grabbing his opponent’s gi and asks his opponent not to collar choke him (since neither will apply to no-gi competition), he can otherwise learn a great deal about posturing which can cross over to no-gi. This is because he will have to develop the muscles necessary to resist the increased pounds of pressure created by the downward pull of the kimono that would not be focused on as greatly in no-gi training. Another reason that gi training can help no-gi training is that the increased friction caused by the gi will reduce the sweat factor which allows submission grapplers to more easily slide out of submissions without using as much technique, so no-gi grapplers will have to learn more technical escapes based less on athleticism. Likewise, no-gi grappling can greatly aid gi grapplers in their style because they will have to develop different types of grips which can cross over equally well to their style, (such as underhooks and overhooks), but which they may not have focused on as much in gi training due to over reliance upon gi grips. Since Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley offers both of these styles, a student wishing to compete under either will reap the benefits.

Moreover, martial artists at Precision in the Hudson Valley will learn to wrestle in their submission grappling classes and they will also learn Judo takedowns in their gi Jiu-Jitsu classes. This is something that most Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools do not offer, and for this reason many competitors in both styles of grappling have been unsuccessful in competition because they did not know how to defend against, or initiate the takedown. In fact, there is such a heavy emphasis upon both wrestling and Judo in Precision’s Jiu-Jitsu classes that many students have been able to have success in local Hudson Valley wrestling tournaments. Since schools in the New York’s Hudson Valley region are rife with quality wrestling teams, these young wrestlers often come over to Precision to complement their wrestling with Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, as well as extra wrestling classes, and find increased success on the wrestling mat. Likewise, the local wrestlers help our Jiu-Jitsu students with their takedowns and our jiu-jitsukas find more success in grappling tournaments.

In terms of overall strategy, Precision in the Hudson Valley’s instructors have a wealth of experience in all grappling styles so they will know how to coach their students in competition. We have black and brown belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who have extensive competition experience in both gi and no-gi divisions who can help students learn the point systems found in local Hudson Valley tournaments and also teach them how to pace themselves in their matches. We also have multiple Division One wrestlers who have competed at schools in the Hudson Valley region who can teach our wrestlers and jiu-jitsukas how to apply their mat skills and a renowned Judo black belt who is experienced in training Judokas for competition.

In addition to the many grappling styles taught at Precision Mixed Martial Arts, we also offer the striking styles of Muay Thai Kickboxing and conventional western boxing and our coaches are perfectly equipped to prepare our students for the ring. Our head Muay Thai coach, Karl Nemeth, is himself an AKBF kickboxing champion in the Hudson Valley area with multiple victories and several knockouts to his credit who is quite adept at teaching both beginning and advanced students the skills necessary for sport competition. Likewise, our head boxing coach, Derrick Ohlhoff, is a three-time Golden Gloves’ boxing champion who has coached many of our students to wins in the boxing ring. The knowledge our coaches have to impart is multi dimensional. Not only will our striking instructors teach the aspiring competitor the necessary technique but they will also make sure that the student has a practical application for it by having the student engage in serious sparring sessions before any fight so that they will know what to expect. While it might seem strange to some, many martial arts’ academies do not even allow sparring, either deeming it unnecessary or fearing that students will be injured. Yet some of these schools will actually allow their students to enter competitions without ever experiencing real contact in sparring and it is this that will actually increase their risks for injury once they truly step foot in the ring. Also, many martial arts’ schools in the Hudson Valley and elsewhere do not have an actual boxing ring so they are unprepared for the environment under which they will be competing. This is not a problem at Precision with our new sixteen by sixteen foot ring. Strikers at Precision will also have rounds set with timers that will sound at the end of each to prepare them for the short bursts necessary during a competition bout. Nothing is left to chance and we make sure our fighters are ready for everything they will experience come fight night.

Finally, if Mixed Martial Arts is a goal of the Precision trainee, a better coach cannot be found than in our head instructor Brian McLaughlin. McLaughlin is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and two-time MMA champion who boasts an impressive 6-2 record and has even competed on the UFC’s reality show T.U.F, season eight. McLaughlin teaches his MMA students everything they will need to find success in the cage. Often neglected by other martial arts’ schools, McLaughlin teaches his students proper nutrition and weight cutting skills so that they can make the right competition weight and feel strong and healthy when stepping out there. The MMA classes themselves focus on all aspects of mixed martial arts, including ground and pound, fusing takedowns with strikes, getting back to one’s feet and defending from the bottom against an opponent on top, as well as many other elements. Brian also makes sure that all his aspiring competitors have the necessary cardio to deal with the pace of an MMA fight, and even has many tips to dealing with the mental stresses of fighting which he has learned through his actual ring experience.

In summary, no matter what style of martial art a student wishes to compete in, Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley will be able to adequately prepare them. Don’t waste your time training with coaches who claim to know what it takes to fight without ever having put the gloves on themselves. Try us out for 30 free days and see all we have to offer the aspiring competitor.

Get Started at Precision Mixed Martial Arts Today! Make sure to ask about our 30-day FREE trial!

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Hudson Valley MMA – Facts vs Fiction

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Mar 142013

MMA in the Hudson Valley has been exploding over the past few years. Unfortunately, many of the Hudson Valley MMA Gyms are simply single style martial art schools re-branding themselves in order to profit from the UFC boom.

Hudson Valley MMA

Here’s a few things to look out for when selecting an MMA gym in the Hudson Valley.

#1 – The school only competes in 1 discipline

A true mixed martial arts gym will have golden gloves boxers, muay thai kickboxers, grapplers and mixed martial artists all stepping onto the mat, ring or cage to compete. If you are at a school which only produces kickboxing competitors or grapplers then that is a big red flag.

#2 – All the same coaches for each discipline

MMA encompasses so many unique styles that its nearly impossible for one coach to be a true expert in each discipline. A well rounded Hudson Valley MMA gym will have a variety of instructors for wrestling, Judo, boxing, muay thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If there is only a single instructor then they are likely severely lacking in one or more areas.

#3 – An uneven schedule

If 75% of the classes are devoted to one style then you probably are NOT at a true Hudson Valley MMA gym. Many Jiu-jitsu gyms will have a “boxing night”. While that may be a nice change of pace, it certainly does not do enough to qualify the school as a Mixed Martial Arts Gym. Authentic MMA gyms teach in depth in all ranges of combat, not topical highlights.

#4 – Limited Facility

An MMA gym will have a striking area as well as a grappling space. If your gym only has a boxing ring and heavy bags with no grappling mats or crash pads then you can bet they aren’t devoting enough time to ground fighting. Conversely many BJJ gyms posing as MMA schools have nice mats and wall padding but no striking bags or boxing ring. The facility is a reflection of the training. If you want mixed martial arts then you need variety in the facility.

Hudson Valley MMA

So if you’re looking for an authentic Hudson Valley MMA gym, check out Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY. With classes 7 days a week in boxing, muay thai, BJJ, Judo, Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts Precision has the best schedule in the Hudson Valley with experts teaching each discipline. We also are the largest MMA school in all of Dutchess County at 5,000 square feet.

Check out our 30 Day FREE Trial – call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Hudson Valley MMA – Precision MMA Training for MMA Fighters by Fighters

MMA No Responses »

Mar 112013

Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley is taught by MMA fighters for MMA fighters.

Since the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has gone through numerous changes in terms of both rules and mainstream acceptance. Originally, what is now known as MMA was actually a different sport in its structure. In the early days it was known as “Vale Tudo”, which translated from Portuguese means “anything goes”, or otherwise referred to simply as “No Holds Barred fights”. In 2001 however, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board was the first to adopt a new rule set called the “Unified Rules”. The majority of the United States, including the Hudson Valley region of New York, and the rest of the world quickly adopted these rules. As such, they are now generally accepted as the main set of regulations for the sport and the move that defined the birth of MMA and the death of Vale Tudo. With the transition from Vale Tudo to Mixed Martial Arts more changed than just the rules. The general audience for the sport grew and changed along with the styles of the fighters, extending to the Hudson Valley and well beyond. Once less of a sport and more of a spectacle, with no weight classes, few rules and very little rhyme or reason behind who was permitted to fight in the events, after the inception of the Unified Rules MMA became a very organized athletic competition. Specific weight classes were created to avoid mismatches, and very clear boundaries were set between what was and wasn’t legal. As the rules became clearer, likewise, the strategies for the fighters competing became more honed and Mixed Martial Arts coaches seeking to prepare their fighters for competition discarded what was useless, and zeroed in on what was effective. Competition teams that focused too much on one aspect of MMA and not enough on the others began to fall out of favor as their members were less successful, and the successful teams provided a formula for others to follow. While the strategies for the camps differed, one factor was consistent amongst most: in general, most successful teams, such as Precision MMA in Hudson Valley, New York, had one or more coaches who had at one point fought in Professional Mixed Martial Arts fights themselves. This remains to be the case these days, as MMA fighters need coaches who have also set foot in the ring to clarify details that might be overlooked by instructors lacking this experience.

Despite the massive differences in the rule set at the time, when Royce Gracie fought in the first UFCs in the early 90s, he didn’t go out there knowing what to expect based only on his own past experiences. Royce fought with his father Helio and his brothers Rickson and Rorion in his corner, all of whom had fought professionally themselves. Though Royce outmatched most of his opponents, he found his first real challenge when faced with 265lbs wrestler Dan Severn in the main event of UFC 4. If you look back at that old footage you can clearly see moments when Royce is looking to his corner for advice. Royce went on to win the fight, but without his corner this may not have been the case. A good corner man, like those provided by Precision in the Hudson Valley, is essential in MMA and experience in the ring is the most important credential any corner man or instructor can have. There are many reasons for this that we will look at in detail.

First and foremost, Mixed Martial Arts is a very chaotic sport. Even with the modern Unified Rules, the possibilities for what can occur in the ring are nearly endless and fighters risk very real bodily injury every time they compete. Anything that can make the sport less chaotic is a plus, and the antidote to chaos is experience. Even if someone cannot relate to an experience themselves, they should at the very least have an advisor who can. At Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Hudson Valley, New York, students are extremely lucky to have an instructor who has been in the ring himself in Brian McLaughlin. Boasting a record of 6-2 and having fought on the Ultimate Fighter Season Eight, Brian is able to coach his students from a unique vantage point. The Hudson Valley’s McLaughlin has faced just about every adversity in the ring and can explain details that a coach who has not fought would overlook. Sure, any MMA coach can tell his student that as a modern day fighter he will need to be proficient in the standup, wrestling and ground portions of the game. However, only former fighters like Brian can tell you what it is like to fight with an injured hand or with bronchitis. Only a former fighter will be able to tell his students to avoid shooting on the logos of the mat surface in the cage, because these surfaces are much more abrasive than the rest of the mat and will tear the skin of one’s knees. These are just a few details that Precision in the Hudson Valley’s MMA coach can impart to his aspiring fighters.

Many Hudson Valley MMA camps are organized mainly around one discipline as their base. For some schools the instructor has a striking background and has competitively taken part in boxing and kickboxing fights. Others come from a wrestling background and others from a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu base. However, even coaches who have fought or competed under these rules are incapable of fully preparing a student for a mixed fight where the combat can take place both standing and on the ground. An MMA coach who is a former Jiu-Jitsu competitor, for example, may be able to instruct his students to try to keep the fight on the ground, but they will not be able to explain first hand the frustration experienced when the opponent refuses to fight your fight and simply wants to back away to the standing position. A coach with actual MMA experience like the Hudson Valley’s Brian McLaughlin can explain to his students how they may need to be patient in such a situation, because it has in fact happened to him. Likewise, an MMA coach with experience will know that closing the distance against an experienced striker may be difficult or likewise, that keeping the fight standing against a good grappler may not always be possible, and that should the fight hit the ground they will need to have other options.

Beyond the strategic factors however, there are also the psychological ones that are even more difficult to grasp for someone who has never themselves fought. Prior to competing, any MMA fighter is bound to be nervous. Not only are they about to fight someone intent upon doing them bodily harm, but an audience is watching. There is going to be a great deal of noise in the arena that may be distracting. The lights may be bright to an abrasive extent and members of the audience may be inebriated or out right insulting to the fighters. A coach or corner man experienced in fighting himself will have specific coping strategies for his fighters when it comes to dealing with these aspects that a coach who has not fought will lack. For example, if the sight of the crowd becomes overwhelming, an MMA coach like the Hudson Valley’s own Brian McLaughlin may recommend that the student look for one individual in the audience who they are familiar with to make the image appear less threatening. This isn’t the sort of tactic any coach could recommend, its one only a former Hudson Valley MMA fighter would think of because he himself had to deal with it. Likewise, a former fighter will be able to explain to his students how to have a poker face while fighting, and how to hold oneself so that one’s own exhaustion or physical pain is less apparent to the opponent. He will also be able to explain how controlling one’s breathing while fighting is important so that they do not become too tense, how to drown out the sound of the audience by listening to one’s corner, or how to keep one’s eyes on the opponent to avoid other distractions.

Finally, former MMA competitors like Precision’s coach in the Hudson Valley can explain to their students first hand how to deal with different types of opponents and environments. For instance, if their student is about to fight a skilled wrestler who lacks a varied striking game, the MMA coach may be able to reference a particular fighter he faced with that resemblance and suggest his student try to land a standing blow before initiating an aggressive guard game. If his student is facing a pro boxer, the coach may be able to describe from personal reference how such a fighter might panic once being taken down and the sort of reaction they might be likely to have. MMA coaches like Brian McLaughlin from the Hudson Valley will also be able to explain to their students how fighting in a cage differs from fighting in a ring and how to prepare for each, because they have fought in both environments. They may also have strategic advice for fighting with rounds of different lengths, for example, they may suggest that a student competing with shorter rounds initiate aggressively early in the round, or they may suggest a student fighting with longer rounds play a more conservative game to prepare for the exhaustion of the later rounds. All these aspects and others too numerous to count can only be explained by an MMA coach with actual in-the-ring experience.

In the ever-growing sport of MMA new strategies are being developed each day and every school has its own strengths and weaknesses. As every member of a fight camp comes together they combine to form an overall body of knowledge, of which the strongest link is the head instructor. When the MMA instructor himself has fought professionally, like Precision’s coach in the Hudson Valley, there is less guesswork involved in fighter preparation and so the fighters will know more of what to expect when they step into the ring themselves.

Train at the #1 Hudson Valley MMA Gym Check out Precision MMA FREE for 30 Days visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Hudson Valley MMA

Jamey Bazes is a lifelong martial artist holding a brown belt in both Tampa BJJ and Kenpo Karate. He also holds a master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz. He is a student of Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrange, NY (near Poughkeepsie) and a decorated competitor including a Delaware Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship and a NAGA World Title. to train with Jamey in Poughkeepsie NY check out Precision MMA http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Poughkeepsie Martial Arts – The Gentle Art of Jiu-Jitsu: From Ancient Japan to Modern Day Poughkeepsie, New York

BJJ, martial arts, MMA, self defense No Responses »

Feb 282013

BJJ at Poughkeepsie Martial Arts

From its earliest origins in 17^th century Japan to its 21^st century application at Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie, New York, the martial art of “Jiu-Jitsu” has been a way for smaller opponents to overcome their larger adversaries. Translated from Japanese, “Jiu” literally means “gentle” and “Jitsu”, “art”. Akiyama Shirobei Yoshitoki created the first style of Jiu-Jitsu, “The Willow School”, over 400 years ago based on the ability of the branches of willow trees to withstand large amounts of snow fall by yielding to the pressure. Though this martial art adapted over the years and became the basis for Judo and later Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the focus would remain the same: teaching students to prevail in fights by utilizing the least amount of force.

In 20^th century Brazil, Helio Gracie used these same principles to create the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Growing up, Helio was a frail child. In fact, during most of his youth he was so weak due to illness that he could not even train and learned simply by watching his older brother Carlos in his lessons with Esae Maeda, the first Japanese foreigner to bring Jiu-Jitsu to Brazil. Later Helio’s physical weakness became Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s gain as he adapted the style to work for smaller and less athletic students. When his son Royce competed in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, he too was smaller and weaker than most of his opponents, yet he overcame all of them by using superior technique and the principle of yielding. In fact, he defeated his first opponent in that tournament, the boxer Art Jimmerson, without landing one punch by simply taking him down and holding him in the mounted position until he became so frustrated he simply gave up and tapped out.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Poughkeepsie, New York boasts a direct lineage all the way back to Helio Gracie who himself can trace his Jiu-Jitsu lineage back to the founder of the Willow School. The gentle art has spanned four centuries and thousands of miles from Japan to Brazil to Poughkeepsie, New York. However, the goal of Jiu-Jitsu instructors at Precision remains the same today as it did in antiquity: for the teacher to impart the lesson of yielding to his student so that he can use minimal effort for maximum effect. A Jiu-Jitsu practitioner wants to defeat his opponent by using as little strength as possible, and also by doing as little damage as possible to his attacker. In fact, one of the greatest current Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts and UFC fighters, Demian Maia, has been quoted as saying that he believes the best expression of his expertise in this martial art is to be able to win a fight without once striking his opponent.

Much like Maia, and similar to Royce Gracie in his first UFC fight, Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Poughkeepsie’s head instructor Brian McLaughlin won his first MMA fight without landing a single punch and without being hit once. In only twenty-two seconds, Brian tripped his opponent to the mat, established control, applied a choke and got him to submit. This is a perfect expression of the same martial art created centuries ago in Japan, and Brian imparts these same skills to his students during his martial arts classes in Poughkeepsie. One student at Precision who has learned the lesson of yielding as well as any is Brown Belt Karl Nemeth. Despite being only about 145lbs and smaller than most of his competition he is often able to use his technique to defeat much larger and stronger opponents in competition. The reason Karl is able to do this is because he grasps the concept of “yielding” that is so stressed in the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. When faced with a larger opponent, instead of trying to over power them or forcefully gain top position, he recognizes that his best course of action is to relax and use technique and flexibility to gain the upper hand. This is the essence of Jiu-Jitsu that the original “Willow School” was founded upon.

However, the lesson of yielding stressed in martial arts like Jiu-Jitsu is not always an easy one to learn. When struggling with an adversary who wants to choke, strike or torque one’s limbs, it is a natural reaction to become tense, and to try to fight back using more strength than is necessary, or even useful. The lessons taught at Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Poughkeepsie teach proper body mechanics so students never waste their energy while grappling. Every movement is based on economy of motion: achieving the greatest result with the least amount of effort. For example, the famous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Marcello Garcia only weights 170lbs, but knows so much about proper body mechanics that he is able to make himself feel twice his weight while on top of an opponent without exerting extra energy. And while this concept is important in sport competition, it is absolutely essential for street self-defense. While one may be able to out muscle the opponent in a local Poughkeepsie tournament and get away with it, in the end they may leave themselves physically exhausted and depleted. Such exhaustion is excusable during sport competition, but can lead to disaster in a self-defense scenario where one’s ability to survive the altercation is dependent upon how much energy they can conserve. Martial artists must expect that if attacked in the street they may have an adrenaline dump that will leave them physically drained. They must expect that they will be up against bigger, stronger attackers, possibly multiple and possibly armed. Furthermore, they will probably not even know the attack is coming. With all the odds stacked in the attacker’s favor the last thing a martial artist wants is to be tense and to use too much strength giving the attacker an even greater advantage. The lessons taught in Jiu-Jitsu will allow the student to prepare for being overpowered, and this will in turn allow him to remain calm and use his superior technique to survive. The economy of motion taught in Jiu-Jitsu is based upon muscle memory: the student becomes so used to performing the same movements in a relaxed motion that when it comes time to put his skills to use, “muscling” his opponent is hardly even an option. In fact, it would require undoing what has already been learned. Because of this martial art’s focus on muscle memory and economy of motion, all reactions are natural and do not require actual “thought”. In the same way that the techniques taught in our Poughkeepsie Mixed Martial Arts classes do not require physical strength, neither do they require mental exertion. To quote the great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Saulo Ribiero, in Jiu-Jitsu “if you think, you’re late. If you’re late, you muscle. If you muscle, you get tired. If you’re tired, you die.”

Aside from physical “yielding”, Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Poughkeepsie, New York teaches the lesson of mental yielding as well. At Precision we do not train with egos. Beginning students often have a competitive mentality and do not want to submit while grappling, but they quickly learn that tapping is a part of regular training. In fact, if one trains regularly but is never submitted, it most likely means that they are not challenging themselves enough. In the long run, this lack of physical and mental challenge creates rigidity, and rigidity is the opposite of the “gentle way”. However, what is so great about the martial art of Jiu-Jitsu is that it can be trained at full speed without hurting one’s opponent. Two students can grapple at a high pace, and yet if one gets the other into a submission, it is easy to let go without causing harm. And while this principle is true of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a whole, there are still schools whose teachers do not stress this enough. The practice of catch and release is emphasized at Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Poughkeepsie so that we can continue to train hard every day. And finally, Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie is a school where it’s students are encouraged to think outside of the box. If one technique is not working, another may. We like to think that our students do not stick to one style or routine and that if need be, they can be as flexible as a willow branch.

The essence of the martial art of Jiu-Jitsu has never changed: to overcome superior force through superior technique and flexibility of mind and body. Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie has not forgotten its roots in either ancient Japanese or 20^th century Brazilian culture.

For more information on Poughkeepsie Martial Arts, visit our website: http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

About the author

Jamey Bazes is a lifelong martial artist holding a brown belt in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpo Karate. He also holds a master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz. He is a student of Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrange, NY (near Poughkeepsie) and a decorated competitor including a Delaware Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship and a NAGA World Title. to train with Jamey in Poughkeepsie NY check out Precision MMA http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Poughkeepsie MMA – From Humble Beginnings

martial arts, MMA No Responses »

Feb 182013

Poughkeepsie MMA

I travel far and wide to train with the top martial artists I can find. When I come across a good thing I always try and share it with my students – I’ve lead many Precision MMA students from Poughkeepsie on field trips to some of the top MMA gyms in the Northeast. The comment that gets repeated to me the most during these trips is “That kid with the pony tail is REALLY good!” The long haired fellow in question is of course coach Karl. Striking or grappling Karl’s unique style and innovative techniques turn heads among even the best and brightest of the sport. The popular belief is that Karl was a martial arts protege who was hitting omoplatas and high kicks with surgical Precision from day 1. Few people realize that along the way to his current success Karl overcame deficiencies that would have scared away many.

When Karl first came in to try out class he looked like Kurt Cobain after a hunger strike. He was very out of shape and initially could only take a few classes a week because his body couldn’t handle regular exercise. The experienced students would tie him in knots and the new guys could muscle him around. However, Karl had a secret weapon that would allow him to quickly rise through the ranks and achieve his martial arts goals. He had a thirst for knowledge and enjoyed the journey. While other students would beat their heads against walls if they couldn’t effortlessly tap everyone in class Karl had a smile on his face every time he would get submitted. Rather than taking nights off to party Karl would stay late and ask questions about mixed martial arts. Instead of being discouraged by the lack of immediate promotion Karl prepared himself for a long martial arts journey in Poughkeepsie.

Helio Gracie once said “the primary objective of jiu-jitsu is to empower the weak”. The real magic of martial arts training is the transformation of a student from frail and unassuming to confident and powerful. The unfortunate part is that too often students fall short of fulfilling this incredible change due to frustration or lack of confidence. Karl’s progression didn’t happen overnight, but his passion for the martial arts and belief in his trainers carried him through the trying times. His progress is now a shining example of what is possible if you stay the course and enjoy the journey in Poughkeepsie Mixed Martial Arts.

Technique coupled with dedication can overcome any physical disadvantage. Jean Jacques Machado became a Jiu-Jitsu world champion despite being born without fingers on his left hand, Anthony Robles becomes an NCAA National wrestling champion while having only 1 leg, Helio Gracie became the most influential fighter and martial artist of his generation yet as a youth he had fainting and dizziness so severe he was not allowed to take PE class. Natural ability and physical tools are hardly prerequisites for Poughkeepsie MMA success, a positive attitude and unyielding dedication will more than suffice.

See you on the mat

“When I started I was the skinny kid – I had never done any martial arts training. I was slower, weaker and less explosive than everyone I worked with…at the time all I really had going for me was that I loved it” – Karl Nemeth

Want to learn more about how you can become a martial artists like Karl Nemeth? Give us a call at 845-392-8495 or drop in at 1097 Route 55, Lagrangeville NY.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts
1097 Route 55, Lagrangeville NY 12540
845-392-8495

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