Nov 302018
 

Precision Fighter Garret Volpe made it to the front cover of the Poughkeepsie Journal this Friday. If you met Garret Volpe today, you would have no idea that two years ago he was forced to face his own mortality. As  a committed athlete who trains tirelessly and is constantly seeking new information on nutrition and fitness, it was a complete shock for him to find out that he was facing heart failure. After Volpe was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, and beneath his muscular frame his heart was functioning at approximately 40% of normal rate. Those who know Garrett would attest that he is not only in good shape, but a living embodiment of peak physical fitness. His family, friends, coaches and teammates were in dismay and disbelief, but none more than Garrett himself. He has dedicated years of his life to training martial arts, in hopes of pursuing his long-time dream of fighting in a mixed martial arts bout. This dream is what kept him in positive spirits, despite being told that he may need a heart transplant if he was going to survive. Check out his article in the Poughkeepsie Journal to learn more about Garrets struggle to make it from heart failure to getting his hand raised. If you live in Poughkeepsie or the Hudson Valley and would like to train MMA, give Precision Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts a call at (845)392-8495 or visit us at precisionmixedmartialarts.com

Poughkeepsie MMA fighter Garret Volpe wins

Poughkeepsie MMA fighter Garret Volpe wins

Nov 062018
 

There’s an array of reasons as to why people choose to incorporate martial arts into their lives. Many people start training as an avenue towards weight loss, others may be seeking to improve upon their physical strength and their ability to defend themselves. However, the benefits of training martial arts go far beyond physical improvement. Anybody who’s gone for a light run can attest that exercise can improve your mental state. However, for people who suffer from severe depression, anxiety or other mental struggles, it makes a drastic difference in quality of life.

Precision students having fun and boxing

Precision students having fun and boxing in Poughkeepsie

Just like any other physical activity, training martial arts releases endorphins that help combat stress levels. However, unlike most other forms of exercise, learning a discipline like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, or boxing is just as much of an exercise for your brain as it is for your body. Learning a technique is very similar to studying in school; going through steps over and over again until you can mold something into muscle memory. Applying techniques in a real time situation such as sparring or competition forces your brain to constantly re-calibrate, assess the situation and apply necessary changes. It’s a constantly evolving puzzle that can only be solved by training your body and mind to work in unison.

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Boxing will relieve stress. Coach Crazy Jon boxes in the Hudson Valley with precision students.

Through navigating the challenges presented in martial arts and constantly sharpening your mental and physical skill set, training can instill a strong sense of confidence. Confidence can manifest itself in numerous ways throughout your training. The first, and perhaps most obvious way that training builds confidence is through building a good physique. Consistently training martial arts will not only visibly change your body, but will also result in augmented strength and flexibility. The combination of having pride in your physique and waking up feeling strong and healthy every day feels fantastic. This can also lead to higher energy levels during the day, resulting in more productivity. Additionally, pushing your body and brain during training will lead to deeper and more consistent sleep at night.

Although improving your movement and health through martial arts is a great way to boost confidence, the mental benefits seem to outweigh the physical for most people. Learning a new skill set can be challenging, but engaging and effectively applying that skill set is incredibly rewarding. Becoming competent at something that you’ve put time and hard work into helps to establish a strong sense of self pride and establishes goal-oriented behavior for every aspect of your life. Making training a regular part of your routine requires dedication; not only by showing up to the gym, but through diet, mentality and creating healthier habits. It requires being able to get through small setbacks such as injuries, scheduling and exhaustion. Training equips you with the tools to be able to handle mental battles as well. You’ll learn to keep your ego in check, not to get too deterred after a tough sparring session, and how to get yourself up and into the gym even when you don’t feel like training. All of these mental tools are applicable to the other aspects of your life as well and can help you perform to the best of your ability at work, in social situations and personal relationships.

Most of us think of a martial arts academy as a place to learn hand-to-hand combat, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a community of like-minded people, gathered for the same reason; to improve their lives through martial arts. The community aspect is one of the most understated benefits of training. It’s a strange concept; a group of people voluntarily coming together to practice punching and strangling one another, but the bonds developed on the mats are some of the strongest friendships that I’ve experienced in my life.

If you’re a resident of the Hudson Valley and want to make your MMA dreams a reality in a safe and fun environment, come check out Precision Boxing and MMA; the Hudson Valley’s premier mixed martial arts academy. Give us a call at (845)392-8495 or visit us online at http://www.precisionmixedmartialarts.com to schedule your free lesson today!

Training Martial Arts will expand your social groups

Nov 012018
 

We’ve all made excuses to get out of doing things that we don’t particularly feel like doing or going somewhere we really didn’t want to go. While some of these excuses may seem harmless, often times we use these excuses to stay in our comfort zone or take the easy way out which can ultimately prove to be harmful to ourselves. Making excuses only sets us back from unlocking our full potential and takes us further away from reaching our goals. An excuse is just a preventable setback from achievement that we have full control over. Excuses keep you from growing and reaching opportunities. From time to time we use the excuse of being ‘too tired’ or ‘being too busy’ to train. While there isn’t a cure for physical or mental exhaustion except a good night’s sleep, all too often, this is just one of the many excuses used to justify skipping class to snack on pizza and nachos. For training MMA to be effective, we must develop a workout schedule and stick to it to expand knowledge and better our martial arts. Nothing was ever accomplished or achieved by not taking any action or making excuses. In our schedule we should incorporate specific days to rest that are consistent to allow our bodies to rejuvenate and adequate rest.

Sometimes excuses are made to disguise the feelings of shortcomings. It’s important to develop a positive mentally when training martial arts. We should try to learn to view our shortcomings as improvements instead of  failures. It can be difficult to not dwell on past mistakes, but in order to better ourselves and master that technique we’ve been drilling for ages, we must view the mistakes as something to learn from and move on. It’s not an overnight process, but with discipline this mindset can be achieved. As a result of this, you’ll eventually learn to recognize your mistakes, accept them, and learn how to fix them instead of making excuses for them.

Before you make an excuse to use as a reason not to train or for your poor performance, you should ask yourself whether or not the excuse is valid.

Live in the Hudson Valley and interested in training MMA? Call 845-392-8495 or visit www.precisonmixedmartialarts.com today so we can help you get started!

MMA in Poughkeepsie, NY

MMA in Poughkeepsie, NY

Sep 152018
 


Women are no strangers to violence. It’s not rare that we hear of women being victimized in modern society. The statistics of women experiencing sexual or physical violence are scary and a true realization that women aren’t being encouraged to be properly taught how to defend themselves in  assault situations. While abuse may happen to anyone, women are by far the more frequent victims. This is the optimal reason why instead of participating in spin class to get better at riding a bicycle women should view learning how to protect themselves as a priority. Women shouldn’t rely solely on male figures, groups or weapons to defend themselves, they should be mentally and physically prepared to defend against attackers if need be at any moment. Men are often viewed as stronger and bigger, which may often be the case in most confrontations, but knowing how to use your opponent’s mechanics against them is key to surviving and protecting yourself in any situation. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or BJJ is a martial art that teaches smaller individuals how to use bigger opponent’s height, weight and movement to their advantage. This sport enables women to fight off attackers of any size and allows them to build confidence, an essential key to gaining advantage in violent engagements. Women don’t have to feel helpless in attacks or fall victim to physical and sexual abuse, with the proper instruction and environment, women can be given the tools to defend themselves. At Precision Boxing and MMA, we offer various disciplines that teach self-defense, satisfying multiple ambitions of our practitioners. Our BJJ classes are taught by  knowledgeable instructors of the sport in an accepting, controlled environment. BJJ teaches individuals how to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations by empowering students with knowledge and various techniques to safely defuse any situation. If you’re interested in learning a sport that’ll teach you self-defense and promote confidence Call 845.392.8495 or visit http://www.precisionmixedmartialarts.com

Jul 092015
 

There are so many reasons for women to start MMA training. Unfortunately, women are often the primary victims in abductions, rapes, or domestic abuse. Women ages 18-36 are at the greatest risk of being victims of domestic violence. Situations like these could change your life drastically. When you train MMA, you become more confident in knowing that you’ve done something to be able to lessen the chances of any of those things happening to you. With self- defense knowledge women can be empowered to be survivors and not victims.  Once you know how to defend yourself against situations like this, the way you carry yourself changes too. Self-defense and self-confidence go hand in hand in this particular circumstance and it benefits you throughout your life.

Not only will you have the skills to defend yourself in dangerous situations, but MMA is a lot more fun than just the regular routine at the gym. It’s always something new, so you’ll never get caught doing the same thing every day. Many people struggle with their weight and body image. But they also struggle with getting to the gym and doing something about it. The thought of the gym irks a lot of people. But when you do something like MMA, you’re doing an activity that’s enjoyable and not just solely for losing weight. When you train, you will never feel un-motivated or dissatisfied because the experience is exciting and something to look forward to doing.

 

MMA also gives you the chance to get involved, interact, and socialize with other people. It teaches you to work and cooperate with others and that skill can be applied to your job, and just every- day life.

Here what a female student at Precision has to say about the classes:

“I then found precision and went in to test the waters. I’m glad I did! I have tackled many of my fears and have really taken a liking to the jujitsu classes. I am so pleased with the instructors, and the atmosphere. It’s a great learning environment and for people like me it has brought me out of my shell and helped me get back into exercise and health. I recommend precision to anyone and everyone. It pushes your limits without breaking your body, it keeps you desiring to learn more, and gives you focus that is unwavering” – Hope Ackerly

Get started today with a 30 Day FREE Trial visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com or call 845-392-8495

May 182015
 

People seek martial arts training for various reasons whether it is for fitness, competition, or fun there is one circumstance that trumps them all, self defense. Having the ability to protects yourself and others in any given situation is a powerful tool that can help you sleep a little sounder. Many gyms promise these results with no avail. Here at Precision MMA not only are we taught by the best instructors in the Poughkeepsie area,  but also have reviews by real life people using their skills to defend themselves in the street.

Here is one review by KC Edenhofer, who by day is a SUNY NewPaltz R.D. and by night is a Security guard. Not long into his training at Precision MMA did KC use the skills he learned to end a fight that had occurred while on duty.

“I’ve been at Precision for two months and also work security back home. During one of my security jobs a person became irate and was ejected from the venue. When verbal de-escalation did not work, the person attacked me. Using the skills I learned here I was able to take him down safely while making sure no one else was in immediate harm. For the people that are on the fence about joining, jump over the fence and join us because it’s definitely the place to be!”

Rave Review Precision Mixed Martial Arts

Rave Review Precision Mixed Martial Arts

 

You could be our next rave review! If you want the skills to defend yourself check out 30 FREE days of self defense classes call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Mar 182013
 

kids-martialartsGrowing up isn’t always easy. Just as the adult world is fraught with all sorts of competition, whether business related or otherwise, so too is a child’s world full of social obstacles. From a young age each child makes particular friends, which often distinguish him as a part of a social “clique”, at whatever school he attends. Being outside these cliques often subjects a child to bullying, which can be physical and/or verbal. Kids can be very cruel at times and will pressure each other in different ways and not all parents are able to provide their children with the necessary tools to defend themselves against bullies. However, if a child becomes involved in martial arts, such as those offered at Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley, they can learn to take matters into their own hands and become more confident in dealing with bullying and social pressure. When children learn to defend themselves physically they change from the inside out: they become more confident and this confidence shows in the way they hold themselves and conduct themselves daily. The reasons for enrolling ones’ child in martial arts at the Hudson Valley’s Precision MMA are nearly endless, and it’s something every parent should strongly consider.

The first thing to consider before enrolling one’s child in a martial arts program, such as those offered by Precision Kid’s MMA in the Hudson valley, is which style the child is interested in. A parent should have his child watch one of the kids’ classes ahead of time and let him choose which class he would like to attend so he feels from the start as though he himself is the one in power. Forcing ones kids to partake in an activity rarely provides the best emotional outcomes, and when the child later sees the progress he has made and remembers that it was he himself who chose to partake, it will make him feel all the more empowered. Once the child has chosen a martial arts class, such as either Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Muay Thai kickboxing, all are offered by Precision Martial arts in the Hudson Valley, they will see from the start that this sort of training isn’t always easy. In fact, while the training should be fun, it should also be challenging so that the student knows he has accomplished something when he makes it through a difficult class. Especially if started at a young age, the child will be able to see his musculature develop as he grows and this will give him a greater sense of self-confidence. At school his peers will notice the physical changes taking place in him and they will most likely also notice him carrying himself with more confident body posturing as a result of the hard training. This should in general help a young martial arts student from Precision MMA to avoid being the victim of bullying. Kids generally tend to look for their physically weaker classmates to pick on, as well as those who appear to lack in self-confidence, and so young martial artists will not be the greatest choice of victims.

As a child grows into his teen years and pressures mount, if he has been doing martial arts for years at an esteemed school, such as Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley, he will at this point be quite confident in his skills to defend himself physically should the need ever arise. Of course, violence is always best avoided at all costs, but that is why martial arts training is all the more effective for preventing bullying, because when one knows how to fight, they are less likely to feel defensive and more likely to stay out of trouble as a consequence. Just as lack of self confidence shows in body posture, and makes a child more likely to be a victim of bullying, so too does lack of self confidence breed defensiveness, and this defensiveness often leads kids to become bullies themselves. If a child or teenager feels that they are lacking in some area they are likely to want to take their frustration out on others and become a physical or verbal bully. Hudson Valley martial arts students gain the confidence necessary through their training to overcome these feelings of defensiveness so they will be just as unlikely to become the school bully, as they are to become a victim of bullying. The constant training in techniques based in real world self defense will give them the peace of mind to know that they can handle physical attack, and so if a bully threatens them, either physically or verbally, they will be more likely to laugh it off than actually engage and risk injury, school expulsion or other consequences.

Moreover, martial arts training at Precision Mixed martial arts in Hudson Valley, New York, breeds discipline. Students know that if they want to improve they are going to have to make sacrifices and work diligently. They will see that if they do not properly apply themselves they will not get the results they want and this will likely cross over to other areas of their lives. They may see that if they don’t finish their homework ahead of time they will not have time to attend their martial arts classes, and so as they grow to enjoy them they may learn better time management to get their assignments done early and become better students as a result. And in this way, not only do young Hudson Valley martial artists become more confident because of their physical abilities, but also because of their overall life success. Precision MMA instructors also stress respect for oneself and ones’ peers, so a martial arts’ student at Precision is not likely to victimize or ostracize his classmates or engage in any form of bullying. In addition, Precision in the Hudson Valley often acts as a “home away from home” for many young kids looking for something to do after school or on the weekends. Martial arts training generally keeps kids busy so that they don’t have too much idle time to get into trouble.

In summation, bullies tend to stay away from winners, realizing that the other kids who are highly successful will not be the easiest targets. Martial arts training at Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley helps make kids into winners, not only on the mat or in sport competition, but in school and in life as well.

12076823-precision-frontGet Your Child Started at Precision Mixed Martial Arts Today!  Make sure to ask about our 30-day FREE trial!

visit http://www.lagrangemartialarts.com or call 845-392-8495 to get started

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

Feb 282013
 
BJJ at Poughkeepsie Martial Arts

BJJ at Poughkeepsie Martial Arts

From its earliest origins in 17th century Japan to its 21st 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 20th 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.

precision30dayfreelogoHowever, 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 20th 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

 

 

Jan 242013
 

Martial arts training helps not only the student, but also all those that come into contact with him.  Realistic martial arts training allows a student to stay calm in even the most chaotic of situations.  Here is the story of an ordinary Poughkeepsie Man who was able to use his martial arts training to help his fellow man.

Precision MMA Student uses his Techniques to Stop an Attack

My name is Joe Bottiglieri, and I turned 40 this past August. I am a husband, father to three daughters and a Marine Corps Veteran. I started training near Poughkeepsie, NY under Brian McLaughlin at Precision MMA. I am currently ranked a one-stripe Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The impact BJJ has had on my life has been nothing short of extraordinary and extremely positive.

Poughkeepsie martial arts

Poughkeepsie martial arts

While driving home from Poughkeepsie a few weeks ago, I stopped at a gas station to get something to drink. As I was walking in, I noticed two groups of people speaking to each other in what could only be described as a highly agitated manner. As I was leaving the store, the situation had escalated to a violent state. Someone had taken a swing at a female over an insult resulted in two guys from one group physically assaulting a single guy from the other. They wrestled him to the ground and crouched over him, punching and kicking him wildly. While the individual was on the ground, he was screaming at his friends for help – but nobody was doing anything.
I make it a point to avoid this type of violence unless absolutely necessary and in this case, I felt it was appropriate to get involved. I dropped my stuff and started telling the individuals to get off of him, which they did not do. I got closer and struck the attacker facing me in the side of his head with an open palm, to avoid doing any serious damage to his nose, eyes or face. He stood up a bit and looked at me. In an aggressive tone, I told him to get off of him. This seemed to register and he stopped. The other attacker had his back to me and was still punching the victim. When I tried pulling him off he didn‘t budge. I slid my left arm around his neck and over the bicep of my right arm and started cinching up a rear-naked choke, while telling him that was enough. I was worried that the other attacker might try to sucker-punch me at this point but he wasn‘t budging. I kept tightening the choke on him until he stopped punching. At that point I slid him back a little bit and released the choke. He landed on his butt and scrambled to his feet. I could easily have put him to sleep but applying the choke with control until he stopped was more than effective. I don‘t think he wanted to find out how much tighter I could have made it.
I was prepared to defend myself if need be and to be honest – I was really worried that one of them might have a knife or a gun, but that wasn‘t the case. Realizing the police might arrive the attackers quickly ran towards their car. The victim on the ground was back on his feet at this point and started after the attackers. His friends and I held him back and advised him to get their license plate number along with the make and model of their car.

While I wish things like this wouldn‘t happen, I‘ve been around long enough to know that they will and usually when you least expect it. If there‘s a positive in any of this, it‘s that nobody was seriously injured and I was able to remain relatively calm and apply fundamental BJJ in a real-life situation. As a result I prevented several people from receiving injuries far worse than a few bruises and scrapes. Applying the techniques on the attacker was no different than live grappling in class at Precision MMA because we always train realistically with fully-resisting opponents. Without my martial arts training, I might have used more force to stop the assault and as a result, caused more injury to either of the individuals involved, which could have escalated the level of violence.

Joe used his Poughkeepsie martial arts training to keep those around him safe.  If you’d like to learn martial arts in Poughkeepsie, NY check out Precision MMA FREE for 30 Days call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com