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

Oct 092017
 

In a special ceremony at Precision’s sister school Pure Mixed Martial Arts in Denville, NJ Precision Boxing and MMA coach Karl Nemeth was awarded his first degree black belt under Jamie Cruz.  Jamie is a staple of the northeast jiu-jitsu scene and a long time coach of Precision head instructor Brian McLaughlin.

Poughkeepsie BJJ coaches Brian and Karl

Poughkeepsie BJJ coaches Brian and Karl

Coach Karl is a true martial artist. He was able to earn his first degree in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, a ground fighting art, despite the fact that his main focus is muay thai kickboxing. Coach Karl joins David Karchmer and head coach Brian McLaughlin as Precision coaches who have achieved their first degrees. At this same ceremony coach Brian also promoted his student and long time Precision member Jim Fitzpatrick to the rank of black belt.  One week later Fitz demonstrated his black belt skills at PA Cage fighting where he won a title fight by armbar in less than 1 minute. IF you would like to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the Poughkeepsie or Hudson Valley from the top black belts in the region call Precision Boxing and MMA at 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com  fitz bb

Sep 012015
 

In most schools students are forced to make a difficult choice.  Do they want to learn techniques that will keep them safe against a street fight or the cutting edge modern sport jiu-jitsu moves.  The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world is embroiled in a heated debate with each side insisting they are more worthy.  At Precision MMA we have embraced all sides of jiu-jitsu.

This footage is from a typical Monday night.  We begin with our “Vale Tudo” class which focuses on the Gracie Jiu-jitsu self defense method.  This night Dan and Larry were drilling the headlock escape series.  Headlocks are one of the most common attacks you will encounter in a self defense scenario and we have many methods for escape.

Following this class blue belts and above can put their kimonos on and learn the latest in sport jiu-jitsu.  Here Erik drills De La Riva sweeps and back takes.  These are sophisticated attacks designed to work against experienced BJJ opponents.

Old school meets new school on the mats of Precision MMA!

Want to train BJJ in Poughkeepsie or the Hudson Valley?  Check out Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY http://www.poughkeepsiebrazilianjiu-jitsu.com

Jun 202013
 
Hudson Valley martial arts

Hudson Valley Martial arts

Finding success in the Hudson Valley martial arts world is not always easy.  It is certainly true that people might define “success” differently.  Many dojos are content to hand out black belts as if they were representative of nothing more than the fabric which they are made out of, but there is one marker of success which never lies, and that is competition.  Whether a martial artist chooses to test himself in Amateur or Professional Mixed Martial Arts, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or some other competitive format, in all cases one’s opponent is not going to be interested in placating one’s ego and is going to do his utmost to prevent his adversary from being successful against him.  It is for this reason that Hudson Valley martial arts practitioners at Precision MMA are so proud of our ability to turn novices into successful competitors and fighters.  Many people have come through the doors of Precision with no martial arts’ training whatsoever, only to find themselves having success in the ring in record time.  The results speak for themselves and show that we know what we are doing when it comes to teaching effective Hudson Valley martial arts.

When a dedicated but entirely inexperienced student first enters Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley area of New York, we might liken them to a piece of clay, and our instructors to master sculptors.  As long as the student is willing to learn and do whatever is necessary to be successful our instructors can turn them into a living, breathing work of art. People are transformed by the practice of martial arts every day.  Their physiques are molded from plain or overweight to toned and conditioned.  Their self-image often improves with this.  But most of all, the practice of martial arts can make a formidable opponent with a wide range of combat skills out of just about anyone.  Precision MMA has taken Hudson Valley martial arts students with no prior experience and turned them into successful fighters of different kinds and this is always very exciting to see for the instructors and also for the fellow students who are just starting off themselves and looking to these fighters as an example to follow.  And not only do we at Precision sculpt novices into fighters, but we can also teach them to become effective martial arts’ instructors as well.

Hudson Valley martial arts

Hudson Valley martial arts

One example of a Hudson Valley martial arts success story at Precision MMA where a novice quickly became a veteran is that of John Joy.  Only a few years ago Joy began his training at Precision having never done any sort of martial art in his life.  The arts which Joy chose to focus on were mainly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Boxing, particularly the latter.  Within a short time Joy gained his blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu and became a tough roll for anyone in the studio, but his most pronounced progress was in Boxing.  Within just a couple years, Joy became a serious threat to all competitors on the Hudson Valley circuit and has had numerous victories in local AKBF fights.  He is himself now a boxing instructor at Precision and teaches others how to do exactly what he did.  In this way, the student becomes the teacher and so on until everyone at Precision is learning from each other and thriving.  Iron sharpens iron as they say.

Joe Carbone is another example of someone who recently had no martial arts’ training and became a quite successful Amateur Muay Thai fighter.  When Joe first came to Precision he had never had a competitive fight, yet he took to Muay Thai like a fish to water and has now had several AKBF victories.  Much like Joy, he is now also an instructor at Precision and helps beginners as well as advanced Hudson Valley martial arts students to learn the subtleties of Muay Thai in both our regular Kickboxing and circuit Kickboxing classes.

One of Precision MMA’s biggest success stories is that of Mike Piekarski.  “Pantene”, as we affectionately call him, had never trained in the martial arts before he came to Precision about eight or nine years back, and in fact had stated early on that he had never been very interested in sports in general.  However, over time Mike became extremely skilled in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Mixed Martial Arts.  Eventually Mike earned his Purple Belt in BJJ and went on to win several expert BJJ competitions.  He then began to focus on MMA and Muay Thai and began competing on the Amateur MMA circuits in the Northeastern United States.  Before going Pro in 2011, Mike recorded an impressive 3-2 record in Amateur MMA, with wins by way of guillotine choke, brabo choke and unanimous decision, while none of his opponents were able to finish him within the time limit.  He also won an AKBF Muay Thai bout, proving his skill in striking and showing those in the Hudson Valley that Precision’ martial artists are not to be reckoned with in the Muay Thai ring either.  Eventually Mike had his first Professional Mixed Martial Arts fight in 2011, which he won by decision.  We at Precision MMA were all very proud to see one of our own do so well under so many different competition formats.

Hudson Valley martial arts

Hudson Valley martial arts

One student who we at Precision Mixed Martial Arts are particularly proud of is Karl Nemeth.  At about 6’0 and around 150lbs, Karl might not strike your average person as looking particularly intimidating, and yet he is one of the finest Hudson Valley martial artists that Precision has, and quite possibly our most feared competitor.  When Karl first came to us several years back he had no martial arts’ training and would probably not have considered himself a natural athlete.  However, he took his training extremely seriously from day one, especially in the arts of Muay Thai Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and today is one of only three BJJ brown belts training at Precision.  Karl has won a few Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, however, his most impressive accomplishments have been in the Kickboxing ring.  Karl is himself an undefeated AKBF Muay Thai champion, with seven wins in total, three of them which he has won by spectacular head kick knockouts.  In fact, Karl has acquired quite a name for himself in the Hudson Valley and has begun to have a bit of trouble getting opponents to agree to fight him because of his reputation as a dangerous opponent.  Like Joy and Carbone, he also teaches at Precision and is our head Muay Thai instructor and has coached many of our other students in their fights as well.  He is an excellent example of the kind of competitor that the instructors at Precision MMA are capable of producing.

For our instructors, producing capable martial artists from scratch is much like a science experiment: if positive results can be repeated successfully under different competition formats and different environments then we at Precision in the Hudson Valley know we have an effective formula.    Students with no prior experience have been able to walk into Precision one day and walk out a couple years later with wins in boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Amateur and Professional Mixed Martial Arts, as well as championship belts in Muay Thai Kickboxing.  This has given us the confidence to stand by our product at all times when under scrutiny.

 

We at Precision MMA know we can make you a successful Hudson Valley martial arts competitor as well.  Just leave your ego at the door and come train with us for a free 30-day trial, and tomorrow you could be sharing your success story with your friends and family. To get started call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.bjjfighter.com

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.  Originally a Tampa Gracie member, he is a student of Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrange, NY (in the Dutchess County) and a decorated competitor including a Delaware Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship and a NAGA World Title.  To train kickboxing with Jamey in Dutchess County NY check out Precision MMA http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

 

 

Jun 182013
 
MMA in LaGrange, NY

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Many martial arts schools in the Hudson Valley area of New York claim to teach techniques which are effective in high level Mixed Martial Arts promotions.  However, most of these dojos are stretching the truth and are in fact passing off illegitimate moves as authentic.  At Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley we teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu submissions which are routinely used in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is the premier MMA event in the world.  In fact, many of the submissions taught at Precision were used this past weekend on Saturday, June 8th in Brazil at UFC 160.  This just goes to show that our Hudson Valley Martial Arts program is top-tier!

UFC 160 this past Saturday had a stacked card full of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts whose mastery of the gentle art was on display.  Multiple different types of martial arts submission holds were utilized to win bouts, ranging from various different types of chokes, to armlocks to leglocks.  This was exciting to see since it proves that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is alive and well at the highest level of Mixed Martial Arts competition and especially because all of these martial arts’ techniques are currently taught at Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley.  Of the twelve fights on the card, nine of them ended by way of submission, making the event all the more entertaining for us Jiu-Jitsukas at Precision.  In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu there are three main types of submission holds used to get the opponent to surrender by way of “tapping out”.  These three varieties of submissions are choke holds which cut off the blood to the brain and can render an opponent unconscious; arm locks which can hyper extend the elbow or shoulder joints, and leg locks which can disable an opponent’s knees or ankles.  We at Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley teach all of these martial arts techniques, but many schools do not, or else if they do, they do not teach them properly.  Our head instructor Brian McLaughlin is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt whose lineage can be traced to the great Royce Gracie and who is himself a Mixed Martial Artist with a record of 6-2 who has used some of the same techniques on display at this past UFC, so we at Precision know that what we are teaching is legit.

On the undercard at UFC 160 one of the best submissions utilized was a knee bar which Antonio Braga Neto used to disable fellow Mixed Martial Artist Anthony Smith.  Many martial arts’ schools neglect to teach leg locks because they think they are too dangerous, but Precision in the Hudson Valley teaches them frequently and in great detail.  Another great submission used to attain victory was a rear naked choke used by Caio Maghalaes to put Karlos Vemola out of commission.  We also teach this submission at the Hudson Valley’s best martial arts gym – Precision Mixed Martial Arts and it has been used by our instructor Brian McLaughlin to win two of his Mixed Martial Arts fights.  In another exciting match up, mixed martial artist Raphael Assuncao utilized an arm lock to defeat Vaughan Lee, and this is also a martial arts’ technique which has been used by our head instructor to attain victory in MMA and which he teaches to all our students frequently.  Furthermore, Rony Mariano Bezera made use of the famous triangle choke to finish off his opponent Mike Wilkinson in only 1:24 of the first round, and this move has also been used by McLaughlin to win three of his fights and is possibly the most popular submission taught at Precision.  Daniel Sarafian used a different variety of strangle hold, known as an arm triangle choke, to put formidable fighter Eddie Mendez to sleep, and this technique was used once again later on the card by Leonardo Santos to take out his opponent William Macario.  The submission of the night award was won by Erick Silva who caught his adversary Jason High in a reverse triangle arm bar, a very unique technique not often seen in Mixed Martial Arts which is also taught at Precision Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley.  Finally, in the main event between two excellent martial artists Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Fabricio Werdum, Werdum hyper extended Nogueira’s elbow with a belly down arm lock to cap off the night.

Hudson Valley Muay Thai

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Many people who don’t train in Hudson Valley martial arts do not realize that not all dojos or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools teach such a wide variety of submission holds, or that they work in high level MMA events like the UFC.  If you are interested in learning these effective holds, come train at Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley for 30 free days and you will soon find yourself performing these moves instead of simply watching them on TV.

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 (in the Dutchess County) and a decorated competitor including a Delaware Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship and a NAGA World Title.  To train kickboxing with Jamey in Dutchess County NY check out Precision MMA http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Jun 112013
 

Hudson Valley Martial Arts Expert Brian McLaughlin has launched a new grappling website so that he can share his martial arts techniques with the greater jiu-jitsu world at http://www.learntograpple.com

The goal of the website is two fold – first to make jiu-jitsu techniques available to people who do not have an academy in their area thereby allowing them to learn and enjoy grappling from the comfort of their own home.

The second reason was to give Precision MMA students the chance to review techniques taught in class.  The site breaks down each technique and covers common mistakes to help the student avoid common pitfalls.

Check out this technique – one of the most effective sweeps in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a favorite amongst the Hudson Valley martial arts practitioners of Precision MMA

 

Like what you see and want to learn more?  If you live in the Hudson Valley and would like to train martial arts visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

 

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, andbody hardening 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.

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

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

Read even more about Hudson Valley MMA

Feb 142013
 

Hudson Valley BJJ and the Law of Attraction

Poughkeepsie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Hudson Valley BJJ

There’s a theory that like feelings and outcomes are attracted to one another. That is to say that positive thought supersedes positive outcomes and inversely negative thoughts precipitate negative outcomes. While this may not be applicable to all situations, it certainly plays a factor in martial arts success.  Here is my story about the law of attraction in Hudson Valley BJJ.

I can remember being a blue belt and grappling with higher belts and getting demolished when doing BJJ in the Hudson Valley. I felt like there was nothing I could do to stop their attacks or start my own. When I would look down at the color across their waist I felt like tapping rapidly was the only thing I would be accomplishing. However, one day I was visiting a different academy on a no-gi night. This particular night things were going well for me and I felt like I was going to tap anyone who got on the mat with me. I had a great roll with a guy I’d never seen before. He was technical, but I was able to catch him in a few triangles setups I had been working. At the end of the class I had to leave, but my partner decided to stick around for the next class. I was shocked when I saw him pull out a tattered BJJ purple belt and strap it around his waist. I couldn’t believe that I actually pulled off submissions against a higher belt in Hudson Valley BJJ. I later saw that this purple belt was actually getting the better of many guys who I thought to be unstoppable. I realized then that the difference was largely mental. With the other high ranks I saw their belt color and assumed defeat before I even began. However, when I grappled confidently and without concern for my partners rank I was able to be successful. Although this realization helped me in practice, I still had mental hurdles that hindered my performance in competition.

As a brown belt I entered the Abu Dhabi North American Qualifier. Abu Dhabi is the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world and only a handful of people get the honor of competing there. In order to earn my spot I had to win this qualifier. When I looked at my bracket there were about 30 people, but I was only concerned with one name – Enrico Cocco. Enrico was something of a grappling phenom who had beaten some really big names and earned a rock solid reputation – he had also earned a victory over me a few years back at a local tournament in Florida. I was relieved when I saw that he was on the opposite end of the bracket, we would only potentially meet in the semi-finals. I had a great day of grappling, easily winning my first three matches without getting a single point scored on me. I was one step away from the finals when I saw that I would indeed be facing Enrico. At that moment I felt completely defeated. I had convinced myself that there was no way I could beat him. He looked so dominating in his prior matches that I just assumed I’d be another notch on his belt. I stepped on the mat and shot into a guillotine choke, tapping out in less than 1 minute. Enrico then went on to win the tournament and earn a spot at Abu Dhabi.

Afterward, I was so upset that I gave the match away mentally before even getting on the mat. A few weeks after Enrico beat me we found ourselves competing against each other once again. This time though, I convinced myself I would win and show my Hudson Valley BJJ skills. I pictured myself getting my hand raised and grappled confident that I not only “could” win, but that I WOULD win. Sure enough, after a back and forth match, I had my hand raised. There was no technical improvements from the last match, no greater physical preparation. Indeed the only difference was my mentality. I believed in my success and I reaped the benefits. Having faith in your personal potential for success, is often times the biggest determinant between the possible and the impossible. For centuries it was thought that no person could run a mile in under 4 minutes. However, once Roger Bannister achieved it for the first time everyone re-worked their understanding of possible. The result? Runners began hitting sub 4 minute miles everywhere, today even high schoolers can do it. The “Bannister Effect” was simply the Law of Attraction applied. Belief in success caused a new level of achievement. Even against seemingly impossible opposition, a focused belief can overcome.  This is what I did with BJJ in the Hudson Valley.

A common pitfall people fall into when confronted with a challenge is to tell themselves they cannot overcome it. They go forth assuming defeat and arrive at their failure as if it was complete inevitability. Muhammad Ali once said, “It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself”. Think about your goals in martial arts and in your everyday life. If these goals are worthwhile to you then chase after them with a steadfast conviction that you will be successful and watch your limitations be redefined.

To learn more about hudson valley bjj, visit our website: poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com or call us at 845-392-8495!

Feb 082013
 

Looking for Hudson Valley Jiu-Jitsu?  Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY offers Hudson Valley Jiu-jitsu classes 7 days a week

For 30 Days FREE of Hudson Valley Jiu-Jitsu call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiebrazilianjiu-jitsu.com

Hudson Valley jiu-Jitsu

Hudson Valley jiu-Jitsu

The Law of Attraction

 

There’s a theory that like feelings and outcomes are attracted to one another.  That is to say that positive thought supersedes positive outcomes and inversely negative thoughts precipitate negative outcomes.  While this may not be applicable to all situations, it certainly plays a factor in martial arts success.

I can remember being a blue belt in the Hudson Valley and doing jiu-jitsu with higher belts and getting demolished. I felt like there was nothing I could do to stop their attacks or start my own.  When I would look down at the color across their waist I felt like tapping rapidly was the only thing I would be accomplishing.  However, one day I was visiting a different academy on a no-gi night.  This particular night things were going well for me and I felt like I was going to tap anyone who got on the mat with me.  I had a great roll with a guy I’d never seen before.  He was technical, but I was able to catch him in a few triangles setups I had been working on.  At the end of the class I had to leave, but my partner decided to stick around for the next class. I was shocked when I saw him pull out a tattered purple belt and strap it around his waist.  I couldn’t believe that I actually pulled off submissions against a higher belt. I was the most shocked jiu-jitsu student in the Hudson Valley.  I later saw that this purple belt was actually getting the better of many guys who I thought to be unstoppable.  I realized then that the difference was largely mental.  With the other high ranks I saw their belt color and assumed defeat before I even began.  However, when I grappled confidently and without concern for my partners rank I was able to be successful.  Although this realization helped me in practice, I still had mental hurdles that hindered my performance in competition.

As a brown belt I entered the Abu Dhabi North American Qualifier one of the toughest no-gi jiu-jitsu tournaments in the nation.  Abu Dhabi is the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world and only a handful of people get the honor of competing there. No one from the Hudson Valley had ever made the grade.  In order to earn my spot I had to win this qualifier.  When I looked at my bracket there were about 30 people entered, but I was only concerned with one name – Enrico Cocco.  Enrico was something of a grappling phenom who had beaten some really big names and earned a rock solid reputation – he had also earned a victory over me a few years back at a local tournament in Florida.  I was relieved when I saw that he was on the opposite end of the bracket, we would only potentially meet in the semi-finals.  I had a great day of grappling, easily winning my first three matches without getting a single point scored on me.  I was one step away from the finals when I saw that I would indeed be facing Enrico.  At that moment I felt completely defeated.  I had convinced myself that there was no way I could top him.  He looked so dominating in his prior matches that I just assumed I’d be another notch on his belt.  I stepped on the mat and shot into a guillotine choke, tapping out in less than 1 minute.  Enrico then went on to win the tournament and earn a spot at Abu Dhabi.

On my way back to the Hudson Valley, I was so upset that I gave the jiu-jitsu match away mentally before even getting on the mat. A few weeks after Enrico beat me we found ourselves competing against each other once again. This time though, I convinced myself I would win. I pictured myself getting my hand raised and grappled confident that I not only “could” win, but that I WOULD win. Sure enough, after a back and forth match, I had my hand raised. There was no technical improvements from the last match, no greater physical preparation. Indeed the only difference was my mentality. I believed in my success and I reaped the benefits. Having faith in your personal potential for success, is often times the biggest determinant between the possible and the impossible.

For centuries it was thought that no person could run a mile in under 4 minutes. However, once Roger Bannister achieved it for the first time everyone re-worked their understanding of possible. The result? Runners began hitting sub 4 minute miles everywhere, today even high schoolers can do it. The “Bannister Effect” was simply the Law of Attraction applied. Belief in success caused a new level of achievement. Even against seemingly impossible opposition, a focused belief can overcome.

A common pitfall people fall for Hudson Valley Jiu-jitsu students is when confronted with a challenge they tell themselves they cannot overcome it. They go forth assuming defeat and arrive at their failure as if it was complete inevitability. Muhammad Ali once said, “It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself”. Think about your goals in martial arts and in your everyday life. If these goals are worthwhile to you then chase after them with a steadfast conviction that you will be successful and watch your limitations be redefined.

Overcome your limitations at Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY train Hudson Valley Jiu-Jitsu for 30 Days FREE call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiebrazilianjiu-jitsu.com and get started today!