Jan 302019
 

When most people think of martial arts, they think of self-defense or some sort of unarmed fighting.  Whether you’re training karate, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you’re most likely going to be learning a form of hand to hand combat. However, what most people don’t realize is that being a martial artist is about much more than punches, kicks and takedowns. One of the most important benefits that martial arts can provide is instilling a sense of martial character. This means living your life as a confident and compassionate individual who cares just as much about their neighbor’s well-being as they do about their own. It means having the physical skills to defend yourself and the mental wherewithal to be able to deescalate a potentially dangerous or violent situation.

 At Poughkeepsie’s premier martial arts academy Precision Boxing and MMA, we make it a priority that our members uphold our ideals of martial character on the mats and in their everyday life. We believe that the first step to developing a strong martial character is giving back to your community. This past week, we volunteered with Dutchess Outreach’s Lunch Box Program where we were given the opportunity to serve hot lunches to families in need throughout the Poughkeepsie area. We had an awesome response from our members, quickly filling up our volunteer list. It was a great time for our staff and members, we loved getting to know some of the people who share our beautiful neighborhood with us. If you’re interested in training martial arts, self-defense and becoming part of a community that gives back, come check out Precision Boxing and MMA; the Hudson Valley’s largest Mixed Martial Arts academy. Give us a call today at (845)392-8495.

Nov 052015
 

young brianFor the instructors at Precision MMA martial arts is more than a hobby, it is a way of life.  Head coach Brian McLaughlin started his training back in 1999 as a sophomore in high school.  He began with Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a way to learn self-defense.  He quickly became obsessed with jiu-jitsu training twice daily.  He started his jiu-jitsu journey under black belt Fernando “Cabeca” Sarmento and Marco Delima.  Fernando and Marco later relocated and Brian went on to train with Rob Kahn and Steve Kardian of Thornwood Jiu-jitsu.   As he began gaining jiu-jitsu knowledge his desire to become a complete grappler grew and he began training wrestling under Olympian Dan Sanchez and Hudson Valley standouts Eric Amato and Ian Lindars and Judo under Dutch national team member Jerry Fokas.  This unique combination of wrestling, judo and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu gives Brian a perspective on the art of grappling that few can rival. Around 2005 Brian met Kyokushin karate black belt, golden gloves veteran and muay thai fighter Shennen Maceo.  Brian began training privately with sensei Maceo and sparring with the Tiger Schulmann professional fight team.  As he progressed he decided to pursue professional mixed martial arts competition.  Brian quickly climbed the ranks, winning his first 5 fights by submission all in the first round. tufBrian continued his martial arts growth boxing at Demorest boxing where he became a student of one of the top amateur fighters in the region and now famed trainer Derrek Ohlhoff.  Derrek refined Brian’s technique and had him sparring at many of the region’s toughest boxing gyms.  At this time Brian was invited to compete in the UFC’s tournament “The Ultimate Fighter”.  Brian was pitted against tough veteran and fellow jiu-jitsu expert Brandon Gardner.  Brian dominated the fight and moved on in the competition.  However, a post-fight medical exam revealed that he had suffered a broken nose in the fight and was deemed medically ineligible to continue. With his mixed martial arts career on hold Brian focused on furthering his accomplishments in the sport of grappling and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.  Brian earned submission victories against some of the toughest competitors in the world including Ryan Hall and Wilson Reis – both current starts in the UFC. ama Brian furthered his mixed martial arts training by joining the AMA Fight Club.  Here he trained Jiu-jitsu under famed Renzo Gracie Black Belt Jamey Cruz and muay thai under the legendary Kaensak Sor Ploenjit, widely considered one of the best fighters of all time from muay thai’s golden era.  At AMA Brian would have access to some of the best training partners in the world including former UFC champion Frankie Edgar, former WEC champion Jamie Varner and current Bellator world champion Marcoc Galvao. In 2009 Brian would return to MMA competition to fight former BJJ world champion Rene Nazare.  The fight was a back and forth battle in which Brian suffered his first professional defeat via split decision.  The fight was later voted Northeast Fight of the Year.  Unfortunately, following this fight Brian would have many fights fall through at the last moment and the grind of training camps resulted in numerous injuries.  Brian would fight twice more before deciding to walk away from the sport and focus his efforts on coaching. In 2004 Brian began teaching while still active as a competitor.  Although always a passionate instructor, Brian’s efforts were divided as he was still fightingprecision.  Once he retired and put 100% of his efforts into teaching his gym grew exponentially.  Today Precision Mixed Martial Arts boasts several hundred students and is home to multiple black belt instructors, as well as golden gloves, muay thai and mixed martial arts champions.  There are success stories of everyday men, women and children who have changed their lives through martial arts by learning to defend themselves, gaining discipline and focus, or regaining their health and fitness.

 

In the realm of professional competition Brian is currently one of the most sought after coaches in the northeast.  He has coached and cornered fighters such as Jim and Dan Miller to UFC victories as well as international champions such as King of Pancrase Andy Main.  His coaching has brought him across the country and around the world – from Atlantic City and Las Vegas to Tokyo, Japan and Uberlandia, Brazil.

andy kop   In addition to teaching, Brian continues his martial arts study under jiu-jitsu expert and MMA legend Javier Vazquez as well as his long-time coach Derrick Ohlhoff. To gain the knowledge he currently has Brian had to train at half a dozen different gyms across three different states.  The travel would become so hectic he would at times sleep in his car and live out of a suitcase.  At one point he was spending over $400 per month for training.  He promised himself that one day he would make sure that someone with the same passion as him would not have to go through the same hurdles to become a complete martial artist.  He built Precision MMA with that vision in mind.       Today Precision is the Hudson Valley’s largest martial arts facility boasting a tremendous 5,000 sq foot facility.  Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, muay thai, boxing and mixed martial arts can all be learned under one roof from expert coaches.  Multiple classes are held 7 days a week and the gym is even open during every holiday. If you want to change your life through martial arts call Precision today at 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Hudson Valley Mixed Martial Arts

Hudson Valley Mixed Martial Arts

 

Aug 252013
 

Coach Brian hits a textbook “Marcelotine” choke (a variation of the guillotine shown hereMMA Tampa) in the expert division at the North American Grappling New York Championship.

Learn these and other Hudson Valley MMA techniques at Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY call 845-392-8495 or click here to get started

 

Jul 142013
 

triangle            The art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, whether practiced with or without a Gi, has multiple modern applications.  As anyone who has trained for any length of time knows, BJJ is one of the best styles for street self defense due to its emphasis on getting the fight to the ground, limiting the attacker’s ability to land strikes and ending the altercation as quickly as possible while also avoiding the over usage of striking techniques which could land the defender in jail due to excessive force.  BJJ is also an excellent way for people of all ages to get into peak physical condition, including losing weight, gaining functional strength and improving flexibility and cardio vascular endurance.  Of those who do get involved, a large number of BJJ students stick with the art because they grow to love the activity of grappling itself and this influences many to test themselves in grappling competitions.  However, there are many differences between casual rolling in one’s own school and competing in a grappling tournament and failure to understand and prepare for these differences can lead otherwise excellent grapplers to lose matches in a tournament format.  As a BJJ brown belt who has competed in thirty-four grappling tournaments I personally know some of these pitfalls all too well.  In this article I will outline five reasons why good grapplers can meet with defeat in a tournament setting while giving examples from my own experiences and tips which have helped me to be successful.  It is my hope that other aspiring competitors can learn from these experiences so that they can have the best chances for success when they decide to put their skills to the test.

One of the main reasons that many excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students fail to perform as well as they should in grappling tournaments is lack of training in takedowns.  While my current school of Precision MMA in Lagrange, New York does emphasize takedowns we are actually a great minority in that respect.  The majority of BJJ schools start their rolling sessions from the knees and never teach their students how to properly execute or defend against takedowns.  In a tournament setting this presents problems for a number of reasons.  For one, under all tournament formats, whether they are fought with or without a Gi, points are awarded for completion of a successful takedown.  As such, students who do not train takedowns have one fewer way to score points in competition.  However, this is not the only problem because failure to train in takedowns also means that the student will not know how to defend against them and this gives his opponent one more way to score points on him.  Moreover, unless the student who is lacking in takedowns is able to sweep his opponent from bottom guard this also means that his opponent will be able to have the top position whenever he wants it and this limits the students’ chances for victory even more because other than a few tournaments with different rules awarding points for submission attempts, there is usually no way for the opponent on bottom to score points excluding a sweep.  This means that if the opponent on bottom guard cannot sweep his opponent it is nearly impossible for him to win on points and his only avenue to victory is to submit his opponent from on bottom.  Before I became more proficient at takedowns this was a situation I frequently found myself in while competing and believe me when I tell you that this is no fun at all.  Many of my opponents in past competitions have been wrestlers and with how common it is for wrestlers to cross over into the world of BJJ these days if you are looking to compete you had better prepare yourself to be matched against them.  Wrestlers specialize in takedowns above all else and so failure to train in them can spell disaster for the pure BJJ practitioner.

wrestle

This leads me to my second reason why quality BJJ students can meet with defeat in a tournament setting which is the mentality of being too relaxed, especially while in bottom guard and while down on points, and failure to grapple proactively and force one’s opponent to make a mistake rather than simply waiting for him to make one.  Now I do not mean to imply that an opponent who finds himself on top or in any position for that matter cannot fall prey to the mistake of letting the time run out in a tournament match while down on points because it can certainly happen in any number of scenarios.  However, I myself have found that almost every time it has happened to me I have been taken down by a superior wrestler and found myself down on points while in bottom guard or half-guard.  I cannot possibly begin to count the number of times my opponent has scored points exclusively through takedowns and I have had to deal with the mounting frustration of realizing that he is content to sit in my guard making minimal attempts to pass as the time to secure a submission becomes ever shorter.  Aside from the inability to get a takedown or sweep myself or stop my opponent’s takedown I attribute my difficulties in these scenarios to two factors.  The first is an “old school” Jiu-Jitsu mentality which had been particularly popular during my early days of training which is actually an over emphasis on being relaxed in training.  Jiu-Jitsu is translated as “the gentle art” from Japanese and this generally implies that it is a style where the practitioner should be able to overcome his opponent while using as little physical strength as possible.  While it is very important that the Jiujitsuka focus on proper technique above all else and never be tense while training, it is possible to take this approach too far to the opposite extreme and refuse to use any extra exertion when grappling.  This generally amounts to being exclusively defensive which is a good way to lose when one is already down on points in competition.

The second factor I attribute my difficulties in competition to while in a “down on points” scenario is related to the aforementioned, but rather than being an attitude towards grappling it has to do with a style of offense and defense, especially while on bottom guard.  It has been said that some BJJ practitioners have a “pro-active” guard style while others have a “reactive” guard style.  A “pro-active” guard style is one where the opponent on bottom guard does not rely on his opponents’ attempts to pass to set up a sweep or submission.  Instead of expecting that the opponent will aggressively pursue a guard pass, the “pro-active” guard player attacks the top man relentlessly, chaining together multiple sweep and submission attempts until something works for him.  One popular style of “pro-active” guard is Eddie Bravo’s “Rubber Guard” but this is by no means the only type of guard which falls in this category.  I myself have found significant success with a variety of “upside down guard” techniques which involve hooking the top man’s leg with the near hand and rolling underneath the opponent in an attempt to secure a leg lock.  Other “pro-active” guard styles include the deep-half guard, X-guard, butterfly half guard, and many others.

On the other hand, “reactive” guard styles are those where the bottom opponent relies almost entirely on the top man’s attempts to pass guard to set up a submission or sweep.  A simple closed guard where the bottom player refuses to open for extended periods could be seen as a “reactive” style, but the truth is that any time the bottom player refuses to act first he is grappling “reactively”.  For years I grappled this way and lost many matches because I simply assumed that my opponent would aggressively attempt to pass my guard.  What the BJJ competitor needs to realize is that if the top opponent is up on points he has no need to pass, he need only remain active enough not to be called for stalling and otherwise he’ll be cruising to an easy decision win against a bottom player who refuses to act first.  Now let me be clear here: I am not saying that reactive grappling and guard styles do not have their place in competition, and in reality all grappling matches include a combination of proactive and reactive techniques.  My point is merely that rolling in the dojo exclusively is likely to foster a sort of reactive grappling which does not acknowledge time limits or a point system since neither exists in casual rolling.  As such, before entering a competition the casual grappler must become acquainted with these differences and realize that there may be times in competition where the onus will be on him to press the action if he wants a favorable outcome.

Another reason that casual Jiu-Jitsu practitioners these days often fail to have success in tournaments is that they do not train in leg locks.  While every BJJ school offers instruction in all varieties of arm locks and chokes, for whatever reason many instructors do not teach leg locks or allow their students to train in them.  One reason may be that they are afraid of students injuring each other, but the truth is that if trained properly leg locks are no more dangerous than any other submission.  As one of my specialties, I frequently win tournament bouts with leg locks and have later heard many times as an excuse that my opponent simply did not train in them.  Just like the aforementioned problem with failure to train in takedowns, a competitor has no one to blame but himself if he has not at least attempted to gain familiarity with techniques which might be used against him in competition.  If attacking with leg locks is not your thing then there’s no need to go for them while competing but you should at the very least know how to defend against them if you want to find success on the competition circuit.  Even if you do train in every possible technique Jiu-Jitsu has to offer you are likely to eventually encounter someone who is better at it than you but you will not completely be a “fish out of water” so to speak, when confronted with it.

My fourth reason for why a good casual grappler might be unsuccessful in competition might seem to go without saying but I know its importance first hand, and this is failure to warm up properly.  While most BJJ classes do emphasize warm ups, they are not nearly so important in casual rolling.  This is because tapping one’s training partner should not be, nor is it usually a major concern of the casual grappler since grappling in a dojo is only practice.  As such, the very beginning of the rolling session itself can be part of the warm up and the partners can increase the intensity of their grappling at their own pace.  On the other hand, a tournament match can be extremely intense from the first second to the last.  Because of this the intensity will be a serious shock to the system for the grappler who has neglected his warm up.  Not only will his muscles be cold which may be a risk for injury, without his blood pumping freely before the start of the match the stiff grappler will be likely to fatigue more easily and I have personally lost matches for this reason alone.  I strongly recommend that all grapplers wear layers, such as sweatshirts and sweatpants prior to competing in order to keep their body heat up and engage in any activity which will get their heart pumping faster such as jumping rope, jumping jacks or burpees.  Make it a priority not to get out there until you have a good sweat going first.  I’ve personally noticed a big improvement in my performance since I started taking my warm ups seriously.

The fifth and final reason I will give for why many casual grapplers fall short in competition is that they do not realize the importance of finding the right weight class.  As someone who stands just shy of 5’8, I have only recently realized that I’d be best off competing in the 159lbs division.  In the past I have grappled as high as 179lbs and I can say first hand that being the smallest one in your division can make things difficult.  BJJ tournaments are full of wrestlers who have been cutting weight for years and all Jiu-Jitsukas would be best to learn from their example.  While the weight classes at different tournaments can vary greatly, if you wish to compete go over your options with your instructor ahead of time and figure out the weight at which you will be most likely to find success.  You will generally want to get as light as you can without weakening yourself, and to do this proper diet is essential and you should only sweat out as much water as is absolutely necessary.  If you make your diet a priority you just might find yourself the biggest and strongest competitor in your weight class which can only increase your chances for success.

In summation, competitive grappling is very different from casual rolling and any BJJ student who wants to be successful on the tournament circuit should keep in mind all the aforementioned tips if they want a leg up on the competition.  By training in takedowns and takedown defense the Jiu-Jitsuka can gain the ability to decide where the match takes place and not give up much needed points.  By learning to grapple proactively and through understanding that the pace of a tournament match is different from that of a casual rolling session the student can take the initiative against the opponent.  By training in leg locks the student will never be caught off guard by attacks which many schools neglect.  And finally, by warming up properly and finding the right weight class the aspiring competitor can avoid injury and fatigue come game time and hopefully find himself amongst the stronger competitors in his bracket.  These are just a few tips the BJJ student should know before actively competing but they can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

 

About the author:

jamey

Jamey Bazes is a Hudson Valley martial arts practitioner holding a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt with over 15 years of competition experience earning over 100 tournament victories.  He also holds a Masters of Arts Degree in English from SUNY New Paltz with a focus on the English Romantic poets.

 

 

Jul 012013
 

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley: Compliments and Expands Upon Karate Training

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Every martial artist in the world starts with a base or “core-style” which they must then build off of.  Few who become passionate about the martial arts will train in one style alone throughout their life; most will branch out and experiment with other arts.  While the Hudson Valley area of New York does offer a variety of different styles in which to train, like most parts of the United States and perhaps even the world, Karate and its multiple sub-styles is generally the most common.  I myself got started in Kenpo, Karate at age eight and continued with it up until I attained my second degree Brown Belt at age fourteen.  Like many, I wanted to try out other arts and went on to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and later other styles.  Though Karate certainly has its strong points, in general many of its sub-styles neglect ground grappling as well as takedowns and the key elements of boxing head movement and footwork, as well as others.  Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley teaches a number of styles which can compliment and expand upon the Karate background of many students who walk through our doors.

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

As a young martial artist growing up outside the Hudson Valley area I trained daily in Karate.  For whatever reason, this style has gained perhaps more notoriety over time than any other and tends to be most frequently the style which young martial artists start off with.  While I enjoyed this training and found that it greatly aided my flexibility and kicking ability, I also had certain gripes with it.  For example, even as a kid I innately realized that the lack of full contact sparring inhibited my reaction time to attacks.  We did include sparring, but the only legal target was the body, and this sadly was not enough for me to learn to apply my techniques in real time.  I wanted a martial art like boxing or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which would stress full body awareness and reaction time so I would be prepared for attack.  After attaining my second degree Brown Belt in Kenpo, Karate at age 14, I stopped and within the next few years became involved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after seeing the great Royce Gracie use it to win the first Ultimate Fighting Championship.  I quickly realized how many areas my former style of Karate training had neglected.  I had no idea how to defend myself on the ground, nor did I know how to defend myself against takedowns.  After a year or two of BJJ I began to grasp these elements for the first time.  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is, of course, one of the main arts which Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley focuses on.  This is quite fortunate for any Karate stylist who decides to train with us.  Even the most effective Karate Black Belt will be helpless against a trained Jiu-Jitsuka, or for that matter even an entirely untrained attacker, once the fight hits the ground.  The grappling techniques which Precision MMA teaches its students will enable all former Karatekas to expand upon their core striking style so they can defend themselves either standing or on the ground.

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Now, if you happen to be a Karate practitioner you may be saying to yourself “if I am ever attacked I want to be able to use my core martial art to defend myself, and would rather stay on my feet than go to the ground.”  This is a reasonable stance, and Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley can accommodate this mode of thinking as well.  The last range of standing combat, which occurs before the fight must conclude on the ground, is the takedown range, and in order for any Karate practitioner or striker to use their art they must be able to defend the takedown.  The two best martial arts for defending against takedowns are wrestling and Judo, and both of these are taught at Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley.  We have division one wrestlers who help with our no-gi Jiu-Jitsu classes as well as a world class Judo black belt who aids us in our Gi classes who can show you all the necessary methods for defending different types of takedowns and keeping the fight standing.  Indeed, this strategy is quite well known in the world of Mixed Martial Arts today and is often referred to as “sprawl and brawl”.  We at Precision of course also teach all around Mixed Martial Arts classes which combine striking with wrestling and Judo, so we can show you how to mix up your striking attacks with your takedown defense and offense in these classes in ways which will expand upon our wrestling and Judo classes as well.  However, any Karate stylist who attends Precision in the Hudson Valley will want to be sure to make it to our wrestling and Judo classes so that they can acquire the takedown defense necessary to utilize their prior training.  A Karate expert with top notch wrestling and Judo would be a very dangerous opponent for anyone as they would have the tools to keep the fight standing against nearly anyone and use their Karate background, and if they should find themselves on the ground they would also have our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques to fall back on.

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Still, Karate as a martial art does not have all of the answers for self defense against standing attacks either and the person who’s entire background consists of what they learned at their local Hudson Valley Karate studio will be lacking when it comes to certain fundamentals common to boxing.  Boxing is just one of several martial arts taught at the Hudson Valley’s Precision MMA, but our instructors know how to teach this art in such a way that it will compliment all other styles the student might know.  One of our boxing coaches, Jon Russo, has himself also trained in styles such as Taekwondo and Jeet Kune Do, which have quite a few similarities to Karate.  As such, he is especially adept at combining his knowledge of these styles with his boxing technique and helping Karate practitioners to add boxing fundamentals to their game.  Karate tends to focus on parries and moving blocks as opposed to head movement and footwork to get out of the way of punches like boxing does.  While Karate’s defenses can work at times, they are limited when facing a skilled striker and knowing boxing’s methods for defense is very important.  Not only this, but as mentioned before, boxing is an art which is almost exclusively done in “real-time” and honed in serious sparring sessions.  Therefore, the concern of many former Karate stylists like myself that we may not have developed the proper reaction time to defend strikes is addressed in boxing training and perfectly compliments a Karate background.  Likewise, though Hudson Valley Karate schools are likely to teach a number of interesting hand strikes, such as back fists and reverse punches, they are not likely to train their students in the useful punches taught in boxing such as the jab, hook, cross, lead and back hand uppercuts.  All of these are addressed at Precision Mixed Martial Arts in our boxing classes and add to the former Karate stylists’ repertoire.  Essentially, the boxing classes allow a Karate student to sharpen a weapon they already posses.

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Finally, the martial art of Muay Thai Kickboxing as it is taught at Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley by undefeated 7-0 AKBF champion Karl Nemeth, is the perfect style to compliment a Karate background.  I should know as I have found my former Karate training to give me a bit of learning curve when it comes to learning the kicks unique to the Muay Thai style of striking.  Though Muay Thai’s kicks are unique from Karate’s, especially in the fact that the striking surface is usually the shin bone rather than the foot, many of the kicks are similar in their motions, particularly the round house and front kicks.  As such, former Karate students like myself will not feel completely lost when learning these moves and will simply have to make small adjustments for these kicks to work for them.  Also, much like Muay Thai, Karate training tends to greatly stress stretching and leg mobility in order to be able to throw head kicks with ease.  My prior Karate training is the reason that I can now achieve a full split, and this has greatly aided me in my ability to fluidly perform the Muay Thai kicks I have learned at Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley.  Of course, Muay Thai greatly expands upon Karate training and helps the martial artist to go beyond what his capabilities would have been with the former art alone.  For one, Muay Thai training has a very heavy emphasis on clinching techniques which includes both offense and defense against knees and elbows from close quarters, as well as trips.  None of these movements are taught in Karate and would make a Karate practitioner very vulnerable in this scenario if fighting a Muay Thai stylist.  Also, the Muay Thai clinch is the range of fighting which comes between the punching range and the takedown range, and as such, any former Karate student who wants to learn to defend the takedown and keep the fight standing to use his martial art will need to learn these tactics.  Even with the takedown defense acquired from our wrestling and Judo classes and the boxing techniques we teach, a Karateka could be taken down or out struck if he is unable to defend himself in this intermediary range.  With Muay Thai clinch training, along with all these other areas we at Precision MMA offer, the former Karate student should have all the tools necessary to compliment his core art.  Muay Thai also teaches devastating leg kicks and defense against them, including shin conditioning, which is not taught in Karate.  However, anyone who attends Karl’s Muay Thai classes will learn these skills, and a Karate background should make them easier to pick up on.    Finally, we put the techniques of all our styles together in our Mixed Martial Arts classes, so if the former Karate student also attends those he will become a truly complete fighter.

Hudson Valley martial arts

Hudson Valley martial arts

Karate practitioners find a home at Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrangeville, New York.  Training at Precision MMA not only compliments existing Karate training techniques, but also adds new martial arts dimensions.  With all this in mind, Hudson Valley Karate students who transition over to training at Precision MMA need not fear that they have set themselves back by studying a different martial art.  To the contrary, Karate has many benefits and can give the Precision student a learning curve when it comes to learning new skills, especially those from Muay Thai.  What is paramount is that the new student be open minded and realize that Karate as a style is limited in comparison to the multitude of styles offered at the Hudson Valley’s Precision.  If the Karate student recognizes this, he can then move ahead in his training and become a dangerous and multi-dimensional fighter in no time.

 

To get started with your 30 FREE Days of Hudson Valley martial arts classes visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com or call 845-392-8495

About the Author:

Jamey Bazes is a lifelong Hudson Valley martial artist.  Jamey holds a brown belts in both traditional Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  A regular competitor, Jamey is one of the Hudson Valley’s most decorated martial arts athletes including world titles in the North American Grappling Championship.  In addition to his martial arts training Jamey is a graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz holding a master’s degree in English.  To train with Jamey be sure to check out Precision Mixed Martial Arts!

Jun 292013
 

Dutchess County Martial Arts: Precision MMA Throws Opponents Off-Guard with Numerous Striking Attacks

 

Hudson Valley martial arts

Hudson Valley Martial arts

By Jamey Bazes

 

Dutchess County, New York has a multitude of Martial Arts’ schools.  However, for the most part they are fairly “cookie-cutter” in their approach and do not teach a wide variety of striking techniques.  “Striking” is a general term for attacks such as punches, kicks, knees and elbows which forcefully impact an opponent.  Precision MMA in Dutchess County teaches a wide array of strikes which often catch our opponent’s off-guard in competition, leaving our students victorious.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Dutchess County New York teaches both Boxing and Muay Thai Kickboxing as its core striking arts.  However, the assortment of strikes which our opponents see coming at them would probably lead them to assume that we teach many other styles such as Karate, Taekwondo and even Capoeira.  The reality is that they would be correct, because our Muay Thai classes in particular, taught by 7-0 AKBF Muay Thai Champion Karl Nemeth, include strikes from so many different styles that it is very hard to pin down our method of striking to any one specific approach.  For a striker to be successful in competition he must never be predictable, otherwise his opponent will see his attacks coming and avoid them.  Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Dutchess County is quite unorthodox in its arsenal, much to the frustration of anyone who decides to get into the ring with our fighters.  When it comes to kicking, many styles of kickboxing and other martial arts teach mainly front kicks and roundhouse kicks.  Fighters from these schools are usually unprepared to defend themselves against kicks coming from more unusual angles and many of these are taught by our head Muay Thai instructor Karl Nemeth in his classes.

Dutchess County Martial arts

Dutchess County Martial arts

One type of kick we teach which would throw many more conventional martial artists off guard is the spinning hook kick.  This kick has recently been used very successfully in the Ultimate Fighting Championship by both former Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos in knocking out veteran Mark Hunt and Vitor Belfort in knocking out former Strikeforce MW champion Luke Rockhold.  It was also used effectively on the last season of “The Ultimate Fighter” by Uriah Hall.  Even despite this kick’s recent success, due to its nature as a high velocity spinning strike and the numerous set ups we show for it, it is still rarely seen coming by our competition.  To perform this kick properly the practitioner must step his front foot out so that it is positioned at about a fifteen degree angle from the back foot.  This is quite a misleading stance because it momentarily exposes the student’s back to attack, as well as the back of his front leg for a leg kick.  However, this deception is exactly what makes this kick so deadly.  Done quickly and without hesitation, the back leg is then spun behind the kicker and as he turns around to face his opponent he lands the heel of his back foot directly on the jaw of the opponent.  The amount of force which can be generated by this kick is tremendous, as can be seen from the fact that all the aforementioned examples in the UFC have led to devastating knockouts.  And yet, most martial arts schools neglect this kick entirely.  Another unorthodox kick that we teach is the “question-mark kick”.  This kick is often used in styles of Karate and Taekwondo but throws many conventional Muay Thai fighters off guard.  It can be done with either the lead or back leg and consists of a starting motion where the kickers’ leg comes forward as if to throw a low front kick.  However, the kick changes direction at the last moment and lands at slightly downward angles across the opponents’ face.  This misdirection leads the opponent to drop his hands, expecting a kick to the body or legs, which results in his leaving himself open for the head kick.  We have had success with this kick in many Dutchess County Kickboxing fights and our opponents rarely see it coming.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Dutchess County also teaches many other sorts of strikes such elbows, knees and many different types of punches.  We show how knees can be used while in the clinch for great effect, as well as from a further distance, and we even show flying knee attacks which most opponents do not see coming.  We show a variety of elbow techniques coming from sideways, diagonal and other angles, and finally, even the punching techniques taught in our boxing classes are often not seen in your typical boxing match.  One of these is a “side fist” taught by one of our boxing coaches and experienced AKBF competitors John Joy.  It is thrown instead of a jab with the fist held with the thumb pointed towards the ceiling in a sideways’ fashion.  This provides the attack with a more narrow surface area which allows it to slip between the opponent’s guard most easily to connect with his head.  We also focus a good deal on lead hand upper cuts and “long hooks” which have less of an arc than the conventional boxing hook.  These techniques have also helped our boxers and kickboxers to have significant success in the ring because they are not usually taught by schools in the Dutchess County area and catch our opponents by surprise.

It’s the strike that you don’t see coming which hurts you.  This adage rings true in Mixed Martial Arts, Kickboxing and Boxing, and it is just one of many reasons why Precision MMA in Dutchess County produces effective strikers.  Our students always have a full toolbox and our instructors are always adding more weapons to their arsenal to teach in our classes.  Come strike with us for a free 30 days trial and feel empowered.

Get your Dutchess County Martial Arts at Precision MMA call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com to get started

Jun 252013
 

martial arts varied

Hudson Valley Martial Arts

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley area of New York is an all-around Mixed Martial Arts’ school. Many dojos advertise themselves this way but few actually follow through with their claims of offering top notch instruction in more than one style. One popular type of dojo which has popped up in recent years is the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school which falsely claims to teach mixed martial arts. This phenomenon started after the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993. When Royce Gracie and other Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts found they could have great success in Mixed Martial Arts competition BJJ schools started to pop up around the country like wildfire. With them came a number of schools claiming that not only could they teach authentic BJJ, but that they could teach people how to effectively use it in mixed martial arts. This claim is often false and most of the instructors who state that they can teach students this application have in fact never fought in any form of Mixed Martial Arts’ competition. At Precision Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley, our head instructor Brian McLaughlin is not only a BJJ black belt who offers excellent instruction in both Gi and No-gi Jiu-Jitsu classes, he also holds a Professional Martial Arts record of 6-2 and has used BJJ to win all his matches by submission. Because of these credentials, we know that our school is qualified not only to teach BJJ, but also to coach students who aspire to fight in Mixed Martial Arts competition, and we offer separate classes for Mixed Martial Arts tactics in particular. Don’t be fooled by schools who say they can offer this instruction when their teachers have never stepped into the ring or cage.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley also teaches a number of other styles, such as Boxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Wrestling and Judo. Our boxing classes taught by 3 time Golden Gloves champion Derrick Ohlhoff are particularly popular and we have produced quite a few successful boxers in the Hudson Valley area.

Likewise, our head Muay Thai instructor Karl Nemeth is himself an AKBF Kickboxing champion with an undefeated record of 7-0, and he has also produced a number of excellent Muay Thai competitors.

Our wrestling and Judo programs are particularly unique in that they are offered as a part of our Gi and No-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. For example, our advanced No-Gi BJJ classes have dual instructors in head coach Brian McLaughlin and D-1 wrestlers Rich McHale and Ian Lindars who switch off with teaching the wrestling portion of the class. This is a feature which most Jiu-Jitsu schools do not offer, and which gives us an edge on our competition.

We have a similar practice in our Hudson Valley martial arts Gi-BJJ classes, which are taught by both head coach McLaughlin and expert black belt Judo instructor Jerry Fokas. This makes our Gi Jiu-Jitsu competitors a double threat in sport BJJ since we know how to perform standing trips and throws as well as Newaza.

 

Hudson Valley martial arts

Hudson Valley Martial arts

Don’t be fooled by Hudson Valley martial arts schools that make false advertisements concerning Mixed Martial Arts and multiple styles. Most schools would be better off focusing on offering quality instruction in one area before jumping on the MMA bandwagon. Our claims are legit, and you can come to Precision to train in any and all styles which pique your interest for a free 30 day trial period.

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 192013
 

Hudson Valley Martial Arts expert and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Brian McLaughlin shows off one of his best techniques – the flower sweep.

Train Hudson Valley Martial Arts FREE for 30 Days call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.bjjfighter.com

Hudson Valley martial arts

Hudson Valley Martial arts