Mar 252014
 

Poughkeepsie Martial Arts

This weekend Precision MMA had four of it’s youngest students competing at the NAGA event in Albany.  All four kids arrived up there and gave their best in matches in both gi and no gi divisions.  Any tournament can be tough on competitors.  You are no means guaranteed a win, regardless of how well prepared you are.  There are tough opponents and bad match ups in every bracket.  The kids of Precision MMA had no easy fights, but whatever the outcome they gave their opponents tough fights and never wavered in their effort or resolve.

Lucas  took in both the 1st gi and no gi.  He looked dominant in his matches and really left it all on the mat.  Lucas has been training for just under a year, but he has a promising future in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  This is Lucas’ first shot at competing and he really had a great showing.  He finished really strong, which is very hard for a  kid to do.

Aiden earned third in gi had real tough opponents in no gi.  Aiden had a tough set of opponents.  The area where Aiden looked dominant was in the take downs.  Many of his opponents chose to pull guard rather than get taken down and give up those points.  One match had him score a really nice double leg after getting swept.  However, Aiden’s opponent had a real tough guard and ultimately lost in what was a real great match.  Aiden has been really successful in previous competitions, so although he did not win gold he knew that he gave his best.

Flapjack second in the gi and the no gi divisions and showed some really nice triangle setups.  He showed real composure and patient with his techniques.  A mark of true progress in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is to be able to be calm and relaxed in any scenario.  Sometimes that calm is hard to come by in bad situations.  It can be even harder to stay calm when you are in the driver seat with a locked up submission.  On more than one occasion Flapjack found himself with his opponent in a triangle.  Flapjack secured postion, swept and finished these triangles with a casual ease uncommon in kids his age.  This is Flapjack’s first taste of competition and he really thrived out there on the mats.

Richard subbed everyone he faced.  He controlled all phases of his matches and showed real quality.  He had smooth take downs and great sweeps and control.  Double gold in his first tournament is no mean feat.  He really put on a show and worked his techniques to perfection.  Some of his opponents got dispirited and started to lose heart.  Richard showed real sportsmanship in victory. It can be real easy to gloat and showboat after a victory.  Richard had the sportsmanship to be a gracious victor.

All the kids had great tournaments and showed technique and sportsmanship are not mutually exclusive.  Whether winning or losing they had good attitudes.  A big hats off to the coaches and the parents.  People are a product of their environment and it could not be more clear that these kids are really great.  They have a bright future in grappling and the lessons they are learning and reaffirming on the mat are translating into other areas of their life.

 

 

 

 

Hudson Valley martial arts

Precision MMA Lagrange, NY

If you have a child interested in learning come to Pougkeepsie Martial Arts today.  Give us a call at 845-392-8495 or visit our website at www.lagrangemartialarts.com.

 

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 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

May 092013
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dutchess County Boxing

Dutchess County Boxing

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

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

Apr 152013
 
Precision MMA

Precision MMA

In the growing world of combat sports and mixed martial arts, not all boxing gyms are created equal.  To a large extent, there are two main audiences for a modern day boxing gym, and schools often tend to fall too far to one of the opposite extremes.  On the one hand, you have the growing trend of boxercise and cardio boxing gyms, which focus on getting people in shape through traditional boxing workouts.  These mainly cater to men, women and children who are not overly serious about competitive boxing or self -defense, but who simply want a friendly environment in which to train.  While they do tend to be more inviting than your more serious inner city gyms, what they lack is the hard sparring and practical focus, which create tough minded and able-bodied competitive boxers.   On the other hand, there are the more traditional boxing gyms which, though at their best are capable of producing skilled competitive boxers, often drive the more casual trainees away with their overly strict “urban discipline” and “tough love” mentality.  Precision Mixed Martial Arts, located in Lagrange, New York, near the town of Poughkeepsie in the Hudson Valley area, offers the perfect harmony of both aspects, providing both a friendly environment as well as a disciplined and practical approach to sport fighting and street self-defense.

Boxing is a more than two centuries’ old art, and so in some senses the sport itself, including it’s trainers, trainees and gyms, has become quite set in it’s ways.  Anyone who has watched the movie Rocky with Sylvester Stallone has seen the image of the traditional inner city boxing gym.  While in many cases film does not reflect reality, in this case the environment portrayed is often not far from the truth.  Boxing is a tough sport, and so many gyms are located in equally rough neighborhoods and frequented by fighters and trainees who are not interested in providing an inviting environment.  In fact, many of these gyms often “haze” the newcomers, throwing them in the ring with more experienced boxers to see if they have the toughness to take the hits and come back for a second training session.  While in some cases this might bring in a couple disciplined new boxers, more often than not it tends to drive away the casuals, or even those who are not so casual in their training but simply don’t want to deal with a “thug” mentality while training.  If the prospective student does stick around, he may still be pushed to the side and ignored by the head trainers in favor of the boxers who have been there longer and may be considered to be a “second rate” trainee, and he will have a harder time improving because of less focus given to him by the coaches.  The fact that many of these gyms are located in poor or violent neighborhoods further isolates many prospective students who feel threatened even going into the area itself to try out a boxing class.  Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley offers serious training for those interested in competing or acquiring skills for street self-defense, yet it is located in an upscale area and has a welcoming environment, and so it does not isolate those serious aspiring boxers who are turned off by the traditional “boxing-gym atmosphere”.  When a new student takes his or her first class at our gym, they will not immediately be made to feel as if they must “prove their toughness” against experienced boxers.  Nor will they be made to feel as if the trainers have less time to devote to them than the more senior students.  One-on- one coaching is always provided to students of all levels and our coaches are always friendly and supportive.  Students will also not be pressured to fight competitively, something which is often done at traditional gyms, though if this is their focus we certainly provide the training necessary to accommodate that goal.  Our head boxing instructor, Derrick Ohlhoff, is himself a three-times Golden Gloves’ boxing champion with an impressive amateur record who is patient with all students and has a very good-natured attitude.  Our other coaches, Jon Russo and Jon Joy, both have many years of experience in the local Hudson Valley boxing circuits and have tested their skills many times in the ring, and are equally affable and approachable.  Precision Mixed Martial Arts welcomes those students who might be made to feel “second-rate” at a traditional gym.  In fact, the loss of the “conventional” gyms becomes our gain as we often end up producing great competitors out of those who started off as casual students simply attracted by the open-minded and sportive environment of our school.

The other type of boxing gym which has become very popular these days is the “boxercise” gym, or “cardio boxing” gym where boxing-oriented workouts are provided with the intention of getting students into shape by utilizing boxing style workouts.  While these programs do often get trainees into great shape physically, they do not teach students how to fight competitively or to defend themselves.  This is the case both because sparring is not heavily stressed, or even offered at all, and because proper boxing technique is often not emphasized because it is not nearly so important.  When preparing for an encounter in the ring, or a self-defense scenario, proper technique is paramount because without it one cannot achieve the maximum amount of power in their punches.  However, having flawless technique is not necessary when one is only hitting a heavy bag or some mitts with no intention of getting in the ring or needing those skills for self-defense, because they will still be burning calories regardless.  The sorts of cardio boxing gyms that are often offered at one’s local gym or exercise facility take advantage of the fact that their students do not realize they are being offered an inferior product.  They realize that most students looking to get in shape will not realize the difference between a properly executed punch and a sloppy one, and so they often employ instructors who lack any real credentials to teach boxing.  While Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley does offer boxing circuit training classes, as well as beginner and advanced boxing classes which can get students in excellent shape, we do not sacrifice proper technical instruction.  While students are burning fat and gaining muscle and cardio vascular endurance they will also be learning how to get full power behind their punches and how to utilize proper footwork and head movement.

Furthermore, the fashionable boxercise gyms which have been popping up left and right do not usually provide sparring classes, and without sparring a student can never learn to box competitively or defend themselves against an attack.  Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley has several sparring classes a week, open to the more advanced students, so that they can learn to put their skills to the test if need be.  Our sixteen by sixteen foot ring is perfect for training our students for upcoming fights in the Hudson Valley region, and we have a very successful competition record amongst our students.  In fact, despite the fact that we do not have the “traditional boxing gym atmosphere”, one of our students is none other than Professional HW boxer Zuri Lawrence, who was at one point ranked as high as #12 world wide, and was a former sparring partner for Evander Holyfield.  Clearly, the attitude displayed by many urban gyms has not been necessary for Precision to attract big names, and we continue to rack up the local victories as our name spreads throughout the Hudson Valley.

Moreover, because Precision MMA is a true Mixed Martial Arts gym and not only a boxing gym, we have been able to break out of the mold that many traditional gyms have become slave to.  Not only have students used our boxing program to acquire skills for boxing competition, they have also used these skills to successfully win Amateur Kickboxing and Muay Thai fights, as well both Amateur and Pro Mixed Martial Arts fights.  Our boxing program is also more self-defense oriented than your average gym and one of our instructors Jon Russo is also quite skilled at Jeet Kune Do and is adept at explaining how boxing can also be used for self-defense as well as competition.  All these aspects of boxing are overlooked by the traditional inner city gyms which rigidly stick to their formula and drive away anyone interested in learning to box for any reason other than to compete in a pure boxing match.

To conclude, anyone interested in learning to box for any reason, be it self- defense, sport competition in boxing, kickboxing or MMA, or even simply for fitness, can benefit from the boxing programs offered by Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley.  Because we are located in a nice area and provide approachable instructors we are highly sought after by those who want to learn to box without having to deal with the intimidation factor which so many gyms unfortunately foster.  At the same time we avoid following the common path of the “aerobic boxing gyms” which only churn out physically fit students who have no idea how to use their skills in a practical situation.  Come check out Precision MMA’s boxing program for 30 free days and see if it is right for you.

MMA in Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie Martial Arts

Precision MMA is the choice of UFC fighters, golden gloves champions and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu medalists – a true mixed martial arts gym that combines diversity with specialization.  Check them out for 30 days FREE call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.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.  He is a student of Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrange, NY (near Poughkeepsie) and a decorated competitor including a Delaware Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship and a NAGA World Title.  To train with Jamey in Poughkeepsie NY check out Precision MMA http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

 

Feb 282013
 
BJJ at Poughkeepsie Martial Arts

BJJ at Poughkeepsie Martial Arts

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

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

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

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

precision30dayfreelogoHowever, the lesson of yielding stressed in martial arts like Jiu-Jitsu is not always an easy one to learn. When struggling with an adversary who wants to choke, strike or torque one’s limbs, it is a natural reaction to become tense, and to try to fight back using more strength than is necessary, or even useful. The lessons taught at Precision Mixed Martial Arts in Poughkeepsie teach proper body mechanics so students never waste their energy while grappling. Every movement is based on economy of motion: achieving the greatest result with the least amount of effort. For example, the famous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Marcello Garcia only weights 170lbs, but knows so much about proper body mechanics that he is able to make himself feel twice his weight while on top of an opponent without exerting extra energy. And while this concept is important in sport competition, it is absolutely essential for street self-defense. While one may be able to out muscle the opponent in a local Poughkeepsie tournament and get away with it, in the end they may leave themselves physically exhausted and depleted. Such exhaustion is excusable during sport competition, but can lead to disaster in a self-defense scenario where one’s ability to survive the altercation is dependent upon how much energy they can conserve. Martial artists must expect that if attacked in the street they may have an adrenaline dump that will leave them physically drained. They must expect that they will be up against bigger, stronger attackers, possibly multiple and possibly armed. Furthermore, they will probably not even know the attack is coming. With all the odds stacked in the attacker’s favor the last thing a martial artist wants is to be tense and to use too much strength giving the attacker an even greater advantage. The lessons taught in Jiu-Jitsu will allow the student to prepare for being overpowered, and this will in turn allow him to remain calm and use his superior technique to survive. The economy of motion taught in Jiu-Jitsu is based upon muscle memory: the student becomes so used to performing the same movements in a relaxed motion that when it comes time to put his skills to use, “muscling” his opponent is hardly even an option. In fact, it would require undoing what has already been learned. Because of this martial art’s focus on muscle memory and economy of motion, all reactions are natural and do not require actual “thought”. In the same way that the techniques taught in our Poughkeepsie Mixed Martial Arts classes do not require physical strength, neither do they require mental exertion. To quote the great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Saulo Ribiero, in Jiu-Jitsu “if you think, you’re late. If you’re late, you muscle. If you muscle, you get tired. If you’re tired, you die.”

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

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

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

 

About the author

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

 

 

Feb 082013
 

Interested in Poughkeepsie Martial Arts? Precision MMA now offers a 30 Day FREE Trial call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

 

Poughkeepsie martial arts

Poughkeepsie martial arts

 

When I began training Poughkeepsie martial arts back in 1999 the term “mixed martial arts” was so esoteric that when I brought it up in conversation it was like I was speaking a foreign language. The UFC was off pay per view and no one had aspirations of being a cage fighter.  The few people that did train had the attitude of superiority with their chosen style.  This was especially true of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

I remember telling my Poughkeepsie martial arts Jiu-Jitsu coach at the time that I was thinking of wrestling with my high school.  He was very displeased and told me, through his thick Portuguese accent, “Wrestling is all strength, why you want to do?  A wrestler take you down, you choke him”.  That was the line of thinking back then.  My style is better than yours, no need to learn, no need to evolve.

Following the success of The Ultimate Fighter and the subsequent explosion of the UFC, mixed martial arts became a world wide sensation.  Every Poughkeepsie martial arts school, even those operating for over a decade as a single style, became “MMA Gyms” and although the signs outside the gym were painted over, very little changed within the curriculum of these gyms.  The grappling schools added a few heavy bags and the striking schools learned a few headlocks, but few instructors expanded their horizons and rarely were outsiders brought in to even out the program.

I’m proud to say that my Poughkeepsie martial arts gym did not follow suite.  Today we have individual experts in Judo, BJJ, Wrestling, Boxing, and Muay Thai.  There is no sense of superiority of one style over another and a genuine desire amongst the head instructors to absorb everything that each style has to offer.
At Precision “Mixed Martial Arts” is not just a marketing ploy.  December 11th was a big day for our competition team.  It started off when Derrick Feliciano (Little “D”) won his scholastic wrestling tournament.  Later in the evening coach Karl Nemeth won the 155 pound AKBF Muay Thai title and John Joy won the 160 pound AKBF Boxing title.  At the event I found out that Will Nagy took home 1st place at the Fort Dix Combatives tournament (combatives is a military hand to hand fighting styling mixing grappling and striking).  Not only did we have four competitors take home gold, they competed in four distinct styles of martial arts.  From grappling to striking they were all able to successfully compete while training under one roof.  In addition, the competitors they defeated were specialized in only their one discipline.  I’m very happy to say Precision has risen above the dogmatic thinking of the past and evolved into one of the only true MMA gyms in the Poughkeepsie martial arts world.  Although the results are pleasing our journey is far from its destination.  Remember to keep your eyes open and absorb all that the martial arts world has to offer – regardless of what “style” may be attached to it.
Check out Poughkeepsie martial arts at Precision MMA FREE for 30 Days Click HERE or call 845-392-8495 and get started today
Feb 082013
 

Precision MMA is currently the largest martial arts school in the entire Poughkeepsie area.  Owner and head instructor Brian McLaughlin talks about his martial arts journey as a Poughkeepsie kid in the Hudson Valley.

Poughkeepsie martial arts

Poughkeepsie martial arts

I’ve lived in the Poughkeepsie area my entire life. I went to Arlington high school and studied at SUNY New Paltz in college.  Growing up Poughkeepsie was known for a lot of things, but elite martial arts training was not one of them.  Since the age of 15 I’ve been completely obsessed with martial arts – instead of going to prom I worked on my triangle chokes, for my 21st birthday I prepared for a tournament the next day, I picked my college classes around my martial arts training schedule.

Unfortunately, seeking out the best martial arts training meant traveling…a lot.  Poughkeepsie wasn’t home to spectacular jiu-jitsu fighters or knockout artists. I would go to Danbury, CT to learn muay thai, Westchester to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kingston to learn boxing.  I always dreamed of one day bringing my martial arts knowledge back home to Poughkeepsie, so that others in my home town could have access to the type of training I had to travel far and wide for.

I first began teaching martial arts in 2004 in the back of a Kung Fu school just outside Poughkeepsie with about 500 sq feet of mats.  When I first began my only students were my roommate, brother and girlfriend. Eventually I expanded to include a handful of my college buddies.

We later moved to the back of a fitness gym called “Crush” before jumping over to the attic of a physical therapy center.  Things were rough back then.  The roof would leak, the therapy clients would complain about the noise and once or twice a bat even flew into my office. We pushed on though and slowly but surely our reputation grew and our membership increased.

Today Precision has packed classes with numerous expert coaches running classes around the clock. I fell very fortunate to be able to share my martial arts journey with so many incredible people!  Although our instructors have always been world class and our students are making great strides, our facility for many years remained modest.  However, after negotiating with numerous landlords in an attempt to expand a deal was finally reached and Precision moved into its brand new facility.

Finally Poughkeepsie would have a world class martial arts facility.  Space is no longer an issue – our facility is 5,000 square feet, we have a full size boxing ring, heavy bags, thai pads, crash mats, shower facilities, leather couches and more training space than any Poughkeepsie martial arts school – my dream has become a reality.

Now Poughkeepsie martial artists have access to MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions with classes 7 days a week in a beautiful facility.  Precision MMA stands as proof that if you work hard and surround yourself with positive people good things will come.

Precision MMA is in such high demand that many of our students travel from Wappingers Falls, Pleasant Valley, LaGrangeville, Hopewell Junction, New Paltz, Pawling and Millbrook for our incredible martial arts classes and outstanding reputation.  We are so confident that you will love Precision MMA that we even offer a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.  No other Poughkeepsie martial arts school has the confidence to do that!

Now Precision wants to share all it has to offer with YOU.  We are giving away a 30 Day FREE Trial to find out more call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com and get started with the best martial arts school in Poughkeepsie, NY!

 

Jan 242013
 

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

Precision MMA Student uses his Techniques to Stop an Attack

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

Poughkeepsie martial arts

Poughkeepsie martial arts

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

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

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