Precision MMA’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program – The Finest in Poughkeepsie, NY
by Jamey Bazes
BJJ Brown Belt and Senior Student at Precision MMA near Poughkeepsie, NY
A lot has changed in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since it was first used by Royce Gracie to win the first Ultimate Fighting Championship back in 1993. Back in the mid to late 90s, legitimate Poughkeepsie BJJ schools were very hard to come across, and if you were lucky enough to find one, chances are the instructor would not be a black belt or even close to expert level. Much of this was because the majority of black belts still resided in Brazil.
Fast forward to 2013 and not only is it not a novelty for a small town like Poughkeepsie, NY to have a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school with a black belt instructor, but it is not uncommon for even very rural and sparsely populated areas to have more than one school, not to mention the competition in larger urban areas. Competition between BJJ schools is fierce these days and so each must try to offer the highest quality product and provide something that the others don’t so as to stand out and stay in business.
Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie New York is well aware of this competition, and because we truly care about our students we are constantly striving to provide the best instruction possible. Precision stands out from the competitors in many ways. One way we stand out is that we offer both Gi and No-Gi classes and equal emphasis on both. While this is becoming more common, there are still many schools which are mainly one or the other, but Precision caters to both styles equally.
One of the more important ways in which our Poughkeepsie BJJ program stands out from others is that we place emphasis on takedowns. There are still far too many schools that grapple exclusively from the knees and the students do not even realize how much this hurts their games. All Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, MMA fights and street fights start from the feet, so whatever your motivation for training, if you are not learning takedowns your needs are not being met. In fact, when someone takes BJJ classes at Precision MMA in Poughkeepsie New York, they are not learning one style of grappling, they are learning seven separate styles. Our advanced no-gi classes are taught by two instructors who share the stage: a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Professional MMA fighter is there to teach the ground game, and then the takedown instruction is provided by one of any number of our division one wrestlers. As such, you will be learning not only BJJ, but Freestyle, Folk style and Greco-Roman Wrestling in our Jiu-Jitsu classes. We also have elements of Russian Sambo and Catch As Catch Can Wrestling that are mixed in for added effect.
Likewise, our advanced Gi Jiu-Jitsu classes are taught by both a BJJ black belt and a world class Judo Black Belt. Throws and trips from Kodokan Judo are emphasized on the feet and this is something that very few schools offer these days. What we produce are students who are well rounded, who know how to perform and defend against takedowns both with and without the Gi, and who know all facets of the ground game, including leg locks, which are another area which many schools neglect because they are afraid of the risk of training with them. However our school stresses safety in performing all techniques, another area that many Poughkeepsie area schools neglect.
All too often, BJJ schools are loosely run. We have all seen those schools where every training session is fought like a tournament match, and this behavior causes injuries. At Precision MMA, if an opponent refuses to tap to a submission, then catch and release is practiced, meaning that the hold will be relinquished. We do not have an ego at Precision. We also recognize that upper level belts can be tapped by lower level belts. In fact, we hope that this happens because it shows improvement in the lower ranks. We do not gossip at the end of the day about who tapped whom or make a big deal of it if a lower belt submits a higher one because we realize this is a natural result of regular training. We feel it is important to stress good sportsmanship and the results speak for themselves. Inevitably, if you train with an ego there will be a price to pay, whether it is an injury to yourself or a training partner, or simply a bullying mentality that is fostered. A good Poughkeepsie Brazilian Jiu-jitsu studio should never encourage this.
In addition, we provide an atmosphere that is neither too loose nor too formal. While respect for one’s instructors is paramount, the rigidly traditional routines of some schools can be off putting to some students who are new to the Martial Arts. Precision MMA Jiu-Jitsu classes are run so that they are fun as well as character building and we like to think of our coaches as friends, not merely superiors.
Precision MMA also emphasizes hygiene and cleanliness in our BJJ facility, which is of the utmost importance these days. With serious staph infections like MRSA and lesser skin afflictions around, keeping the mats sanitized is nothing to take lightly. At Precision our mats are sprayed and mopped after every single class and our equipment sprayed down. Students are also told not to train if they think they may have some sort of skin infection and the instructors keep a keen eye out for them so that nothing spreads. We pride ourselves on being the cleanest gym in all of Poughkeepsie.
Another distinguishing factor about Precision’s Brazilian Jiu-jitsu program is our structure: when it comes time to spar we do not choose our own partners without the instructors consent or sit out whenever we feel the desire. Instead, our instructors are careful to place various students together for specific reasons. Perhaps the teacher feels that a newer student needs the help of a senior one, so he will match them up. Or maybe one student will be training for a competition and need to be matched with more skilled students to test them. One student may be injured and need to train with someone more accustomed to going light. Our instructors take all of these factors into account and none of our training is done randomly.
Finally, Precision MMA’s BJJ program caters to the specific needs of our students. We know that different people train for different reasons so we cover all of our bases. Some students train for self defense, and so which moves would be better or worse for a street fight scenario are discussed in class so that everyone is aware that not all moves should be used in all situations. Since some students train for competition, we cover this as well, and make students aware of how many tournaments utilize their point systems. Or if someone is simply at Precision to get in better shape, they can easily achieve this aim since our classes all have serious warm ups and conditioning exercises designed equally to aid with strength, flexibility, cardio and avoiding injuries. We even have instructors who are knowledgeable about diet and who are willing to provide tips on nutrition for those interested in losing weight.
Overall, whatever your motivation for training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Precision MMA’s program will meet your needs. We are confident you will not find all of these aspects covered at just any Poughkeepsie Brazilian Jiu-jitsu school. The proof is in the product, try us out for 30 days of free training and see for yourself.