Precision Boxing in Poughkeepsie, NY

Posted on July 21, 2014 by fighter in boxing

Poughkeepsie Boxing

Poughkeepsie played host to its first amateur boxing card in a number of years at Stitzel Field this past weekend. Fighters from across the Hudson Valley piled into the event hoping to show their skills and earn valuable experience. Precision MMA pugilist Brandon Clemente stepped up for his second amateur bout. His debut showed he had all the makings of a champion, but even a diamond needs polishing if it’s going to shine. His speed and head movement were on point, but he was also wild leaving himself exposed for more seasoned fighters, this time around he was looking for more, well, Precision.

Fighters have different reactions to stepping in the squared circle. Some are overwhelmed by the experience, stress and pressure causes a sense of panic that disrupts their skills and timing. Others are too passive, they fail to rise to the occasion and have a performance that resembles a sparring match. Then there are those who relish the moment. They fight boldly and confidently assert themselves, they channel their nervous energy into a focused concentrated attack. Brandon falls into the latter category.

Sporting a pair of Captain America socks, complete with dual foam wings, he marched into the ring and immediately took control of the bout. Swarming his opponent with flurries of punches and relentless pressure the referee was forced to give his opponent multiple standing 8 counts. Brandon then began stalking his opponent making him flinch and over react with well timed fakes and feints, creating openings for power shots. Following the advice of veteran trainer Derrick Ohlhoff he continued his assault until the referee was forced to call a halt to the contest awarding Brandon the TKO victory.

Poughkeepsie Boxing

Precision was the only mixed martial arts gym represented at the show. All other gyms were exclusively boxing based. However, despite housing multiple disciplines Precision showed they can more than compete with the best Poughkeepsie area boxing gyms.

Check out Precision MMA’s Boxing program for 30 days free visit http://www.poughkeepsieboxing.com

Precision MMA kids classes – more than just karate

Posted on June 26, 2014 by fighter in martial arts

Live in Poughkeepsie and want to enroll you kids in martial arts or karate classes? Check out Precision MMA, with kids classes 7 days a week in a beautiful 5,000 square foot facility Precision has something for everyone. Precision kids learn life skills along with their martial arts techniques, discipline, sportsmanship, hard work and dedication are the hallmarks of each and every one of our classes.

Fore more check out www.lagrangemartialarts.com

Kids karate classes Poughkeepsie

Why BJJ is better than a gun for self defense…sometimes

Posted on March 27, 2014 by fighter in Hudson Valley MMA

Tampa Gracie

There are many misconceptions about martial arts. When people find out what I do for a living they often ask me questions like how many boards can you break? Or what happened to your ears? One misconception is with regards to self defense. I was recently speaking with a man who asked me if I taught self defense. I told him I do and he responds that the only self defense he needs is his handgun. It’s a common sentiment, why would I want to learn all these involved pins, choke holds and joint locks when I could just pull a trigger? Obviously when faced with multiple attackers or against a deadly weapon a handgun has many advantages to BJJ. However, in my opinion there are many instances where jiu-jitsu is a better tool for personal protection than a firearm and many of the self defense shortcomings of firearms are often overlooked by gun enthusiasts.

#1 – I can take my jiu-jitsu anywhere

The top drawback of having a firearm as your only means of self defense is that you cannot bring it to many places where you may need to protect yourself. In my home state of NY bars, certain restaurants, schools, racetracks, amusements parks, hospitals, airplanes, most sporting events and government buildings all prohibit firearms. Additionally, you cannot have a loaded gun on your person while traveling in your car or in certain major metropolitan areas (such as NYC). Those are simply the areas in which firearms are expressly prohibited by law, there are numerous instances where carrying a gun may just be impractical.

Jiu-jitsu is different. You cannot take my jiu-jitsu away from me or make me leave it at home; it is an inseparable part of my identity 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I don’t have to read up on legislation to decide whether I can bring my jiu-jitsu while traveling. Ironically, when the gentleman told me he only required his handgun I asked him if he was carrying it right then and there, sure enough he was not. Additionally, guns are not perfect machines. They jam, misfire or suffer a host of other malfunctions – while my jiu-jitsu isn’t perfect I always have it available on demand.

#2 – I’ve never armbarred myself

Many of my friends are gun enthusiasts and routinely practice marksmanship and train for specific self defense scenarios with their weapon. Aside from those that are active police or military who fired their weapon in the line of duty I don’t know anyone who used their gun to stop an attack. However, I know multiple people who have accidently shot themselves. New Yorkers are familiar with the case of Plaxico Burress the Giant’s wide receiver who suffered a self-inflicted gun shot wound inside a Manhattan night club resulting in a two year prison sentence.

Jiu-jitsu doesn’t backfire. When you apply a submission the only person who will suffer the impact of that attack is your intended target. You also don’t have to worry that your jiu-jitsu will fall into someone else’s hands and be used against you. While I may not know anyone personally who has used a gun to fend off an attacker I know many who have used their jiu-jitsu training to subdue an attacker and never once has their use of force resulted in any personal or collateral damage.

#3 – Jiu-jitsu offers a sliding scale of violence

After defeating an opponent in the UFC Demian Maia once said “I want to show Jiu-Jitsu to the world. I want to show people that you can win a fight without hurting your opponent”. Maia highlights arguably the most valuable aspect of jiu-jitsu as a self defense art, the selective use of harm. If someone is a threat to me and talking them down hasn’t worked I can gently take them down, establish a dominant position and calmly diffuse the situation. If more force is necessary I can throw light strikes to show them I mean business. Should more force be required I could apply a submission and gradually apply force until I achieve compliance. Finally, if all else fails I can render them unconscious, which while more aggressive is unlikely to result in long term damage. Not every fight is life or death. For example, one of my students had to subdue his brother in law after he had too much to drink and went after another family member. My student simply got behind him, applied a rear naked choke and the altercation was ended.

When your only method for diffusing an assault is pulling a firearm it quickly escalates the situation to life or death. As a result actions too often become erratic and chaos ensues. While guns do offer a deterrent effect, if that deterrent is ignored the next step is lethal force. Gun owners are trained to shoot to kill and while a Glock might be necessary for a hostage situation it isn’t necessarily the best tool for diffusing a bar fight. There are also serious psychological implications for self defense killings as well that are often underestimated by gun owners. If your only tool for protecting yourself is lethal force you may have to face the uncomfortable reality of taking the life of another human being. Jiu-jitsu offers a less than lethal option that can save an innocent person from the psychological stress of taking a life.
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/experts_the_psychological_afte.html

For example, in this scenario jiu-jitsu training would have offered the officer a method of restraint that would have kept both parties alive. Regardless of how justified the shooting may have been the officer now has to live with the fact that he shot and killed a man on his wedding night. A skilled jiu-jitsu practitioner would be armed with the tools to control the fight without loss of life.

Clearly there are instances in which carrying a gun could save your life. I know I wouldn’t want to test my jiu-jitsu against an armed attacker. However, there are a host of situations and a scenarios where using a firearm is either illegal, dangerous, or unnecessarily escalates the encounter. At the very least jiu-jitsu offers a viable first line of defense or alternative to lethal force that should be seriously considered by those who take their personal protection seriously.

Precision MMA

Learn Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at the top Poughkeepsie martial arts school Precision MMA call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com to get started

Precision MMA at UFC 168 – It’s Miller Time

Posted on February 25, 2014 by fighter in Uncategorized

Precision MMA

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I first met Jim and Dan Miller – it was around 2005 at “Planet Jiu-jitsu” (the name of the gym where the Miller’s began their training). Planet was an affiliate of my coach Rob Kahn and he brought me along to roll with these two blue belts everyone was talking about. I knew they both were standout wrestlers, but knowing these prodigies hadn’t been training very long I didn’t expect much. Despite their limited mat time Jim and Dan gave me all I could handle – the only reason I was able to come out on top at all was because I used submissions they hadn’t seen yet. Afterwards we all went out to eat and they told me how they were training for their first MMA fights in a few weeks. I immediately knew they would quickly be making a name for themselves.

Eventually Sean “Shorty Rock” Santella started asking me to work with him. He took to my teaching well and began singing my praises enough that a few other fighters started trying me on for size – eventually I wound up working with the Millers. Jim and Dan are special athletes. For most people, they’ll learn a new move or concept and it will take a serious amount of repetition along with trial and error before they make it their own. With the Millers, I could show them a technique on Monday and they’d tap me out with it by Wednesday. Jim and Dan are submission hunters, we used to joke that they had a “submission before position” style of fighting. This sort of approach has earned them more than a few bonus checks and some amazing highlight reel finishes, but from time to time it could backfire.

Precision MMA

In Jim’s bouts against Joe Lauzon and Pat Healy he went full seek and destroy mode right out the gate. He left Lauzon covered in blood and had Healy nearly unconscious at the end of the first round. However, as the fights played out both turned into back and forth wars – while the FOTN bonus checks were nice it was becoming apparent that a more tactical approach might result in a longer and more fruitful career. Going into this fight camp all coaches were in agreement about being efficient and calculating; hitting single and doubles rather than constantly swinging for the fences. The ground attack for based around safety first, making sure to avoid unnecessary damage and allowing the opponent to give us the opening rather than forcing it. Jim’s opponent Fabricio Camoes was a 3^rd degree BJJ black belt so we had our work cut out for us.

This was my first time cornering a fight in Vegas. I didn’t realize how intense the fight fans were. Jim was a full-fledged celebrity, every step he took he was shaking hands, signing autographs or kissing babies. More people knew Jim here than if he was at his high school reunion. The interesting thing I noticed though was how short the fan’s memories were. After leaving a fighter meeting I walked ahead while Jim was meeting with fans. Standing next to me the entire time was former world champion Mike Brown. To me Brown is an MMA legend; he finished Urijah Faber when many thought he was untouchable. Before Jose Aldo came along he had won 10 straight and was a two time defending WEC champion. Still and active fighter, he had won 2 of his last 3 UFC fights. Yet he walked through the crowded sea of fans without recognition. I came to realize that MMA is very much about “what have you done lately”.

Team Miller passed the time telling stories about youthful hijinks, gardening and brewing strategies and the many misadventures of their precocious children. Aside from briefly discussing strategy you’d have no idea we would be entering a fist fight on pay per view.

Precision MMA

I’m generally very nervous before fights. Regardless of how prepared a fighter happens to be I can’t keep my mind from running through doomsday scenarios. I generally try to conceal my uncertainty through a combination of binge eating and bad jokes. For this fight I felt abnormally at ease. I was certain Jim would be successful and his confident disposition calmed my normally alert nerves. However, for a moment all that changed. While at weigh-ins I saw Royler Gracie stroll by and thought to myself, “I wonder who he’s cornering”. Then I remembered that he was there for Camoes, Jim’s opponent. I had a sudden bout of self-doubt. I grew up on legends of the Gracie family. When I was 16 you could have convinced me that Helio and his sons hung the moon. I remember Royler was hand-picked to corner Rickson in Japan years before I even knew how to spell jiu-jitsu. I thought he had likely forgotten more than I’d ever know about jiu-jitsu. However, for the past two months I was tasked with devising a jiu-jitsu strategy that would overwhelm Royler’s top fighter. My dormant neurosis was now alive and well. I reminded myself that it was Jim vs Camoes, not Brian vs Royler and tried my best to focus on the task at hand.

This fight camp there was a new approach. Jim took a more analytical approach to his preparation and really put himself under the microscope. He realized that while he had elite technique and conditioning, he would occasionally get himself into hot water by being overly aggressive. Trying to KO his opponent with every strike earned him some hefty bonuses, but may have cost him some key victories as well. Patience and relaxation were the theme of this fight camp. Attack when the moment is right rather than forcing the issue. Warming up Jim looked fluid and focused. When the first note of “Long Cool Woman” filled the arena Jim marched towards the octagon with unshakable composure.

Precision MMA

The bell sounded and Camoes rushed towards Jim. While our approach was slow and steady, Camoes was in seek and destroy mode. The first few exchanges saw Camoes landing hard strikes that were starting to find their mark. He was loading up on hooks and head kicks, trying to end the bout quickly. This was not what we expected. A wrestling and jiu-jitsu attack was what we assumed Camoes, a third degree BJJ black belt, would bring to the table. This straight ahead striking attack took us by surprise. Jim shifted gears and looked for the takedown, which presented itself when Camoes attempted a high kick. Immediately Camoes attempted to spring back to his feet and in the process exposed his back. Jim got a little overanxious and slid off the back though, ending up on the bottom in guard. Instantly, he began breaking Camoes’ posture in order to control the distance and limit any strikes. I called out for him to swim his arm to the mat. Jim responded, but Camoes countered and kept his arm on the torso. Jim cleared the head and immediately swung into the armbar. He clamped his legs into position and synched a tight grip across the wrist while hooking the leg to prevent a slam. Then he waited. Rather than forcing the issue he was biding his time and waiting for the ideal opportunity. Camoes for a moment pulled his weight back; Jim now had his opportunity and powerfully arched his hips. Dan saw Camoes wince in pain and instructed his brother to give it everything he had. Jim obliged him and Camoes was forced to submit.

Precision MMA

Immediate exaltation spread throughout our corner. A first round submission without taking serious damage, by all accounts a near perfect performance. Camoes stormed off, punching the cage in anger. In that moment I felt for him. He had obviously made substantial improvements for this fight. He had hoped to put the new and improved Fabricio Camoes on display and for a few moments looked like he might enjoy his day in the sunshine. However, MMA is a winner-take-all system and despite his diligence he would suffer the slings and arrows of defeat. Following his cathartic fence stomping Camoes shook Jim’s hand.

-During his post-fight interview Jim surprised me. It isn’t often that a fighter gets a captive audience, victory speeches are often opportunities to bolster their accomplishment, proclaim their title worthiness, or call out rival fighters. Instead when Joe Rogan asked Jim about his victory he took his moment to tell the world that I was a quality trainer, a truly selfless act that reminded me that every long drive to New Jersey was well worth the trip.

Looking for elite mixed martial arts, boxing or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu near Poughkeepsie, NY? Check out Precision MMA for 30 Days Free visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com or call 845-392-8495845-392-8495 to get started

Precision MMA

Precision MMA – Kids martial arts Poughkeepsie

Posted on November 27, 2013 by fighter in Poughkeepsie martial arts

Teaching kids martial arts in Poughkeepsie can be hard at times. The students don’t always have the physical abilities to pull off the moves, their attention is so often elsewhere and they’re especially sensitive. As a result, most of the black belt school owners I know do not teach their kid classes. Instead they delegate the responsibility to an aspiring fighter who is training for free or they hire someone with a greater degree of patience.

I’ve always preferred to get on the mat with my kids. I alternate between teaching triangle chokes and giving speeches about the virtues of doing your homework. The abilities of kids vary greatly, for every student who looks like they might be the next UFC champion there’s another who can’t stop crying after hitting his head on the mat.

I try to make a real investment in my kids, understanding that they’re the future of Precision Mixed martial arts. I hope that I won’t simply improve their kicks and punches, but help them grow up to become better men and women. My right hand man, Chris Stanley is my brother in the struggle. Someone who shares my passion for teaching kids and never lets the smile leave his face, regardless of how chaotic the kids might become. I must confess though, there are difficult days where we question how much of a difference our teaching is making.

Then there are days where I get little gifts like this and I’m reminded why we keep running our kids martial arts classes.

kids martial arts Poughkeepsie, NY

Check out Precision MMA’s kids martial arts classes in Poughkeepsie, NY for 30 Days FREE. Call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.lagrangemartialarts.com

kids Karate Poughkeepsie

Florida residents looking for Tampa BJJ check out Tampa Gracie – the best kids martial arts Tampa has to offer

Triangle Chokes!

Posted on July 11, 2013 by fighter in Hudson Valley MMA, martial arts

Here’s a post I did for BJJ.org where I showed all my favorite triangle chokes

Enjoy!

http://www.bjj.org/hudsonvalleymartialartsgym

Hudson Valley martial arts

Kaensak Seminar – Poughkeepsie Muay Thai

Posted on May 6, 2013 by fighter in muay thai

This was a busy weekend for me. I had my muay thai coach Kaensak come to my school for a muay thai seminar. Kaensak is a muay thai legend – over 300 fights, multiple time Thailand “Fighter of The Year” and a Lumpinee Stadium Champion. It’s almost unreal that I’m able to have someone of his stature teach me muay thai in my small section of Poughkeepsie. I started working with Kaensak about 2 years ago. I had heard a lot of hype about him, but I was very skeptical. I knew he was a great fighter, but I’ve seen plenty of champions who couldn’t teach whatsoever. My skepticism was completely unfounded though. Kaensak completely blew my mind. He opened up a whole new world of muay thai to me. His style is flashing but deceptively simple. Use a handful of effective techniques, but always feint, disguise and keep your opponent guessing. The amazing thing is that I’ve never scene his techniques shown by anyone else. I feel like I stumbled across hidden treasure.

Being the nice guy that I am I wanted to share the wealth with my muay thai students over in Poughkeepsie, NY at Precision MMA. Kaensak showed us all muay thai we could handle for two hours. He started with fundamental defense, then built to counter striking off catching your opponent’s kicks and finished with some very sneaky clinch techniques. There was a mixed bag of basics and flash.

If you live in the Poughkeepsie area and love striking check out my Poughkeepsie Muay Thai classes at Precision MMA call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemuaythai.com