My friend Sam Rivera stopped by my school and shot this amazing video. Here, Sam was exploring the culture of the school, the motivation of the instructors, as well as what makes Precision Mixed Martial Arts the unique martial arts academy that it is.
If you live in Poughkeepsie, LaGrange or anywhere else in the Hudson Valley and are looking for quality mixed martial arts, Boxing, Muay Thai or Brazilian jiu-jitsu check out http://www.precisionmixedmartialarts.com or call 845-392-8495
My black belt Karl Nemeth put his skills on display at Kaged Kombat 25 walking away with the first round calf crush submission. Karl is so well rounded as a fighter, but he is mainly known for his muay thai skills earning multiple titles with his high flying strikes.
As his jiu-jitsu coach I’ve always wished the world knew more about his world class ground game. His MMA career has become the showcase for his submissions. Everyone thinks they are safer taking the bout to the ground, but once they get there they come to the realization they aren’t safe anywhere.
http://bjjfighter.com/blog/2016/04/congratulations-karl-nemeth-on-defending-his-mma-title/
Precision MMA
My thoughts on how training jiu-jitsu gives you a realistic sense of self
The fighters I train are really a special breed. Their discipline, sacrifice and passion inspire in all aspects of my life. There is no greater group of human beings I could ever hope to corner
There are many joys I get to experience as a martial arts instructor, from helping a student master a difficult technique, to teaching a young child the value of hard work, to being in the corner for a championship prize fight. However, there is nothing more satisfying than stories of self defense. Knowing that the techniques you taught someone came to the rescue at the most critical juncture provides a satisfaction like nothing else.
Precision MMA is fortunate to have both incredible instructors and dedicated students. Here is the story of Nick Formichelli, a corrections officier in Dutchess County who was able to use the techniques he learned at Precision to protect himself from a hostile inmate.
Want to learn realistic self defense in the Hudson Valley? Find out what you can learn in 30 days call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com to get started
I used to be pretty good! If you like grunge music and double legs train with me at my Poughkeepsie MMA gym Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY visit www.poughkeepsimixedmartialarts.com
Why did you start jiu-jitsu? Additionally, ask yourself why you chose jiu-jitsu over the myriad of other martial arts available. For me the answer was simple, I needed to learn how to fight. I remember being a skinny freshman in high school when the captain of the varsity football team, a pharmaceutically enhanced goliath, laughed as he threw his trash at me during lunch. In a moment of anger I threw it back in his face as hard as I could along with a few four letter words for good measure. Not wanting to lose his alpha status he got nose to nose and put the fear of God in me. I didn’t back down and I put on my game face, but (aside from the time I was attacked by a pitbull) it was the single scariest moment of my life. Fortunately I made it through the encounter unscathed, but the feeling of helplessness had staying power. I never wanted to feel that way again, this was a problem that needed solving. I wanted to learn, but I thought most martial arts didn’t work for a real fight against a bigger opponent. I had no idea where to start, after doing some research I thought “Jeet Kune Do” would be my best bet since it touted itself as a no BS, no rules fighting style. I called a gym that advertised JKD classes, the receptionist told me the instructor had left, but encouraged me to try Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instead. I was skeptical, but they told me to check out the first few UFCs and see it in action. I had heard about the UFC on Dateline specials and they always referenced “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock. When I saw skinny Royce Gracie effortlessly dispatch of Shamrock and in subsequent events dispose of the similarly terrifying Dan Severn and Kimo I knew Brazilian Jiu-jitsu was for me. I immediately set an appointment. At my first class I had every extremity wrenched and was repeatedly strangled by a woman who was too small to ride most roller coasters. While some might have found this discouraging, I was elated. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was EXACTLY what I was looking for.
My story is not unique, almost everyone who started when I did saw UFC 1 and wanted Royce Gracie’s super power. Jiu-jitsu was about empowerment, personal protection and real fighting. However, the more I trained the more my techniques drifted from “vale tudo” to grappling specific. My spider guard was improving, but my ground and pound defense was non-existent. I decided to take matters into my own hands. I’d ask neighborhood kids to punch me while I tried to take them down. I got a key to the gym and met up with one of the guys and started rolling with slaps. I watched every MMA event I could and tried to mimic the strategies that seemed effective. I learned by trial and error. I endured a few headaches and black eyes, but I quickly came to understand the most important element of BJJ for fighting – always control the distance.
My technique improved, but it was still terribly unrefined. I would get a tip here and there and bought a few Mario Sperry vale 
tudo videos, but I didn’t have a real strategy beyond get really close and try to submit them fast as you can. I was basically winging it. The instruction I was getting in BJJ class was quality grappling advice, but it was always up to me to modify it to prevent strikes. My coaches weren’t overly concerned with the finer points, even once I started my professional MMA career the idea was basically “just take them down and play your game”.
Shockingly, this strategy was fairly successful.
I was winning fights quickly, but once my blitzkrieg submission attack fell short I started taking damage. Even when I won, hospital visits were becoming a post-fight tradition for me. I knew I needed to improve the defensive side of my ground attack. I had a million ways to tap someone out, but very few to stop them from bashing my brains in. I needed a new style, a new approach.
Believe it or not I won this fight
I saw that style in action one night while watching the old WEC. The fight was Chad Mendes vs Javier Vazquez. I was always a big fan of Javier from his days on the grappling circuit. I was rooting for him, but honestly I thought he was going to get crushed. Mendes was undefeated, a stellar athlete and he was 8 years younger and had taken no real damage in his career. The fight started and Chad put Javi right to his back. I thought to myself “if Javi doesn’t sub his quick he’s going to take a beating from this position”. However, that was not the case. Javi’s guard completely neutralized Mendes. He patiently threw up submission attempts with no forced urgency. He looked completely comfortable on bottom and was confident he wouldn’t take damage. Although the judges didn’t agree I thought he won the round off his back. Javi ended up losing the decision, but I knew his style of BJJ for MMA was something I wanted to emulate.
Fast forwarding, I heard Javi on a podcast talking about his style of grappling termed “strike based jiu-jitsu”. The idea was that all the techniques he taught from all positions assumed the partner would be striking. Additionally, the focus was safety first offense second. I realized this was exactly what I was looking for, a BJJ system that needed no modifications for real fighting, taught by someone who had been tested at the highest level of combat sports. I made my mind up that I had to check this out. Fortunately, Javi was going to be near my home town for a seminar and through the magic of Facebook I was able to book him at my gym as well.
In addition to the seminar I booked a private lesson so I could get more in depth in the system. The approach was completely revolutionary, but shockingly simple at the same time. We worked from guard and bottom side control. The first thing we broke down was how someone could strike us, then we systematically shut it down by clamping, blocking, pummeling or bridging – movements with which I was already well acquainted. The next step was to simply relax and frustrate the opponent by showing them their dominant position would provide them no openings. The frustration would lead to reaction which would create the opening for escape. I quickly realized this would be equally effective for pure grappling with no modification. Rather than exhausting myself fighting frantically to escape mount or side control I could simply relax knowing that I was perfectly defended. Javi’s game made scary positions much more tolerable. A fundamental principle of his SES (side control escape series) approach was not allowing the partner to control your head. My old coach has a saying “when in doubt smash the head”. Against properly executed SES positioning head smashing is practically impossible. I realized that this would not only change my bottom game, but force me to find new methods of attack from the top and so the journey began.
I quickly realized that if I wanted to commit to learning this system I would have to head out to the west coast for some more intensive training sessions. I booked my ticket and flew out to Rancho Cucamonga California to Javier’s gym “Gracie Rancho”. The intensive training helped cement the defensive system and introduce me to the offensive side as well. Javier originally received his black belt under the Carlson Gracie banner, known for its offensive attacking style. However, after meeting his wife Rose Gracie he learned the defensive Helio Gracie self defense system of the Gracie Academy. In many ways Javier is the bridge between the two ideological paradigms of the Gracie system. Javier was always known for his flashy submissions, earning him the moniker “Showtime” – but his system of ground and pound is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. By training the defenses so intimately, Javier knows exactly where to position himself to overcome them and make his opponent helpless against devastating strikes. Unlike MMA fighters Javi wasn’t simply concerned with blows legal under the unified rules of mixed martial arts. His system accounts for variable such as head butts and groin strikes.
The thing that impressed me the most about my trips to California though was not Javi’s advanced techniques, but rather his method for teaching beginners. From day 1 all his students leard how to defend against strikes. They don’t spend all their mat time doing triangle chokes and armbars, instead they are clinching against strikes and neutralizing punches on the ground. My method was to get everyone to a blue belt in pure grappling based jiu-jitsu and then start teaching them vale tudo styled techniques. I thought the strikes on the ground would be too much for them to handle and that the extra variables of punches, knees and elbows would overwhelm them. However, I quickly realized that Javi’s white belts had a better understanding of striking defense than most of the purple belts at other academies. As a result I’ve completely reversed my thinking. Now my students start with striking self defense and only learn the more grappling specific BJJ at blue belt.
The most dramatic difference in my technique became visible in my MMA sparring. I started noticing everyone was easier to hit when I was on top and easy to stifle when I was on bottom. Half my sparring is done at my home gym and half with a group of pro and amateur MMA fighters far from my home. As I started teaching my students to techniques Javi had taught me I began to notice they were MUCH harder to ground and pound than the pro fighters I’d spar. Despite the fact that this group included high school students, police officers and musicians by implementing strike based jiu-jitsu they had better striking defense than Bellator and Strikeforce veterans. Many of the fighters have since converted and now tag along whenever Javier comes up to my school. 
If you live on the east coast and want to join the strike based jiu-jitsu revolution take the trip to my Poughkeepsie MMA school Precision MMA on May 3rd from 1-3pm for Javi’s no-gi seminar. Invest $60 in your personal protection. Email Precisionmma@gmail.com or call 845-392-8495 to reserve your spot.
For you lucky souls living near rancho cucamonga check out Javi’s academy Gracie Rancho
Can’t make the trip? Javi is sharing some of his strike based jiu-jistu via instagram http://instagram.com/javiershowtime#
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
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 3rd 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 845-392-8495
845-392-8495 to get started
Precision MMA
Precision MMA
2014 has been busy for me. Although the year is still in its infancy I’ve traveled from Poughkeepsie to Las Vegas, Atlanta, and now Tokyo, along the way sharing in surreal victories and heartbreaking defeats. The mixed martial arts world is a roller coaster of experiences. Fights are by their very nature chaotic and unpredictable. As martial artists we attempt to tame the beast of uncertainty through rigorous training and preparation. Yet, despite our best efforts there are no guarantees and fortunes rise and fall with each punch thrown. Although I’ve often times felt the cold realities of this phenomenon; as I boarded the plane for Tokyo I thought to myself, “we’ve got this in the bag”.
Stepping into the ring was Andy Main, a long and lean southpaw who could tap out most men with a stern glance. He was riding a three fight winning streak, including a victory over Hiroki Aoki, a feared top ten Pancrase fighter. His opponent this time around was Akira Okada. Akira was heralded as the top pupil of Japanese MMA legend Takanori Gomi. Similar to “the fireball kid” Akira earned his victories through vicious power. He’d throw hard and often, and on more than one occasion left his opponent wearing a crimson mask of his own blood. However, his power and fierceness left him wild. A precise fighter like Andy could navigate the turbulent sea of aggression and find many ports to victory. There were other factors on our side as well – Andy was half a foot taller with a sizeable reach advantage. His movements were faster and more dynamic. Akira moved forward in a leaping fashion, Andy’s footwork was sure to leave him lost and confused. Andy had also sharpened his jiu-jitsu, adding new submission entries from his already dangerous guard. Every time I ran the numbers the arithmetic yielded the same result, an Andy Main victory.
Precision MMA
Boarding the plane felt familiar. Things were going to be easier this time around I thought. We were prepared for the marathon flight and jetlag. We knew where to train and how to traverse the landscape. The ring would be familiar and the unique rules routine. While the lack of novelty was comforting, it also made the experience less magical. We had become well acquainted with Japanese mores; episodes of culture shock were few and far between. This trip was less about exploring a foreign land and more about taking care of business.
After getting settled we went for our fist pre-fight workout. Since Andy was fighting at 155, a weight class above his featherweight home, his energy was high and we were able to train hard. We rolled for close to 30 minutes straight and I had to fight for every inch of progress. Andy’s transitions were sharp and the 15 hours of flight had not robbed him of one ounce of strength. We went over a small handful of techniques and scenarios and then met the media for photo ops and interviews.
Later in the evening I wanted to get some training in so we made a trip to Tri-force Gotanda, a spectacular BJJ school that I had visited during my last trip to Tokyo. We reviewed some Judo throws and then it was time for rolling. I expected Andy to be a bit slower considering our earlier training session, but he was every bit as fast and left his training partners scratching their heads and gasping for air. I knew he was without a doubt in fight shape.
Precision MMA at Tri-force Gotanda
The following day was weigh-ins. I was surprise when I saw MMA legend Yuki Kondo step on the scale. I had no idea he was fighting on the card. Kondo had tooth and nail battles with the likes of Semmy Schilt and Dan Henderson. He famously stopped the MMA hopes of BJJ legend Saulo Ribeiro and even took on Tito Ortiz for the UFC title. Even more amazing was that Andy had higher billing than him on the card. Kondo shook my hand and obliged my requests for photos with admirable humility.
Yuki Kondo and Precision MMA Coach Brian McLaughlin
Finally fight day was upon us, we followed the routine of “hurry up and wait”. Pancrase events are marathons with up to 30 bouts on a single card with talent ranging from aspiring new comers to mixed martial arts royalty. Andy was the co-main event, which meant we had some time to kill. We alternated between waxing philosophical about deep existential mysteries of the universe and trading stories about crazy ex-girlfriends.
As fight time approached we rehearsed the gameplan and I went about reassuring Andy of his success (which is as much for me as it is for him). When I heard the familiar sound of his walkout music I knew we’d reached that point of no return and made our way towards the ring. The bell sounded and Akira rushed forward, Andy rattled off a three punch combination finding the mark with each strike. After tasting Andy’s strikes Akira rushed in for the takedown. I could tell Akira’s strength and power were alive and well for this bout. Immediately Andy tied Akira up, taking away all his offensive options. Akira drove his head forward pressuring Andy, but this only made him more vulnerable to attack. Andy shifted his hips and began maneuvering into position for armbars and triangles. After several close calls Akira abandoned all offense and made survival his sole concern. The round came to a conclusion and I assured Andy that his strategy was working, but he’d need to open up more in order to secure the submission. I also noted that Akira had unusually small arms, making the triangle a better option than the armbar. Andy nodded and paced in the corner awaiting the start of the second round. A unique part of Pancrase is their open scoring where fighters know exactly what the judges render after each round. Two judges scored the round even, one judge gave the round to Andy; making us ahead by the smallest of margins.
Precision MMA
Akira was aware he was behind and the threat of defeat clearly awakened a dormant sense of urgency in him. The echo of the bell was still in the air when Akira leapt forward with a thunderous punch. The shot landed flush but Andy clinched and fired back a knee. They were chest to chest now, which negated Andy’s reach advantage and gave Akira the window he had been waiting for. Akira fired off rapid fire hooks, uppercuts and knees finding their mark over and over again. Andy was caught off guard but bit down on his mouth piece and began firing back. The fight devolved into a pure slugfest where Andy was taking two to give one in a battle of pure power – a battle that Akira was clearly winning. At one point Andy stumbled and Akira pounced on him, driving him to the ground and punching with murderous intentions. As he passed to the mount I was screaming for Andy to tie him up and regroup, but I could tell he wasn’t firing on all cylinders, as the strikes began to add up the referee seemed moments away from stopping the fight. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of Andy’s eye and sweat poured from his body. He was faced with a decision, he could lay down and accept defeat or he could move his hips and stay in the fight. He chose the latter. Andy recovered his guard and threw up a triangle attempt, although Akira wasn’t in real jeopardy symbolically this told him that he was still in a fight and nothing short of death was going to dissuade Andy Main.
Precision MMA
Andy made his way back to the corner and I attempted to reassure him that Akira was exhausted and he could still win the fight if he kept his guard up and fought in the center of the ring. I ignored the scores and before the start of the round screamed “You can still win this!”
Andy got off the stool and marched toward Akira with confident determination. He looked desperate to return the favor. They traded punches much like the previous round, but this time Andy’s strikes had steam on them and Akira’s were losing power. A big knee sent Akira staggering back into the ropes and just like that the momentum had officially changed hands. Akira powered a takedown, undaunted Andy began firing off submissions left and right. Despite being on his back Andy was clearly in control of the fight. Each successive armbar and triangle attempt was closer than the one before until it happened…a fully locked in triangle. The figure four was perfect, the arm was across the carotid artery, the leg was hooked to prevent the escape – everything was in place. Akira struggled, twisted to his side, stacked his weight forward, furiously attempted to posture, nothing was releasing Andy’s hold, there would be no escape. I was elated, we had survived the most turbulent of fortunes and now victory lay in our lap. Akira made one thing clear though, he would not be tapping. If we were to steal victory from him it would have to be pried from his cold dead hand. Just before the final second ticked away I saw Akira slump over, I thought for sure he was unconscious, but as the final bell sound he rose still in the fight our fate would now be decided by three judges. 
As a fighter you become a utilitarian. Success, failure, sadness or happiness is dependent on one result – victory. Absolute success and abject failure are a consequence of three people’s opinion. However, in the moments before the scores were tallied I couldn’t have cared less about the decision. What Andy had accomplished in the ring that night was a victory of magnificent heights regardless of the callous number system attributed to his name.
Both fighters made their way to the center of the ring. Eyes closed and fists clenched, enduring the uncertainty like a title wave, the decision was read…DRAW. The anticipation met a seemingly anti-climatic conclusion, there was no jubilation, no pounding of chests or devastating remorse – both fighters shook hands and walked away bewildered and dismayed.
Precision MMA
Fighting isn’t easy, stay with it long enough and it will bring you face to face with your greatest fears. Physical fears of fatigue, pain and injury are the obvious dangers that occupy the concern of the uninitiated. However, the truly terrifying phobias a pugilist must confront are those of failure, inadequacy, and cowardice. Along with these perils fighting brings truth, it shines an illuminating light on the character of those daring enough to step into the ring. The greatest victory a fighter can earn comes not from the external validation of fame or fortune, but of self mastery. Andy ventured to Japan in search of victory and although that eluded him, along the way he earned something much more valuable.
