Greg Jackson's Teamates Won't Fight Each Other

On paper, any of those match-ups might seem appealing. With UFC president Dana White’s opinions on teammates fighting teammates, any of them could be proposed at some point down the road.
One person who won’t be on board should those match-ups get made will be trainer Greg Jackson.
At a time when the teammate versus teammate debate rages on, Jackson put his foot down and said that his fighters make their own decisions, but if they choose to fight one another, he won’t be training them to beat each other.
“It’s up to the fighters at the end of the day. I will not be a part of it myself,” Jackson told MMAWeekly.com. “Like I’m not going to train one of my team to fight the other of my team. I wouldn’t even know how to do that, that’s so foreign to me that I couldn’t even do it.”
Jackson points out that he is simply the trainer for the fighters that are under his banner, but he doesn’t try to steer their careers. Ultimately, the choice remains theirs.
“I am not a manager. I’m not in charge of fighters’ careers. They have to make their own decisions. If they decide to do it, I’m not going to train them for it is basically the bottom line there,” Jackson stated.
What it comes down to for the New Mexico based coach is simply not being able to choose one fighter over another when it comes down to it. Jackson doesn’t want to be put in the middle, forced to train one of his fighters, knowing that it could be a detriment to somebody else he’s put work and time into.
For Jackson, while MMA is a job, it’s something he’s passionate about doing and just wouldn’t feel right choosing one fighter over another.
“I want to have a friendship with all of my guys and it’s more important than money. For me, I just do this for fun. It’s more important than careers or anything like that. Now that may not be true with them. I hope it is, but if it happens it happens,” said Jackson.
“It’s going to have to happen eventually, but I’m not going to be a part of it. I refuse to take part in any of that stuff. And the nice thing about not being very important in the world, is I’m sure it won’t be a big deal.”
Jackson does admit that there will always be a soft spot in his heart for the original members at his team, but even with them, he won’t pick and choose if any of them opt to face a teammate in the UFC or Strikeforce.
“My loyalty in all the team always goes to the first five guys,” Jackson commented. “Rashad (Evans), and Georges (St-Pierre), and Joey Villasenor, and Keith Jardine, and Nate Marquardt, those are the guys that really started to make the big move with me and my loyalty is always to them first, but I still couldn’t (do it). But they’re never going to fight, so I would just stay out of all of that stuff.”
For now, Team Jackson hasn’t been faced with much in the way of the teammate vs. teammate scenario, but with rising stars like Jon Jones and Carlos Condit looming around the same divisions as Rashad Evans and Georges St-Pierre, it may happen at some point in the future.
Either way, Greg Jackson will gladly take a step back and just watch.

United States Marine Corps Denies Marine Entry on The Ultimate Fighter Show

MMA valor has learned from a source that the United States Marine Corps has denied George “Loaded” Lockhart his leave request that would have allowed him to participate in season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter. Lockhart tried out for the reality television show, twice in the past (season 8, and 11) and made it each time until the Marine Corps denied his leave then also.
This news is very shocking and disappointing due to the fact that Lockhart is a Martial arts instructor for the Marine Corps. Lockhart even stared in a commercial that featured the marines that is shown during certain events on spike TV.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Marine Corps work very closely together and fans have even seen some Marines appear on past shows on The Ultimate Fighter. Dana White has been very public about his interactions with the United States Military and even been seen supporting Semper FI clothing. 
Spike TV and Ultimate Fighting Championship have even contacted Marine Corps directly and told them they wanted Lockhart on the show. Having him as part of the show would set a great example for people watching the show, but his request was still denied.
The Ultimate Fighter gathers males from the age range of 18-30 years old, roughly the same age group that the United States Military tries to recruit. 

Yushin Okami...DON'T COUNT HIM OUT!!! By Brian Michelino

  

      It’s been about 5 year since Yushin Okami has been looking to fight
for UFC gold. Yushin has quietly acquired a 10-2 record in the
ultimate fighting championship since he first came on to the scene by
winning fights by decision, with 12 of his 26 wins coming by decision.
None the less he is winning, when you look at Okami’s 5 losses you
will notice they mostly consist of top UFC fighters, fighters like
Chael Sonnen, Rich Franklin and Jake Shields all pop out. Okami has
fought top tier opponents as of late and is starting to get
comfortable in the spot light.
       Okami’s fight against Nate at UFC 122 proved this, Okami a
notoriously slow starter managed to come out strong. Okami out worked
Nate to grind a unanimous decision out even thought a lot of people
(including myself) wrote him off. It seems every time I bet against
Okami he always pulls off a victory, the truth of the matter is he’s a
very skilled fighter. Okami is Big for the weight class and is very
well rounded; his skill set matched it his superior size might give
anyone in the division trouble.
       Okami showed great Jiu Jitsu awareness in this fight verse Marquardt
(witch is what I thought would give him trouble) he got out of some
dangerous positions Marquardt put him in. Okami avoided three serious
submission holds that Nate had locked, two guillotines and a dangerous
looking heel hook. I don’t know if Okami has any chance against
current champ Anderson Silva but I can tell you one thing he defiantly
deserves the title shot now, no question.

Manny Pacquiao asks referee to stop Margarito fight

     Antonio Margarito is due to have surgery today providing the swelling on his face has gone down enough for the doctors to do the procedure. Margarito was brutally beaten about the face with such power, that he suffered a broken eye socket. This beating went on for 12 roungs by his opponent Manny Pacquiao in Saturday night’s fight.

      Manny Pacquiao did visit Margarito after the fight to apologize to him for hurting him so badly. Pacquiao went in to see Margarito in his locker room before Margarito was transported to a Dallas hospital.  Margarito did not do an after the fight interview, under the advice of his doctors. The doctors thought it would be best to get him to the hospital immediately.

     Pacquiao told ABS-CBN News that he told Margarito that he was sorry for his injuries and embraced him. He also thanked Margarito for the fight. Pacquiao went on to say he also apologized to Margarito’s wife and his camp.

     Pacquiao had asked the referee to stop the fight in the 11th round, telling the referee to “look at Margarito’s face.” Pacquiao did not want to do permanent damage to Margarito, which may be the case now.

     Margarito was a bloody mess, with both eyes swollen shut and his face looked like a slab of raw meat. Cries from the spectators to stop the fight fell on deaf ears and the fight continued. Margarito would not let his corner throw in the towel and he would not let the referee stop the fight.

     Connectictut residents watched from home like the rest of the nation on HBO PPV. Parties were held across the Nutmeg State to watch the fight that made history for Pacquiao who now holds eight weight division titles after this win.

Robert Drysdale Wins 2nd MMA Match by Brian Michelino

     Just In case any of you missed it. Robert Drysdale won his second MMA
fight by an armbar. He fought a tough Clay Davidson and although he
lost he showed some serious submission defense, however it wasn’t
enough against a world class BJJ competitor.
     Drysdale got to the ground fast and quickly transitioned to the
“S-mount” a position that is also taught at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu in Long
Island. From the “S-mount” Drysdale softened his opponent up with
strikes and finally secured the Armbar.
     Drysdale showed excellent balance from the mount and a
willingness to strike to gain position, these two thing are going to
help him evolve his BJJ game into a compete MMA game. Check out the
end of the Video you’ll notice Former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir
in his corner believe me that doesn’t hurt his chances of winning.
I’ll keep you updated about Drysdale Fight and success in MMA.

Old School Renzo Gracie Academy



Renzo Gracie Academy - 2002 Magno , Sean Willians, Ryan Gracie, Jay Yang, Joe D'Arce, Joe Capizzi, Harley, Nino Schembri, Fabio Leopoldo, Jamal Patterson

 Here is an old picture at The Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City.  Joe D'Arce of D'Arce Jiu Jitsu in Long Island is pictured in the center.
.

D'Arce Martial Arts Training Etiquette by Brian Michelino

      Before I found D’Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Long Island New York, I
remembered when I was looking for a BJJ school I was curious about the
etiquette of training, so I thought I’d let some of the potential
joiners of D’Arce BJJ know about how we run things here in Bay Shore.
       There are some things that should go without saying that should be
done in any MMA or BJJ school like making you are clean before
class, making sure you finger and toe nails are cut and not wearing shoes on
the mats. Things like training with ring worm is a big No-No in the
Jiu Jitsu community, you have to remember some of our member have kids
and you wouldn’t want to have them pass that on to them.
       It’s a good idea to stay away from moves like Neck Cranks and Heel
Hooks unless you make your partner aware you might be trying for them
before hand.
       Okay now that I made our school sound strict I’ll let you know some
of the things you could do at our school that might be frowned upon
among other gyms. First off don’t be afraid to ask a higher belt to
roll, I’ve heard in some school this is generally an unspoken rule but
in our school you can, I do it all the time! Also you can always ask
the instructor if you need help during the technique portion of the
class , you don’t have to just sit around and wait for him to come to
you, you ask him if you need help, after all they are here to make sure
you learn properly (also something I do all the time).
       Here at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu there is a friendly vibe and we
don’t get wound up about the little things, we are here to help you
reach your Martial Art’s goals, so if you guys have any more questions
please leave a comment in the comment section and we will answer it or
shoot us an email or call and will get right back to you! Hope this
answered some questions you guys might be having!

UFC 122 Nate Marquardt -vs- Yushin Okami by Brian Michelino

     
      Saturday November 13th is UFC 122 in Germany, which means the UFC will
be free live on spike. Typically these free spike cards have a week
line up but this time that’s not the case. The Main event looks strong
in clash for a number one contender spot two string middleweights will
meet in the octagon. Yushin Okami was out preformed in his last title
eliminator when he was out classed by Rich Franklin; Marquardt is also
in the same boat when he fell short against a determined Chael Sonnen.
These fighters have fought against top tier opponents and they know
what it will take to become the champ, this fight should be high
energy and very exciting.
       Okami has been criticized for being a boring fighter, Okami is the
type of fighter that likes to make is opponents work to beat him, and
Nate will be glad to try and take it to Okami. Nate Marquardt is
rarely in a boring fight and has a style that makes me believe this
fight is going to be very exciting despite Okami’s particular fight
style. Okami has been training with Team Quest for this fight most
likely trying to take a page out of the Chael Sonnen game plan to beat
Nate. Though I think this was probably a smart move for Yushin I
believe Nate has a significant advantage in one particular area, and
that is in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game.
       Nate’s a very dangerous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black belt and I believe
that though Okami is no slouch on the ground he won’t have the
training to be able to keep up with Nate on the floor. Nate knows how
to use BJJ to advance his position without risking it, in the past
like in his last fight he was fighting a more dangerous BJJ expert but
I believe when Nate is better on the ground then his opponent this is
when he’ll be at his best. I believe Nate’s strategy will be to strike
Okami from the distance and then take him to the floor where he will
advance his position scoring from the top. I’m looking for Nate to
take a unanimous decision on the 13th, what do you guys think is going
to happen?

Martial Arts Trainings Unexpected Benefits by Brian Michelino

      There are certainly some pretty obvious effects of training Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. Things like Self Confidence and
Weight loss come to mind when talking about the positive benefits of
Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.
       However one benefit that might not be evident to the person looking
in at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or a Mixed Martial arts class which is one
of my favorite things about these sports, and that is the therapy of
training. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu especially when you’re constantly
attacking your opponent and the opponent is constantly attacking you
it’s really all you’re thinking about. In the heat of training your
mind is focused on learning the new techniques and improving what you
are doing and in the heart of sparring at your best you’re on
autopilot.
       I’ve heard some of my training partners at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu tell me
it’s a lot like yoga. For me it’s the closest I get to mediation in my
everyday life. After I come out of a class at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu I feel
like I just recharged my batteries so to speak.

DArce Choke Origin Article

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria Attempting the DArce Choke on Randy Couture

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Lessons is a FanHouse feature in which we ask someone in the MMA world to teach us about one aspect of Brazilian jiu jitsu. Today Joe D'Arce talks about the D'Arce choke.

During the first round of Saturday's UFC 102 main event, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira knocked Randy Couture down and attempted to submit him with a D'Arce choke -- a move that was named after Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Joe D'Arce. To find out more about the move, I called D'Arce at his gym, D'Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu of Long Island, and asked him to explain the move's origins and how it came to bear his name.

For starters, D'Arce wants to make very clear that he did not invent the D'Arce choke.

"It's odd that the choke is named after me because I never claimed to invent the choke, and I never claimed that I'm the only one who does it," D'Arce said. "But when anyone gets good at a certain move, other people associate that move with him. So people started using my name when talking about it. But I didn't invent the move. I was shown that move by one of the instructors at the Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy named John Danaher. He showed me the move, and I really liked it. So I worked hard at it, tried it from all different angles, and became known for using it, and it kind of snowballed to where people started using my name with it."

But when people speak of the D'Arce choke, they usually don't pronounce it the way Joe D'Arce pronounces his name. Joe's surname is pronounced "dee-R-see," but almost everyone -- including Joe D'Arce himself -- pronounces the choke like it rhymes with "farce."

"The person who really made that choke popular on the West Coast was a jiu jitsu coach named Marc Laimon," D'Arce said. "He knows how to pronounce my last name, but he said, 'It's too many syllables.' So he shortened it to 'darce' so when he's coaching someone in a fight or a jiu jitsu match he can yell out, 'D'Arce' quickly. ... No one ever says 'dee-R-see choke.' Everyone just says 'darce.' People often call me 'Darce' because they don't know how to pronounce my name when they see an apostrophe. People say 'Hey, Joe Darce' and I don't correct them, even though it is pronounced 'dee-R-see'."

The choke (which you can see illustrated here or in an instructional video here) is also referred to as the Brabo choke, but Joe D'Arce doesn't use either name.

"I don't even call it the D'Arce when I'm teaching jiu jitsu classes," he said. "I just call it a head arm triangle variation. I just call it the D'Arce when my students say to me, 'Can you show me the D'Arce choke?' Some people call it the Brabo, some people call it the D'Arce. I don't really care. It's just personal preference."

The D'Arce choke is sort of a reverse of the anaconda choke, and Joe D'Arce credited Laimon with pointing out some of the advantages to the D'Arce over the anaconda.

"I've had conversations with Marc Laimon about it, and we both agree that for us, the D'Arce fits our game better -- and is easier to finish -- than the anaconda," D'Arce said. "I have a hard time with the anaconda. ... Marc Laimon is the one who really made this choke popular. He teaches a lot of fighters on the West Coast, he's a well-known jiu jitsu coach, and what he calls the choke becomes what other people call it. He's the one who made the D'Arce choke the D'Arce choke."

Laimon has also added his own first name to D'Arce's surname to provide the name for a less common variation of the D'Arce choke, called the M'Arce choke.

"A M'Arce choke is actually a transition that Marc Laimon came up with," Joe D'Arce said. "It's a way to end up in the same finishing position, but Marc put his own little touch on it. I really like it. It's a good set-up."

Even if the choke isn't pronounced the same way as his last name, Joe D'Arce is, along with Masahiko Kimura, in a very select group of people who have submission moves named after them. D'Arce says that's a source of pride -- he just hopes no one thinks he's the one who gave the choke its name.

"It's flattering, but I hope people don't think I'm trying to take credit for the D'Arce choke, or claiming I invented it," Joe D'Arce said. "Everyone has certain moves they're good at, and I was good at the D'Arce choke, but the person who really made the move popular is Marc Laimon."

Robert Drysdale Transitioning to the MMA Game by Brian Michelino

      Robert Drysdale a World Champion BJJ practitioner plans to make the
move to fight his second fight in MMA. Drysdale is a guy whose Jiu
Jitsu is on par with the likes of Damian Mia and Ronaldo “Jacare”
Souza. However Just because you’re a world champion Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu expert doesn’t always mean you’re going to have success in the
cage, we can recently look at the results of Rolls Gracie’s first
fight in the UFC as proof that you’re going to need to learn how to
deal with some new elements.
       Drysdale started Grappling in 1998 and since then has become a
multiple time world champion; he will have his first fight against
Clay Davidson at Armageddon Fighting Championships 4: Revelation.
Apart from being such a successful grappler Drysdale is one of the
premier trainers to some of the most well known MMA fighters, perhaps
Drysdale is just as famous for his detailed Jiu Jitsu instruction as
he is for his rock solid BJJ game.
       However Drysdale isn’t satisfied with just using his BJJ to win his
MMA fight, Drysdale has been working with the likes of Forest Griffin
and Frank Mir two UFC staples to try and tighten his overall game.
        The fight is Saturday night in Victoria, British Columbia his
second professional MMA bout. In his first bout he defeated Bastein
Huveneers from a triangle choke in just a minute and twelve seconds.
If Drysdale wins a few more fights in impressive fashion I could see
him in a Larger MMA organization like the UFC in no time, and with him
taking his training as serious as he is I believe Drysdale will be a
forced to be reckoned with in the future.

The Importance of Positional Training by Brian Michelino

      Recently at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu in Long island New York, when I’ve been
training I’ve focusing mainly on positions.  Sometimes I feel that my Jiu
Jitsu has been going around in circles.  At times I’ll be focusing on
finishing from the bottom position, and other times I’m working on
sweeping the guy and getting on top.
       However I believe if you a serious competitor and trying to sharpen
your jiu jitsu up for MMA or BJJ competition its best to work on your
position before you attack the submission. In a MMA fight you are in
far less danger of being struck if you are in a good position (I.E. in
side control or mount) and the same goes in BJJ. In BJJ when you
advance your position you score points so working for a better potion
will help you win more BJJ matches.
       It’s important to have a good guard game but it’s also important to
work to advance the position at all times and I believe this should be
a conscious goal of all BJJ and MMA fighters.
       At D’Arce Jiu Jitsu we have some of the best instructors in all of
Long Island and New York that specialize in this aspect of the game.
So if you want to take your BJJ game to the next level or if you’re
looking to improve you Jiu Jitsu for MMA come on down and give us a
try.

UFC and WEC Merger by Brian Michelino

     The UFC’s major announcement this past week was one that personally
excites me a lot. The UFC and the WEC (world extreme cage fighting)
will now become one. This merger is huge in the MMA world that means a
lot of good things for a lot of great fighters. The WEC was also owned
by Zuffa however the WEC houses the lighter weight classes, weight
classes ranging from 135lbs to 155lbs. this means a lot more
opportunities and better pay days for fighters like Jose Aldo and
Urijah Faber.
     Personally I always loved the WEC and always looked forward to
watching the smaller guys slug it out. The lighter fighters always
seem to put on some great shows; they never seem to get tired and are
always supper exciting. This is a great step in the right direction
for our sport; Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC in particular have been
putting on a lot of fights lately so it only makes sense for the UFC
to absorb the WEC at this point. Now that the UFC has more fighters in
their stable they will be able to beef up their cards and give more to
the fans.
     The last two WEC fight cards will air on network television on
November 11 and December 16, these last two events will be the final
WEC events I have a feeling that these events will be spectacular, so
keep your calendar marked.

Armlock Sweep Tutorial from D'Arce Jiu Jitsu

In this video we have D'Arce Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt and Turchiano Judo Brown Belt Timmy "Malibu" Isles demonstrate an armlock sweep.  D'Arce Jiu Jitsu is one of the premier places to train Jiu Jitsu or MMA in Suffolk County Long Island.  Great job by David Hubbard and Brian Michelino on filming and editing the video!

The Importance of Learning by Brian Michelino

Recently at D’Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I’ve gotten to discussions with
some of my training partners about the importance of learning new
moves. One of the best things about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the sport
and the techniques are always evolving or changing, because of this
you must make sure you’re on top of the latest new moves.
       One of my training partners was making the argument to me that it’s
important to learn the basics before you start learning and
incorporating the newer more complicated systems in your game. He
believes in order to fully understand and be able to use these
complicated moves you must understand the basics. To a certain point I
agree, but I also believe that you got to learn these new techniques
in order to be able to defend them properly. My outlook on learning
the new moves is: if you start learning these moves early on in your
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu career by the time you reach a higher rank you’ll
be on your way to mastering these new moves.
       Jiu Jitsu is always evolving, at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu in Long island our
instructors are always open to these new advancements in the Jiu Jitsu
community, so you can be sure when you’re training with us your always
getting the most up to date moves. It’s important as a Jiu Jitsu
practitioner to keep your mind open in order to grow a BJJ player.

Monday Training at D'Arce Jiu Jitsu & Mixed Martial Arts by Brian Michelino

Mondays at D’Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA is probably my favorite
day of the week. We have three classes on Monday, a morning Gi
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Class, a high intensity Mixed Martial Arts class
(MMA) and a fast paced No-Gi BJJ class. Normally in the morning there
is a different group of people then the evening classes so in the
morning I can try out things that my training partners might be wise
to in the evening classes. Typically this class starts with a warm up,
and then we move to the technique portion of the class. For this part
of class we are usually taught a particular set of moves that some way
or another relate to each other. After we learn the new technique then
we normal do a live training session in our Gi’s. Normally we switch
partners so we roll with everyone in the class. (As long as the class
size isn’t that large)  After all this the instructor in charge
normally keeps the mat open for a while allowing us to drill or train
on our own. After the morning class I normally feel so energized
throughout the rest of the day.
       Then I go through the rest of my day until around 6:30. MMA starts
around 7:00pm but there are normally a few people hitting the bag or
shadow boxing beforehand. Plus if you’re a new to MMA and Boxing you
might need some time to wrap your hands and gear up. MMA starts with a
few rounds of shadow boxing and jump roping, once we are all warm we
typically start a few rounds of a Muay Thai style drill that allows us
to practice our knee strikes without damaging our training partners.
Then we partner up with someone around our skill level and do some
striking drills. We do combinations back and forth to our partners,
these drills allow us to practice our striking combinations it also
allows our partners to practice their blocks. After we do a few rounds
of striking practice we move to some live sparring. Participating in
live sparring is not mandatory, but if you are confident in your
abilities you can try your luck training live. I personally love this
aspect of class it’s the part I look forward to most. You get a chance
to train with some pretty experiences Thai fighters and MMA
practitioners. After we do some live training we finish class by doing
some light conditioning drills designed to keep you sharp.
       After MMA you jump right to No-Gi BJJ. No Gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is
my personal favorite class. I enjoy training with the kimono but I
enjoy the fast paced back-and-forth battle that a no-gi match can
provide. We start of class with Jiu Jitsu style warm ups, typically
hip escape drills and a penetration step drill. We move on very
similarly to the Gi Class I described above.  The No-Gi class seems to
focus a little bit more on wrestling. There is a lot of live training
during this class, this class is very fast paced and I normally get
the most out of this. There are normally a lot of our advanced members
so if you’re new to the sport don’t worry there will be someone here
to help you along. These classes all have tremendous instruction and a
very strong attention to detail don’t have any reservation about
coming down, whether you’re a pro MMA fighter training for your next
fight or new to the sport looking to learn what MMA and BJJ is all
about come down give a class a try.

Frank Shamrock partially blames Dana White for MMA not being legalized in New York

Frank Shamrock

The always outspoken Frank Shamrock commented on Dana White's role in MMA becoming legalized in New York.

"The face of our sport is Dana White and out here in conservative New York, the way people think, bald-headed, tattoo'd, swearing people are just not a good representative of our brand and unfortunately people think that Dana White speaks for MMA, and they're confused," Shamrock said Monday on The MMA Hour. "They don't know he speaks for the UFC. They think he speaks for the entire sport and [they think] the entire sport is made up of Dana Whites."

Shamrock also goes on to mention the correlation between Dana White's propensity toward being an unconventional CEO, not being a Martial Artist himself and the negative way the media portrays the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

"... I don't think it's all on him," Shamrock elaborated. "But we're entering a new era of social media and Dana is a very outspoken figure in every way, mostly with the f-bomb and all that. I'm a martial artist. To me, the art is the most important thing. I don't get the same thing from Dana, that's all."

"I don't believe that Dana White is a martial artist," Shamrock said, never shy to dispense UFC criticism. "I don't see a martial way that he is following."



Dana White

Frank Shamrock feels that MMA needs another figure that is in the public eye, he believes in no uncertain terms that he is in fact that figure.

"I probably wouldn't have had the rough lifehood, I probably wouldn't have went to jail, I probably wouldn't have done all those things," the 37-year-old said. "Because I didn't have a way, a life, I grew up very poor, abused. I didn't know there was a better way. [MMA] is the better way. That's why I'm so passionate about it. That's why we got to do something for the arts."

"In no uncertain terms, what [New York politicians] have said is, 'The appearance of the sport is something we're not ready for,' and the appearance of the sport is Dana White and the UFC because no one else has been here in the media and explain it and has credibility, who's done it," Shamrock said.

"I know what the art is and I'm here to represent it," Shamrock said. "I think that's all we need. We need a different face."

To summarize whether you see agree with Frank Shamrock or not you cannot disagree that the sport of MMA in terms of media representation should not be monopolized by one man.  Mixed Martial Arts as a whole can only prosper from others fighting on its behalf.

UFC 121 by Brian Michelino

      On Saturday October 23rd in the Honda Center Brock Lesnar will defend
his Heavy Weight Title against challenger Cain Velasquez, but before
this fight takes place Martin “The Hit Man” Kampmann will Welcome Jake
Shields to the UFC. Martin Kampmann is the underdog in this fight
according to odds makers, but make no mistake Kampmann stand much more
than a “punchers chance” in this fight.
       Martin Kampmann was one of the many professional fighters that made
it down to D’Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Many of us at D’Arce were able
to train with him and by all accounts “The Hit man” is no slouch in
the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu department. His fight against Palo Thiago showed
this too, when the fight went to the ground Kampmann was able to
neutralize Palo’s dangerous BJJ game. Kampmann even went on the attack
trying to finish Palo with submissions of his own. Kampmann has 6
submission wins under his belt and completely understands the Brazilian
jiu jitsu aspect of MMA.
       Jake Shields a dominating wrestler and talented Jiu Jitsu
practitioner poses many threats with his ground attacks but shields is
not known as a powerful striker. Kampmann has three losses on his
record one a doctor stoppage from a cut, the other two TKO losses from
two of the best strikers in the UFC, Shields not being a dominating
striker like the two men to finish Kampmann before; I don’t see him
putting Kampmann away.
       This is an interesting fight and I think many people are counting
Kampmann out, if Jake is looking past Kampmann it could be a long
night for the former Strikeforce champ. Style wise this fight plays
right into Kampmann’s hands look for the knockout in the second round.
I’m calling a Kampmann upset.

Back From Thailand by Gregg DePasquale

I am back in the states after a 3 week long adventure in Thailand.  It feels great to be back on the mats at D'Arce Jiu Jitsu on Long Island.  I met some great people while training and went to some great gyms.  The high level of Kickboxers in Thailand is CRAZY!  At any time there are multiple world champions training right along side with you.  If anyone has the chance and opportunity to make the trip and train over-seas I highly recommend it.  It is an experience that I will never forget.  Stay tuned for the videos that I shot...

A Training Tip by Brian Michelino

      When training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or MMA at D’Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you learn at least one move or technique per class, often practicing the move till near perfection.  In either case it’s important to try and remember what you learned in class on that day, the techniques you learn in class will come in handy during live training. Often I’m in a certain position in our live training sessions and I will instantly remember a
move from class that might help me escape a bad position. One of the reason I’m able to remember nearly all the moves I was taught in class is because I keep a daily journal of each technique, and often study them.
      Keeping a journal is a common practice in many different BJJ schools, though not mandatory for class, I would highly recommend it especially for more complicated moves. Techniques often have many different parts so it’s important to remember all the options you have so you can maximize the effectiveness of the move itself.  Often at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu after class the instructors or some high level grappling competitors will stick around to drill some moves. It’s at this point in class were you can ask a instructor or competitor questions or advice about a move you want to learn, it’s also just as important at this time to record all the advice you got all this information is the key to Brazilian jiu jitsu success.
       Eventually the idea is to make these moves become second nature but honestly that takes a lot of training and mat time. So until then do yourself a favor and write it down. As soon as I get home I write down the moves we learned and a description of them just to make sure I don't forget. I always make it a point to try moves we did in the previous class as well, this will ensure I’m keeping myself sharp.

Grappler -vs- Striker (New School) by Brian Michelino

Shinya Aoki

     An interesting match up will take place at DREAM on October 24th in
the DEEP organization. Shinya Aoki Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black belt and
the current DREAM light weight champion will face former boxing title
holder Yokthai Sithoar.
     For those of you who are not familiar with Japanese MMA Sithoar is a
former Lumpinee Stadium muay Thai champion, he eventually turned his
attention to boxing and became a professional boxer in 1994. Aoki is
the current DREAM LW champ and has won most of his fight via
spectacular submissions.
Shiya is not known for his Striking abilities but is considered one of
the best in the world on the ground. He is known for brutal
submissions from all positions.
       Their contrasting styles remind me a lot of James Toney Vs Randy
Couture, although Yokthai Sithoar has far more ways to win then Toney
did, the bottom line is this will be his first pro MMA fight and he’s
facing one of the best in the world in not only Jiu Jitsu but in MMA.
These fights are similar to UFC 1 when we saw fights where it was
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vs Boxing, basically one style Vs another
completely different style.
       I expect the same results as Royce Gracie’s early victims: the
grappler will prevail. Aoki ranked in the top 5 in the LW division and
has a very exciting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu style so if your interested in
seeing some high level jiu jitsu like you’ll see at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu I
suggest you check out DEEP 50 on October 24th.

Muay Thai Kickboxing for MMA by Gregg DePasquale



Gregg DePasquale Training with Aitsara Tamnanchiwit



The head trainer eyes the camera as his student passes on his gyms knowledge

My main focus for the past 3 weeks has been Muay Thai Kickboxing.  While it is a sport in which I am passionate about and really enjoy training, my primary training for almost my entire life has been Wrestling, Submission Grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  I have been blessed with the luck to train with, and by some of the best combat sports participants in the world, whether it is Olympic wrestlers, Kickboxing world champions or Mundial (BJJ) and Abu Dhabi (ADCC) world champions.  


With that being said the training that I have been getting in Thailand has been top notch.  Some of my trainers include Lumpinee Stadium Champions, Ratchadamnoen Stadium Champions and K1 Champions...these guys know their stuff, and have been perfecting their craft since they were old enough to strap on their own gloves.  That being said, from a striking for MMA standpoint I feel Muay Thai must be modified to some extent, for example (in my humble opinion) the hand position in the stance is a little loose, the hands are kept a bit too far apart which could allow for small professional size mixed martial arts gloves to sneak through.  And one of the most important aspects of the stand-up game is the ability to not get taken down and dictate where the fight takes place which again the traditional Thai style stance is not conducive to (and why should it be after all, they don't have to worry about ground and pound or submissions in Thai fighting). 


The point is, this game that we all love is truly Mixed Martial Arts and EVERYTHING has to be modified from its original form...when it gets put together as a whole the sum of its pieces are reflective of their pure discipline but refined in order to adapt.  This is something that at D'Arce Jiu Jitsu and MMA in Long Island New York we do better than anyone.  After all of my travels and training with the best of the best I can say this from true experience.  If you are in the Long Island area and have an interest in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, or Mixed Martial Arts you have to see our trainers in action...I guarantee you will leave impressed not with just the skill set each possesses but the atmosphere in which everyone learns.

Flexibility, the overlooked skill in combat sports by Brian Michelino

When a person talks about a fight, be it MMA, kickboxing or Jiu Jitsu you might
think of a fighter being fast and strong but in reality that’s only a
small part of what it takes. In Jiu Jitsu especially you’ll find out
that if you use too much speed or too much of your strength you’re
going to get tired fast. In Jiu Jitsu and also in MMA I believe that a
particular ability is overlooked, I believe this ability is just as
important as both speed and strength that ability is: flexibility.
      
Without flexibility the bottom line is some moves will be much
tougher for you to accomplish. Entire systems like the rubber guard
(created by Eddie Bravo) become unobtainable without the adequate
amount of flexibility. High kicks are impossible without training your
flexibility, the more flexible you are the easier they are to execute.
    
I’ve adapted flexibility as a major part of my game; I believe it’s
one of the very distinctive features of my particular style. It makes
a world of difference when you're in side control against someone a lot
bigger and stronger then you and you have the ability to just slip
your foot in between his leg and recover to full guard. One of my
favorite moves (a reverse triangle from side control) can only be
accomplished once you achieved a significant amount of flexibility,
once you guys think your there come on down to D’Arce Jiu Jitsu and
I’ll be glad to show it to you haha.

Could Jose Aldo hold his own at 155lbs?

Could the current 145lb WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) champion jump up to the 155lb weight class and dominate like he has at his natural weight?  I think so...


At 24 years of age the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and vicious striker Aldo has shown little sign of weakness, considering he is not even in his prime yet I expect big things from him.


After virtually destroying his competition up until now I think it is safe to say he could make big waves at lightweight.  There are so many interesting match ups for him at 155, not to mention the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) currently doesn't have a 145lb division, which could spell big $$$ for native Brazilian Aldo.


The current UFC lightweight champ Franky Edger's natural fighting weight is 145...he obviously has no problem hanging with the "big" boys...with that in mind, I think it is only a matter of time till we see Aldo on the big stage in the UFC.

Muay Thai in Bangkok by Gregg DePasquale

Wow...so much has happened since the last time I wrote about this trip.  For starters training is going well and I have been at a few gyms but for the most part spending most of my time at The Jitti Gym.  I just really like the atmosphere here.  Training costs on average around 500 Baht ($17) for an hour lesson plus you can use the gym for the day.  There are a lot of foreigners training in Thailand some are really cool...others not so much.  I guess there is a tendency for some people to try and prove they are tough all the time (definitely not the case at D'Arce Jiu Jitsu and MMA haha).  Anyway, once everyone gets to know me they usually end up warming up one way or another. 

I got front row seats to a fight the other night they were around $60 and really intense...the locals were going NUTS!!!  They gamble big money on the fights and really get into each strike, it was a very cool experience. 

I have filmed a lot of footage while I am over here and I will put it all together when I get back.  It is of me training, the gyms I visited, and some fights that I have went to.  I will be going to Phuket Island soon and have a few gyms I plan on visiting.  Wish me luck!

Beginner Blues by Brian Michelino

I’ve been noticing lately training at D’Arce Jiu Jistu there are a few people training who get upset and discouraged after getting submitted during class. As a Beginner in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you’re going to get submitted a lot. Even after you’ve been training for a while you’re going to find yourself in bad positions and getting submitted regardless.  The real challenge is staying with it and persevering through tough submissions and positions. The reality is your going to get submitted a lot, but before you know it you’re going to be the one pulling off submissions of your own.

When I started training I was getting submitted all the time.  I was training with people who had much more experience then myself, but one of the reasons I chose to train at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu was the instruction from
my training partners. When the people training with me would beat or submit me and saw something I was doing wrong they would help teach me the proper way to do the technique.  This helped me tremendously
and I can still recall advice I received on my first class.
After training a while with people who had much more experience new students started to join so I would pair up with them during training.  Now it was my turn to help the newer guys learn from their mistakes. 
You really need to put your ego aside and you have to understand that you’re going to lose a lot in this sport, but the more time you put in the better your going to get.  Just like in anything, practice makes perfect.

Picked up some new gear in Bangkok Thailand by Gregg DePasquale

I picked up a pair of 14 oz Thai style kickboxing gloves and a pair of shorts.  The gloves were around 1,000 baht which equals around $31 in the USA.  The shorts were around 750 baht ($23) this should be good enough to get me through my first lesson tomorrow.  So far the Thai people have been really nice although in the street they are constantly trying to hustle me.  They even dress up in security guard outfits equipped with badges and official looking papers looking to make some money. 

First Day In Thailand by Gregg DePasquale

OK so I arrived after a 14 hour flight to Tokyo and another 7 hour flight to Bangkok.  This is my fifth trip to Thailand and as soon as I hit the streets of Bangkok that familiar smell hit me and brought me back to so many awesome memories,  The time difference here is 12 hours so when it is 4PM in Long Island New York it is 4AM over here.  I am pretty jet lagged and run down, the game plan is to go see some sites and then check out some Kickboxing at night.  They sell gear here really cheap so the only training stuff I brought was a mouth piece and a set of hand wraps.  I will buy some gear at the fight shop when I go to the stadium.  Stay tuned for some updates and wish me luck!

Muay Thai Kickboxing in Thailand BLOG 1 by Gregg DePasquale

I will be leaving for my trip to Thailand to work on my Muay Thai in its country of origin.  I will be there for a few weeks and will be updating everyone on my training and experience including pictures and video footage.  I am pretty excited about it and have a bunch of lessons set up as well as gyms mapped out for me to go and train at.  I will also be going to watch a bunch of Thai fights live.  Wish me luck guys!

-Gregg

Cardio for Grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu by Brian Michelino

Yesterday I was having a conversation with one of the newer guys who works out at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu about conditioning for BJJ. He was telling me how tired he was; I didn’t find this very odd even though he physically looked to be in good shape. I explained to him Jiu Jitsu is unlike many other sports. In most other sports such as football and basketball, you can do multiple cardio vascular exercises so you won’t tire as the game goes on. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that’s a different case, in fact, the particular type of conditioning you need in BJJ can almost only be achieved by “rolling” or actually physically training BJJ. I found this out first hand when I started training at D'Arce Jiu Jitsu. You find yourself as a newcomer wasting unnecessary energy and over exerting yourself doing the techniques. As you start learning and becoming more confident with the movements you slowly find yourself using less and less energy. The only real way to achieve this is to come to class and train, the more often you train the longer it will take you to gas out...so get to class!

UFC Fight Night

UFC Fight Night Marquardt vs Palhares

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be having another free Ultimate Fight Night on Spike TV airing this Wednesday night. Headlining the card is MMA veteran Nate "The Great" Marquardt -vs- Dangerous BJJ Black Belt Rousimar Palhares.


Other fights scheduled for Wednesday include;


Escudero vs Oliviera


Miller vs Tibau


Pearson vs Miller


Edwards vs Gunderson


Drywal vs Branch


Both Miller and Dave Branch are part of the Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu lineage, as is our school D'Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Dave Branch is also a training partner to our very own Long Island natives and Ring of Combat Champions Ryan LaFlare and Gian Villante. Good luck guys! Also on the card is local Hofstra wrestler and American Top Team MMA fighter Rich Attonito.


Who are your pics to win Wednesday night?

No One is Beyond Defeat by Brian Michelino

Fabricio Werdum became the first man to legitimately beat the pound for pound best fighter in MMA. Fabricio was under attack early when Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko came charging at him. Fedor even sent Fabricio to the ground due to some pretty serious strikes. However, as soon as the fight hit the ground the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Fabricio Werdum quickly took the fight out of Fedor’s hands. Fabricio effectively controlled Fedor in his guard, eventually attacking Fedor with a fight ending Triangle choke/Arm-bar combination submitting the Mixed Martial Arts legend and winning the fight.

From training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at D’Arce in Long Island, New York I knew once Fedor followed such a dangerous Black Belt to the ground it might mean the end for “The Last Emperor." Once Fedor realized he was in danger it was too late, as he tried to escape Fabricio's active guard he only wound up in an even worse position. Fabricio took what was a choke and turned it into a combination submission, eventually securing a joint lock forcing Fedor to submit or face serious injury. Watching Werdum handle the so called “Pound for Pound” best fighter on the planet on the ground was like watching Royce Gracie handle fighters during the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) early years.

Fabricio Stayed calm and believed in the techniques he has perfected through years and years of training and drilling. Werdum was able to turn the bad position Fedor put him in into the position he would ultimately use to beat Fedor. Fabricio used Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to Dethrone the WAMMA Champ helping BJJ shine once again in the MMA media and in the process helped make all of us BJJ practitioners proud.

The Power of Wrestling by Brian Michelino

My name is Brian Michelino I am from Suffolk County, Long Island. I train consistantly at D’Arce Jiu Jitsu in Bay Shore, NY.

I learned very quickly the power of wrestling training at D’Arce.  Sometimes in class we will do a round from the feet, meaning you start your training (or sparring) by standing up and working for a takedown (or throw). The first time I trained fom the feet in class I was matched up with a high school wrestler, and was taken down at will.  I was discouraged at first; it was difficult for me to deal with a solid wrestler.  As I progressed in my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu career I learned the little tricks that helped me deal with good wrestlers,  adding certain sweeps and submissions to my game that worked well against them.

I don’t think that I’ll ever be someone who will walk on to the mat and be a dominating wrestler, but training my wrestling often will allow me to not be taken down and controlled as easily.  A few months ago at a Grappling competition I scored one of my first take downs, a single leg trip.  It was a takedown that I had worked on in class; I was excited to achieve one of my goals of taking someone down in a competition.

Many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners have a hard time dealing with the strong base of a solid wrestler.  At D’Arce Jiu Jitsu there are always quality wrestlers to train with, and  they often stay after class and help the other non wrestlers.  In Long Island there are not many BJJ/MMA schools that offer wrestling and I believe that it is very important  aspect in both MMA and BJJ.  The bottom line is if you control the Wrestling, you control the fight.

What style of Jiu Jitsu is best for MMA?

As most of us know there are many styles of Jiu Jitsu and grappling.  Those of us who have trained for a long time and developed a specific "game" especially know what I am talking about.  Usually our "game" is developed as a result of many outside factors including but not limited to our Jiu Jitsu lineage, body types, strengths, and weaknesses.  But what makes one style more effective than others specifically geared toward mixed martial arts?  For example, here in long island, New York there are many Jiu Jitsu schools, some legitimate and some not...what separates their success levels in mma?

1. For mma one of the most important aspects is to fight for top position. Although you must have a good guard, you generally don't want it to be your first option.
2. If you are in the guard, it must be an active one.  The guard is not a position that should be held until it is passed.  It is a place where you opponent should not want to be, and if you are attacking, he is defending, and not able to mount any offense of his own.

3. Always be conscious of putting yourself in striking position.  If you are on top make sure you have good posture and control of your opponent.  You have to maximize your leverage and maintain position. 

4. It is not a Jiu Jitsu match and you do not have to "score" points.  In other words you can be in the guard, maintain top position and win due to strikes, you don't have to pass the guard to win.

5. There are many positions in Jiu Jitsu that are effective but if used in MMA would be silly.  For example, a position like the inverted guard would end very, very badly.

These are just a few examples but the point is, if your goal is to fight in Mixed Martial Arts, keep in mind the positions you are putting yourself into even during your Jiu Jitsu training.  This is a constant point that we like to drive home with our fighters at D'Arce Jiu Jitsu and MMA Center.

D'Arce Jiu Jitsu & MMA Training Centers 1st BLOG

Hello, from D'Arce Jiu Jitsu & MMA.  This is the first of many blogs to come.  We will be covering a wide varieties of topics including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, news, and general  topics that come up at the academy.