Congrats Matthew on Your Bronze Medal!!!

BJJ Fighters Stop a Hotel Robbery!!!

Two mixed martial artists from Oregon were in Los Angeles for a grappling tournament, but they ended up using their skills to do much more than win a match. They subdued an armed robber who was holding up the clerk at their hotel. Watch the security video in this report from KCAL-TV.

Brent Alvarez runs Twisted Web MMA in Eugene, Ore., and Billy Denney is his student. They were walking through the hotel lobby when they saw the robber, who had gone behind the hotel's counter, pulled out a gun, and demanded money. The clerk handed over the cash, but yelled for help. Alvarez and Denney jumped on the robber, and while Denney controlled his wrists, Alvarez sunk in a rear naked choke. They held him in place until police arrived.

Alvarez is 2-2 in amateur bouts, while Denney is 7-2. According to the Twisted Web Facebook page, Denney took third at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation no-gi worlds. (In no-gi, participants wear a rash guard or no shirt instead of the traditional martial arts uniform of a gi.) Alvarez went 1-1 in his fights.

No matter their results, I have a feeling that Denney and Alvarez will remember this trip to L.A. for something other than the tournament. Kudos to them both for being brave and using martial arts to do more than win a match.

See the story and VIDEO in it's original format HERE

Joe “Daddy” Stevenson visits Octagon and MMAYF

Joe "daddy" Stevenson stopped by to work with Coach Sayif Saud 's team and some MMAYF members. Had a great night of training. A thanks goes out to Joe and to all who attended!

Ground and Pound App Released!

MMAApplications.com has released an Iphone App featuring our very own Coach Sayif Saud! 

Ground and Pound, is available for purchase at the itunes app store and all proceeds go toward Coach Sayif's organization for underprivileged children known as the MMAYF (Mixed Martial Arts Youth Foundation).

 

 

Check out the preview here!

OctagonMMA Fight Team Highlight

Octagon MMA Goes 5-0 at 24/7 Return of the Warriors in Midland!

Dallas’ Octagon MMA fight team is widely considered one of the most prolific fight teams in the entire state of Texas.  Boasting a roster of some of Texas’ most talented prospects along with one of the most knowledgeable coaches in the game in head coach Sayif Saud, Octagon MMA’s merits tend to speak for themselves throughout fight promotions in the area.  In fact, by their own estimates, Octagon MMA fighters have gone 35-3 this year alone in MMA. 

This past Saturday night Octagon MMA’s fight team again made a statement as all five of their fighters on the 24/7 promoted “Return of the Warriors” fight cad emerged victorious. 

In the night’s main event, Clay Hantz (Octagon MMA) won the 24/7 welterweight title by beating Micah Franks with an arm triangle in the first round.

Noted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor Daniel “Jacare” Almeida (Octagon MMA) was impressive in his debut as a middleweight submitting Andre Kavanaugh with a first round rear naked choke. 

Jarret Jones (Octagon MMA) scored an extremely rare “twister” submission over Edwynn “Ox” Jones.  The submission came at the end of the opening round.

Samuel Trevino scored a first round knockout over Caleb Hudson.

Victor Hernandez scored a first round guillotine choke over Jay Mendez (NTMMA). 

Neal Ewing (Octagon MMA) emerged victorious over Matt Holland (Gracie Barra Austin) with a first round TKO. 

Rashad Coulter (Octagon MMA) scored a first round TKO over Alfredo Ayala. 

Klayton Mai scored a first round TKO victory over Rick Guzman

Bullying Victims Fight Back!

Bullying Victims Fight Back With Help From Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Royalty

 

UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro this weekend will rightly include homage to the iconic Gracie family, creators of Brazilian jiu-jitsu nearly 100 years ago, creators of the Ultimate Fighting Championship nearly 20 years ago, creators of legendary family fighting figures and jiu-jitsu instructors that span the globe.

But the Gracies' most positive impact might be felt at a middle school in a Denver suburb where a seventh grader is unafraid of bullies for the first time since he can remember.

Martin Hendricks, 12, spent a week this summer at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, Calif., in an intensive program designed to make him "Bullyproof." He learned as many jiu-jitsu self-defense techniques as a kid can absorb in five days, he memorized a blueprint for dealing with a bully fairly and squarely, and he gained self-confidence. The first week of school he put the lessons into practice.

"I'm still a little nervous but it all went well," Hendricks said quietly in a phone call to Rener Gracie, his personal instructor at the academy. "He'll never bother me again. Let me tell you about it."

***

It's back-to-school time all over the country. For kids that get picked on, it's a return to a horror zone. Experts say that more than 150,000 children miss school every day because they are afraid of being bullied. More than half of all schoolchildren have witnessed a bullying incident and three of every four students say bullying is a problem at their school.

 

The bulk of bullying occurs from the fourth through the eighth grades, although it can continue through high school and even in the workplace. Bullying is intimidation or domination toward someone perceived as weaker, a way to establish superiority through coercion or force. The emotional scars are often worse than the physical beatings, and victims of bullying often become depressed and do poorly in school. Bullying can even lead to suicide.

Rener Gracie, 27-year-old son of UFC originator Rorion Gracie and grandson of legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu grandmaster Helio Gracie, knows all the statistics. He recognized that the martial art perfected by three generations of his uncles and cousins is ideal for combating bullies. So he and his brother Ryron developed a program specifically for youngsters who have been the target of taunts and shoves, kicks and punches.

Jiu-jitsu is a strategic, relatively nonviolent method of self-defense. It utilizes leverage, locks and holds that can neutralize a bigger, stronger opponent when both combatants are off their feet and grappling in close quarters. Combined with a clear understanding of the appropriate rules of engagement in a school setting, knowing the basics of jiu-jitsu can give a child the necessary tools to combat a bully.

"The program is engaging, it's fun and it will ensure that your son or daughter doesn't have to go through life at the mercy of tormenting bullies," Rener said.

***

Martin Hendricks was so timid when he arrived in Torrance last month with his mother and sister that he wouldn't speak to anyone at the Gracie Academy. Rener knew his background from speaking to his mother: Martin had been bullied for many years by many kids and had simply taken it.

"His grades suffered and he would never stick up for himself," said his mother, Wendy. "He's a nice, gentle soul kind of kid and now he didn't even want to go to school.

"Bullying is an epidemic. It's horrible and schools sweep it under the carpet. It breaks my heart."

Wendy learned about the Gracie Bullyproof program through this online video:

 

She called Rener and decided to take her son to California. "I finally felt like I found somebody who gets this," she said.

In addition to attending daily three-hour group classes, Martin was given private jiu-jitsu instruction by Rener each evening for a week. Then there was the mental training. Rener helped Martin understand that his fear of a bully hurting him was sensible. So was his fear of retaliating when he had no fighting skills.

Rener asked him: "If we can eliminate the fear of injury through technique and preparation, would it make sense to stand up to the bully?"

"Yes," Martin replied.

"Let's do it."

It took until Thursday for Martin to convincingly respond to a taunt by walking up to the instructor posing as a bully and saying with conviction, "Don't ever do that again."

Andy Korn’s Awesome Transformation!

Octagon MMA congratulates member Andy Korn on his amazing physical transformation! Andy has been working out  diligently at the gym since January and has produced awesome results. He has juggled his successful law practice, family and other community obligations and stayed the course to his new year resolution, getting ripped by training four days a week. Congrats Andy, keep up the hard work!

Mark Francescutti @ Europa (VIDEO)

Here is Mark winning at the Europa Fight to Win Grappling Tourney and getting promoted to Blue Belt! Congrats Mark!

April MMA News and Results

 April 9th 2011, 24/7 Entertainment – Midland, Tx. Octagon MMA had six guys compete at the Pro level and all of them walked away victorious.

• Russel Brewer wins via 1st round KO at 5 seconds in
• Clay Hantz wins via RNC in the 1st round
• George Pacurariu wins his fight in the 2nd round via armbar
• Daniel ‘Jacare’ Almeida won his fight in under a minute via kimura
• Matt Hobar wins via 1st round TKO
• Brad Barnes wins his fight in the 1st round via armbar