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February 29, 2004
The Russian Combat Academy in Red Lion has established guidelines for try outs for their new MMA team. The team will meet Monday evenings for practice. Their successful self defense classes continue to grow due to the purchase of their new gym. Interested candidates should e-mail the academy for more information.
February 28, 2004
National white belt champion Laura Freedman is training with Eric Hibler at the Pittsburgh Fight Club in Pittsburgh, for the upcoming Gracie Worlds in March. Hibler is looking to implement some executive boxing programs and training videos for his web site, and is himself seriously considering competing in professional boxing. For more information, e-mail the academy.
February 27, 2004
The Hatfield Martial Arts Academy in Hatfield is near completion of their new 4000 square foot facility complete with a boxing ring. Other programs being added to the present curiculum are Muay Thai Kickboxing, free style boxing and MMA style classes. They will have a small cage by the end of the summer. A grand opening is planned to feature Renzo Gracie and Rolls Gracie. For more information, e-mail the academy.
February 25, 2004
In October 2003, a 2100 square foot Judo room was added to Maxercise in Philadelphia. This expansion came as the Philadelphia Judo club, the area's oldest and largest Judo club, moved into Maxercise. More recently, Maxercise has taken even more space in their building and are in the process of adding a boxing ring and everything else needed to make Team Maxercise one-stop-shopping for BJJ, Judo and MMA. For more information, e-mail the academy.
February 22, 2004
An Update on the Eddie Bravo Seminar scheduled at PSU: The protocol for signing up for this seminar has changed. IF YOU ARE NOT A UNIVERSITY PARK PSU student, YOU MUST PRE REGISTER. This stems from the insane amount of interest in the seminar, more than for anyone else (by far) that has be brought out to PSU. There are only 25 spots for people from the public. If you want to come, go NOW and fill out the pre-registration form. Keep up to date on this seminar on the Upcoming Events page, which will be updated when the seminar is full.
February 20, 2004
Just over a month after realizing his dream of fighting in the UFC, Jeff Curran will be back in the ring hoping to start a new winning streak. Curran fought up a weight class in the UFC on a week's notice and lost a decision to Matt Serra on January 31. Next up for the Ironheart Crown champion is a battle with Dan "The Pennsylvania Hitman" Swift in the main event of the inaugural Xtreme Fighting Organization (XFO) event March 13 at The Abbey Resort, located in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Fighting out of Team DNA Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA in Erie, Pennsylvania, Swift has been fighting the Midwest circuit for some time and has put together five wins in his last six bouts. The Extreme Combat 150-pound and under Champion is a 2X PA Golden Gloves Champion. Doors open at 6:00PM. Tickets start at $25 and are available by calling Curran Martial Arts at 815-356-0454.
February 18, 2004
Roy Harris will offer a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Seminar on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28, 2004, at Mercyhurst College located at 501 East 38th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania 16546. The seminar will be held in the Wrestling Team Matt Room in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center (MAC) from 11:00AM to 3:00PM. Privates with Harris are also available and will be held in the Multi-Purpose / Martial Arts Room of the Mercyhurst Recreation and Fitness Center (REC). Private lessons will be paid for at the time of the lesson directly to Harris. Participation is on a first come first server basis. Contact John J. Bruno at 814-456-2724 or jbruno@mercyhurst.edu.
February 15, 2004
Legendary Gracie Humaita co-leader Rolker Gracie will be touring the East Coast for a seminar series. The 4th degree black belt will be hitting many of the Royce Gracie Network academies, including two in Pennsylvania. On Thursday, February 26, Gracie will be at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Training Association of Philadelphia on Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia. Contact Joe Guido at 215-338-1620 for more information. On Friday, February, 27, Gracie will be at Grapple Ltd on Terrance Drive in Blakely. Contact Mark Brunnett at 570-383-6669 for more information.
February 14, 2004
Lloyd Irvin black belt Jared Weiner of BJJ United meets Ryan Gracie black belt Renato Migliaccio of Sante Fe BJJ in a 10-minute Gi Super Fight at Grapplers Quest Beast of the East on Saturday, February 21, 2004.
Both Weiner and Migliaccio are active and accomplished BJJ competitors. Weiner is a 2-Time Copa Atlantica/Kimono Kombat Champion and placed 2nd as a black belt in the US Nationals and took 1st Place as a brown belt in the US Nationals. Weiner placed 2nd in the Second American National Tournament middleweight division in 2003 as a brown belt and holds the 150-pound Gi Super Fight title at the August 2003 Victory at Valley Forge tournament. He also holds championship titles in Judo. Migliaccio is undefeated in King of The Cage. He took 1st Place at the Pan Ams and at the 2nd Annual National Championships of Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling in California. He is the 2003 National Sandia Judo Lightweight and Open Weight Champion, winning all of his matches by Ippon. The $500.00 purse for this Super Fight will be donated to the Joe Priole Cancer Fund.
Grapplers Quest will take place at Marist High School at 1241 Kennedy Blvd., in Bayonne, New Jersey. Weigh-ins start at 8:00AM. Contact Brian Cimins for more information.
February 13, 2004
Eddie "The Twister" Bravo will teach his famous rubber guard and monkey mount on Saturday, February 28, 2004, at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. The Machado black belt started training BJJ in May 1994, and now instructs at his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Hollywood, California. Bravo won the Abu Dhabi North American Trials lightweight division on October 5, 2002, in San Diego, California, earning the Most Technical Fighter Of The Night and going on to the 2003 Abu Dhabi Submission Championships in San Paulo, Brazil, where he secured the tap out win over legendary Royler Gracie. Bravo will teach from 12:00PM to 4:00PM in the Rec. Hall Wrestling Room at Penn State University Park. The cost for non PSU students is just $10. For more information, contact Cory Wimberly at cory@quantumjujitsu.com.
February 4, 2004
The next Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 23, 2004, at 11:00AM in Room 302 of the North Building in Harrisburg.
Greg Sirb, Executive Director, confirmed this week that MMA is on the agenda, but warns he is not sure whether a vote will be taken. As reported here on December 23, 2003, I have worked with Sirb for nearly 2 years and spoke at their October 2003 meeting. The Unified Rules of Conduct were presented at their December 2003 meeting. Zuffa, LLC, owners of the UFC, played a huge part in this as well with their presentation at the 2003 Association of Boxing Commissioners Conference. According to Sirb, "even if MMA is voted on and approved, the Commission must still then write the regulations that will govern the sport, which could take 6-8 months or more."
Letters of support can be mailed to:
Gregory P. Sirb, Executive Director
PA State Athletic Commission
2601 North 3rd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Or e-mail Sirb at gsirb@state.pa .us.
February 1, 2004
Team Iron City Gym went 1-1 Saturday night, including earning a WKA title at the Combat Sports Challenge in Richmond, Virginia. The WKA Muay Thai Eastern Regional Super Heavyweight bout matched Yahoshua Yahudah from Atlanta, Georgia, and Alex Beck from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These two super heavyweights traded blows back and forth throughout the entire 5 rounds. It was a toss of the coin, but in the end, it was Beck, coached by Mark "The Shark" Miller, with a slight advantage on two of the three judges' scorecards to win the match and the title. MMA closed the night of fights with Mike Easton of Team Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts out-pointing Jason Taylor of Team Iron City Gym in this match of 2 rounds of five minutes each. Easton was able to use his judo to take down (slam) Taylor three times and spent most of the time in Taylor's guard working punches.