2 things to avoid when in someone else's guard | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Long Island MMA Black-belt Billy Hofacker teaches us 2 things to avoid when you are in someone else's guard.

Often times when new students start training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Long Island MMA we notice students will try some common things that seem like a good idea but might wind up hurting you in the long run.

These are the 2 things we often see at Long Island MMA from brand new Jiu Jitsu practitioners.

1. When new students find themselves inside someone's guard we often see them try to pry open their opponents legs by digging their elbows into the legs of their opponent. This can work against them because it is repetitively easy for the person playing guard to stuff the top persons hand in-between their legs to attack a triangle choke.

Digging your elbows in someones legs is also just plain bad technique. Digging your elbows on the inside of your opponents thighs will never get an experienced player to open their guard you must you a specific guard break to open the guard.

2. Trying to choke someone from inside the guard.

We see this a lot, sometimes not exactly as depicted in the video but sometimes by a forearm across the neck. This is also an easy way for the bottom person to set up a submission but a lot of times we see the bottom person push the top guys arm aside, making it easy for the bottom guy to get the back-take.

These are just somethings we see at long island MMA. Let us know if you guys can think of anything else you shouldn't do inside the guard.

UFC Gym Long Island

The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is widely regarded as being the number one organization for Mixed Martial Arts in the entire world. Being that this is the case, it is bouts hosted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that are most sought after for viewing because of their reputation for being of the highest caliber. Now if the UFC brand name is associated with the highest caliber of Mixed Martial Arts that there is to offer wouldn’t you be excited to hear that you can train at a UFC Gym? Of course your expectation may be that because of their reputation for being the best you will be receiving the absolute best form of Mixed Martial Arts training. Sadly this is just not the case, and new students who believe that they are receiving quality training are caught looking through the shroud of a huge name brand.

     It has been the case on more than one occasion that coaches have been found to have illegitimate credentials and coming from such a trusted name this is simply a disservice to the MMA community as a whole. The spread of Mixed Martial Arts culture should viewed with an utmost sense of seriousness and responsibility, not an effective way to make extra money. Having new students presented with possible misinformation not only has a direct effect on their ability to understand and apply the concepts taught to them, but it also indirectly effects the entire MMA community by allowing the spread of this illegitimacy to the less informed.

     When seeking out a place to begin training in Mixed Martial Arts it is usually best to seek out privately owned gyms. Like any other investment it is important to do your due diligence before investing in a facility however, you will be far better off in finding a true Mixed Martial Arts academy if you seek the best Mixed Martial Arts training rather than settling for a brand name that is nothing more than your average fitness gym masquerading as a loosely qualified MMA school. The best coaches are more often than not found at private academies such as Long Island Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness Center. The coaching staff at this gym consists of the absolutely highest qualified active MMA fighters such as the gym’s owner Ryan LaFlare (UFC Welterweight Contender) as well as Dennis Bermudez (UFC Featherweight Contender), Chris Wade (UFC Lightweight Contender) and Marcos Galvao (Bellator Bantamweight Champion).

     Long Island MMA is one of many qualified private MMA training facilities in the world that are true to what Mixed Martial Arts is and what its culture represents. Therefore in looking for a place to be introduced to MMA, seek out instruction from the real athletes, from the fighters themselves rather than a flashy brand. The UFC can stick to what it does best, hosting fights. But once again, in seeking instruction look to the fighters themselves. 

Congrats to UFC’s New Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Holly Holm! | Long Island MMA

Congrats to UFC’s New Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Holly Holm!

Holly Holm defeated Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, ending Rousey’s reign as the undefeated, undisputed champion of the women’s Bantamweight division.  After dominating Rousey throughout the entire fight, Holm finished her with a devastating head kick 59 seconds into the second round.  Holm executed her game plan perfectly; all the experts said that Holm needed to keep her distance and pick apart Rousey on her feet.  Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez, who fights out of Long Island MMA in Farmingdale NY, had commented that “The game plan that Holly stuck to is the only game plan I thought would ever work.” Rousey is known for being very aggressive, this is the reason she has won her fights in such a dominant and devastating fashion.  This is also a big reason why Holly’s game plan worked so well, Ronda needed to be patient and not let Holm pick her apart on her entries, but the more Holly landed the more frustrated and desperate Rousey seemed to become, ultimately ending in the head kick knockout. Having a new undefeated champion adds a lot of excitement to the Women’s Bantamweight division.We don’t know for sure what’s next for Ronda Rousey or Holly Holm, but we know that Holm’s career just took a big leap, and we could imagine Rousey will be getting a rematch sometime in the near future.

Long Island MMA Technique Series: Boxing | Long Island MMA

Long Island MMA Technique Series:

If you are from Long Island and in any way involved in the boxing community the name Herman Williams should ring a bell. Coach Herman is Long Island MMA’s head boxing coach. One of the things that make coach Herman unique is that although he is unquestionable a skilled boxer and boxing coach Herman is also well skilled in many other martial arts as well.

Coach Herman wrestled in his high school days as well as participated in many Brazilian jiu Jitsu classes shortly after.  Coach Herman has a deep understanding of the ground game when it comes to fighting which makes him an ideal boxing coach for a mixed martial artist. On Long Island it’s difficult to find a better suited coach for a MMA fighter.

In this video series coach Herman shows us some of the finer points on how to throw a Jab. Coach Herman teaches us how to defend a Jab as well. This is a great video for those of you starting out in mixed martial arts. The Jabs is one of the most fundamental strikes in MMA and you cannot be a good MMA fighter without a successful jab.