Schedule Update for Kick Boxing, Muay Thai and Kettlebells.

We have made a few changes to the schedule about a month ago and want to make sure to get the word out again. The classes that have been affected are the Mixed Martial Arts classes on Tuesday and Thursday, Kick Boxing on Wednesday and Kettlebells on Saturday.

The 7:30 pm classes on Tuesday and Thursday have been changed from Mixed Martial Arts classes to Kick Boxing. These classes are usually taught by our Head Coach, Rob Handley. Rob Has studied Kick Boxing or Muay Thai for a very long time. He continues to train with top level Thai trainers like Sakasem, Ganyao Fairtex and Sangtiennoi. He has a wealth of experience and has a unique way of teaching which makes it easy to learn and then implement. All levels of experience are welcome.

Kick Boxing on Wednesday at 6:00 pm has been canceled. We will continue to have Takedown class at 6:00 pm which includes techniques from Judo and Wrestling. This class is also taught by Coach Rob. For those of you who don't know, Rob is the 2003 Bronze medal winner in the National Judo Championships and the Gold medal winner in 2005. Rob's approach to instruction allows the very advanced and the very beginner to grasp the technique easily and be able to use it in practice effectively within a short period of time.

Our Kettlebell class that was at 9:00 am has been moved to 10:00 am. Participation is growing and our students are seeing results from the hard work. This class uses the Sport Kettlebell format to improve overall strength, strength endurance, grip strength, cardiovascular endurance and joint range of motion. The class is technique based rather than strength based. This is a great way to learn a new skill set with resistance training and improve your overall fitness. Rob also teaches this class using the Fedorenko method. Rob is a Sport Coach and Master Fitness Trainer in the American Kettlebell Club organization.

Absolute MMA Doiminates MMA Fights with Jiu Jitsu!

Absolute MMA victory! Showdown Fights: Evolution proved to be a showcase for Absolute MMA fighters. Two of three fighters came home with a victory and all put on a good show.

William DaBell was the second fight of the evening. This was his debut fight in mixed martial arts. William was a bit nervous in the locker room but warmed up well and had a look of determination in his eye as he walked out to meet his opponent. The fight started out with each fighter looking for openings with jabs and crosses. William's opponent took a shot and got a big double leg takedown but William popped right back to his feet, defended a guillotine choke and the fighters exchanges punches. The two circled a bit with jabs and body blows being exchanged. William was put up against the cage and after some good takedown defense, got lifted and driven to his back. The round ended with William covering against the last 10 seconds of punches form his opponent.

Round two opened with punches, William taking some to the head and a few uppercuts until he clinched and the two ended up on the ground with William in his opponent's guard. William stood to pass the guard and got tripped up as his opponent grabbed both ankles to take him down. The position reversed, William defended punches and then applied Behring Jiu Jitsu self defense to finish the fight! As his opponent drove forward, forearm in his throat, William passed the arm to one side and applied an arm triangle. His opponent, busy defending the choke, could do nothing as William moved his hips out to the side until he had enough leverage to reverse the position and secure his victory in the mount, forcing his opponent to tap. Round two win via arm triangle! Congratulations, William!

Eduardo Rivera was fight number three on this card. Edurado fought a much taller opponent. Eduardo came out swinging and landed some early shots, pushing his opponent up against the cage. The two separated and clashed a few more times, each time Eduardo would land a few head shots. His opponent turned the tide quickly, however. Keeping Eduardo at distance he started to fire off punches which Eduardo was unable to respond to. Adding leg kicks to the barrage seemed to disorient Eduardo and he clinched with a body lock and went to the back to avoid damage. His opponent locked in a Kimura and took Eduardo to the ground. As Eduardo avoided the shoulder lock he fell into a straight arm lock which his opponent finished belly down, preventing Eduardo form anything but a tap to end the fight.

Denver Merrifield-Nirva came into this fight with a 3-1 record. His last fight was a loss and he was looking to get back on the winning side of things. Denver's opponent had a 5-6 record and was looking to do the same. First round the two touched gloves and circled. Denver's opponent threw a few punches with bad intention but didn't land. The two clashed while standing a few times with both landing some hard crosses and hooks. Denver ended up eating a hook which knocked him off balance and forced him to put a hand on the ground to keep his feet. He was rushed but sprawled beautifully and forced the clinch as he put the other fighter into the fence. A few strikes and some knees later, Denver controlled his opponent's legs and took him down, right up against the fence. His opponent scrambles and Denver takes his back, pulling him backwards. There is another scramble and the two get back to their feet, throwing punches as they separate. Denver catches a hard left on his forearm as he blocks and circles away. The next time the two go for punches, Denver drops his level and executes a beautiful double leg takedown. Denver's opponent looks to roll and escape but ends up on knees and elbows eating punches under his arm to the face and to the side of the head. He takes a couple big shots as Denver passes his guard, rolls again and catches Denver in his half guard and eventually full guard. Denver wants none of it and stands up to throw punches with ill intent. Forced to defend against the barrage of strikes, the other fighter rolls again. This time Denver maintains top position as he continues to deliver devastating punches which force more movement from his adversary. Denver flows through side mount, knee on back, knee on stomach, half mount, back and mount again as his opponent desperately tries to get away from the constant hammering of elbow and fists. Denver sticks him in side mount, bouncing elbows off his head and sets up an arm bar. His opponent defends by grabbing two hands together and gets rewarded for his efforts with a crushing hammer fist to the face. Denver places the leg back over his opponents head and finished the arm bar with little trouble to secure a second round victory! Congratulations Denver!

We are proud of all our fighters! Congratulations on a great night!

Jiu Jitsu was the finishing factor in all Team Absolute fights that night but Muay Thai played an important role as did Wrestling.! Come train at Absolute MMA for all your MMA needs.

http://absolutemma.com/

Utah MMA Gym Sparks Weight Loss.

Ruben Cervantes is one of our student successes. Ruben has been a student here since March of 2011. In that time, he has lost 20 pounds and drastically improved his fitness. Ruben came to us with the goal of losing 30 pounds, going from 185 to 155. As you can see he is well on his way. One of our regulars for the morning class, Ruben trains four days a week, both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He trains hard, pushing himself when his body wants to give up and breaking the physical limits he used to have.

Ruben is one of many stories at Absolute MMA that have achieved their goal of weight loss. There are many more on our team that could tell a similar story. The positive attitude and teamwork that is present every day helps us all to better ourselves and each other.

We are proud of Ruben and all our teammates who have made progress with weight loss and improved fitness. We look forward to sharing more success stories with you. See you on the mat!

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Student Spotlight

Our student spotlight this month is Hassan Campos. Hassan is seventeen and a student at Copper Hills High School. Hassan is quiet, respectful and serious about learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which he has been doing since March of 2011. He comes to class ready to learn and has been doing so quietly and well. The first hurdle any person has to face when learning BJJ is how to survive. Hassan has met this challenge and is starting to overcome it. More and more people are mentioning how difficult it is to submit him and how increasingly difficult it is to maintain control and position on him. Hassan also comes regularly to the take down class on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm. There also he has steadily improved both his offense and defense in this very demanding and difficult discipline.

In a time when many try to draw attention by talking loud or often about themselves, Hassan stands out by being quiet, working hard and respectfully seeking out instruction. Hassan asks intelligent questions, puts time and effort into practicing the repetitions that improve his skill and doesn't complain. While this is refreshing in any individual, it is especially so in one his age.

At Absolute MMA, those of us who have more experience share what we have with those who are less experienced. That means helping new people understand movement and techniques, gym etiquette and giving them just the right amount of resistance when working as a non-cooperative partner. Hassan does this well and without ego. He is an excellent example of a martial artS student. We are proud to have Hassan as a part of our Absolute MMA team.

Hassan just competed in his first Jiu Jitsu tournament Saturday,The 2nd Annual Wasatch Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Youth Tournament. He took 2nd place! Congratulations, Hassan! Well done.

Grand Master Flavio Behring Seminar in August!

Grand Master Flavio Behring is coming to Utah! Absolute MMA will be hosting a seminar by Grand Master (GM) Flavio on August 6th. This will be a gathering of all Flavio Behring Jiu Jitsu schools in the United States bringing students and instructors from Arizona, California, Montana and Utah.

There will, of course, be instruction from GM Flavio, one of the leading experts on the planet in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. GM Flavio always provides details and specifics about all of the techniques he shares as anyone can attest to that has participated in one of his seminars. GM Flavio is an open and giving teacher and will share his wealth of knowledge with a first week beginner the same as he would a twenty year veteran practitioner of the art.

Promotions are always a part of the excitement at GM Flavio's seminars. We all get to share in the pride and accomplishment of our teammates. It's a great feeling to be a part of each other's success, knowing that we all rely on each other to improve. Their improvement is a direct result of working with each and every one of us. It is also prestigious to be promoted by one of the few Red Belt Grand Masters in the world. Bragging rights and authenticity insured.

Absolute MMA invites all who want to gain skill and be a part of a great experience to sign up for this fantastic event. Call (801) 255-1166 for details or stop by the gym at 7800 South 1338 West in West Jordan, Utah. Don't miss meeting and working with a Jiu Jitsu Legend.

Thanks Gang!!!

ABSOLUTE-BEHRING TEAM

FLAVIO BEHRING JIU JITSU USA

Thanks again gang for all your support in making Grand Master Flavio's visit a great success. He truly enjoys sharing his life's work in Jiu-Jitsu with all of you. Thanks Professor Tom (CA) and Professor Paul (UT) for bringing your teams. Congratulations Chris Kennedy, Cameron Dansie and Riley Petersen on getting your Blue Belts. You guys earned them through... Hard work, Dedication and Time!!

Marcio Corleta Seminar

the Behring Team!!

Marcio Corleta demonstrating the finer points of the Triangle.

Old friends!! Rob Handley and Marcio Corleta

Thank you everyone for making it out to the Marcio Corleta seminar. We had a great time training and I hope everyone had fun and learned something new. Every teacher has their own style and methodology and I always welcome Marcio's friendship, knowledge and experience. Marcio is a 2X World Champion and Pan American champion as well as Mirko Cro Cop's jiu-jitsu coach. It was good to catch up with my old friend and share his passion for Behring Jiu Jitsu with everyone at Absolute MMA.

-Rob

Roll Call 4 Pan Ams

Hey Gang,

Dont forget that the Pan Ams are around the corner. We are starting to put together travel plans and fight training is already full steam. This is one of the biggest competitions in the country and some of the best jiu jitsu athletes in the world attend. It will be a lot of fun for everyone who wants to participate and for those who would like to support our team. For more info check out IBJJF.com and register here.

-Rob

Sub 4 Santa TEAM champions!

Congratulations Gang!!! Bringing home some hardware from the Sub 4 Santa tournament sponsored by the American Grappling Games crew. This make the second year in a row that our team has won the TEAM title in the Aggro games. Its good to see the new blood and some crafty vets rep'n the gym. You guys are awesome. Great job fellas.

RESULTS:

White belt lightweight (155 and under)

1st- Greg Hearty (ABSOLUTE MMA)

2nd- Job Freedman

3rd- Ryan Whipple

White belt welter (156 - 170)

1st - Chris Kennedy (ABSOLUTE MMA)

2nd - Thomas Wagner

3rd - Kyle Crandall

White Belt Middle (171-186)

1st - William DaBell (ABSOLUTE MMA)

2nd - John Cates

3rd - Kyle Bickman

White Belt light heavy (185-205)

1st - Christopher Lewis (ABSOLUTE MMA)

2nd - Michael Hafen

3rd - Cole Rose

Blue / Purple light Heavy (186-205)

1st - Ben Garner (ABSOLUTE MMA)

2nd - Jason South

3rd - Jason South

Blue / Purple SuperHeavy (230 +) Merged bracket **

1st - Jeff Leir

2nd - Mat Hearty (ABSOLUTE MMA)

3rd - Ryan Williams (ABSOLUTE MMA)

----------------------------NO GI Results---------------------

Novice lightweight (155 & under)

1st - Aaron Cook

2nd - Alec Rodriquez (ABSOLUTE MMA)

3rd - Peter Crawford

Novice Middleweight (171- 185)

1st - William Dabell (ABSOLUTE MMA)

2nd - Kyle Bickman

3rd - Gerardo Magana

Novice LightHeavy (186-205)

1st - Chris Lewis (ABSOLUTE MMA)

2nd - Matt Lake

3rd - Mace Warren

Beginner lightweight (155 & under)

1st - Jason Thompson

2nd - Satao, Kensei

3rd - Greg Hearty (ABSOLUTE MMA)

Beginner welterweight (156 - 170)

1st - Chris Kennedy (ABSOLUTE MMA)

2nd - Thomas Wagner

3rd - Konrad Jones

Intermediate Heavy (206 - 230)

1st - Ma-afu Fosita

2nd - Matt Hearty (ABSOLUTE MMA)

Intermediate superheavy (230+)

1st - Cameron Grifiths

2nd - Ryan Williamson (ABSOLUTE MMA)

Team championship (methodology used for calculating the winner is that each gold medal given is worth 4 pts, each silver 3pts each bronze is 2 pts).

1st - Absolute MMA

2nd - U.C.T.C / Mori Academy (tie)

3rd - Unifed BJJ

4th - Fusion (just missed Unified by 1 pt)

Point totals by team:

48 pts Absolute MMA

36 pts U.C.T.C Tie w/ Mori Academy

35 pts Unified

34 pts Fusion Academy

13 pts Twin Falls BJJ

10 pts Midvale Mayhem

8 pts West Side Jiu-Jitsu

5 pts Mushin

4 pts Lobato

2 pts Perform X

2 pts Champion Jiu Jitsu

SEMINAR SAT DEC 7th

9th Degee Grand Master Flavio Behring

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Seminar
Saturday Dec 6th 10am- 2pm

ABSOLUTE MMA
1338 West 7800 South
West Jordan Utah 84088
801-255-1166

Sylvio Behring recieves Masters Belt (7th degee)

Sylvio Behring recently recieved his 7th Degree in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Grand Master Alvaro Barreto and witnessed by Grand Masters Flavio Behring and Joao Alberto Barreto. Sylvio has always been a very postive influence in my life and I'm happy to see him get the recognition he deserves. I am excited for the day he comes to our academy. Parabens Mestre!

Recently Anderson Silva was asked about his training with Master Sylvio Behring in a interview with Sherdog.com The following is an excerpt... "I’ve trained a lot with Master Silvio Behring, who gave me all the support on the Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is a fantastic person. For two years, I’ve been training jiu-jitsu with the gi with him, and my ground is much better."

Master Flavio Behring Returns Saturday Dec 6th

The "Young Samurai"

Flavio Behring and Helio Gracie in the 1950's

Saturday Dec 6th 10am- 2pm
ABSOLUTE MMA
1338 West 7800 South
West Jordan Utah 84088
801-255-1166

We are excited to welcome back Master Flavio Behring to our gym. As most of you know he has a special place in all of our hearts for his dedication to the growth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for 60+ years. Come meet a true legend and one of my most favorite people in the world. More information to follow as his visit gets closer.

Abraco,

Rob