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 Mixed Martial Arts; Grillguards Custom Mouthpiece Giveaway.

Absolute Mixed Martial Arts had a giveaway contest in December of last year for a Grillguards Custom Mouthpiece. The student with the most classes attended during the month would be the recipient of one custom mouthpiece valued at $120.00. We had great participation and the competition was fierce. The contest was close for the first two weeks and then one started to pull away from the pack. Rebecca Rodriguez put together a string of days with two and three classes a day. Kick Boxing, Kettlebells and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, sometimes all in one day are what contributed to her winning the prize and finishing with 26 classes for the month. This was a good 10 more classes than the closest runner up. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Grillguards Custom Mouthpieces are used by the majority of our students and 100% of our staff at Absolute MMA. We have found them to be the best quality equipment we can find in mouth protection. The mouthpieces are custom fit so we never have an issue with our protection being loose or not fitting correctly. Of all the people using these mouthguards; amateur and professional fighters, coaches and serious or occasioanal students, we have not had one come to us and say it was faulty or didn't live up to what Grillguards stated. Thanks to Grillguards Custom Mouthpieces for the great product and for supporting Absolute Mixed Martial Arts.

Absolute MMA Fighter, Koffi Adzitso, to Tryout for The Ultimate Fighter!

Absolute MMA teammate, Koffi Adztso, is trying out for The Ultimate Fighter show this Sunday! Koffi has been training consistently and intensely for quite some time. It looks like this may be his opportunity to show the world his skills and take his game to the next level. Koffi, nicknamed "The Lion King", has an impressive record of 17-8-0. Koffi is an exciting fighter, well respected for his lightning fast hands and knockout power. Nine of his 17 wins have come by knockout or TKO.

Koffi has been a member of Absolute MMA for a few years now, adding his experience and work ethic to the MMA team training and Jiu Jitsu classes. He always is respectful of his partners and works at a level that both can benefit from. Koffi has one of the best work ethics around. Not one to take days off or relax during training, he always puts forth his best effort and is an excellent example of "work first, talk later."

All of us at Absolute MMA wish Koffi success at The Ultimate Fighter tryouts. We would wish him luck but we know his skill set makes that unnecessary. We look forward to seeing Koffi get his shot at the big show. Knock 'em out, Koffi! Do what you do best.

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!

Absolute MMA Fighter, Jeff Nielson, wins with dominance.

Friday night was an exciting night for fight fans, especially teammates of Jeff Nielson from Absolute MMA. Jeff has been training regularly and with intensity for this fight and it showed on fight night. Jeff faced an opponent with a similar record and experience in Cy Nelson that night. Both Jeff and Cy made weight, looking to test each other on Friday night.

The fight started out with a few seconds of circling and a jab from both Cy and Jeff. Jeff clinched and pushed Cy against the fence and got the front takedown to mount right away. From there it was a dominant performance by The Absolute MMA fighter. Jeff controlled position, threw strikes and remained calm throughout the struggle. Cy tried to move and escape which only got him more strikes or more controlled for his efforts. Cy did end up bridging hard which gave Jeff back mount to be held until the end of the fight, striking at will and finishing with a rear naked choke in under three minutes of the first round!

Congratulations to Jeff Nielson on his win and on a dominant performance!

www.absolutemma.com
www.facebook.com/pages/ABSOLUTE-MMA/194641106317?ref=ts

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.

New Historic Gardner Trax station allows easy access to Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.

Attention all Absolute MMA friends and family in Sandy, West Valley, Downtown Salt Lake and the University Campus. Trax has just opened a new station at Gardner village, just a half block away from our gym! A train will stop every 15 minutes on weekdays and is a five minute walk away from the benefits of training at Absolute. For those of us that want to save money on gas and not get caught in traffic, this is a great option.

Here is the overall Trax and FrontRunner map.

http://www.rideuta.com/content/happenings.aspx

Here is the link for the weekday southbound Redline route.

http://legacy.rideuta.com/ridingUTA/viewSchedule.aspx?abbreviation=703&dir=0&service=4&signup=113&pdaView=False

This is the link for the weekday northbound Redline route.

http://legacy.rideuta.com/ridingUTA/viewSchedule.aspx?abbreviation=703&dir=1&service=4&signup=113&pdaView=False

absolutemma.com

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.

Excellent weight loss at MMA gym in Utah!

Pedro, "Hey Ivan! How are you today?"
Ivan, "I'm doing so damn good it would kill a mortal man!"

Hey gang! Remember Ivan? He was our student spotlight a little while ago. This is an update on his progress. As of June 1, 2011 Ivan has lost 30 pounds in his three months with us! He has also been directed by his physician to cut his high blood pressure medication in HALF! Ivan continues to be positive in every interaction he has with the staff and every other member here. Ivan is famous for his quotes as you can tell from the above statement. What a remarkable story. Ivan is one of many of our students who have been able to achieve and far exceed their goals as a result of their dedication, hard work, consistency and the training they receive at Absolute MMA. We are proud to have Ivan with us as one of many who have used us as a means to make positive change in their life. I know of many more Absolute Team Members who can give similar accounts of their achievements. We are proud of you all.

So you think girls can't fight?

Here's Rebecca and Rickey working on their Jiu Jitsu. Absolute MMA teaches Jiu Jitsu to men, women and children. Young and old, no experience needed. You don't have to want to be a fighter to learn everything the fighters do. Statistics show that women and girls who play sports have higher self-esteem, which leads to more confidence, fewer teen pregnancies, and a host of other positive side effects. Choosing Jiu Jitsu as your sport also increases your ability to defend yourself should the need arise. What are you waiting for?

Open Guard.

William and Feki working open guard. These two work hard as we all know at Absolute MMA. William is progressing his open guard technique and Feki is improving his survival skills. It's never easy but the results are worth the effort.

Student Spotlight - Ivan

I would like you all to meet Ivan, a newer student at Absolute MMA. Ivan is 50 years old and has been with us for 6 weeks now. He has made some significant life changes in the last little bit and decided to add physical fitness to the list of positives in his life.

Ivan came to us drinking two liters of Dr. Pepper a day! He has since completely removed carbonated drinks from his diet and has started to clean up his diet. Ivan was not in good physical condition when he began his training with us. He could not finish the rounds of Jiu Jitsu without stopping for breaks or sitting out a round. Just yesterday he worked through all four, 5 minute rounds with 15 push ups and 15 sit ups during the break! He has also lost 13 pounds in the 6 weeks since becoming a member!

Ivan always has a positive attitude and an incredible work ethic. He trains four days a week, no matter what. We all know how hard it is to keep working when the soreness and pain of training tells us to quit. We are proud to have Ivan with us at Absolute MMA. He inspires us and motivates the students and staff to give everything we have to improving ourselves and each other.