Lone Star MMA Gym Blog

WHO is teaching your KIDS and FAMILY?

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:47:56 +0000

In an unregulated industry (martial arts) you will find tons of snake oil salesmen. An unsuspecting parent or family member will often go to a martial arts training facility to see what is offered. Upon arrival they encounter practices such as long-term contracts (one year, two years, three years, etc). They are advised that little Johnny or little Janie will have belt test each month ($45.00 or more), and that the child will be a black belt in one year, or a year and a half, two years, etc. They should run from such practices.

Many unsuspecting parents watch their child doing cool looking movement, or watered down tag. But what happens when reality sets in and the child is forced to fight for their well-being in a real violent attack? The cool air moves, and tag offense and response actions they have learned is alien to the real encounter. The child has never sparred realistically (and safely), much less learned reality based self-defense systems of substance. The child is surprised when taken to the ground, etc. We react and respond as we most closely do in our training which has been drilled and ingrained into us.

If the child is only exposed to one system and concept of what a real fight is, then that is what the child knows. If the child or adult family member is able to attend a school which has a curriculum that is not “one Size Fits All”, one tailored to the family members needs, then that family members odds of succeeding and surviving and thriving in the face of a violent attack is increased greatly.

A good practical martial arts school will offer striking classes which draws techniques from Muay Thai Kick Boxing, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Boxing. Kids will be padded well, and can go heavy and be safe during realistic sparring. The kids will understand self-defense and escapes from a stand up as well as clinch, and ground ranges of combat. The child will be able to draw upon street wise defense when encountering a bully, or an abductor. The child can also understand the defenses, offense actions, escapes, and tactical body control during a clinch, or ground phase of the violent encounter. The child can draw upon and apply their knowledge also from wrestling, judo, Gracie Self Defense, Krav Maga, etc. This synergy method is the best and fills in gaps in training.

Which brings us to the subject, who is teaching your child, or other family member? Does the instructor hold a college degree, former or current military, former or current law enforcement, has the instructor ever been arrested, does the instructor engage in violent street fights often, is the instructor a violent person, and etc. Does the instructor in his/her 20’s or thirties profess to do it all, be able to teach all martial arts? Does the instructor have a capable staff of instructors who specialize in different martial arts disciplines, and does the academy offer reality based self-defense, combative sports, and traditional and modern/progressive martial arts? Does the martial arts academy that your family attends allow criminals, thugs, etc to teach, or be around your kids, or other family members?

We strive to have the best trainers, instructors, personal trainers, and martial arts instructors at our academy. We have three instructors, who are attorneys, another with a MBA/CPA, and many others who hold a four-year Bachelors of Science or Arts. Many of our instructors are former military, police, and federal agents. We strive to teach family members the best in many different martial arts properly within the confines of law, and with a focus on teaching the best programs available in our area.

At this point we always have to say look at the track record. Look at who holds the keys to your family’s safety, in reference to who is teaching your family. Is the instructor a long-term member of the community here, did the instructor have a successful military, law enforcement career, and is the instructor educated (holds a four-year degree), and is the instructor competent as well in what they teach. It’s hard to get all of this gold standard of training, and great training packages together, under one school’s roof. We have been successful in doing just that.

If you want to experience the difference, and real quality of our martial arts family: stop in and try the real deal.

Remember : Buyer Beware.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Loyalty

admin — Sun, 15 May 2011 08:51:00 +0000

The word loyalty in regards to martial arts training invokes many different thoughts to martial artist. As a child growing up I was very happy and proud to be in any martial arts class. I loved the hard exercise, the toughness of the class. I understood that this was just part of it. I also learned that everyone in my class were loyal to the instructor, to the school, and to each other. In most schools, gyms, I attended a back biter, trouble maker, drama king/queen was always asked to leave. Later in High School I pledged for a High School Fraternity. As a young kid, I learned about the pledge system, and how to survive the mind games, and stress of pledging for a fraternity- via my discipline and attention and respect for my peers, and fraternity hierarchy. After High School I attended Parris Island (US Marine Corps Boot Camp) back in the mid 70s. It was a tough time as Vietnam was winding down. Going into the US Marine Corps was not a popular option at that time. Getting through boot camp in that era was no simple task. During this arduous time I had Drill Instructors living with me in boot camp barracks 24-7. I grew to appreciate and respect these men for pushing me beyond my limits. My loyalty was Marine Corps solid. This respect and loyalty for my country, my Marine Corps, my drill Instructors from Parris Island Boot camp, would carry me through 3 tough years, around the world, and in many countries, on land and the sea as a Marine Corps Infantryman. It would also instill in me a realistic and earned pride of what I had accomplished. My loyalty was intact for my leaders, and the institution (Marine Corps). The same was true with my college fraternity, and later as a Police Officer in South Florida, and as a Federal Agent for twenty years. During all of these times I was in martial arts academies where I lived. I was always loyal to the school, and instructors, and owners. Times have changed. Martial arts are very popular now. Some folk’s want intensive training in hard core combative sports, and others in reality based self defense, or traditional martial arts. It is different strokes for different folks. They all have different goals. I still have respect for students and instructors alike. Growing up in martial arts I have seen students come in and train and want to push to get a belt and then surprisingly they leave the school and mat jump to another school. Over the years and via observation, I have never seen these students (Mat Jumpers) grow, and transition well as a martial artist, and person in life. They always seemed to quit this relationship, that job, change here, run around like a kid in the candy store. I even heard a student like this say “Sworn to Fun, and Loyal to None.” They feel that loyalty never gets them where they should be, that it holds them back in the dog eats dog world. They feel that they cant cross the pond together with thier peers. They want to step on as many heads as they can to get to the other side of that pond. You hope this mercenary is not near you when life boats are dwindling. You can not count on this person, except to count on this person to take care of their own needs, wants and desires. Thier descriptive motto is:Mine, mine, mine, give me mine attitude”.

This type of thinking was alien to me. I had grown up with loyalty to this team, that fraternity, these friends, this relationship, that academic school, the Marine Corps, the Police Department and US Marshals Service, my warrant team, and my martial arts academy, its students, instructors, etc. To me being loyal was logical, and good. Any other way or pathway was just being about me, being a mercenary. “ If you look at the financial greed in recent years that came to light and has beat us over the head on the news circuit, you wonder is there any reason why everyone doesn’t fight hard to be the number one person, to get the best of everything , and to take care of old number 1, their own self. This “It has to be about me attitude” has changed martial arts. “. There seems to be only respect for sheer power, strength, and tough attitude. This is similar to the prison inmate’s perspective, and his/her take on life. In the military, fighters know that accuracy, and perfect practice of perfect technique and strong discipline build lasting winning ability. A good martial artist should concentrate on perfect practice and perfect technique and not other attributes which flee with age. I have seen students feel that after 6 months of training they are great teachers. They go on thier own and start up thier academy. They water down the techniques, and depend on athleticism, and toughness, and teach other like minded individuals, and so on, and so on. Loyalty in regards to martial arts has about it, a sense of duty, and a dogged dedication and allegiance to an academy, and its instructors, and fellow students. It is your team.
Loyalty is not just for dogs. It is for all martial artists. At our academy we have many great master instructors who come and guide us via their seminars. We hold our loyalty close to these masters of their martial arts systems.We have many great loyal coaches, loyal instructors, loyal trainers and loyal students. We have loyalty for all of them.
For instance: Master Relson Gracie (8th Degree Red/Black Belt) comes and instructs us, and guides us. He is still loyal to his father the Late Grand Master Helio Gracie, and to Grand Master Helio Gracies teachings. We are very blessed to be able to learn these techniques, from the son of the founder. We all understand that we are on the mat and that Grand Master Helio Gracies teachings are helping us learn discipline, order, and perseverance not only in martial arts, but in life. We are loyal to Grand Master Helio Gracie, and to his son, Relson Gracie.
In business, relationships, law enforcement, the military, in life, loyalty counts. It also counts very much in martial arts.
In the Marine Corps there is a motto. “Semper Fidelis” It means Always Faithful. In regards to martial arts, you do not have had to be a cop on the mean streets, or a military warrior, or federal agent operator to understand and appreciate what loyalty is. But, you have to be able to be dedicated and consistent to something other than yourself.
Loyalty-Respect-Fidelity-Discipline-Honor all go hand in hand.
Get centered, find your pathway and go forward. Don’t take the pathway of the quiter, the mat switcher, or mat and school jumper. Don’t be fickled an change like the wind.Get in and train, be dedicated and you will achive, if not, you will be a weary traveler, jumping here and there, etc.so be a winner on the mats, and in life.
Be blessed
Relson GRACIE Jiu-Jitsu/Lone Star MMA Academy of Tyler, TX.

www.lonestarmmagym.com

Helio Gracie’s Brithday

admin — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:21:51 +0000

I was a young Deputy US Marshal working the streets of Miami back in 1989 ( fugitive manhunting). One of Bruce Lee’s First students, Richard Bustillio, was doing a seminar in Miami. He was from California. He told me about the Gracies. Hard for me to believe it. I attended the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu First East Coast Seminar Tour (Oct. 1989). They had Helio get on top of me. I could not get him off me – he played with me like a child. Smiling. Then a young Royce Gracie got on top of me and I refused to tap. Oh well- I learned. Helio’s perfection of Jiu-Jitsu has saved my life as a Deputy U.S. Marshal in the streets, and kept me out of trouble in actual arrest (proper use of force). It kept me safe as an older Deputy U.S. Marshal working the streets. Later I was certified as a GRAPLE instructor in 1999 under Helio and Rorion

Drew Arthur

Lone Star MMA/ Relson GRACIE

Jiu-Jitsu Academy Tyler TX