Meet: Phil Hawes

August 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

philhawes

Phil Hawes a New member of The Academy fight team, as of last weekend is 4-0 as an Amateur. He normally fights at 185 lbs. but went on to win Driller promotions HWT title.

1. Where are you from?

“I’m originally from Little Ferry ,New Jersey a small suburb in North Jersey..”

2.What is your background in athletics/ mma experience?

“I’m a division 1 wrestler.. I’m a 3-0 amature in mma..”

3. What made you move and join the academy/What do you like most about the Team/gym/program?

“I liked the feel of the gym it’s intensity is very similar to the feel you get in high level wrestling rooms.  I know rooms like this breaks you and when you break and keep going is when you jump levels and that’s happening everyday at practice , also I feel the technique being taught is top notch and is going to put me where I want to be which is number 1 in the world”

 

Filed Under: Fight Results, Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts, Student Spotlight Tagged With: , ,

Meet: Clarence Jordan

August 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Clarence Jordan with a nice head kick.

Clarence Jordan with a nice head kick.

Clarence has made the Move to Minnesota to train at The Academy, here’s a little bit about him.

1. Where are you from?

Waterloo Iowa (same town as wrestling legend Dan Gable)

2. What is your background in athletics/ MMA experience?

I wrestled in high school and college , then I started training for MMA my Junior year of college. (Clarence is now 2-1, in his Pro career)

3. What made you move and join The Academy?

I was invited by my manager Jeremy Bjornberg to come visit the gym and after one practice I knew this was where I needed to be. Tough training partners and great coaching.

4. What do you like most about the Team/gym/program?

I like being around like minded individuals. I want to be a champion and it helps me stay motivated to be around others who have the same mind set and work ethic that I do. Iron sharpens iron!

 

Filed Under: Fight Results, Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts, Student Spotlight Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Academy welcomes new purple and blue belts to the team.

April 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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In March, four new purple belts and ten new blue belts were welcomed to Team Academy. We are extremely proud to have students who are so dedicated to their training. These students have been training tirelessly for many months, some even years. The road to becoming a black belt is not an easy one. However, the lessons learned, the skills gained, and the memories made, are worth more than the setbacks and obstacles. Black belts are not just masters at technique, but they are masters of their mind and body. Due to years and years of training, competing, failing, and winning – black belts have developed great mental fortitude and strong physical awareness of their bodies. As the saying goes, “Black belts are simply white belts that never quit”. So whether you are a new student to jiu jitsu, or you train in another form of martial arts, don’t give up. Don’t stop training when you feel discouraged, don’t let injuries scare you away from coming back to class once you’ve healed. Stay true to your path as a martial artist. In the end you will have more than just the honor of being a black belt, you will have all the memories and all the experience and insights that come from so many years of dedication. Once again, congratulations to those who tested in March and are continuing their journey towards becoming a black belt!

Purple Belts:
Coach Nat McIntyre
Coach Adam Ahern
Subash Seshadri
Shawn Woodhull

Blue Belts:
Brady Sheehan
Alex Wolter
Randal Rasmussen
Kirsten Magnuson
Megan Bugge
Joe Lahoud
Ron Winslow
Nick Pielert
Blake Vierling
Barry Nelson

Filed Under: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Student Spotlight, Test Results Tagged With: , ,

Huntley Takes short notice bout in Colorado

March 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

huerta huntleyJason Huntley did what very few 2-0 amatuer fighters would do given the chance he was given late friday night on march 15th. Ressurection Fighting alliance needed a substitute at 135 pounds to fight Carlos Huerta a 6-0 local prospect from a gym in the Denver area. When Jeremy Bjornberg, a local matchmaker, promoter, and well known manager of fighters asked Jason if it was something he was interested in… he was up for the task.

With less than a week to prepare and coming off a short break from training, Huntley got back in the gym as much as possible to ensure he was ready to take his record to 3-0 as an amatuer. At age 34 and knowing shots like this dont come around often, he was excited to travel to denver and give the young fighter a real fight.

The fight did not go the way of huntley, but was a true showing of heart and toughness. Round 1 saw many submission attempts by Huerta with solid defense by Huntley. Round 2 was a stand up affair that Huerta got the better of. Round 3 was comparable to the 1st. Huerta would win by Unanimous Decision (30-27 on all cards). But the experience was a victory in itself for Huntley, stimulating his love of the sport and the excitement of competing. now at 2-1 Jason will look to continue his journey at 125-135lbs.

Filed Under: Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts, Student Spotlight

Student Spotlight: Coach Jack Wu – From Student to Instructor

March 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Kickboxing Minneapolis

Jack Wu & Ajarn Sangtiennoi Sor Rungroj

This month we’d like to welcome Coach Jack Wu as one  of The Academy’s newest instructors. Coach Jack has been training as one of our most dedicated students along with his wife, Betty. Over the course of this past year and a half, he has greatly improved his skills in muay thai, completed The Academy instructor course, was an assistant instructor under Coach Dennis Potabenko, and now teaches his own section of Foundations Muay Thai on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. In the process of achieving all of those milestones, Jack has also lost 35 pounds!

Coach Jack found out about The Academy by searching the internet and checking out a few other gyms in the area. But when he found The Academy, and got to know the staff, instructors, and other students, he knew it was the right fit for him. Before he started training he was diabetic and overweight, but now since he’s lost 35 pounds, gained muscle, and improved his cardiovascular conditioning, he no longer needs medication!

Now that Jack is a coach, we asked him what’s one thing he would tell a new student who’s just starting their martial arts journey, he said, “One of the hardest steps are the first ones. Keep going. No matter what goals one might have, as long as you keep going, those goals get closer every day.” As he continues moving forward, his goals for the future are to, “Continue to learn and be inspired every day, and to help others achieve their goals mentally and physically.”

As a student Jack is hard working, dedicated, and disciplined – 3 attributes of a great student. And as an instructor, Jack is patient and kind towards all of his students, and passionate about their success and progress. We are extremely proud and honored to have him as an instructor and active team member here at Team Academy.

Filed Under: Muay Thai, Student Spotlight, The Academy Pulse

Video:Donald Williams breaks down his next fight w/ MN MMA NEWS

March 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Donald Williams Talks about his upcoming fight march 23rd in Burnsville,MN.

 

Filed Under: Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts, Student Spotlight, videos

Meet: Jason Huntley

January 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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This Saturday Academy Student Jason Huntley, at 34 years of age will take part in his first mixed martial arts bout in downtown minneaplolis.

Recently Jason took a few minutes of his time away from his kids,wife, and his training to answer a few questions for me.

 

1. Why did you join the academy (specifically mma program)?

Jason:” It was the best gym based on reviews and the academy had the ability to teach me what I wanted quickly, efficiently, and with the possibility of a great results.”

2. You are taking an amatuer fight at age 34, why?

Jason: ” It’s the soonest I’ve been able to take a fight. I had a couple of medical issues to fix before I could train at the level I knew I wanted too. I actually first contacted the academy almost 5 years ago”

3. What are your goals as a competitor?

Jason: “I would like to be in A position to be able to at least try out for the next season of the ultimate fighter at 135lbs”

4 . What/who has helped you the most with your development?

Jason: “The most help has come from  the coaches obviously. Coaches Ryan, Erik and of course Greg have all been extremely helpful. The team members have also been great at pointing out things here and there as well which in my opinion is just as important as the coaching”

5 What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses?

Jason: “I walked In thinking that’s wrestling was going to be a strength. Turned out that my striking is my strength and my BJJ is clearly my weakest aspect , when i started here I never even had so much as 1 hour of BJJ class”

6. What is something you see from your teammates/coaches that makes them successful in this sport?

Jason: “Both my teammates and coaches have a drive and an honest passion for martial arts. Not just MMA. Martial arts as a whole. Most everyone I see, is good at more than just 1 of The arts.”

Everybody here at the Academy, fight team and student body combined wish jason all the luck in the world in his fight.

Filed Under: Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts, Student Spotlight Tagged With: , ,

Student Spotlight: Jim Vang & Ben Lor

January 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Jiu Jitsu Minneapolis

Jim Vang & Ben Lor Earn Blue Belts

Congratulations to Jim Vang (left) and Ben Lor (right) on receiving their Blue Belts.

Jim and Ben are two of The Academy’s most dedicated students. They are always the ones that stay past the end of class to keep training and are never shy to ask questions to make sure they’re executing techniques correctly. They both have a deep passion for mastering jiu jitsu and we are so proud to have them training at The Academy. We look forward to watching them march forward on their journey to Black Belt!

Filed Under: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Student Spotlight, Test Results Tagged With: , , ,

Student Spotlight Dec. 2012

January 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Congratulations to Mike Nimlos and Mike Williamson on earning their black rank in Muay Thai this month! They are the first to earn black rank in about six years! We are so proud to have students as dedicated to The Academy and to the martial art of muay thai as these two gentlemen. Well done to you both! We would also like to take the time to thank everyone, staff and students, for making 2012 a memorable year. The successes, the victories, the lessons learned, the progress made, have all outnumbered the failures and setbacks. Thank you to everyone who came to the 20 Year Anniversary and Holiday Party. It was a night to remember. We are so grateful to each and every one of you for your contribution to this gym. Whether your a student or an instructor, as a team we make The Academy great. We wish you all a happy holiday season and a fantastic new year! With gratitude, The Academy Coaches and Staff

Filed Under: Muay Thai, Student Spotlight, Test Results
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