Sunday

Mike Tyson: The Greatest Heavyweight Boxer

In his prime, Mike Tyson was arguably the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.  He possessed blinding speed, bone-crushing power, cat-like footwork, sharp reflexes, and phenomenal head movement.  Mike Tyson knocked out most of his opponents within 3 rounds.  His left hook was the single most feared weapon in boxing during his era.  Mike Tyson is still recorded as the youngest man (21 years old) ever to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world (WBC, WBA, and IBF).  In his first 28 professional fights, he knocked out 26 fighters (16 of them in the first round).

Take notice of his unbelievable speed and power during training and fighting in this excellent clip of Mike Tyson. 

The Official Evolve Fight Team

The Evolve Fight Team is the most decorated professional fighting team in Asia with World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and No-Gi Grappling.  It also currently competes in the UFC, the Martial Combat FC, the Art of War FC, Sengoku FC, Lumpinee Stadium, Mundials BJJ World Championship, and many other top events around the world.

Here is a partial list of the current members of the professional Evolve Fight Team (in no particular order) and their brief biographies. Each professional fighter has been carefully handpicked through a rigorous try-out process based on warrior spirit (gameness), athletic ability, mental toughness, and future potential. Please note that the Evolve Fight Team continues to grow with new fighters on a regular basis.

For more detailed biographies, please visit the Evolve MMA website

The Evolve Fight Team competes in professional MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, and BJJ.

Rafael "Gordinho" Correa de Lima
-Co-Leader of the Evolve Fight Team
-BJJ 3rd Degree Black Belt Mundials World Champion from Brazil
-Trained, coached, and helped many UFC and IFL fighters such as MMA Legend Renzo Gracie, UFC Champion Georges St Pierre, UFC Champion Matt Serra, UFC Contender Ricardo Almeida, UFC Fighter Andre Gusmao, Strikeforce fighter Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Art of War Fighter Rolles Gracie, IFL Fighter Daniel Gracie, MMA Fighter Igor Gracie, MMA Fighter Gregor Gracie, and much more

Yodchatri Sityodtong
-Founder of Evolve Mixed Martial Arts
-Co-leader of the Evolve Fight Team
-Muay Thai specialist from the legendary Sityodtong Gym in Thailand with over 30 fights
-Appointed by Kru Yodtong Senanan (head of Sityodtong Camp) to run the largest overseas Sityodtong Gym
-Trained, coached, and cornered many top fighters including UFC Lightweight Contender Rafael Dos Anjos, BJJ World Champion Antonio Braga Neto, WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan Sityodtong, Muay Thai World Champion Yoddecha Sityodtong, and many others
-Striker with KO power and a Blue Belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie

Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima
-Head of Evolve Brazil
-Leader and Head Coach of the Evolve Brazil Fight Team
-BJJ 4th Degree Black Belt Mundials World Champion from Brazil
-Trained, coached, and helped many of Brazil's top MMA and BJJ fighters including Renato "Babalu" Sobral, BJJ World Champion Antonio Braga Neto, BJJ World Champion Celsinho Venicius, UFC Fighter Rafael Dos Anjos, BJJ World Champion Marcio "Pe de Pano" Cruz, and many others.

Leandro "Brodinho" Da Silva
-One of Evolve MMA's rising stars
-BJJ Black Belt under the legendary Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima
-BJJ World Champion with Muay Thai under the Sityodtong Team
-World class grappler with solid striking ability
-Extremely strong for his weight class
-Fights in the Art of War

Antonio Braga Neto
-BJJ Black Belt World Champion and Professional MMA fighter
-Superstar ground fighter with decent striking
-Trained Muay Thai under Daorung "Papa" Sityodtong
-Destined to be a UFC World Champion in the future
-Will be competing at the Mundials World Championship this year

Yoddecha Sityodtong
-International Superstar and Muay Thai World Champion with almost 200 professional fights
-Huge knock out artist with overwhelming power
-Willing to fight anyone at his weight class around the world

Rafael Dos Anjos
-BJJ Black Belt with aggressive striking
-Trained Muay Thai under the legendary Sityodtong Team in Singapore
-Trained under the legendary BJJ master, Gordo
-World class ground game with excellent Muay Thai
-Currently fights in the UFC

Mitch "Dragon" Chilson
-Muay Thai fighter under World Champions Nuengpichit and Yoddecha Sityodtong
-Nicknamed "the Dragon" for his incredible talent and natural athletic ability
-One of the fittest athletes on the Evolve Fight Team
-Solid power and speed with endless cardio
-Training BJJ under the Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program at Evolve MMA

Brian Choi
-Professional MMA fighter from Korea
-Wrestler with excellent ground and pound skills
-Prefers to take the fight to the ground and to finish it with big punches
-Basic striking ability with Muay Thai under the Sityodtong Team
-Training BJJ under the Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program at Evolve MMA

Ben Iams
-Submission grappler under the legendary MMA fighter, Matt Hume
-Excellent ground skills with some striking
-Has routinely submitted BJJ Black Belts
-Trained with Josh Barnett, Chris Leben, Hayato Sakurai, and more
-Training BJJ under the Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program at Evolve MMA
-Training Muay Thai under the Sityodtong Team at Evolve MMA 

Yodsanan Sityodtong
-WBA World Boxing Champion
-Devastating knock out artist with 48 KOs with 58 wins against 3 losses
-Iron chin, iron fist, and iron heart
-Starting to transition to the MMA game
-Trained and fought Muay Thai at the legendary Sityodtong Camp in Thailand with over 50 Muay Thai fights
-Training BJJ under the Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program at Evolve MMA

Zoro Moreira
-BJJ World Champion with a Black Belt under Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima
-Pro MMA record of 3-1
-Started training Muay Thai under the Sityodtong Team in Singapore
-Also learning Boxing under WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan
-Biggest asset is his unbreakable will

Joao Carneiro
-European BJJ Champion
-Black Belt under Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima
-Excellent world class grappler
-Starting to train Muay Thai and Boxing under the Sityodtong Team

Almiro Barros
-BJJ Silver Medalist at the World Championship
-Black Belt in BJJ under Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima
-Started training in Muay Thai and Boxing under the Sityodtong Team in Singapore
-Will be competing at the Mundials World Championship this year

Eduardo Pachu
-Muay Thai striker with a Purple Belt under Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima
-Fearless, aggressive, and wild striker with KO power
-One of Brazil's top MMA prospects with an exciting fighting style
-Destined for the UFC in the future

Daorung "Papa" Sityodtong
-Muay Thai Champion with over 40 years of experience
-Trainer of 14 World Champions in Muay Thai
-Fought in over 100 professional Muay Thai fights
-A former legendary street fighter with hundreds of street fights to his name
-Worked as a bouncer at one of Thailand's most dangerous night clubs

Judd Sanchez
-MMA specialist with strong standup and good ground.
-Trained BJJ under Rickson Gracie and Kron Gracie
-Over 18 years of martial arts experience
-Aggressive and wild competitor
-A BJJ Blue Belt under Renzo Gracie




*Please note that this list is only a partial list of the Evolve Fight Team.  Due to limited space, many other fighters on the Evolve Fight Team have not been included.


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®.  Achieve Greatness Within™.

Saturday

How to Excel in MMA

Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA as it is known in most circles, is the fastest growing sport in the world. It is also certainly one of the most exciting. Whether it is a hobby or a full time profession, what is the secret of becoming a great MMA practitioner?

At Evolve MMA, we believe it breaks down to the following:

1) Have a core art.  This topic is debated quite hotly in the MMA world. Should you spend 10 years as a BJJ guy in order to become an expert and then later learn some Muay Thai? Or should you cross-train equally at the very start of your martial arts career? At Evolve, we believe that you should definitely cross-train (see the article on Cross Training). That being said, we also believe that you should have a core art. The key is to focus on one art while learning other arts at a slower pace. If you look at a UFC World Champion, Anderson Silva, you will see a Muay Thai guy first and then a BJJ Black Belt second. He even admits to being more comfortable on his feet than on the ground. Yet he is an expert at both striking and grappling. Nevertheless, his core art is Muay Thai. While it would be ideal to be 100% comfortable in both standup or the ground, most MMA practitioners will naturally gravitate to one or the other based on innate and learned qualities. A simple analogy is that some people prefer use their right hands versus their left hands and vice-versa. In today's world, you will see that most UFC Champions will have a core art even though they are also well-versed in other arts. Of course, the future may be different.

2) Be seamless.  At a minimum, you need to be well-versed in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, and Boxing. However, it is not enough to be good at those disciplines. You also need to know how to transition from one art to the other in a seamless fashion. If you look at UFC Middleweight Champion Georges St Pierres, you can see what we mean by seamless. When he fought Josh Koscheck, he took him down at will even though Koscheck was by far the more decorated wrestler. Why? While Koscheck is a phenomenal wrestler, his transition from strikes to takedowns is subpar. It is exactly this concept that cost him the fight. GSP has the remarkable ability of striking and setting up his takedowns in a seamless fashion. Meanwhile, Koscheck has a compartmentalized game. On a standalone basis, his strikes are pretty good and his wrestling is awesome. However, he does not put it together in a seamless fashion. One art does not flow into the other. The next time you watch GSP fight, watch very closely how he goes from striking to takedowns to grappling to striking, etc. GSP flows from one art to the next without blinking an eye. If you want to be a good MMA practitioner, focus on seamlessness.

3) Work on your cardio.   Cardio is the engine to your whole game. If you have poor cardio, then you will not be able to maximize your potential. While it sounds simple, you really should run or do circuit training to complement your game. Alternatively, you should mix it up with other martial arts. From experience, we can tell you that Muay Thai works your cardiovascular system very differently than BJJ does. (Muay Thai takes your heart rate to very high levels for short periods whereas BJJ takes your heart rate to moderately high levels for long periods). If you do both, your heart, lungs, and oxygen transfer mechanisms will all benefit. Interval training is wonderful for your cardiovascular system. At Evolve, we like training with 3 minute rounds with 1 minute rest for Muay Thai and 5 minute rounds with 1 minute rest for BJJ.

4) Make sure that you know the 4 ranges.  The 4 ranges of MMA are kicking range, punching range, clinch range, and ground range. To do well in MMA, you need to be fluent in all ranges, especially the transition game. Again, the key is to know all 4 ranges AND be able to transition smoothly between all of the ranges.

5) Always EVOLVE.  This concept is probably the most important. Of course, we are biased because it is our name! All jokes aside, the best MMA practitioners are always evolving and growing. It is the Darwinian approach to MMA. It is survival of the fittest, the fastest learners, and the constant improvers. If you are a BJJ Black Belt and think that you will do fine in MMA without training in other arts, you are seriously mistaken. If you are a Muay Thai Champion and think that you do not need to know anything about the ground, then you will find yourself in for a rude awakening. In all seriousness, the reason that Evolve Mixed Martial Arts was named Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is because the only long term truth to martial arts is to EVOLVE. The game is constantly changing. Life is constantly changing. Nothing stays in one place. As human beings, we have an internal craving (conscious or subconscious) to learn, grow, evolve, and progress. Tap into that desire and make it your mission to EVOLVE for the rest of your martial arts career!


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®.  Achieve Greatness Within™.

Evolve MMA Fighter Profile: Rafael Dos Anjos

Rising UFC star, Rafael Dos Anjos, is a member of the elite Evolve Fight Team.  He is a world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under the famous Roberto "Gordo" Correa and possesses excellent Muay Thai under Sityodtong Camp of Thailand.  He currently trains out of Evolve Brazil and Evolve Singapore.  Rafael Dos Anjos is set to arrive to Evolve Singapore next week from Evolve Brazil to complete his final month of preparations for his upcoming UFC 112 fight against feared Muay Thai striker, Terry Etim. 

In Singapore, Rafael Dos Anjos will be training under our elite BJJ and Muay Thai World Champions.  His Muay Thai teachers hail from the legendary Sityodtong Camp in Thailand.  Sityodtong Camp has produced the most number of Muay Thai champions in history in Thailand.  Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champion Nuengpichit Sityodtong will lead the efforts of sharpening Dos Anjos' Muay Thai with the help of Kru Toy Sityodtong, Kru Chatri Sityodtong, and Kru Saknarong Sityodtong.  On the BJJ side, Dos Anjos will be under the tutelage of BJJ World Champions Rafael "Gordinho" Correa, Zoro Moreira, and Leandro Brodinho in Singapore.

Evolve MMA leaders, Gordinho and Chatri, have already mapped out an excellent strategic game plan for Dos Anjos with a few surprises.  Terry Etim is a very well-rounded Muay Thai fighter with an excellent ground game.  This fight should be a very tough and exciting one.

Here is an old highlight clip of Evolve MMA fighter, Rafael Dos Anjos.  For his bio,  please click here.




Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies.  Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts.


Friday

The Science behind the Muay Thai Roundhouse Kick

Here is an interesting clip on the science behind the Muay Thai roundhouse kick, the hardest kick in all of martial arts. A good Muay Thai fighter can generate 800-1,000 lbs of force on a single roundhouse kick. This TV show, Sports Science, discovered once and for all that the Muay Thai roundhouse kick is the hardest kick in all of sports.  Watch this Muay Thai fighter break a baseball bat with his low roundhouse leg kick!

February 28, 2010: A Big Day at Evolve!

Evolve MMA will be holding a Big Day for its BJJ and Muay Thai students on February 28, 2010!

Evolve MMA will host a complimentary BJJ Workshop with 6 of its BJJ Black Belts from the Evolve BJJ Instructor Team at 10:00am to 12:00pm with 5-10 students expected to get promoted to Blue Belt under the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Program.

Evolve MMA will also host a complimentary Muay Thai Workshop with 7 of its Sityodtong Instructors from the Evolve Muay Thai Instructor Team at 12:30pm to 14:30pm with 10-15 students expected to get promoted to Level 2, Level 3, or Level 4.

To celebrate the promotions of our students, Evolve MMA will be hosting a BBQ from 4pm to 10pm.

What:  Celebrations and Special Workshops!

Date:  February 28, 2010 

10:00am to 12:00pm:  BJJ Workshop by 6 Black Belts from the Evolve BJJ Instructor Team

12:30pm to 1430pm:  Muay Thai Workshop by 7 Sityodtong Krus from the Evolve Muay Thai Instructor Team

16:00pm to 22:00pm:  Evolve BBQ for Evolve members, staff, and instructors only

Cost:  If you are part of the Evolve Family, it is complimentary for all events!

Please note that Evolve Pomo Mall will be closed on that day for all classes.  Please come to Evolve Far East Square to enjoy the BJJ and Muay Thai Workshops.  And you should definitely come to the Evolve BBQ for some awesome homemade Brazilian BBQ, snacks, drinks, music, fun, and more! Come down to eat, drink, and party with your favorite Evolve Instructors!

Space is limited for all events.  Please book your spot today at any location to guarantee your spot.

Thursday

The Essentials of Sparring

Please note that this article is only for those Evolve MMA students who both qualify for sparring AND also have a desire to do so.  Sparring is not for everyone and is not mandatory at Evolve MMA.  If you do not want to spar, it is fine.  If you do, it is also fine.  If you have any questions, please consult your favorite Evolve Instructor on the topic of sparring.  Either way, your safety is the #1 priority at Evolve MMA.  For your safety, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts has hired the most experienced Instructor Team in Asia with over 450 years of world-class experience.  As World Champions and elite Instructors, they have seen and done practically everything in the world of martial arts.  The Evolve Instructor Team is 100% focused on creating a safe, fun, and supportive environment for everyone.  Of course, accidents can happen, just like in tennis, soccer, basketball, or any other sport.  However, injuries are very rare at Evolve MMA due to our world-class Instructor Team and state-of-the-art facilities. 

Whether it is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, or Mixed Martial Arts, the essence of sparring is the same.  Sparring simply helps you to improve the REAL LIFE application of your knowledge.  If you think about it, application of knowledge is important.  For example, after 2 years of doing BJJ, a student should know all the details of an arm bar.  In slow practice, most high level White Belts with 1-2 years of experience can execute an arm bar with good fundamentals and detail.  However, at full speed sparring, it is a different story.  Most White Belts have a tough time consistently executing an arm bar.  Meanwhile, a BJJ Black Belt can execute an arm bar flawlessly during slow practice or during full speed sparring.  For Muay Thai, it is the same thing.  A typical Muay Thai student with 1-2 years experience should be able to execute a straight knee on the pads with good fundamentals.  However, at even half speed sparring, it is a different story.  Most students with 1-2 years experience cannot land a clean straight knee with proper technique during half speed or full speed sparring.  Sparring is simply a tool to help you to be able to execute a technique in REAL LIFE.  Sparring also happens to be one of the most fun aspects of martial arts!   

Here are the essentials of successful sparring:

1) Treat your sparring partner as your best friend.  Your sparring partner is your best friend if you want to learn and improve.  He/she is not someone for you to let out your aggression.  And he/she is certainly not someone that you should ever try to hurt.  Do unto others as you would have done unto you is the golden rule of sparring.  If you are respectful to your partner, chances are he/she will be respectful back.  If you go hard and play rough, chances are your sparring partner will go hard and play rough.  Both of you will end up learning nothing.  (And if it gets too rough, the Evolve Instructors will ask you to cool it or even ask you to leave the class.  If it happens on 3 separate occasions, you will no longer be allowed to take classes at Evolve MMA and will be asked to leave the academy for good.)  Again, sparring is your time to learn how to apply your knowledge in real life.  Treat it as an opportunity to improve and learn.  If you help your partner to learn and improve, he/she will return the favor.  This cooperative spirit is the most conducive to learning.  If you want to improve, then help your sparring partner to improve too.  In this way, sparring can be a win-win situation.    
 
2) Think of sparring as your opportunity to improve.  The object of sparring is not to win or to hurt your partner.  If that is what you think sparring is about, then you will not get very far in martial arts.  This type of thinking will stunt your learning and your rate of improvement.  It will often end up becoming a roadblock to taking your game to the next level.  In the worst case scenario, it will get you kicked out of an academy.  The object of sparring is to test the REAL LIFE application of your knowledge.  Be intelligent about how you spar.  If you go full power, you will not really learn anything.  For example, professional Muay Thai fighters in Thailand never spar at full power - ever.  They typically spar lightly 1-2 times per week in addition to their daily training.  They often do clinch sparring every day though.  Likewise for BJJ, a Black Belt training for the Mundials World Championship will never put a submission hold full speed and power on his training partner - ever.  In fact, a submission hold at full power is reserved only for tournaments - and even then, it is not often that you see it done. 

3) Try to apply recently learned techniques and/or combinations.  Sparring is your chance to test what you have learned.  If you just learned how to do the anaconda choke from the top position in half-guard, then try to see if you can apply it on a live, resisting opponent.  If you learned some cool setups for the triangle choke, see if you can apply it against your partner.  Or if you just learned how to throw a low leg roundhouse kick, see if you can land it consistently without getting blocked in light sparring.  The key is to treat sparring as your experiment lab.  Do a technique or a combination over and over in sparring sessions until you can do it fluidly without thinking.  At that point, the technique and/or combination will truly be yours.

4) Timing is everything.  To be successful at sparring or competing, you need to learn how to break your partner's rhythm and impose your game on him/her.  For Muay Thai, it means constantly throwing different techniques and combinations (as opposed to the same combination over and over) at varying speeds and targets (high, middle, low, left, right, etc) with both attacks and counter-attacks.  If you do that, your partner can never really settle down and find his/her rhythm because he/she will be confused.  In Muay Thai, there are literally dozens of little tricks to break your partner's rhythm so that you can unleash your attack.  As for combinations, there are hundreds.  Likewise, for BJJ, it means using fake setups before trying to gain a favorable position or before applying a sequence of finishing moves.  A BJJ Black Belt typically has many combinations of 5-6 moves to set up a final submission.  They can flow from one move to the next automatically because they have spent thousands of hours sparring.  In sparring, you will be able to understand the key of TIMING.  Being able to apply a submission hold at the exact right time is a nuance that can only be learned after many, many hours of sparring.  Even the simple nuance of how much body weight to apply to control a position is learned from sparring.  For Muay Thai, being able to deliver a flying knee effectively in real life requires hours and hours of live sparring practice.  With live sparring, you learn timing.  It is impossible to learn TIMING without actually live sparring.   

5) Open your mind.  With sparring, you will see that you will naturally gravitate towards some techniques and shy away from others.  Some moves are completely useless in real life to some people.  Yet, the exact same moves will be the favorite moves of other people.  Of course, you should always aim to find your special moves and perfect them.  However, at the same time, you should always be looking to grow your arsenal of moves and/or combinations.  If you take the attitude that you must always win in sparring, you will always end up doing your favorite moves.  In other words, you will not grow as a martial artist.  On the other hand, if you open your mind and try to grow your repertoire of moves during sparring, then you will grow.  You may not end up "winning" the sparring match with this experimental approach, but you will end up winning in the long run.  Your reward will be that you will be a better martial artist.  When you spar, keep an open mind and try to "discover" new moves that work for you.   

Conclusion
Sparring is a great tool to help you take your game to the next level.  Equally important, sparring allows you to understand what it feels like to have a technique done to you.  If you never spar, you will never fully understand what a roundhouse kick to the leg feels like.  Once you have it done to you, you will appreciate your own knowledge even more.  Sparring is also a good way for you to learn how to control your emotions and thoughts.  Martial arts is about continuous self-improvement physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  Sparring is one way to overcome your fears and to inherit confidence in your techniques.  It is very empowering to know that you can take care of yourself in the event of a potential life-threatening, self-defense situation.  If done correctly and for many years, sparring can give you that confidence.


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®.  Achieve Greatness Within™.

Monday

The 7 Golden Rules of Self-Defense

Here are 7 critical rules to self-defense.*  There are plenty of other rules and details to self-defense, but these 7 rules are essential for any beginner or any person who has no knowledge of self-defense. 

1) Be aware of your surroundings at all times.  Whether you are with friends or by yourself, always be aware of what is going on around you.  If your instincts tell you that someone is suspicious looking, you are probably right.  Instincts are a very powerful built-in, self-defense mechanism in all human beings.  If you are walking alone at night somewhere, always be sure to know what is going on around you (front, side, and back).  Do your best to travel in a group if you are going to an unfamiliar or dangerous place.  Either way, keep your eyes and ears alert at all times.     

2) Walk confidently and avoid eye contact.  If you are in a shady area of town or in a tough city, then always walk confidently and avoid eye contact.  (Attackers prefer to attack weak prey).  And your body language will give away everything.  If you act timid, you will likely be a target.  Walk with an upright posture with your shoulders out and chin up (imagine yourself as the guest of honor at a public event and you are about to receive an award - how would you walk up the stage to collect the award?).  Keep your eyes focused on the horizon, but be in alert mode.  Never make eye contact with anyone.   

3) Avoid confrontation.  If you are about to be attacked, try to talk your way out of things.  The safest approach to self-defense is to avoid any potential physical confrontations.  Put your ego away and do your best to reason with your potential attacker.  If the attacker is asking for your wallet, just give it to him/her.  No amount of money is worth your life.  Avoid a physical confrontation at all costs.  Talk, apologize, reason, scream, yell, walk away, run away, call for help, etc - do whatever you have to do to avoid a physical confrontation.  YOUR ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT should be to defend yourself physically.  

4) As a last resort, attack first.  If you have truly exhausted all options and you are going to get attacked 100% (and your life is in danger), then you should always attack first.  If your life is in danger by an attacker, you have the legal right to protect yourself.  The golden rule of any self-defense situation is that the person who attacks first is usually the winner.  Why?  The answer is simply because most people cannot take a punch to the face and still be coherent.  If you take a violent, clean punch in the face (or worse, a knife to the chest), you will likely be unconscious or in shock (unless you are a highly trained martial artist) and your life will be in danger if the attacker continues while you are unconscious.  So if you are helpless and about to be attacked 100%, then you should attack first.  For example, if you are a woman alone and there is a rapist in your house about to attack any second, then you must muster up the courage to attack first at the exact right moment.  Again, you must use this rule very sparingly - You should only defend yourself physically IF YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER.  You should only attack first IF and ONLY IF you are going to be attacked 100% and there is no way for you to escape.  Defending yourself physically is the absolute LAST RESORT.  

5) If you attack first, then you must attack all the way.  If your life is in danger due to an attacker and defending yourself is the last option, then you must attack first and "all the way."  "All the way" means until your attacker is incapacitated so that you can either run away or call for help.  If you are untrained in self-defense, you will most likely strike once and wait for your attacker's reaction.  99% of people do this.  They hit once and pause to see a reaction.  People pause after striking someone because they are in shock of hitting someone or fear simply consumes them after the first strike.  This pause is very dangerous.  If you only strike once and pause, then your attacker will most likely become even more enraged.  He/she will be filled with rage and adrenaline, making it even more difficult to finish off your attacker.  In all likelihood, he/she will return fire and strike you back with fury and vengeance.  At that point, it will be a 50-50 situation as to whether you will make it out alive or not.  So what does it mean to attack all the way?  You must launch your attack with SURPRISE, CONVICTION, AND POWER.  In Muay Thai terminology, it means that you should deliver a minimum of 5 strikes in rapid succession with 100% power.  And do NOT stop until you can visibly see that your attacker is almost unconscious or completely unconscious.  In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu terminology, it means that you should apply a submission hold until you break your attacker's joint or put him/her to sleep with a choke hold.  Please note that you should be yelling at the top of your lungs as you attack.  It will help to provide sensory overload to your attacker's brain and it will also potentially alert someone who is nearby.  At the precise moment that your attacker is incapacitated, you must run for your life and find help.  DO NOT stay around and wait for your attacker to recover.  (Don't do what the horror movies show you - you know, the part where the blond helpless girl hits the serial killer and waits for his reaction.  Or she thinks he is unconscious and she just hangs around by his body for no reason and then he suddenly wakes up?)  After your attacker is incapacitated, RUN AWAY AS FAST AND AS FAR AS YOU CAN.

6) Remember the 3 critical strike zones.  There are 3 primary strike zones in the human body that can hurt a human being of any size.  (There are actually more than 3 strike zones.  However, since this article is for beginners, we do not wish to inundate you with too much information).  Even if you are a woman and weigh only 45 kilos, you can hurt someone who weighs 100 kilos if you are well-trained in self-defense and you attack the strike zones with all of your power and it is a complete surprise to your attacker.  The 3 critical strike zones are the eyes, throat, and groin.  No matter how big and strong a person is, if you land clean strikes to the eyes, throat, and/or groin 5 times in rapid succession with 100% power, your attacker will be incapacitated.  Of course, all of this assumes that you have clean and correct technique.

7)  Yell for help.   As you run away, yell at the top of your lungs for help.  Find an area that is well-lit with a lot of people and start yelling with everything you have.  If you are lucky and have your cell phone on you, then call the police.  Do whatever you can to cause people to stop to help you.  The last thing that you want is for your attacker to come looking for you.  If you are in a crowded area and you are yelling for help, it is highly unlikely that your attacker will attack you again.   

Conclusion
Ultimately, learning the art of self-defense is simply like investing in life insurance.  Most likely, you will reach the ripe old age of 75 years without ever getting into trouble.  However, if that rare unfortunate attack on you does happen, your knowledge of self-defense is priceless.  If you don't believe that it is priceless, you can simply ask someone who has been a victim of violence, rape, or attempted murder.  Your knowledge of self-defense (or lack thereof) literally could make the difference between life and death.  If you know the basics of protecting yourself, it is empowering to know that you can handle yourself in almost any self-defense situation.  Ultimately, learning self-defense is about improving the odds.  No knowledge in the world can 100% guarantee your survival in a self-defense situation because so many factors are at play.  (If any instructor or school tells you that you can survive 100% of all situations, you should run the other way!).  At the end of the day, why not stack the odds in your favor by becoming proficient in reality-based martial arts like Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?     

*Note:  These 7 basic rules of self-defense are simply basic rules-of-thumb.  There are so many other factors to consider that this article has not addressed such as multiple attackers (versus single attacker), an attacker with a weapon (versus without a weapon), an attack at home (versus in a strange city), an attack in a field (versus in an elevator), and many other scenarios and situations.  For a complete understanding of self-defense, you must train for years and learn all facets of self-defense.  Of course, if you take full advantage of all the courses at Evolve MMA, you will be empowered to defend yourself in most self-defense situations.     


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies.  Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and MMA.

Saturday

9 Critical Tips for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Here are 9 key tips from the Evolve BJJ Instructor Team:

1) Focus on defense first. If you can defend a position, then you are one small step towards understanding BJJ. If you can prevent submissions, then you are another small step towards becoming a great BJJ stylist. (As a case in point, Evolve Instructor and BJJ World Champion Braga Neto has only been submitted a few times in his entire tournament career spanning over 15 years and hundreds of tournaments). If your opponent cannot dictate a position on you, then it is unlikely that he or she will be able to submit you.

2) Be on the attack. While this tip might seem to contradict the first tip, it does not. Once you have confidence that you can defend your position at will and that you can avoid being submitted, then your attacks will be even that much better. You will be able to attack without exposing yourself unecessarily. If you are attacking, your opponent will always be worrying about defense. Attacking in BJJ means to be bettering your position or to be attempting submissions from favorable positions.

3) Find the position, then the submission. You must try to gain superior position before going for a submission. This lesson is a key ingredient that Renzo Gracie teaches. If you go for a submission from an inferior position, you are exposing yourself in a big way. Always go for submissions from a position of strength. BJJ is like human chess. It is about improving your odds of success by gaining positions that allow you to control the situation.

4) Find your combinations. Just like a Muay Thai combination, there are BJJ combinations. Practice your combinations. BJJ Black Belts often have 5-6 combination attacks. In other words, their bodies automatically flow from one position/submission to the other for a sequence of 5-6 different moves. For example, you can flow from armbar to triangle choke to omoplata as a sequence of 3 submission attempts. If you can do it flawlessly, the likelihood of landing one of them will increase.

5) Go with the flow. The most technical BJJ practitioners go with the flow. They do not force a position or a submission. They flow from one position to the next, from one submission to the next - all based on the energy that their opponents are giving them. This concept is a very advanced one, but it is the essence of BJJ. BJJ is a soft and graceful art. It is not about using muscle and strength to gain advantage. It is about using leverage, body weight, momentum, and balance. It is about using what your opponent is trying to do as a lead into doing something. So in the future, if your opponent is pulling you, don't always just pull back. Experiment with pushing and pulling based on what your opponent is doing.

6) Look at the head, hands, hips, and feet. If you can control the 3 of the 4 leverage points (head, hands, hips, and feet), you will gain a good advantage. Pay close attention to where your 4 leverage points are and where your opponent's 4 leverage points are. When you are trying to pass to another position, try to control 3 of the 4 leverage points. It will make it easier to pass to another position.

7) Drill as much as you can. The more times that you practice how to do an armbar, the more it will become muscle memory. The more times you practice the hip escape, the more it will become instinctive and natural. Find a partner and drill as much as you can on a regular basis.

8) Cardio is the foundation to your game. Without strong cardio, it is hard to become good at any of the reality-based martial arts. Try to do circuits outside of class. Try to run sprints. You will see how quickly it translates into success on the mats.

9) Mat time is everything. Roll as much as you can on the mats. Get comfortable on the ground. We spend most of our lives walking upright. It is no wonder why BJJ is so hard to learn because it is done lying on the ground! The more you drill or roll, the more attuned your body and mind will become to the mats.

Who is Evolve MMA?


"evolve [i'volve] verbto undergo continuous change, development, and progress."

Everyone (students, instructors, and staff) at Evolve MMA shares a unique and common bond:  we possess a passion for excellence in everything that we do.  As World Champion and Evolve Instructor Yoddecha Sityodtong always says, "the best attract the best" and "the best produce the best."  Together - students, instructors, and staff - we push each other to become better athletes, we challenge each other to grow as martial artists, and we inspire each other to be the best that we can be as human beings.  We are from all parts of the globe like Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, US, Japan, Korea, UK, Canada, Germany, China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Latvia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, and many other countries.  We are dentists, pilots, professional fighters, CEOs, investment bankers, university students, laborers, office managers, doctors, administrative assistants,  oil service engineers, advertising executives, cleaners, immigration officers, investment professionals, video game makers, nurses, entrepreneurs, bankers, logistics specialists, and so much more.

We are all different.  Yet, we are all one - bound by our relentless desire to become the very best person that each of us can be.
  
Evolve MMA is a family of superstars.  There are 3 main types of students (in no particular order) at Evolve MMA:

a) The Fun Lover
The "Fun Lover" is someone who wants to get fit, stay healthy, learn real self-defense, and make new friends by doing a fun activity.  The choice is simple.  Do something that encourages you to unleash your potential by growing physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually or do another boring round on the treadmill at a typical fitness gym.  The "Fun Lover" aspires for something more from himself/herself and demands the very best out of life.  For the "Fun Lover," martial arts is often something new to his/her life.  He/she quickly discovers how empowering martial arts is and how it helps them gain confidence, mental strength, focus, stress release, and so much more.  Of course, all programs at Evolve MMA are designed for peak fitness and weight loss.  In fact, our programs are taught by World Champions and elite Instructors from all over the world with an aim of getting you to become as fit as a fighter and to inherit authentic self-defense skills.  Above all though, the programs at Evolve MMA are focused on unleashing your potential as a human being.

b) The Hobby Warrior
The "Hobby Warrior" is someone who loves martial arts and is addicted to the warrior lifestyle.  Typically, martial arts is the #1 passion in life outside of work for the "Hobby Warrior."  He/she trains 4-5x per week, cannot wait for the next training session, and is addicted to the adrenaline rush.  The "Hobby Warrior" is someone who constantly strives to improve his/her game and loves watching competitions like the UFC or the Mundials.  He/she thinks about martial arts several times a day and is a true martial artist.  In fact, his/her identity is often wrapped up in the martial arts lifestyle.  The "Hobby Warrior" is someone who loves and appreciates being taught by only the very best instructors and fighters in the world.  He/she is typically quite proficient and is capable of handling most self-defense situations already.  The "Hobby Warrior" is a warrior at heart, values authentic training programs, strives to be the best that he/she can be, and is always searching for knowledge.  He/she is typically quite fit, has achieved a level of mental fortitude, and lives for progress and achievement. 

c) The Fighter
The "Fighter" is someone who is typically already an advanced martial artist or seriously dreams of becoming one.  He/she endeavors to be an advanced amateur or professional fighter.  "The Fighter" is someone who enjoys the thrill of pushing the limits and conquering his/her own fears by competing.  He/she trains 2-3x per day at Evolve MMA and fully appreciates being under the tutelage of the World Champions at Evolve MMA.  The best of the "Fighters" are invited to train in the professional Fighters Program at Evolve MMA.  The Fighters Program is a daily training program run by the Evolve Instructors for the Evolve Fight Team and the Evolve Instructors. To become the best, it is critical to learn under the best.  Evolve MMA has recruited the very best World Champions and elite Instructors from around the world.  If you are a serious "Fighter," Evolve is one of the best places to train on the planet.  The Evolve Fight Team has competed and won at the highest levels of competition on the world stage such as the UFC, the Art of War, the Mundials World Championship, and much more.

Evolve is not a gym.  Evolve is not a workout.  Evolve is a way of life.

Here is to striving for our dreams whatever they may be.  Here is to believing that adversity is simply an opportunity to shine.  Here is to becoming the very best person that each of us can be - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Here is to Achieving Greatness Within! 


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®.  Achieve Greatness Within.

Wednesday

Wrestling: A Key Ingredient for MMA

Wrestling is a critical skillset to possess for any MMA fighter.

Why?  Because wrestling allows you to dictate where the fight takes place.  If you are a striker and want to keep the fight standing, then you will need excellent wrestling in order to prevent takedowns.  If you are a BJJ stylist and want to take the fight to the ground, wrestling skills will enhance your abilities to do so.  One of the reasons why UFC Champion Georges St Pierre is so feared is because he can dictate where a fight takes place.  His striking is A- and his ground game is B+.  But his wrestling is A+.  Of course, he is probably the only MMA fighter who truly "flows" between striking, takedowns, and grappling in the blink of an eye.  While good wrestling is very important, the true MMA stylist will always be trying to improve every aspect of the 4 ranges of combat - kicking range, punching range, clinch/knee/elbow/takedown range, and ground range.  

So to elevate your MMA game, take some wrestling!


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®.  Achieve Greatness Within™.
 

Tuesday

Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

At 43 years of age, Renzo Gracie will be returning to professional MMA at UFC 112 against former UFC World Champion Matt Hughes on April 10, 2010.  It will be a very tough and exciting fight.  Renzo has been busy training at his academy in New York.  He has been working on BJJ, Wrestling, Boxing, and Muay Thai for his preparations.  He has lost a staggering 15 kilos already for this fight in the last few months and is only 3 kilos away from the fight weight.  Rafael "Gordinho" Correa de Lima and Chatri Sityodtong will be flying to Abu Dhabi to assist Renzo Gracie at UFC 112. 

Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a unique style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As one of the top MMA fighters from the Gracie Family, Renzo developed his own version of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu based on his many street fights and professional MMA competitions. As Gordinho put it during his first class here, Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu has many elements of "ghetto style" BJJ as opposed to purely competition BJJ. Renzo was the first member of the Gracie Family to adopt techniques from other styles such as Muay Thai and Boxing for his professional MMA fights. Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu incorporates standing techniques, takedown techniques, and ground techniques.

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is the only Renzo Gracie Academy in Asia. All Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (www.evolve-mma.com) are taught exactly as they are in New York where the main Renzo Gracie Academy (www.renzogracie.com) is located. In fact, Rafael "Gordinho" Correa de Lima (Renzo Gracie's right hand man in New York) moved to Singapore to teach at Evolve on a permanent basis. Rafael is a BJJ 3rd Degree Black Belt Mundials World Champion from Brazil. He was also the most senior Black Belt at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York in addition to being its Program Director.  All belt promotions at Evolve MMA are official Renzo Gracie belts with authentic certifications. In Brazil, it is known that all belt rankings are not created equal. It is a badge of honor to receive a belt promotion from a legendary BJJ stylist such as Renzo and the expectations of conduct are even higher. At Evolve, you can be rest assured that your belt promotions will be recognized around the world. The knowledge that comes with the belt is equally important to which BJJ Black Belt promoted you in terms of credentials and authenticity.  For lack of a better analogy, getting a Black Belt from Renzo Gracie is like getting a Phd from Harvard.  The Renzo Gracie brand name is unquestioned and its authenticity unparalleled.

At Evolve, you will get authentic Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies.  Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and MMA. 

Sunday

The Importance of Culture at Evolve MMA

At Evolve MMA, we are a family.  We strongly believe in our culture of friendship and fun.  Evolve is not just a place to get a great workout.  Yes, you will get a great workout.  Yes, you will learn real self-defense.  Yes, you will get into the best shape of your life - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  But it is more than that to all of us.  It is a place where we can forget the stresses and worries of life.  It is a place where we can learn and grow from each other.  It is a place where we can have fun and make lifetime friendships.  It is a place where you can be yourself and where everyone is rooting for you to succeed.  Evolve is our second home.  

Evolve MMA stands behind its reputation as the best martial arts academy in Asia.  Our World Champions and elite Instructors are committed to the highest standards of excellence so that you may learn and grow at the fastest rate possible.  That being said, the most important thing is that we all enjoy the journey together!  At Evolve, we want everyone to experience the benefits of martial arts - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - in a safe, fun, and supportive environment.  So if you see a new student having difficulty with a new technique, please reach out to him/her and help.  Or if you have a random question, please do not hesitate to ask any of our instructors or staff.  We are all one - instructors, students, and staff.  Here is to a lifetime of continuous self-improvement, friendship, and fun!  Here is to EVOLVING!!! 

Stay In Touch!

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Wednesday

Tracey Jennings: A True Warrior!

Every few months, the Evolve Instructor Team selects a student who best exemplifies the core values of Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®:  excellence, humility, honor, respect, courage, and teamwork.

The vote was unanimous for the selection of Tracey Jennings as an Evolve role model for all others to follow!  She is the hardest working student at Evolve MMA - bar none.   

It was only a few short months ago that Tracey, a high-powered corporate executive, joined Evolve MMA.  She is a Petroleum Engineer by background and had never done martial arts before and was simply looking for a new way to keep fit.  As it turns out, Tracey has become a martial arts addict!  She has quickly become one of the most popular students at Evolve due to her incredible passion for Muay Thai, her charming personality, and her work ethic.  Most students at Evolve train 3-4 times a week, taking 1-2 classes on each of those days.  When Tracey first joined, her fitness level was not very good.  However, she would come train every day with dedication.  In just a few short months, Tracey improved her fitness level dramatically, lost 7 kilos, toned up her body, gained more confidence, and inherited more mental strength.  Above all, she has started to develop a real ability to defend herself in real situations.  Tracey now trains 6 days a week and often takes 3-4 classes per day!  In fact, her record is taking 5 classes in a single day!  5 hours of Muay Thai is not an easy task at all.  In fact, the World Champions on the Evolve Instructor Team train 5-6 hours a day when they are preparing for professional competition! 

Here are some words from the Evolve Instructor Team:

"Tracey has improved tremendously in her Muay Thai.  Her right roundhouse kick is looking excellent now.  She trains the most number of classes of any student at Evolve without a doubt.  Her power has improved over 150% in the last few months because her technique has improved a lot."
-Yoddecha Sityodtong, Evolve Instructor and Muay Thai World Champion

"She is crazy! (laughing)  Tracey trains like a Champion already.  She loves Muay Thai so much that I think she must eat, sleep, and dream only about Muay Thai!  (laughing)  Muay Thai is her boyfriend now.  I hope her husband does not yell at us!  When she first started, she had no fitness and no power.  Now, she can kick hard and her Muay Thai weapons are becoming sharper and more crisp.  Tracey has good kicks, but needs to improve on her punches and knees some more.  I agree with Yoddecha - Tracey's power has really jumped up.  She can knock out a lot of men now with her kicks!  Tracey, we all love you!"
-Daorung "Papa" Sityodtong, Evolve Instructor and Trainer of World Champions 

"To be honest, I have never seen anything like it before, especially from someone who has never done any martial arts before.  She is obsessed with Muay Thai!  Tracey got promoted to Muay Thai Level 2 Intermediate Novice in one of the shortest times ever at Evolve.  Normally, it takes a student 6-12 months to get promoted to Intermediate Novice.  Tracey's incredible work ethic and love for the art has really propelled her.  All the instructors often talk about her because no one else comes even close to taking 3-5 classes per day!  Her kicks have come a long way and her basic 1-2 punches are pretty good too.  Her push kick is quite nice.  Her footwork and speed have also really skyrocketed.  Of course, she still has a long way to go, but I'm super impressed!  Tracey has already become one of the core family members in the Evolve Family because of her great personality and her insane passion for Muay Thai!"
-Chatri Sityodtong, Evolve Instructor and Fighter

The Need for Speed!

Speed is one of the most important attributes for any martial artist, whether it be for a recreational Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylist, a professional MMA fighter, or an amateur Muay Thai fighter.  The faster that you can execute a move or a combination, the less reaction time that your opponent has, and the more likely that your move or combination will be successful.  In the magician's world, a magician like David Copperfield will say that the secret to executing any magic trick is to utilize the fact that "the hand is quicker than the eye."  In the fighting world, the saying is "the punch that you don't see is the one that knocks you out."  If you can execute a move or combination more quickly than your opponent can defend, then you will naturally have the upper hand.

So how do you improve your speed?   

1) Make sure that you have proper and excellent technique.  If you have excellent technique, your speed will naturally increase (relative to having improper technique).  So your first step to increasing your speed is to make sure you have proper technique.  Every little detail matters.  Please ask your favorite Evolve instructor to breakdown all the little details of a given technique.  Take notes and try to remember it when you practice.   

2) Incorporate speed drills into your training.  Instead of simply drilling arm bars, try to drill the arm bars with a clock.  In other words, try to see how many arm bars you can execute in 2 minutes.  Keep track of it and try your best to improve your numbers over time.  Of course, you must already have excellent and proper technique before you try to incorporate speed drills.  If you cannot kick properly, then you should not be focusing on kicking speed drills.  However, assuming that you have excellent technique, then the next step to increasing your speed is to incorporate speed drills.  Speed drills are basically drilling your techniques at maximum speed with a clock.  Over time, you will find yourself getting faster and faster as your body becomes accustomed to a move.  Your natural competitive drive will help you get faster if you keep track of your numbers.   

3) Focus on fast twitch muscles.  Martial arts requires a combination of fast twitch and slow twitch muscles.  To increase your speed and explosiveness, you will need to focus on your fast twitch muscles.  Plyometric training has proven to be the best way to develop fast twitch muscle fibers.  The idea is to practice movements in the same tempo that mimic the actual usage of your martial art.  The FightShape Program at Evolve MMA is a great example of plyometric exercises to help develop your speed and explosiveness.  For more details on plyometric exercises, please ask your favorite FightShape instructor at Evolve MMA. 

Fast twitch fibers:  These muscle fibers can contract very quickly and are responsible for the "explosiveness" of an athlete.  Unfortunately, these fibers use up a lot of oxygen and are quite inefficient.  100m Olympic sprinters focus on developing their fast twitch muscles.

Slow twitch fibers:  These muscle fibers contract slowly and are responsible for the "endurance" of an athlete.  These muscles are efficient at using oxygen and also minimize lactic acid build-up.  Marathon runners focus a lot on developing their slow twitch muscles.

Hybrid fibers:  These muscles are a combination of the two.

4) Utilize reflex drills.  Counter attacks and defense in martial arts is simply a matter of reflex.  The faster your reflexes are, the faster you will be when you defend and when you counter attack.  In order to improve your reflexes, you must inherit pattern recognition.  Pattern recognition is simply the ability to read patterns BEFORE a move is executed on you by your opponent.  For example, in a Muay Thai sparring session, watch for clues on how a person moves his/her body before he/she tries to throw a kick.  If you can spot the "signals" before the kick is thrown, then your ability to react will be faster.  Professional Muay Thai fighters never wait for a kick to be thrown before they react.  They react to the "signals" before the kick is thrown.  This pattern recognition is what separates amateur and professional fighters.  At the highest level, reflexes are what separate the World Champions from the rest.  An example of a pattern recognition drill would be holding pads for your partner.  When you hold pads for your partner, try to watch for "signals" before they throw a kick.  Do they drop their left hand first before they kick?  Do they make an ugly face before they throw a punch?   These small clues will help you dramatically in your defense and counter attacking game.  Once you identify patterns, the next step is to improve your reflex to that pattern.  Find a partner and have him/her kick you lightly as you try to defend or counterattack.  Then have your partner increase the speed.  See if you can improve the time it takes for you to react.  All these principles are applicable for BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling, and everything else taught at Evolve MMA.

In conclusion, speed is something that can be developed.  It is a very powerful attribute in martial arts.  It is often what separates World Champions from the rest.  Look at UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.  He executes his offensive moves faster than most people.  However, his reflexes are also faster than most people too.  So his speed and elusiveness are his most terrifying attributes.  And you can bet that Anderson Silva works on his speed and reflexes A LOT.  If you have any questions, please feel free to speak to your favorite Evolve MMA instructor on how to increase your speed and reflexes.

As the legend Muhammad Ali used to say all the time, "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee."



Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®.  Achieve Greatness Within™.

Sunday

One of the Keys to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu


Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most effective self-defense systems in the world.  It has proven highly effective in one-on-one combat, especially in MMA competition such as the UFC and the Art of War.  It has also proven very effective on the streets for one-on-one unarmed situations.

At its core, BJJ is a very simple art.  Of course, it is complex like chess with thousands of moves and combinations.  However, the essence of BJJ is simplicity and effectiveness. 

The key to success in BJJ is the ability to control hip movement.  If you can move your hips freely and you can prevent your opponent from moving his/her hips, you are one step closer to understanding Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  The most critical element of BJJ is the ability to move your hips.  The warm up drills done at Evolve MMA are precisely to help you with your hip movement.  If you move your hips well, you should be able to control many situations on the ground.  For example, the guard, the half-guard, the open guard, the x-guard are all heavily dependent on hip movement.  If you can move your hips effectively, then it will make it very difficult for anyone to pass your guard.  Moving your hips well also means that you will have a complete set of submissions available to you.  The arm bar, the triangle choke, the omoplata, and many other submissions all rely on your ability to move your hips.  Sweeps also rely heavily on hip movement.  On the flip side, if you can control your opponent's hips, then you will be able to control almost any situation.  By locking down your opponent's hips, you will be one step closer to passing his/her guard more easily.  By preventing your opponent from moving his/her hips freely, you will inevitably prevent most submission attempts. 

Ask your favorite BJJ Black Belt at Evolve MMA for tips on how to improve your hip movement as well as any tricks to prevent your opponent from moving his hips.  Happy Training!


Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies.  Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts. 

Saturday

Win a S$2500.00 Dream Weekend at Resorts World Sentosa!

Evolve MMA is celebrating another year of Achieving Greatness Within™ with a special Lucky Draw! 

Grand Prize Package (S$2,500.00 value):  A 2 night stay at Resorts World Sentosa (www.rwsentosa.com) + 2 premium tickets to Asia's largest MMA event, the exciting Martial Combat Fighting Championship (www.rwmartialcombat.com) + 1 Sony Cybershot TX1 Camera + a S$200 dining voucher  + 2 official Evolve Fight Team t-shirts + an autograph signing with Evolve World Champions

1st Runner Up Package (S$1,100.00 value):  1 Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB + 1 official Evolve Fight Team t-shirt

2nd Runner Up Package (S$800.00 value):  1 Sony Cyber-Shot TX1 Camera with Sweep Panorama + 1 official Evolve Fight Team t-shirt + 1 pair of authentic MMA gloves

3rd Runner Up Package (S$150 value):  1 pair of GV Gold Class movie tickets + 1 official Evolve Fight Team t-shirt


Here is how to win the Lucky Draw:
  • Simply refer your friends to Evolve!
  • Each time that you make a successful referral (see below for details), you will receive 3 Lucky Draw tickets and your friend will receive 1 Lucky Draw Ticket.
  • You may refer as many friends as you wish to increase your chances of winning.  

Terms and Conditions:
  • To qualify for the Lucky Draw, you must be a current Evolve member and you must successfully refer a friend who enrolls as a new member at any Evolve MMA location in Singapore for a membership period of 12 months or more.
  • The Lucky Draw is effective February 1, 2010 and the winners will be picked on July 21, 2010.
  • There will be 7 winners in total:  one Grand Prize Winner, one 1st Runner up Winner, one 2nd Runner Up Winner, and four 3rd Runner Up Winners.
  • Results of the Lucky Draw will be published on the Evolve website, the Evolve Blog, and the Evolve Facebook Page on July 21, 2010.  
  • All winners will be notified by email and/or by phone call.
  • To collect the prizes, the winners will need to come to Evolve Far East Square with a verifiable picture ID.
  • Lucky Draw tickets and Prizes are non-refundable and non transferable.
  • Lucky Draw tickets and Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash.
  • If prizes are not collected by July 30, 2010, then the prizes will be forfeited.
  • The Lucky Draw is valid in Singapore only.