Great turnout for the UFC 129 St. Pierre vs. Shields party!!! NJ United MMA represented Saturday night with 30+ members getting together to enjoy the fights!!! It was a great team atmosphere, the NJ United Mixed Martial Arts family is growing stronger every day!!!

NJ United MMA will be having it’s UFC 129 party at Hooters Restaurant located at 25 Route 23 South in Wayne, NJ. The prelim fights start at 8pm and the main card fights begin at 9pm. The fight card looks to be very good….

George St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields
Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick
Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jason Brilz
Mark Bocek vs. Ben Henderson

NJ United Mixed Martial Arts is the premier academy in Northern New Jersey. Try our classes for 30 FREE Days to see for yourself. NJ United MMA represents the most successful American based Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team in the country, Team Lloyd Irvin. Located in the heart of Passaic County, NJ United offers classes for everyone from the new student to the advanced competitor. Whether you are looking to get in shape, lose weight, learn self defense, or compete, NJ United has a diverse program designed to suit each students’ needs.

Check out the teachnique of the week video taught by 3x Pan American medalist, head instructor Jay Hayes…

We will be adding another Muay Thai kickboxing class to the schedule on Saturdays from 1-2pm.  Classes are starting this Saturday, April 30th.

The Muay Thai kickboxing classes are really picking up!!! We had a packed class tonight.  Instructor Chris Jones is doing a great job growing the program, and because of that we will be scheduling another class during the week!!! Check back soon for more info!!!

Among practitioners of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Submission Grappling, and Mixed Martial Arts there is a very common debate as to the effectiveness of training with the kimono (gi). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but they should be able to provide validity to their statements with proof or facts. Simply stating ones opinion about a topic without providing valid evidence does not justify ones claim.

In my opinion, training with the kimono greatly increases your understanding of the art of grappling. This should be combined (after one starts training) with no gi jiu jitsu. The kimono provides many functional purposes that apply to training without the kimono (no gi) as well as fighting in Mixed Martial Arts. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, new students are taught with the kimono, which limits the student’s use of their own physical attributes, forcing them to utilize technique over strength. It also provides more friction which will make students have to technically escape a bad position or submission, as opposed to just “slipping out.”

Now that being said, I am a huge fan of no gi jiu jitsu and wrestling. Personally, I prefer training no gi jiu jitsu over training with the kimono, but I understand the functional use of the kimono. I also feel that wrestling along with jiu jitsu are the two most important arts in MMA. In order to reach your greatest potential as a grappler, you must train with the kimono along with wrestling and no gi jiu jitsu

In Submission Grappling, the most prestigious no gi event is ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club). The ADCC tournament is held every two years and is considered the Olympics of submission grappling, or no gi jiu jitsu. The weight classes are broken down into 6 divisions using the metric (kilogram) system (-66kg, -77kg, -88kg, -99kg, +99kg, and absolute or open weight class). At the 2009 ADCC tournament, in the -66kg, -77kg, +99kg, and absolute division, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medalists were all BJJ Black Belts and one medalist held the rank of Brown Belt (was later promoted to Black). In the -88kg division BJJ practitioners placed 1st and 2nd, while the -99kg division BJJ practitioners placed 1st and 3rd.

In the UFC, the current lightweight champion holds the rank of Purple Belt in BJJ, while the welterweight and middleweight champions both hold the rank of Black Belt.

Here is part of a recent interview that UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre did in preparation for his fight with Jake Shields….

Interviewer:  “Which advantages you think you have by training with the gi (kimono) for a MMA fight? Do you think it brings you different techniques you’ll use on the fight?”

GSP:  “Sure… I believe that it makes your game more technical, and I believe it’s very important.”

Don’t be fooled by the recent trend of MMA gyms that are popping up teaching “Grappling.” Research the facts and make an educated decision when choosing a gym. Learn real Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and reach your greatest potential!!!

Due to the overwhelming demand from the students we had our 11am BJJ 101 class on Easter Sunday!!! The students have spoken, and to be honest, it didn’t take much to convince me to have class. Not only did we have class at 11am, we also had 10 of the guys come in an hour early to practice all of the great techniques that JT showed at his seminar on Saturday!!! Repitition refines technique!!!

Happy Easter everyone

This afternoon following a busy day of classes with the Little Spartans and Combat Gold competition team students training hard, fellow Team Lloyd Irvin Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt JT “Spiderman” Torres came in to teach an AMAZING two hour seminar for NJ United students. Not only was the seminar a great learning experience, but it was also FREE for all NJ United MMA members.

JT broke down his world class standing guard passing strategies and put together great sequences that were both clear and precise. JT’s attention to detail and teaching ability is easily on the same level as his stellar competition resume. The 2010 Asian Open Gold medalist, 2011 Pan American Bronze medalist, and 2011 Abu Dhabi No Gi Pro Bronze medalist not only taught a great seminar, but also answered every single question from the students afterwards. JT had an answer to each question and demonstrated how each student could correct the difficulties they were having. Keep your eyes open for the next seminar in the near future!!!

If you are interested in learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu come try our FREE 30 Day Trial and find out why NJ United Mixed Martial Arts is the best BJJ academy around.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt JT “Spiderman” Torres will be hosting a FREE Jiu Jitsu seminar for all NJ United MMA members on Saturday, April 23rd from 1-3pm. JT is one of the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters in the WORLD and he will be sharing some of his world class techniques with everyone this Saturday. Do not miss this opportunity to train with one of the best!!!

JT just won the Bronze medal at the 2011 Pan American Jiu Jitsu Championships as well as the Bronze medal at the 2011 Abu Dhabi No Gi Pro. JT was a 2010 Brazilian Nationals Silver medalist and was the 2010 No Gi World Champion at Brown Belt. Check out a quick highlight video of him doing what he does best…..

Muay Thai kickboxing is one of the most devastating Martial Arts practiced in the world today. Muay Thai is a style of kickboxing known for its devastating power and effectiveness. Practical in both a Mixed Martial Arts (UFC) or in a self defense situation, Muay Thai kickboxing is one of the most versatile striking arts in the world. Every Mixed Martial Arts or UFC fighter practices Muay Thai because of its proven success in the cage.

We offer a 30 Day FREE Trial for students to try out our program. Come in and experience all the benefits that Martial Arts training has to offer. Whether you are looking to get in shape, lose weight, learn self defense, or fight in Mixed Martial Arts or kickboxing, then NJ United MMA has something to offer you.

Here is a quick video of our Wednesday night 8-9pm Muay Thai class. Everyone from the experienced martial artist to the pure beginner are welcome to attend.