Mixed Martial Arts in DC News Blog

Jon Delbrugge of Crazy88 BJJ and Team Lloyd Irvin

On Dec. 18 at the Absolute Annihilation MMA event, Jon Delbrugge shot in immediately at the beginning of the round and took his opponent down. After establishing the mount, his opponent scrambled off his back and got on to his feet. Delbrugge, still on the attack, executed another takedown and established the top position. From the top, Delbrugge began firing strikes, which led to a referee stoppage of the bout (TKO) at just under two minutes.

“I’m not out to hurt anyone…but I do know what kind of sport this is…He would have done the same to me,” said Delbrugge. “I talked to him in the morning and he’s okay.”

Training in martial arts at Crazy88 (Elkridge, Md.) is what Delbrugge has been doing for the past two and a half years. In high school, he was primarily a football and hockey athlete, with a brief stint in wrestling in his senior year. While in college at a Division II football program and pursuing a shot at the NFL, he found another calling: mixed martial arts.

“Right before my senior year, I found jiu-jitsu…I found jiu-jitsu because I wanted to do MMA,” said Delbrugge.

In order to pursue MMA, he left college and started training at Crazy88. The academy, run by Julius Park, started Delbrugge training in its Brazilian jiu-jitsu program. It was there that he started his competitive martial arts career. Among some of his wins in BJJ were a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships (purple belt weight and open division), gold at the U.S. Open in Santa Cruz (purple belt absolute), and gold in the brown belt division of the NAGA World Championships (N.J.).

“I absolutely fell in love with the gi,” said Delbrugge.

Getting ready for his MMA bout was not without it’s challenges. Delbrugge currently follows a rigorous training program to make himself ready for the ring and other combat sports events. For his MMA fights (in which he is 2-0), a detailed schedule of up to three training sessions a day was used. Training at Crazy88 (BJJ, MMA, and muay thai), strength and conditioning with Advanced Sports Performance, and training with the pro team at Team Lloyd Irvin headquarters in Camp Springs comprised the work load for his last fight. As a brief comment about his work in Camp Springs, Delbrugge stated, “it is brutal.”

For future plans, he plans to stay as active as possible. In addition to his training for competitions, he is a full time instructor at Crazy88. “I’m always going to be in the sport training and teaching because that is what I am. I am an instructor and I’m a student of the game…I want to be involved in this for the rest of my life.”

With the his planned participation in the European Open Jiu-Jitsu Championships for early January 2011, Delbrugge took no breaks from training even after his fight. A series of international jiu-jitsu tournaments will be coupled by his training in muay thai and MMA. “Towards the end of 2011, we’re gonna try and squeeze in some more MMA fights,” he said. “Also in 2011, I will be spending a few months in Thailand.”

When asked about his team, Delbrugge remained humble and said, “I truly believe if I was not a part of Crazy88 and Team Lloyd Irvin, there is no way I would be close to where I am now.”

More Crazy88 BJJ Articles:
Crazy88 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program Review
Crazy88 Muay Thai Program Review
Crazy88 BJJ Martial Arts Academy Overview
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