Nakapan Phungephorn teaches at BETA Academy of Martial Arts.

Editing provided by Dan Friedell

Nakapan Phungephorn landed in Vienna, Austria in 2001 to meet with a handful of specially selected teammates to represent the United States at the WKA World Championships in Muay Thai. The same scene was being played out by other competitors – seasoned, tough fighters headed to Central Europe for what was likely going to be the most important match of their careers.

The matches ahead were certain to be hard, that much was expected. But what was unexpected was the onset of a blazing temperature and blurred vision. Nakapan didn’t know what was wrong, and instead of seeking medical care and being advised against competing, he decided to push through the symptoms of what was later diagnosed as strep throat.  What was supposed to be the most difficult test of his competitive career became a nightmare.

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ZACH DAVIS’ “THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER” PARTY – WEDNESDAY

On April 13, Zach Davis of Evolve Academy/Team Lloyd Irvin will host another Ultimate Fighter party at a location to be announced in Montgomery County, Md. The party will start at 7:30 p.m. and will feature free give aways, such as TapOut shirts, to people that come and show their support. Up coming details about the party will be on his site at www.zachdavismma.com.

SHOGUN FIGHTS 4 RETURNS TO BALTIMORE, Md.

Local D.C. metro fighters are scheduled to fight at the largest MMA show in Maryland on April 30, 2011 at 1st Mariner Arena. Current local D.C. area fighters are Dustin Pague (MASE Training/Tony Passos BJJ), Jason Morris (Evolve Academy/Team Lloyd Irvin), Marshall “The Unknown Warrior” Thompson (Evolve Academy & Warrior Gym), Adrian Belcarris, and Dean Lavin (Team Assassin).

Dustin Page made a strong performance in his last appearance at Shogun Fights 3, winning by first round TKO via strikes.

In his last appearance at Shogun Fights, Jason Morris was coaching Zach Davis in his final fight before the Ultimate Fighter. Now, Morris will step in the cage as a fighter and take on Cole Pressley of Clinch Academy.

Marshall Thompson continues his comeback to MMA after battling injuries. The former WKA National MMA champion (2007) will take on Siyam Yousefi in a 135 pound bout.

* Update: Added Adrian Belcarris and Dean Lavin (Team Assassin)

FIGHTING OUT OF TOWN

Week-in and week-out, local fighters go out of town to compete in other fight shows. Please wish these fighters good luck on their road trip endeavors!

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

April 8 – Atlantic City (New Jersey) – Ring of Combat XXXV – Elijah Harshbarger, Gold Medal Grappling (Team Lloyd Irvin)
Live Stream: View Event
April 9 – Akron (Ohio) – NAAFS – Proving Ground MMA Series 4 – Rosanna Garcia, Evolve Academy (Team Lloyd Irvin)

MUAY THAI

April 12 – Thailand (Patong) – Aaron Jimmerson, Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu
April 17 – Thailand (Kohsamui) – Rene Rodriguez, Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu/Yamasaki-Springfield
April 29 – NYC – WKA Fight Night – Hiro Perera, Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu

ELITE FIGHTING CHALLENGE 8 AFTERMATH

This past weekend, the EFC 8 MMA event was held in Lynchburg, Va. After the fights, I caught up with E.J. Mecklenburg of BETA Academy/Team Lloyd Irvin who won a decisive first round victory over Josh Clark of the Strikers Union Fight Team in North Carolina.  Mecklenburg’s quick take down and ground-and-pound resulted in a broken nose for Clark and a first round submission by way of choke.  After the bout, Clark engaged Mecklenburg in conversation about the fight.  When asked about their brief discussion, this is what Mecklenburg had to say:

“The guy that I fought came up and we were talking. I wasn’t sure exactly what he was trying to do. It was casual at first, then…I don’t know if he was trying save his ego or egg me on…he was trying to put something out there like he wanted to fight again, and he actually said he wanted a rematch and that ‘I would be the guy leaving with the broken nose next time.’ I thought it was kind of childish, kinda silly, especially after it was a pretty decisive win in my mind. I told him that if he wanted it that bad, he could take the four hour trip up to D.C. and we can have one…I don’t know exactly what was going through his mind, but it was really weird. I don’t think it was the most respectful thing to do after getting smashed like that.”

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU AND SUBMISSION WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS

Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships

The Abu Dhabi World Pro Championships will be held during the period of April 8-16 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center in the United Arab Emirates.  Severals competitors from local teams have won pro-trial tournaments to earn sponsored trips to the World Pro Championships.  The tournament is open to all competitors, however, pro-trial winners qualify for sponsored travel and lodging.

Sponsored competitors:

Black Belt, Ryan Hall, Fifty/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BRASA Team)
Brown Belt, Jimmy Harbison, Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Academy
Purple Belt, D.J. Jackson, Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Academy
Purple Belt, Kenneth Brown, Evolve Academy (Team Lloyd Irvin)
Blue Belt, Pere Briggs, Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Academy
Blue Belt, Megan Lomonof, Fifty/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BRASA Team)

Please send any corrections or additions to MMAinDC.com via the “About” page.

New Yamasaki Academy Location In Woodbridge, Va.

Yamasaki Jiu-Jitsu black belt Joe Cunningham will be the head instructor at the new location. Classes run Monday through Saturday and will include BJJ, no-gi grappling, and mixed martial arts.

Location:
13546 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192
For more information, call: (703) 261-9657

Editor’s Note: Thank you to everyone who contributed information for this article.

HERNDON, Va. – Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu regularly has fighters compete in martial arts fighting events such as mixed martial arts and muay thai. An essential ingredient in having a successful MMA and thaiboxing team is an experienced striking coach. As the head coach of muay thai at Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu, Matt Nielsen brings his knowledge of authentic Thai training to the team.

Nielsen’s first experience in training martial arts was at the age of eight, when he briefly started training in judo. At age 11, he started training in tae kwon do and eventually earned his black belt. After high school, he joined the Navy in 1993 and was stationed in Japan where he trained at the World Ring Boxing Gym and the Hiranaka Gym in K-1 style kickboxing. The K-1 style, he says, does not include clinching and elbows, and is characterized by “long knees from the outside…(with) good boxing and very good kicks.”

Upon returning to the U.S., he would continue training in the striking arts and also start training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2001, he started training in muay thai and went to Thailand regularly. “Once I got there…the training atmosphere…it was beautiful. I fell in love. It was just hard to find an authentic place that would teach clinching and proper Thai style.”

As an elementary school teacher, he is able to go twice a year to Thailand and train for two months. His philosophy on teaching muay thai is heavily influenced by the Sinbi muay thai camp in Phuket, where he trains under Banpot Sor Ramayanon. “I’m a teacher and I teach elementary school P.E. I watch the kids to see how they learn, and they learn by playing. So I bring that here. I try and have my students play. That’s how the Thai’s do it. They play…They play spar, but they don’t let anything slip.”

He further went on to describe his thoughts on training that he learned in Thailand. He says, “I don’t believe in hard sparring. I believe in Thai style sparring where it is about technique and being creative and being clever. You save the hard sparring for when you have a fight…because you can’t progress by sparring hard all the time. You’re only playing your ‘A’ game.”

James McGartland, a student of Nielsen’s, says of his classes, “It’s a wealth of knowledge to gain…there is just so much to learn…After my first training session here, I said, ‘this is the greatest day of my life.’”

—–
Watch Nielsen work with his team in the video.

HERNDON, Va. – Matt Nielsen is the head muay thai instructor at Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu. Watch the video of Matt’s students doing technique sparring at the muay thai class.

BETA Academy won six gold, four silver, and two bronze medals

BETA Academy, a mixed martial arts, muay thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy affiliated with Team Lloyd Irvin sent 13 athletes to the World Kickboxing Association Nationals in Hampton, Va. last weekend, and 11 came back with medals.

Battling with muay thai, mixed martial arts, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors from all over the country, the BETA athletes stood out.

“I am so proud of what we have accomplished. Our success is not by accident. We had a game plan going into this event,” said academy head instructor Nakapan Phungephorn.

The four muay thai gold medalists were John Goldman, Mereb Andemichael, Kale Blessum, and Carrie Moskal. Andy Tran and Mike Batenga also won gold medals in mixed martial arts and grappling, respectively.

The wins didn’t come easy. For example, gold medalist Carrie Moskal got her first chance to fight in the ring, but she was also presented with another reality: after cutting nine pounds, she found out there was no one in her weight class to fight, so she had to rehydrate to bulk up again.

Carrie Moskal shares her gold medal victory with her coaches Melanie and Nakapan Phungephorn

Danny Chacon participated in the mixed martial arts event and battled with a tough opponent in the semi-finals. “I heard he was a brawler…Kru Nakapan told me to keep my hands up.” As the match went on, Chacon began to see an opportunity. “His nose was bleeding and whenever he was about to punch, he would take a big gulp,” he said. “Everytime he took a big breath, I knew he was going to punch.” Chacon won the match by decision, but suffered damage to his right elbow and was unable to continue. He was awarded the silver medal for his efforts.

Kale Blessum fought his first muay thai match a month ago at a show in Sterling, Va. and ended up losing by decision. Back then, he received a point reduction for illegal knees to the groin and was on the receiving end of a spectacular flip over the top rope when he was pushed over in the plum. Blessum used that humbling experience as motivation for putting in more work in the gym. This time, when it counted, he was able to use the plum to dismantle his opponent in the finals and win the gold medal.

Kale Blessum used the clinch to punish his opponent

Andy Tran, the youngest of the BETA competitors who juggles a schedule that includes a full load at Catholic University, teaching kids martial arts, and training in grappling and muay thai, took gold in one of the lightest weight classes. Using his wrestling skills, he used single leg takedowns to get his larger opponents on the ground to take their power away. “(They were) trying to muscle me out too much…especially since I was a lot smaller…” said Tran.

After the event, the fighters went home, licked their wounds, and took President’s Day off of training. When asked about next steps for his team, Nakapan said “This is the beginning of a legacy for BETA Academy/Team Lloyd Irvin and I assure you that you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Editing Assistance By Dan Friedell

Megan O'Bryan advances to the WKA World Championships

The World Kickboxing Association (WKA) North American Championships was held in Hampton, Va. on February 19-20, 2011 at the Hampton Coliseum. Amateur muay Thai fighter Megan O’Bryan was one of the few female competitors in the heavyweight division to fight in the event. As a fighter training out of Hybrid Training Center, she looked forward to her return to the ring after a layoff of more than a year.

Due to a limited amount of participants in her division, there would only be one fight for the heavyweight title. At stake was the opportunity to represent the United States in the WKA 2011 World Championships in Germany. This was awarded to fighters primarily who won gold in the open division.

Coach Buck Grant coaches O'Bryan at the WKA Nationals

For three rounds, O’Bryan imposed her will on her opponent and controlled the pace of the fight. A carefully crafted plan helped her confidence from the start. “I knew she was gonna come out really, really strong. She was smaller than me. She did exactly like we thought she would,” she said. “I waited for her to wear down…hit her with a combination in the first round and hurt her.” Her efforts throughout the match resulted in a unanimous victory and the right to compete at the WKA World Championships.

For O’Bryan, living the martial arts lifestyle is an addictive experience. As a native of Massachusetts, she originally moved down to Virginia Beach due to her duties in the Navy where she served as an Aviation Hydraulics Mechanic. Her former boyfriend at the time wanted to start doing muay Thai and the two went to a gym to try it out. Soon, she was hooked and competed in her first WKA Nationals event two years ago. “It was a challenge…I like training towards something. I wanted to see what I could do in a real life situation,” she said.

After taking a year off, O’Bryan started training at Hybrid Training Center in Virginia Beach. She was called by head instructor Buck Grant after he saw her fight previously. A student told him about her strength and conditioning company known as Athletic Performance Incorporated. As part owner of the company, O’Bryan helps train mixed martial arts fighters, sports specific athletes, and people that just want to get in shape. She has been training people for almost three years and credits her partner for coaching the strength and conditioning aspect of her fight training. “I felt good, I wasn’t tired,” she said.

O'Bryan has a 2-1 record in amateur WKA competition

As a student of martial arts, O’Bryan has trained in disciplines such as muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, jiu-jitsu, and Combat Submission Wrestling. She first started training in 2008 and thinks highly of her current camp and training with Master Buck. She said of her recent muay Thai bout that “this was the best fight experience I had…I don’t have a bruise on my body.” Master Buck also commented on her fight stating, “She was very very clean and composed…She worked a lot of the things we worked on in the camp, which is always cool as a coach to see your fighter use what she was training.”

When asked about the talent of the other female fighters at the WKA Nationals, O’Bryan stated that she was impressed. As an example, she pointed out the intense bouts in the 100 and 110 lb. divisions. As a comment about current female fighting sports, O’Bryan stated “the entire fighting field for women is growing…we’re coming up.”

WKA Nationals

HAMPTON, Va. – The World Kickboxing Association (WKA) Nationals were held on February 18-20 at the Hampton Coliseum. The event was held as part of the Hampton Sports Festival. Amateur competitors from different parts of the country came to compete and make a name for themselves in muay Thai and mixed martial arts. Smaller tournaments were also held for Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission wrestling competitors.

The WKA Nationals are known to many as the proving ground for up-and-coming amateur fighters. At stake was the right to represent the United States at the WKA World Championships in Germany.

The new two day format for the tournament events facilitated a successful operation of the large brackets for each martial arts discipline. The majority of the muay Thai and mixed martial arts finals were held on Sunday. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission wrestling divisions were completed on Saturday. The event was headlined by seminars by Rob “The Dutchman” Kaman and Roberto “The Spider” Traven.

Muay Thai Championship Match

One of the teams from the DC metro area included Nakapan and Melanie Phungephorn’s BETA Academy, which produced six gold medals, four silvers, and two bronze medals. The Team Lloyd Irvin representative academy in NW Washington, D.C. was composed significantly of novice division fighters, and had only been established two and a half years ago.

Good sportsmanship was displayed throughout the event, however, the seriousness of the competition was evident during Carlos Lopez’ (MASE Training) match with Alaa Ismail (Sitan Gym). During the match, the Sitan Gym coaches became vociferous with remarks that Lopez was overqualified for the beginner division. Team MASE Training led by Scott Howard felt that they stayed within the guidelines of the beginner division and wanted to be cautious about entering a tournament they had not attended in five years.

Championship Belts

In the absolute division of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, MMA fighter LeVon Maynard (purple belt) of Global Martial Arts Academy defeated Kris Moe (blue belt) of Linxx Academy to win gold in the open. An exhibition match with purple belt Rachel Demara (Evolve Academy) was held with a novice Brazilian jiu-jitsu practioner to give the new grappler an opportunity to compete with someone closer to her weight class. Kris Moe, who went on to win two golds and two silver medals on the day, said of the grappling event that “we all had a chance to compete with new guys, not just the same guys from the same local schools.”

Goodwill was also displayed at the tournament. Hiro Perera of Fairfax Jiu Jitsu (Herndon, Va.) was called by his muay Thai associates in Pittsburgh and helped the team prepare for the fights. While helping his associates at the event, they were approached by an independent fighter who had no one to corner him. They went on to assist the fighter by providing their support as corner men during the fight.

Full gear muay thai

An important part of training in muay thai for those who want to get in shape is getting the right equipment. This can be a daunting task for those that are not familiar with the sport or do not have any friends that practice the art. Rudy Telles, a muay thai instructor at BETA Academy of Martial Arts in Washington, D.C. gave us a run-down on what muay thai gear a new student should buy. With five years of experience in muay thai and mixed martial arts striking, along with a 2-0 record in amateur mixed martial arts, he knows what he’s talking about.

Telles, an NYU grad and New Mexico native, says that the price ranges provided are for mid-range equipment for beginners and not meant to be professional gear. Like all things, you get what you pay for, Telles said. Higher-quality items will cost more but will last longer.

THE ESSENTIALS

“If you are a beginner and you are just starting out in muay thai, you absolutely need hand-wraps, gloves, and a mouth piece,” he says.

Rudy Telles: Mouthpiece and boxing gloves

Boxing Gloves: $40.00 to $60.00

Telles cautions new students on using communal equipment (gloves that are used by other students at a school) because of the possibility of transferring germs. He recommends washing your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap before and after use if you absolutely have to share equipment. Additionally, he recommends using hand-wraps when using gloves if you have to use communal equipment. “Get your own gloves. That’s number one,” he said, adding that you can sometimes find good deals by buying older-model boxing gloves, which can be good for beginners.

Hand wraps

Hand Wraps: $5.00 to $10.00

Hand wraps help protect the knuckles from breaking and the wrist from spraining or breaking, Telles says. Muay thai students should expect to be punching thai pads, mitts, or bags when practicing.

Mouthpiece: No less than $15.00

The mouthpiece provides protection from tooth damage, and in some cases a concussion in case you get hit in the mouth. He urges that you not buy boil-and-bite mouth pieces in the five-dollar range. These types require you to boil the mouthpiece and bite into it to form the mold. “The really basic boil-and-bites…are not going to really protect your teeth,” he says.

FOR EXPERIENCED BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Thai pads

“The next set of gear that even a beginner should get after they have been training for three-to-four months are thai pads.” He explains that thai pads are used for punching, kicking, kneeing, and elbowing. The thai pads can carry germs just like the gloves. He recommends purchasing your own.

Thai Pads: $70.00 to $100.00

REQUIRED GEAR FOR SPARRING

Head gear for sparring

If you are going to spar during your training, getting shin guards, ankle wraps, and headgear are essential for sparring, he says.

Headgear: $60.00 to $100.00

Headgear is used to protect the head from bruises and abrasions.

Shin guards $40.00 to $60.00

Like headgear, shin guards are also used to protect against bruises and abrasions. Shin-to-shin contact for two beginners can be a painful experience.

Ankle wraps: $15.00 to $30.00

He mentions that ankle wraps will keep the joints warm and help keep the skin from breaking.

BRANDS

Telles also recommends certain well-known brands and also gives alternatives. Fairtex, Windy, and Twin Special are well known manufacturers that produce good quality products. Other companies that produce quality gear are Triumph and Hayabusa. He also says that looking online, you may be able to find some good deals.

Editing assistance provided by Dan Friedell
www.danfriedell.com

Tin Nguyen at Thai Championship Boxing

Success has been a common theme in the last two Operation Octagon events for the MMA Institute. Winning all three of their muay thai bouts at the Thai Championship Boxing event in January 2011 and capturing two Operation Octagon MMA titles in October 2010 has showed strong performances in the event series. Hard work in preparation for the fights is the philosophy of Head Trainer Rick McCoy.

“All our classes are geared for fighting,” he said. “Some of my guys put in five or six hours a day.”

Rick McCoy brings a wealth of experience to his team. He first got his start in martial arts in judo in the third grade, then went on to wrestle for almost 10 years before starting in Brazilian jiu jitsu (1995). He fought in Vale Tudo (now known as mixed martial arts) and received his black belt in BJJ from Kazeka Muniz. He is currently based out of the MMA Institute Headquarters in Richmond, VA with several other locations also producing fighters. “Between the four MMA Institutes, we have over 100 fighters,” he says.

When asked about his team’s success, McCoy credits his coaching staff for their breadth and depth of knowledge in different arts. Coaches for disciplines such as Brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai, boxing, and wrestling are provided. As an example, he mentioned that “the boxing coach just does one on one coaching with the fighters,” he said. “I have a great coaching staff.”

Strength and conditioning is also a major part of the program. He takes a straight forward approach and states that it is all about hard work.

Part of his MMA training philosophy comes from his roots in jiu jitsu. He believes heavily in training with the gi for MMA fights. He states that, “I know for a fact that the best grapplers in the world do gi work.” He is also a big believer in matching his fighters up with tough competition, especially at the amateur level. As an example, he mentions that at Thai Championship Boxing, “they all had tough fights…Having them fight tough fights are important.”

Featherweight Champion Carlos Lopez

At the age of five, a young boy was taken to a karate dojo to learn martial arts.

That was how Carlos Lopez, the current Featherweight Champion of Thai Championship Boxing, started his martial arts career. He later went into Tae Kwon Do and earned his black belt, then wrestled for four years in high school. The Falls Church native would then pursue brazilian jiu jitsu and start training in muay thai in 2004.

Lopez’ team is MASE Training in Sterling, VA. He is coached by Scott Howard and Kru Sean Douglas in muay thai. He won his bout at Thai Championship Boxing against Tommy McDonnell in dramatic fashion. A jumping head kick dropped his opponent for a referee’s count at approximately one minute into the first round. His opponent would recover but only to lose by TKO in the first round. “I knew that every time he kicked me in the leg he…kept moving forward…so when he did it I went straight for the head,” he said.

Lopez would workout at MASE Training and push extensively on his muay thai and cardio in preparation for the fight. While working his day job and also taking classes at George Mason, he would spend the time he was not able to train with his team working on his conditioning at a local gym. “The majority of the fight is stamina,” said Lopez. “Coach Howard has us running drills over and over again.” He also spent many hours doing CrossFit workouts under Eddie Mason. “I’m always learning new things every day at MASE,” he said.

Lopez plans to continue to train and fight as much as he can in the future. He states that he has a passion for muay thai and stand up work. “I have a great team at MASE,” he says. “It’s really good over there.”