Pure FC 24 Pura Vida BJJ & MMA Fight Team Recap

We had several competitors participate in our most recent Pure FC event, with matches in pankration, submission grappling, and kickboxing, but oddly no MMA fights! Our first competitor was Wyatt Moxom in a pankration match. Pankration is a form of competition where you compete with amateur MMA rules, minus head strikes. So, no punches or kicks to the head. It is a nice way to get in the cage without the fear of taking head trauma, and we like it for our teenagers, and for our fight team members who want to try a cage fight before they jump into full MMA. Wyatt was 2-1 and took a step up in competition to fight a 4-0 opponent. He did well on the feet, and dominated the wrestling exchanges, but his opponent was a submission-savvy BJJ blue belt and was able to put Wyatt in some trouble with sub attempts, before ultimately winning via armbar. The next fighter to rock the Pura Vida black and gold was Hollis Nelson, in her debut fight. This was also a pankration match, and she was also fighting a blue belt in BJJ. Hollis had excellent control in her clinches and caused a lot of damage with knees to the body. She was in complete control on the ground and came away with a decision victory. We moved from pankration into submission grappling matches, where we had three competitors participate. Linzy Hudson grappled an animal from Primal named Josh Howard, and they had a back-and-forth wrestling heavy match. Linzy won via split decision, likely on the shoulders of a late guillotine attempt. Andrew Henschel took to the cage in style, rocking the All-American singlet and mullet for his match. Despite being put in several good leg submissions, Henschel won via split decision as well, likely due to his slams and aggressive top control. Our final submission grappling match was between Pura Vida BJJ & MMA blackbelt Omar Choudhury and Gonzalo Ponce. Two BJJ aces and they put on a great show, swapping sub attempts all night. Ponce came away as the winner of the match by decision, but Coach Omar will be right back soon. Our final three bouts were kickboxing matches. Shreya Patnaik made his debut and did an amazing job against a savage prospect out of Open Guard Jiu Jitsu. Shreya got rocked badly and dropped in the first round, and it looked like the fight might be over. He fought through adversity and, though he lost a decision, gave some good damage and walked out with his head high. Hayden “Bama” Frym accepted his kickboxing fight one less than 24 hours notice! He filled in for an injured teammate at weigh-ins against a 2-0 kickboxing opponent from Zero to 100. Bama won a close first round and really started pouring it on in the second and third. He scored multiple knockdowns en route to a 30-24 decision win. Big props to his dad for catching a flight up from Alabama for the fight! The last match we had was an awesome kickboxing fight between two serious MMA contenders in the state. Bryan Jordan from Pura Vida BJJ & MMA fought Sim Nelson from CWB Fight Team. Nelson competes at 170 and is on his way to 155, while Bryan fights at 145. They met at 165 and put on an excellent fight for the fans. Scorecards could have gone either way, and our own Bryan Jordan won the match by split decision, wrapping up our night! The Pura Vida BJJ & MMA Fight Team went 5-3 on the night, and we can’t wait to see them get back in there soon! These fights are available to any member of the gym, whether you have UFC aspirations, or just think it sounds cool. We will appropriately match you, no matter what! If any of you are interested in competing on a future show, please mention it to a coach!

Should You Practice BJJ???

If you're looking to get in shape, learn how to defend yourself, or just have fun getting your sweat on with a great community of friendly people, you should consider giving Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) a try. You don't need any experience — just the willingness to learn and try new things. Your first class can be intimidating, but everyone there is supportive and willing to help you pick up the basics as quickly as possible. In just a few short weeks of taking you can see massive improvements in fitness levels and feel better able to protect yourself if the need ever arises. Plus, all of this comes along with a fun, laid-back atmosphere that makes sure class is always enjoyable no matter how hot and sweaty it gets!

BJJ is an all-inclusive martial art.

BJJ is one of the most popular martial arts out there and has been described as an "all-inclusive" style of fighting. This means that anyone can practice it, regardless of their age, size, or strength level. More importantly, it’s not a sport that requires you to be in peak physical condition—you don't have to worry about being in shape before you start training. If you're new to exercise or haven't been active for a long time and are worried about getting started with a traditional gym routine (or any other type of exercise), BJJ might be the perfect thing for you!

As an added bonus: if your goal is self-defense rather than competition fighting—like many people who take up BJJ —you'll learn some important skills along the way. Learning how to defend yourself against someone bigger or stronger than yourself can serve as an excellent confidence boost while teaching valuable lessons about how best to handle certain situations safely in real-life scenarios. Violence isn't necessary in all self-defense cases but may still arise unexpectedly despite our best efforts. Partaking in activities like BJJ can help prepare us mentally should this ever happen.

It will teach you to keep a clear mind.

The practice of BJJ teaches you to keep a clear mind and focus on the task at hand. A lot of people get overwhelmed by the complexity of their daily lives and forget to enjoy themselves or even breathe. BJJ is an excellent way to learn how to stay calm during stressful situations because it's all about learning how not to panic when things get rough. If you're feeling nervous about your next class, try taking a moment before class begins and focus on your breath. This will help center yourself so that when you start rolling around with someone else, they won't be able to distract you with their words or movements.

You'll get a great workout in.

As with all martial arts, BJJ is a full-body workout that will burn calories and build muscle. It's an excellent way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. You'll also improve your core strength and flexibility by engaging the muscles that support the spine, as well as the shoulders, lower back, hips, and legs. As you learn how to engage different muscle groups at once—for example when you're trying to get out of a chokehold—you'll strengthen all those important areas of your body at once too!

BJJ will also help you develop balance, coordination, and agility by having you move quickly between stances while maintaining stability on one leg or both feet simultaneously (depending on what position you're in). This kind of training helps improve reflexes while building up these important skills over time-- again making this practice one worth taking part in regularly!

You'll learn how to protect yourself.

BJJ is an effective and practical way to learn self-defense. You'll get to practice a comprehensive set of skills that will help you stay safe. This is especially important for women, as BJJ teaches techniques that can protect someone, regardless of size or strength.

It's not just for the guys!

While it is true that BJJ is largely practiced by men, women can become successful in the sport. In fact, many female athletes have gone on to be champions in BJJ tournaments. The truth is that anyone can learn jiu-jitsu and practice it as much as they want. Most people who practice BJJ will tell you that it's one of the most rewarding things they've ever done.

You'll gain confidence in yourself and your abilities.

Confidence is a powerful thing. It can help you succeed in life, your career, and your relationships. Confidence can also help you in your physical fitness and mental health. Everyone has something about themselves that they need to work on improving, but when it comes to BJJ (and martial arts in general), everyone starts at the same level. In BJJ class everyone is learning together, and no one is judging anyone else for their skills or lack thereof. This makes it easier for people who are shy or nervous around new people because they don't feel as though they need to impress anyone or try too hard at all—they just have fun practicing new skills with their teammates!

BJJ has many benefits and is a lot of fun!

BJJ is a great way to get in shape. BJJ will also help you improve your hand-eye coordination and balance, which are skills that can be transferred into many other areas of life outside of the gym. Additionally, you'll have access to the best instructors and training partners in the world (like us!) who can help you reach new heights in your fitness goals.

If you're thinking about taking up a martial art, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a great choice. It's an all-inclusive sport that allows anyone of any age or gender to participate. Plus, it will teach you how to keep a clear mind and protect your body in dangerous situations. The classes can be intense, but they will give you a great workout and help build confidence in yourself and your abilities. Finally, if competition isn't your thing, you can still enjoy BJJ for its physical and mental benefits without ever having to step on the mats!

Pura Vida Periodical - March 2022

Feb 19, 2022 – BJJ seminar with “The Don” Henry Matamoros. Henry is a 4th-degree blackbelt under Pedro Sauer and Rickson Gracie. He is Wisconsin’s first blackbelt and Jake and Zak’s professor. He taught a really fun open-guard seminar, where he showed some techniques for how he uses it and explained why he plays the way he does. The OGs went out for a fun dinner at Bollywood Grill afterward, where Jake and Zak discovered their limits for spicy food! Some well-earned promotions were done before the seminar. Ian Richards, Vince O’Leary, Johnny Geiszler, and Brian Sullivan are our newest blue belts. Nick Klein finally tied his purple belt on. And Pura Vida BJJ & MMA’s very first home-grown black belt was earned by Mike Waltz! An amazing day, and some noteworthy accomplishments by some of our own!

Feb 26, 2022 – Fuji Tournament. The Pura Vida BJJ & MMA competition grappling team showed up and showed out! Led by Coach Courtnie Korpela, with an assist from Coach Omar Choudhury, we had 12 competitors take home 17 medals at this very competitive tournament. Some of the highlights include double golds for Mauricio Rodriguez, excellent performances from two of our teens – Hollis Nelson and Wyatt Moxom, Miro Stojanivic stepping up a weight class to challenge himself, and a tidy podium sweep of the men’s intermediate division by Edwin, Brooks Beffa, and Johnny Geiszler! Always great seeing our students take on the challenge of competition and winning just makes it taste a little sweeter!

Mar 11, 2022 – Pure FC 22 in Stevens Point. We had two of our fighters enter the cage up in Point, and we walked out with two wins! Dylan Diebitz, with a focus on showing improvement in his striking, took a kickboxing fight two weight classes up at heavyweight. He was very methodical, and worked head and body well, before earning a second-round TKO. And the show-stealer, Bob “Hollywood” Sexton, took a fight on 24 hours’ notice against a local fighter with 9 fights under his belt! 37-year-old Bob is a full-time realtor (The Bob Sexton Team on Facebook), who had planned to come work the show as staff. He won his fight with an amazing head kick KO, moving his record to 2-1! We appreciate Bob, and we want to give a special thanks to his wife, Chrissy, for supporting him and loving him (even when he makes decisions to compete on 24 hours’ notice that she may or may not agree with)!