MMA Cross Training Center of Raleigh

[Southpaw]

There is a new "MMA" school that is getting ready to open not far from me that seems a little strange and has raised some questions due to some of the claims of the instructor. Additionally, after reviewing the website, it appears that this is an MMA gym that is started and run by people who apparently have never fought in an mma competition (or any competition for that matter...as far as I could find).

Here is the site: http://www.mmactc.com/index.htm


A few things that seemed weird to me:

1. They claim to teach at least a dozen different martial arts, but only have 2 instructors.
2. The head instructor claims many black belts, but never mentions who awarded them..
3. They teach a "street mma" class.
4. They teach a "cage fighting class"...that meets 3 times a week for 1 hour. That's 3 hours a week to train for cagefighting.
5. They have a "sport mma" class.
6. They have a "bjj/akido fighting" class.

Anyway...it all just seems strange. Does anyone have any experience w/ this guy?

[datdamnmachine]

Well, here is his instructors bio page:

http://www.mmactc.com/instructors.htm

As well as screen shots below for future reference. Basically, the one thing that jumps out at me of course is the 14 years of BJJ. He was nice enough to provide the names of instructors who have taught him. He mentioned quite a few BJJ instructors which mean we can go to them and see if they know him. Many of them are big name guys so it could be the whole "I took a seminar so technically I trained under such and such" type deal. I could be really picky and anal and point to the fact that he spells Jiu-Jitsu two different ways (the other being Jiujutsu) when referencing Brazilain Jiu-Jitsu, but I'll leave that one to the really anal Bullshido Bullies.

One thing that irks me about is this line:

Jason does not go by any of the conventional titles that are fluent in the martial arts community and is called and known by his first name (Jason) by all of his peers as well as his students.

yet...

Jason Brinn: (Master Instructor)

Ranking: 8 Black Belts

Highest Rank: 6th Degree Black Belt...

Jason goes by only one rank now (6th degree Black Belt), however, over the years he has earned various ranks across many different systems such as but not limited to...

...etc and so forth. Honestly, from a third party observer, it's very contradicting. Regardless, that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I won't go ape-shit over what he has on his web page until more information can be dug up or he is offered the opportunity to provide additional details.

[Southpaw]

thank you for posting the additional info.

[UpaLumpa]

He says he's got 14 years of bjj experience...

[Ryno]

14 years of BJJ? Is that consistent training, several times a week under a legitimate instructor? Or is that "Took a seminar with Royce back in '94, then did some seminars with the Machados over the years?"

[Southpaw]

Am I wrong to think that under most conditions 14 years of bjj and a black belt would result in at least some Google hit for competing in a tournament? Or any mention of him training bjj for that matter?

[Lu Tze]

Questions about their qualifications aside, I just checked out their pictures and the place looks fucking nice. It's spacious, seems really well equipped and they've got a ring and a cage. So they're certainly not half arseing it in that respect.

Has anyone contacted them (politely)?

[UpaLumpa]

Questions about their qualifications aside, I just checked out their pictures and the place looks fucking nice. It's spacious, seems really well equipped and they've got a ring and a cage. So they're certainly not half arseing it in that respect.

Has anyone contacted them (politely)?

It does look very nice, as a striking gym.
Did I miss mat space, I didn't see any in their slide show.

[Lu Tze]

No I didn't see any mats either, I just assumed it was half finished.

[Southpaw]

Check out photo #53. They aren't really hitting those bags. Who would put a bag next to a pole? Check out #62. That's crazy.

They have got to be set up for some type of class.

Anyway...it doesn't look like a facility where you train for an mma fight. Just my opinion. Looks more set up for some cardio-like classes.


Oh...this just in...check out what is right next door and is owned by the same dude.

http://www.triangleboxing.com/index.htm

[Lu Tze]

Oh...this just in...check out what is right next door and is owned by the same dude.

http://www.triangleboxing.com/index.htm

The video, oh god the humanity.

I think we are about to see the birth of MMAxercise...

[jasonbrinn]

meesage from Jason Brinn of MMACTC.com

Hello everyone,

My name is Jason Brinn and I teach the MMA classes at MMACTC. I really appreciate all of the interest and healthy concern over our new school and my credentials. I will try to answer all of your questions and respond as best as I can to the comments. If I miss anything or if at anytime anyone has more comments/question/concerns please feel free to stop by the school to talk with me in person.

First and foremost.....I I love martial arts! It is my passion and obession and like most I started with some real BS arts until I got a little older and started what I like to consider "real combat art systems." In fact that is all I really care about and train today, REAL COMBAT arts.

Secondly, I do not and nor will I ever represent myself as a "Brazilian Jiu Jitsu" blackbelt. By the way, I spell jiu jitsu that way when referring to BJJ because that is how the brazilians do it and out of respect I don't correct them. The correct way to spell jujutsu is jujutsu which is how I spell it any other time I use the word. You see I believe that if people/martial artists are out in the world working to be better people and learn or try to learn some kind of art then they deserve some amount of respect. We are all at different stages and for the ones of us that have some new perspective to rip apart others simply because they maybe haven't figured "it" out yet is harsh in my opinion.

What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to begin with? The term was only coined after Gracie Jiu Jitsu exploded and non-Gracie Jiu jitsu affiliated teachers wanted to teach and needed a non-copyrighted term to use. The art itself as all of you know came from Judo, which came from Jujutsu. My origins start with OLD jujutsu. I study, now for the last 12 years, an art called Daito ryu aikijujutsu Roppokai under my ONLY current teacher Seigo Okamoto.

What about my BJJ experience? YES, I have in fact trained with every person and in every system that I say that I have. Hard to believe even to me sometimes but what can I say, I didn't date and was pretty much a dork throughout all of highschool.

My intro to BJJ was with people that trained with people so I know some of you won't like that but there were not that many options back in 1994 when I started. However, I trained and have trained every day on the mat...blood sweat and tears. My first notable direct instructor was Carlos Machado. He was in Dallas and I lived in NC so it is not too hard to figure out that I trained via seminars....just like every single affiliate school and instructor that he has or any Brazilian jiu jitsu school has ever trained in any city not directly located where their "teacher" is located.

Am I bad for training through seminars, or good because I recognized the need to train somehow and went with what I could do? I leave that decision with each of you. All I will say is that the first seminar I had with him I brought in two students of mine and after the first day of training he came over to me and asked if I would mind if he offered a position on a national competition team he was forming to both of my students. Take that how you like but it made me feel that we at least were doing the basics correctly.

As for competitions, don't waste your time on google cause you won't find any. I have been in some random (lame) competitions throught my years but nothing worth talking about and surely not listed or reported anywhere. The short fact is that I personally don't value competitions that highly. I feel, for me, they are more about ego then anything else and promote bad habits. I do in fact and will continue to take students that want to go to competitions to compete. In the past my students have done VERY well but that credit goes to them for hard training and competing not to me in my opinion. As for Cage fighting to me it is a sport, I mean it has rules and time limits. I don't care about sport for me specifically, plus I am 34 and married so those days are almost past me anyway. I do love the sport and will support it and I am VERY happy to report we already have one guy wanting to go down that path so in the future I am sure I can report some really good news!

Next I trained with Carlos Lemos, not that much, but directly until something happened with his Visa and he could not get back from Brazil. It was in Garner, NC and there are tons of people that can verify he was there. I am a pretty quite guy so I can't say they will remember me specifically, however, I do know that Rob & Guy Pendergrass can vouch that I did attend training there and they can be found here: www.bjjnc.com

Other than that and the early training with students of well known people I have mostly just had various classess and rolling sesssion with many well known and unknown but great instructors.

All of what is listed on the MMACTC website is true, albeit some of it I would rather just leave off but it is a business and we have to market to people that are coming in new you know. Personally I would love it if I could just say "hey my name is Jason and I know some martial arts...lets get together and train" and leave all the BS out but people don't understand that yet (maybe they never will). People want to know I am qualified and feel like they are learning from someone who has put in the time and that is why my highest rank is listed. At MMACTC we only go by the unde belts or blackbelt. After blackbelt at MMACTC there are NO dan rankings...not even for me. The belts work good to keep are GIs together and the GIs keep our clothes from getting torn apart and after that we really don't give either much thought.

I can assure that we are not doing Tae Bo MMA down at MMACTC and only time I guess will prove that. We will have people competing in events both Sport and No Holds as soon as they are ready and I am VERY positive that the results will speak for themselves.

I must say that I feel pretty good that on ONLY our 3rd day of being open that we have had such a great response. This speaks to the 3 hours of Cage training a week. Right now we only have one dud that wants to fight in the Cage. as the school grows so will the classes and class times. Of course, we are not suggesting that any of the times listed are enough yet to prepare someone to go into the Cage, but you have to start somewhere guys.

The short and skinny of all of it is this....I am serious. We are doing our own thing down at MMACTC, a thing we feel pretty confident about, a thing I KNOW will result in good REAL fighters and honest "real world" self defense training for anyone that chooses to attend. After training in martial arts for 27 years I feel like I got a good feel for what I think is important and what I want to show people. Because of this I don't plan to EVER go under any particular instructor or system....I am teaching what I know and MY system. MMA is mixed martial arts and that's what I teach. I have few rules but here they are....1. Be Honest 2. Be Nice 3. Let what works be the judge for what's right.

We offer a FREE class to anyone that has the right attitude so please come down if you are curious or want to know more and train with me on the mat personally. You might find that i know nothing, or maybe I know a little....but you definitely will find that I am kind hearted and wish to share REAL knowledge with the people gracious enough to share their time with me.

Thanks again for the response and interest and again feel free to email me, call me or better yet come by anytime!



sincerely and TRUTHFULLY,




Jason Brinn

[Southpaw]

[jasonbrinn]

Thank you and understood...

Point well taken,


Unfortunately, I can see how the wording on the website comes across that way but was never intended to read that way by us. We were only trying to say that you definitely need both someone knowledgeable about BJJ/Ground work as well as the Striking aspects too.

Interestlingly enough I know very well Billy and Jason. I met them both first back in 1997 or 98 can't recall exactly, when I would drive from Rocky Mount, NC to Raleigh to train at RIMA on Sundays with the then "Raleigh Judo club." That club became a BJJ club where I trained side by side with Billy and Jason back when they were both whitebelts. They both have done exceptionally well and excelled in rank and knowledge I am sure and definitely both are general "bad assess" as you put it no doubt. I respect them both.

I think Carlos Lemos that I spoke of might have even stayed with Billy and Billy have gone to Brazil and stayed with him during that whole period of time.

I have also rolled with Greg when his school was back in Hillsborough and actually competed in Fayettville in a tournament where Tera was in my division and beat out all the guys to win!

I don't like to name drop but I want people to know that I am sincere and have legitimately "been around."

MMACTC has links to Camarillo, one of the guys that came from the Center (not under my instruction - he was there before I got there) Matt Majors actually trains now in CA with Camarillo and company (Fitch, Koscheck, Swick, etc.) and as we speak is in Japan for a fight.

I have trained and under and assisted with training World Kick Boxing champions back in my karat days with James Dozier (5 time NC Kickboxing Champion) and under Bill McDonald in Greenville, NC where 5 World Champs came from during my period of time (understand I was there not responsible for thier success or anything). Also, MMACTC had some Champion boxing instructors, with long and accredited histories of training TOP Boxing competitors. With all that said, I feel like I have had good exposure to what it takes to train and be successful as a professional fighter. Couple that with the awesome instruction I have gotten over the years from great people like Machado, Lemos, even with Billy and Jason and the Pendergrass Twins I believe, TRULY believe (and time my prove me wrong) that I have the right formula to take someone to the top of the sport.

I can assure you this much....we are going to do our BEST to beat the BEST! Lastly, I am a work in progress and always will be. I will always have an instructor and always try to learn more. I am open to training with whomever I feel can help me progress and help my students and fighters. However, for right now I am only interested in sharing and not being under anyone particular. For now I have to see if I have what it takes to train somebody right!



thanks again and I look forward to meeting you one day!




Jason Brinn

[datdamnmachine]

Thank you for providing some information. One of the problems I have, and it may seem picky, is the listing of your experience in BJJ. In your post, you only mention Carlos Machado and training via some seminars. That's all well and good, but your website clearly states you have 14 years of experience. It may seem picky but that is a bit misleading in my opinion.

As an example, I did about 3 months of BJJ and then stopped for about 18 months total time due to various reasons. I did some various other grappling but didn't get back to Jiu-Jitsu until I then started back up again after that time frame. I do count my overall grappling experience but when people ask me how long I've been doing Jiu-Jitsu, I basically tell them the time I've been with my current instructor which is 3 years this January. Now I could tell them that it has been 5 years but to me, that would be misleading.

The thing is, from the point of view of someone specifically looking for that training, seeing 14 years would make people assume that you have major credentials or at least awesome teaching skills as well as at least a brown or black in BJJ. I'm sure it's fudging, but if you fudge enough, you start to get in some very bad territory.

I'm curious to hear what type of training you went through and with who over those 14 years. If you can provide detail, that would be appreciated.

Also, please note, training for 2 years, not training for 10 years, then training for 2 additional years does NOT equal 14 years. Not saying that is what you are doing. Just giving you a heads up in case it is something like that.