Robot Fight & Fitness will be closed from Wed @ 2pm (Nov 23rd) through Sunday (Nov 27th).

We will be open for Open Mat from 12-2pm on Saturday, however! So come work off that Turkey with some Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, weight lifting or whatever else you want to work on!

Our first Muay Thai promotion will be happening Oct 1, 2011 at  Robot Fight & Fitness in Santa Monica Los Angeles.  

Our Brazillian Jiu Jitsu program had their time to shine at last months belt promotion, now time for THAI!  We are excited to bring a Muay Thai Ranking system to Robot.  This will facilitate training and make it easier for members and staff to track Muay Thai members progress.  

At the ceremony we will be evaluating the skills of all Muay Thai members, implementing our new rank system with handprinted American Apparrel Robot Muay Thai shirts (White, Blue, Brown, Purple, and Black).  The design will be released shortly so stand by!

After the ceremony, we will be celebrating with food and beverages so invite your friends and loved ones to participate in the festivities.

We look forward to getting the whole Muay Thai program together for a very special day, so mark it on your calendars now!

THE CEREMONY IS MANDATORY FOR ALL ROBOT MUAY THAI MEMBERS

• When: October 1st, 2011
• Where: Robot Fight and Fitness
• Time: 12:00 PM
• Cost: Ceremony, food, etc is FREE, but there is a $15.00 charge for the American Apparel hand designed uniform shirt that we are using for ranking system (shirts will be $24 outside of the belt ceremony). 

We will be closed for all classes on Sunday and Monday in honor of Labor Day.  However, resuming on Tuesday, we will have a new schedule for Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and a whole new Fitness Program- Robot’s MMA Fitness Bootcamp.  See schedule for more details!

Saturday, August 27th

Muay Thai Kickboxing Gym in Van Nuys.

15424 Cabrito Rd. Unit 1

Van Nuys, CA 91406

Admission is $20.

 For more info, go to http://muaythai2004.com/

I. Pre-Test
A. Preliminaries
1. Students that are more than 15 minutes late will need to re-test during a private class or wait until the next round of testing.
2. The following is the majority of the blue belt test, please prepare accordingly but also be ready for a few surprises. Students will not be required to demonstrate any techniques outside of those listed below, but additional sparring and physical strain may be required.
B. Name of Student(s) Testing
C. Supervising Instructors
D. Instructor Comments/Notes:

II. Applicable Training Skills and Drills
A. Can the student flow in a constructive manner? (Two five-minute rounds)
B. Demonstrate the Forward Roll
C. Demonstrate the Backward Roll
D. Demonstrate how to properly Break Fall
E. Hip Escape across the mat
F. Forward Hip Escape across the mat
G. Shoot and Sprawl across the mat
Instructor Comments/Notes:

III. Takedowns
A. Demonstrate the Single-Leg Takedown
B. Demonstrate the Double-Leg Takedown
C. Demonstrate three additional throws of choice
Instructor Comments/Notes:

IV. Positional Escapes
A. Mount: Demonstrate the Upa (Hip bump) and Shrimp (Elbow-Knee) escapes
B. Side Mount: Demonstrate the Hip escape both to the knees and replacing the guard
C. Back Mount: Demonstrate how to escape into the opponent’s guard and replacing your own guard
Instructor Comments/Notes:

V. The Guard
A. Closed Guard: Demonstrate standing and opening the guard with posture as well as transitioning into the open guard to begin passing. In addition, demonstrate the collar choke, arm lock, triangle, one additional submission and one sweep from the closed guard.
B. Half Guard: Demonstrate two passes from the half guard. In addition, demonstrate how to take the back, replace the closed guard and two sweeps from the half guard.
C. Butterfly Guard: Demonstrate one pass from the butterfly guard. In addition, demonstrate one sweep and an additional sweep or submission from the butterfly guard.
D. Spider Guard: Demonstrate two passes from the spider guard. In addition, demonstrate one sweep and two additional sweeps or submissions from the spider guard.
Instructor Comments/Notes:

VI. Positional Dominance
A. Side Mount: Demonstrate two hold downs and two submissions from the side mount. In addition, demonstrate how to transition to the knee-on-belly and the mount.
B. Mount: Demonstrate the cross-choke and arm lock from the mount. In addition, demonstrate how to take the back and one additional submission from the mount.
C. Back Mount: Demonstrate the rear-naked choke and two collar chokes from the back mount. In addition, demonstrate one additional submission from the back.
D. Knee-On-Belly: Demonstrate two submissions from the Knee-On-Belly position.
Instructor Comments/Notes:

Come learn a systematic approach to your Strength & Conditioing training for BJJ, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, MMA that will lead to training efficiency with better results.

The seminar will be held at Robot Fight & Fitness with one of Santa Monica and Los Angeles’ most elite athletic trainers, Tanny Martty.

The seminar is mandatory for all Robot Fight Team members.

Cost is $50 ($40 for Robot Members).

Although the Dodgers aren’t doing so well against the Giants this home stand, and McCourt is heading to court, many other “Giants” in the MLB and in the NFL are focusing on a different kind of battle; martial arts.

What the Pros such as Adam Dunn, Brad Penny, Russell Martin, Randy Couture, Jay Glazer, and Clay Matthews are saying:

“Physically, it works different muscles than players tend to use in their own sport. The training gives them something different to push themselves through.”

“You tolerate the pain and get through it.”

 “Mentally, I know I’m in a good place because I worked hard.”

“Most mixed martial arts instructors teach balance, quickness and awareness of your surroundings.”

These athletes, coaches, Martial Arts Experts, and sport analyzers are not the only ones raving about the workout mixed martial arts provides, but they sure do help show that Martial Arts is EFFECTIVE.

At Robot Fight and Fitness we stress the same things mentioned above; training, balance, quickness, awareness, motivation, and HARD WORK. Living in Los Angeles, it can be hard to stay focused or to train during off-season, but having a place where you can incorporate all the aspects of fitness training as well as technique can be just the fix. Russell Martin of the New York Yankees will be the firs to testify to this. In his statement to the NY Times Martin said that MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Krav Maga, Judo, Karate, “…can make an athlete mentally tougher,” in addition to improving overall fitness.

With this being said, mental toughness is a HUGE part of our programs, and with it comes a big increase in technique throughout the course of long term commitments to a program of your choice.

Mixed martial arts is a combination of karate, judo, jujitsu, boxing, wrestling and taekwondo. Many athletes use these different martial arts in their trainings, but are notoriously known for keeping their training regimens a secret, due to its high effectiveness.

Brad Penny, MLB, admits he trains with Dan Henderson, M.M.A. Competitor, but still wont discuss details, that just goes to show you that something must be GREAT if they don’t want the secret out.

Unlike these athletes that keep it a secret we want to SHARE OUR PASSION with everyone. Because there are so many great ways to get in shape in LA and Santa Monica, its important to show the benefits of our program and we don’t plan on keeping that program a secret, instead we want to share our knowledge with our members everyday.

Most of the athletes in the NFL, NBA, and MLB that practice martial arts do not spar, but do use similar practices like here at Robot such as focus mitts, Thai pads, positional sparring, punching bags, speed bags, double ended bag use, drilling, sprints, and anaerobic type circuit workouts.

Experts believe that these drills have helped improved pitching games, first base reflexes, agility on the football field, emulate certain movements used in the different sports, Hips and Core Strength, and particularly how to own your space.

Jay Glazer a football analyst for Fox Sports says in a NY Times article….

“We look at film and break it down frame by frame and come up with a combination that mirrors his pitching delivery. A knee, a punch, followed by a kick.”

“Power comes from their core, his hips and his legs, even though he uses his arm to pitch.”

“Mentally, the mantra is the same for baseball players as it is for N.F.L. players.”

“We get the players thinking like a cage fighter. When the door shuts, it’s time to break that man’s will across from you.”

In baseball, football, and basketball these techniques are becoming more important, and recognized by they athletes all over the world. The effectiveness of martial arts is becoming wide spread and we hope that the sport continues to get such GREAT publicity, for it does have many benefits that one could utilize in any aspect of their lifestyle.

So come try it out for yourself now!  Don’t wait any longer!

 Click here for a Free Trial

When I plan a lesson for class, I think about how I would have liked the information presented to me when I first started. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (sometimes spelled Jujitsu and Jiu-Jitsu), beginners are often thrown into the mix with advanced students, complicated techniques and little preparation on how to absorb all the counter-intuitive information presented to them. If instead the beginner can have their perspective properly oriented before stepping on the mat, they will learn more and be less frustrated. What follows is a list of important factors that will facilitate both learning new techniques as well as placing them within a context that makes retention and recollection easier.

1. The importance of Strength.   A common misconception at all levels is that strength and technique are opposing ideas.  BJJ players are often told to refrain from using strength and instead to rely on technique. This imprecise statement leads students to believe that they should use the lightest touch and only the smallest inkling of pressure to accomplish their goals and any further use of strength means that their technique must be lacking. This is incorrect; what should be said is that the student should try to minimize the amount of physical force that they use and maximize the amount of mechanical force they utilize. Good technique is simply the proper use of body alignment and movement to maximize your own force and speed while minimizing your opponent’s ability to generate force and move freely. When a technique is performed correctly, it feels effortless not because you have removed strength from the equation, but because your using your strength efficiently.

2. The importance of Speed.  Another useful attribute to understand is speed. When sparring or competing, speed allows the player to retain the initiative over their opponent, causing the opponent to fall one or more steps behind and begin reacting to the player’s movements instead of being able to impose their own game. However, when drilling techniques, speed can be a crutch that is used to mask an incomplete understanding of technique. When students are drilling, they will sometimes use their speed to rush through portions of techniques they do not fully understand. Instead, I suggest that students isolate the part of the technique they are struggling with and drill that movement in isolation. Then, they should re-integrate that movement with the entire technique, this time practicing the entire technique with an even rhythm. This can be compared to learning to play an instrument; you do not play the part you know well as quickly as possible and then slow down on the difficult passages, the uneven tempo would sound terrible. Instead, you practice as slowly as you need to master the difficult sections, even if this means playing the portions you know well at a much slower tempo. If a student practices their techniques in this same way, they will acquire technical knowledge more quickly. Remember, in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

3. The importance of Strategy and Tactics.  Strategy refers to the long-term developments that will achieve some objective. Tactics are the finer actions that accomplish a strategy. Knowing how to use these ideas can greatly accelerate your learning curve. For example, if your goal is to pass an opponent’s guard, you may attempt one or more passes and have some degree of success with them. You can then follow up your successes with increased use of the successful movements and you can follow up your failures by asking your instructor how to turn those failed movements into successful movements. The problem is you must get your instructor’s attention, re-create the entire scenario as well as hopefully emulate the responses your opponent would potentially use (which would probably be different than your instructor’s). A more efficient tactic would be reverse roles with your opponent and try to use the techniques your opponent utilized against you in the scenarios where you failed to pass the guard. In this way, you can begin to understand how your opponent would react to attacks that your opponent has become accustomed to using. For example, if your opponent has a good triangle choke and continues to submit you with it, then you should attempt to triangle them. Your opponent’s skill with the triangle will generally translate into some level of proficiency with the defense to the triangle. You can use this to improve your own triangle choke as well as your triangle choke defense.

4. The importance of Visualization.  Learning can occur outside of class as much as it occurs during class. The following is a link to a study where basketball players attempted to improve their ability to shoot free-throws. One group focused on improving their free-throw percentage by doing exactly that, shooting more free-throws. The other group focused on improving their free-throw percentage by visualizing the perfect technique instead of physically performing free-throws. The latter group improved their free-throw percentage more than the group that only did the physical work.

http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1984-11302-001

When a student is outside of class, the learning process can continue is a way that will make the next class or training session much more productive. Watching videos of technical instruction or high-level matches is an excellent way of streamlining and focusing the student’s thought process. In addition, if the student is having trouble performing or drilling a technique in class, visualizing the technique outside of class will often make the sequence and precision of the movements clearer and the subsequent practice of these movements will be more precise and productive.

5. The importance of Sensitivity.  The first phase of learning in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is done primarily by utilizing visual and audible cues. The instructor performs a technique and then the student tries to mimic the movements they saw and follow the instructions they heard. This method is useful at the beginner level because the student is becoming accustomed to large, unfamiliar movements. As the student gains experience, their focus shifts and they begin to appreciate and seek mechanical details that are not easily seen and difficult to describe. At this point, the dominant response the student seeks is tactile. By feeling the different movements and pressures of more experienced practitioners, the student can further refine and sharpen their technique.One example of this is the ability to gain sensitivity in different parts of the body. At all levels, the hands are very sensitive, in our daily lives most of the objects we interact with are constructed to be used by our hands. This is not because our hands are particularly strong, but because our hands have a great deal of dexterity and can perform complex tasks. However, relative to the rest of our body, our hands are weak. It is through dedicated practice that a student can begin to feel with their chest, head, hips, legs, etc. in the same way that one would feel with their hands. This development allows the student to make great strides in their technique as they are now able to use the most powerful parts of their body with the precision that they use the most nimble parts of their body. 

Battling “Carmageddon” in West Los Angeles: How Martial Arts Can Relieve Stress from The 405 road closures

Because the 405 will be shutting down from Interstate 10 to Interstate 101 from July 15 12:00am -July 18 5:00am experts are predicting that Carmageddon” in West LA will occur. Although a funny expression, this 10 mile stretch is traveled by 287,000 cars daily and is expected to cause delays in all of Los Angeles but particularly in West LA including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Venice, Brentwood, Westwood, UCLA area.

Not only does this kind of traffic shut down cause a head ache for locals in the West LA vincinity but also for those who live as far as Anaheim, bakersfield, and San Diego. This shut down is predicted to cause the largest traffic jam in LA’s history and possibly a huge factor in causing stress (even if its temporarily).

Recommendation: Stay local, Travel by bike or by foot, and when the weekend is over…. WORKOUT and relieve some stress that this summer time shut down will cause.

There are several ways to relieve stress but the best ways are through meditation, relaxation, and excercise. Although there are several ways to do these things, the most inclusive way is through martial arts. Including but not limited to Brazilian jiu jitsu (also spelled jujitsu & jui jitsu), judo, kung fu, mma (mixed martial arts), kickboxing, boxing, karate, tae kwon do and muay thai.

Martial arts are a great form of body stress relief as many of the skills and techniques have a lot of similarities with those practiced in actual stress relief classes. With the highway closures, beginning of bikini season, and school being out, this sport is a great solution to battle stress.

Fighting is only a small portion of what makes up martials arts. The fact is, the skills and techniques used in martial arts such as BJJ and MMA, teach you how to balance your body and your mind. Therefore this helps give you the confidence required in the event that you face stress in your life. Through breathing and meditation techniques that martial artists use, your body and your mind are connected and controlled. The techniques that are practiced include breathing in through your nose while exhaling it through your mouth. In the context of the Chinese breathing concept when you breath in and out, you are allowing a “Chi”, a form of energy, to complete a circulation path throughout your body; thereby connecting your body and mind together.

The major benefits of taking up martial arts as a form of stress relief include improvements in

1. Alertness

2. Confidence

3. Attention

4. Focus

5. Physical conditioning

All these qualities combined are priceless as it is not just great for your body, they are also great for your mind and soul. So find a form of martial arts that you like and start by signing up for a class at your local martial art schools, whether you are in West LA, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Bel Air, or other surrounding areas including 90405, 90404, 90210, 90211, 90024, 90025, 90232, 90291, there is a program for you.

You will owe it to yourself after “Carmageddon” or anything else life throws at you to start battling stress in a healthy, positive, and motivating way.

Stress relief with martial arts is great and truly exists! But if you feel like you need more… heres 5 quick tips

1.Take a Walk

2.Take a Break 3

.Listen to Music

4.Look on the Bright Side

5.Take a Bath

For more info, visit:   www.LAtimes.com