This was an awesome match in the finals of the absolute division at the Fight to Win - tournament of Champions.
Cat is a BJJ World Champion and Ranked #1 Female MMA Fighter in the world at 125lb. Elizabeth is a 3 time BJJ World Champion.
Enjoy the match:
This weekend we had the Tournament of Champions take place at the National Westren Complex in Denver CO.
Our Team took a ton of medals and I could not be prouder of everyone.
My wife, Coach Cat Zingano, won the Gi and no-gi Open Weight Divisions and our son Brayden Zingano took second on the Gi division.
More pictures coming soon!!!
Brayden Zingano ready to rumble at the Tournament of Champions
Mixed Martial Arts is an incredible sport where two man or women test their skill, endurance, stamina, heart and strength against each other. Most athletes competing in MMA today have a complete game of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Muay Thai and Wrestling, while some specialize in one particular area they all know how to do at least the basics of each style in order to prevail in MMA.
But it was not always like this....
When MMA was first created in Brazil in the early 1900's it was not called MMA, it was called Vale Tudo (Everything Goes) and it was a much more different style of fighting then what MMA is today.
Today we have several governing bodies, standard set of rules and weight classes and it has become a "sport" in which two highly skilled fighters compete more so in who is the best "athlete" more so then what martial arts is superior.
During the old Vale Tudo days and even at the start of the UFC in 1993 the purpose of "fighting" was not to see who was the best fighter, but what style of fighting was the best. Kick Boxers only knew how to punch and kick, Jiu Jitsu players new how to grapple and Wrestlers only knew how to Wrestle. Fighters did not "cross train" in different styles and their sole purpose to fight was to prove "their" style of martial arts was superior.
Brazilian or Gracie Jiu Jitsu thrived in this format where the rules were as close as possible to a street fight; no biting, no eye gauging, no weight classes, no time limits and no gloves were allowed, everything else was legal! In this format the world was exposed to how effective Jiu Jitsu is in a real fight or self defense situation when Royce Gracie, sno of the patriarch of Gracie Jiu Jitsu Helio Gracie, easily defeated 3 to 4 opponents in one night using only his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. Royce was the lighter fighter in the tournament only weighting in at 176lb and fighting opponents as heavy as 260lb.
Rorion Gracie, the creator of the UFC and Royce's older brother intentionally used Royce in the tournament do to his small size to drive a point home, no matter how small you are you can defeat bigger, stronger opponents by using the superior art of BJJ.
After a few UFC events martial artists from around the world had no choice other then to implement Jiu Jitsu in to their fighting styles in order not to get destroyed by fighters 100lbs lighter then themselves
Cross training and modern MMA was then created.
Carlson Gracie Vs Valdemar Santana
Early UFC - Royce Gracie vs Jason DeLucia
With the super growth of the UFC and MMA in general many gyms began teaching "MMA", but not really MMA with the purpose of defending themselves when it really counts, with no rules but the sport of MMA.
Personally i think MMA is a fantastic sport, I truly love MMA, but a big part of me misses the "old days" when we fighting was much more pure, it was simply "fighting".
Countless times we had "challenge matches", practitioners of other styles of martial arts would come in to the Gracie Academy and challenge us to a fight... no notice, no rules, no weight classes or time limits. On times like this you really had to count on technique, and there was never an option to say "no", it was a honor to be chosen to defend the name of the Gracie family, to defend our style. I'm proud to have been a part of this "era' when we fought with a motive, not for a pay check, fame or glory. We fought because we were man determine to prove ourselves to ourselves and to prove our style was the best.
Regardless of what MMA has become I still teach my students the ways of Vale Tudo; how to really fight when the gloves are off and there are no judges or refs, when it really counts.
Recently one of our friends, Strike Force light weight fighter Conor Huen, spent some time with us training for an up coming fight on March 3rd vs Ryan Couture (Randi Couture's son). I showed him my style of fighting, what I believe in and within the rules how to apply it to a modern MMA fight. It makes me happy to hear him say that he trained with countless UFC fighters and countless MMA trainers but he has never seen what I showed him and that he was glad to be exposed to this "lost art".
I'm exited to see Conor put some of these techniques to use in his next fight and catch a glimpse of some real Vale Tudo fighting!!!!
Here is what Conor had to say about his training at Team Zingano - Black House MMA.
To find out more about our programs give us a call at 888 827 8688 (Broomfield) or 855 946 4266 (Brighton) and schedule a FREE intro private class and ask us about our RISK FREE 30 DAY FREE TRIAL offer!
See you on the mat!
- Master Zingano
Last night at the 2011 Colorado MMA Awards coach Cat Zingano came home with the honor of being awarded the 2011 Colorado Pro MMA Female Fighter of the Year!
Congrats coach Cat!!!! Job well done.
Master Zingano and Coach Cat Zingano after receiving the 2011 Colorado Pro MMA Female Fighter of the Year
I get asked from time to time if MMA training can be good for kids. The answer is YES! Mixed Martial Arts or MMA training is simply the combination of two or more styles of Martial Arts in to one; for example in our MMA program we "mixed" the arts of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) and Wrestling.
Mixed Martial Arts training (MMA) provides a much more wide variety of techniques by not focusing in only one aspect of Martial Arts. MMA students learn the "stand up" aspects of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), the "take downs" of Wrestling and the "ground work" of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) all integrated together as one complete Martial Arts system.
Mixed Martial Arts training is one of the most effective tools to enforce several positive traits in your child's behavior and personality.
Cat, Brayden and Mauricio Zingano
Here are some of the benefits of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training for kids:
Respect: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training is all about respect. Kid's on our program learn very quickly that respecting your instructors, classmates, parents and friends is one of the most important virtues in a Martial Artist. They are taught that to be respected they need to be respectful to others and that being kind and polite to others is something to be proud of.
Discipline: To be a Martial Artist it takes discipline, and in our programs we instill this trait on our students from day one. Having the discipline to attend class every week, showing up on time and making a commitment to achieve the rank of Black Belt are only a few of the principles that we pass on to the kids on our Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) program.
Every child on our program is also given a "Discipline Sheet" and "Chore List" that they take home. These are a very powerful tools that parents can use at home to help your child maintain discipline not only at our school, but at home and school as well.
Fitness: It is sad to say but now day's we are seeing a steady increase on child obesity and diabetes not only in America, but all over the world. People that begin sports at an early age are much more likely to always be involved in sports throughout their lives. Exercise is a habit and usually the habits you develop as a child are habits you will have for life! Teaching kids how fun and enjoyable exercise can be from an early age can be the best gift you will ever give your child and something that they will eventually pass on to their kids as well.
Goal Setting: Personally to me achieving the goal of becoming a Black Belt has been the most important feat I've done in my life! Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training will help your child set short, medium and long time goals that will benefit them forever.
Think for a second how many kids now days begin things that they never finish? The answer is "too many".
For example; We teach our kid's from day one that their long term goal is to become a Black Belt, but that's not something that comes over night, it takes many years of dedication and commitment to get there, however there are many other short and medium term goals to achieve in order to get there. First they will set goals to earn stripes and other belts that are "earned" not given within weeks and months. To a child setting a goal to get their first belt for example and seeing that goal thru is an incredible milestone that can teach them that they can and will be able to accomplish projects that they once believed were impossible to do or that would take "too long".
Confidence: Now to me this is one of the most important aspects of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training from a young age. To a child and also for adults as well in many occasions the world can be a very big intimidating place. Having confidence on yourself is one of the most important keys to a persons success in life. I can not stress enough how important this is. Studies have shown that kids involved in martial arts training are much less likely to become a bully or be the victim of bully's because of the self confidence they gain thru their martial arts training.
I'd like to share with you a powerful story given to us by one of the parents of a child in our program:
Dear Master Zingano,
"In a short period of time since enrolling Anthony in your classes I've seen a significant increase in his confidence. As you know, middle school can be rough on kids especially when they're smart and/or they're smaller than the bullies, just like in Anthony's case. I wanted to share two recent life changing stories about Anthony, which I credit Zingano BJJ.
While eating dinner together Anthony casually mentioned that the bully who physically harmed him last May was in his computer class. Being a mom, of course, I started to get concerned but with much assurance Anthony said "Mom, don't worry it's not like I'm beating him up". I pointed out that psychologically his statement came from a position of pure confidence and a declaration that he's not a victim.
Recently another kid threatened that he could beat up Anthony. Anthony laughed and said, "I don't think so. I know Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I can hurt you." The kid hasn't bothered Anthony since. Needless to say, my husband and I don't worry about our son anymore.
I wanted to thank you and all the coaches for helping Anthony gain the confidence and self-defense skills that are so necessary. He has a passion for learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and he's having so much fun, too. I've noticed a major shift in attitude when he talks about diffusing confrontations with a potential bully. It's not just an art and a skill that you're helping to build but also reliance in self.
I've been impressed with your outstanding coaches and I'm grateful to them for their contribution in changing my child's confidence. They should be proud of what they do because they're truly making a difference."
Sincerely,
Jeanette & Michael Pidanick
Dear parent,
Choosing what have your child involved with can be a difficult task, but i urge you to do this; come try our program FREE for 30 DAYS! We guarantee that you will see the benefits on your child's life!
You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain with our free offer.
Give us a call TODAY and schedule your FREE consultation and FREE intro private lesson and see for yourself why we have the best Martial Arts and child enrichment program in the state!
Sincerely,
- Master Zingano
Don't forget about our UFC party tonight at Lodo's Bar & Grill in Westminster
Here is the event page on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/310594538984304/
See you all there!!!
- Master Zingano
Many people decide to embark on the MMA journey for different reasons; some want to become a professional MMA fighter while others are trying to find a hobby or learn self defense and have a outlet from their day to day lives, many people however begin training MMA in order to get in better shape and better themselves.
In the past years as a coach I've have noticed more and more that many people are bored and tired of the same old gym work out's and weight loss diets and they find themselves at our gym with this statement, "I'd like to lose some weight and get in shape, can you help me?".
The answer is simple, "yes, we can".
We have had students that lost over 100lbs in our program in less then a year!!! By simply coming to class 2 to 3 days a week.
Here are some testimonials of a couple of our members that have seen the benefits of training with us in order to lose weight.
"I was a year shy of 30 and growing tired of spin classes and Stairmasters that did nothing for me. I needed something different. Something that would get me into shape, increase my confidence and be fun. I emailed Professor Zingano to see if I could swing by and try a Jiu Jitsu class. I made it through my first class and came back the next day for a Muay Thai class. I made it through both and was hooked. I canceled my gym membership and joined the Zingano Family. It truly is a family. The coaches have always been there for me whether it is at tournaments, providing little tips or some extra motivation to try harder. I was afraid that I would be the testing dummy for more skilled students. Instead, I found a culture of teaching and respect that permeates everything at the gym. From the first timer to the most experienced person, everyone looks out for each other, which allows everyone to be their best.
“After training at Zingano's for 5 months I lost 53 lbs, regained my confidence and have had an incredible time training. The Family I found at Zingano's means the world to me and I am so glad I dropped in for that first class."
Brian Leftwich
Manager- HandsOn Network
Ricky Blea lost 65lbs by training BJJ and Muay Thai at Team Zingano
"Zingano BJJ & Muay Thai has completely changed my life in more ways then one. Before I started doing Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu all I did after work is play video games or act like I knew what I was doing at the local fitness gym. I started at Zingano’s weighing around 215 pounds and have since dropped to 150 pounds. This sport gives me something to look forward to after work not only for the health reasons, but also for the atmosphere that is created. Team Zingano is not just a team to train with but is a family atmosphere where everyone feels wanted and no one is outcast. The knowledge spreads like a wildfire because everyone is always helping each other and none is made to feel like they can't do a technique. I know personally I plan on training here for years to come."
Rick Blea
MMA training offer a range benefits to anyone looking to improve their lives; social interaction, losing weight, self defense, competition, being part of a team, confidence and self esteem are only a few of the benefits people just like you have gotten of out our training program.
At Team Zingano we offer a FREE 30 DAY TRIAL to any of our programs, no commitment, nothing to sign or pay! Give us a call and schedule your FREE intro private lesson and consultation to find out more about our incredible Martial Arts programs.
See you at the academy,
- Master Zingano
Black House fighter Jose Aldo retains his 145lb UFC title by defeating the number one contender Chad Mendez this past weekend at UFC 142 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
The win came late in the first round via a devastating K.O. from a knee delivered by Aldo.
Congrats my friend!!!!!
Jose Aldo - UFC Champion
Jose aldo vs Chad Mendez - UFC 142
This is an article featuring coach Cat Zingano that came out in late 2010 on Tap Out Magazine.
This particular edition featured the some of top MMA fighter in the world that came from a Wrestling background.
It's an awesome article, enjoy:)
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