Author Archives: tonydismukes
Review: Nic Gregoriades Online Master Academy
After my review of Rob Biernacki’s online academy a few weeks ago I was contacted by Nic Gregoriades, who offered me access to his new online academy in exchange for a review. For those who don’t know Nic, he’s the … Continue reading
I’m back! With a review of the Rob Biernacki Online Academy
Man, time flies. Life got hectic, I lost my psychological momentum for writing, and the next thing I realize it’s been thee years since I last posted. I’m making a commitment now to try getting back to posting at least … Continue reading
An Unexpected Milestone
A few weeks ago I was having fun at a Carlson Gracie Jr. seminar when my instructor pulled me over and informed me that I was being promoted to black belt. This was, to put it mildly, a shock. I … Continue reading
Recreational Violence 2014
As much as I love BJJ, sometimes I need to stratch out and try something else. Thus is was that last weekend I drove to Dayton for Recrational Violence 2014, an all day series of classes for practitioners of Western … Continue reading
Road Maps
Occasionally I listen to students of arts such as Tae Kwon Do or Kempo and am struck by comments such as “for my next belt I have to learn 3 new kata and 7 new self-defense techniques.” It strikes me … Continue reading
Lineage
Hang around in martial arts circles long enough and the subject of lineage will inevitably come up. It’s not always explicitly spelled out, but the traditional concept goes something like this: Once upon a time, there was a brilliant, badass … Continue reading
Video Review – Arm Triangles by Ryan Hall
Over the years I’ve collected and watched hundreds of hours of martial arts instructional videos. As much as I enjoy these videos, I’ve recently gotten out of the habit of collecting them. The problem is that I already have a … Continue reading
Keep Going
Our friends over at the Valhalla Academy have a tradition known as “birthday rounds.” On their birthday, a student gets to spend the entire class grappling non-stop with fresh partners rotated in regularly to keep the pressure on. Even though … Continue reading
Understanding context
Discussions on martial arts forums frequently turn into arguments about the nature of “real fights” or “real violence”, as if that nature could be summed up in a sound bite supporting the speaker’s preferred approach to training. Realistically, the topic … Continue reading
Rey Diogo seminar review
Way back before I moved to Lexington, I started my BJJ training under Mike Patt, head instructor at the Dayton MMA Academy. It’s always fun to stop by and see how the school has grown over the years. The reason … Continue reading
BJJ Contemplations 