Having lived on the Outer Banks for two and a half years, the only regret I have from my time here is not joining Knuckle Up sooner.  I have had such an amazing experience as a member of Knuckle Up and I cannot thank them enough. 

When I first learned about Knuckle Up through the 2010 Get Pumped for Pink 10k, I was a little fearful to join.  I figured it was a place where super fit people worked out...what the heck would an overweight woman, with the main goal of losing weight, do there?  

Finally, a year later, I decided to quit talking about it and just do it.  I have type 1 Diabetes and finally enough was enough - the time had come to get healthy, no matter how uncomfortable it would make me feel.  On a Monday evening in September, I tried one of Frankie’s classes.  I was hooked.  

Not only did Frankie and subsequently the rest of the staff make me feel right at home, but I also found an environment where support, encouragement, and respect were never lacking.  I was never made to feel silly because I couldn’t do something; instead I was offered proper instruction and guidance.  Victories, no matter how minimal, were celebrated with a high five, “good job”, or pat on the back.

Almost every time I saw Morrison at Knuckle Up over the duration of my membership he asked me how things are going and if I’m still having fun.  Well, the level of fun did not decline from day one.  I looked forward to going to my classes every day because every instructor has their own unique style and every class is different.  

I didn’t have an opportunity to get bored or not feel challenged.  I can honestly say that Knuckle Up is the only fitness gym on the Outer Banks I have been a member of where I didn’t feel like I had to drag myself to the gym to get my workout in.  Zumba with Jordyn threw a fun class into the mix and I enjoyed how Amanda would incorporate strength exercises into her classes.  

Amy Eaton taught me some great self defense moves as well.  On any given day, I looked forward to my workouts and wondered what we would do in class and what new challenges I would encounter and skills I would learn.  Receiving words of praise and encouragement from the instructors and constantly being challenged to be better and work harder lead to me never simply “phone it in”.

I feel that it is only appropriate to express my gratitude towards Frankie.  He has been a wonderful trainer over the past 6 months and I greatly appreciate his patience, humor, and dedication.  I enjoyed our training sessions because not only were they hard work, but they were also fun.  Frankie’s belief in me never waned and because of that, I have lost twenty-five pounds, my blood sugars are in much better control, and I am well on my way to a healthier me.  So thank you, Frankie.  You rock.

Also, special thanks to Matt for encouraging me to join Outer Banks Bootcamp.  It was a fulfilling experience and had my work schedule allowed, I am sure I would have turned into a Bootcamp junkie.  Thank you for pushing me beyond my comfort zone.

I will miss Knuckle Up as I move on to the next adventure in my life.  Because of my experience at Knuckle Up, I am a stronger, healthier, more confident woman.  Words cannot express my sincerest of thanks.

Fondly,

Laura Konwinski

Related posts:

1. Great Seminar Opportunity By The Best This Saturday, May 12th , we’ll be having an OBX...
2. An Inspirational Tale of Pizza, Kickboxing and Fitness on the Outer Banks! Bryan Maher's updated results! He just cant stop looking better...
3. Inspiration From A Punching Bag I Am a Punching Bag. I weigh 200 pounds, I...

Jiu Jitsu Traveler

Connection Rio is basically a travel agency that caters to the BJJ crowd. They have locations in several different areas, and they'll schedule your training at whichever academy you want. Or if you're not sure where to go, they'll help you with that too. They make going to Brazil as easy as possible.

You'll have a pretty nice place to stay too. They have three different options sleeping arrangements: dorm style, private rooms, and actual homes throughout the city of you want to train at some other location. So if you want to bring a group and save on sleeping accommodations, you can. Or if you want some privacy, you can do that too. All the places seem to have gardens, pools and BBQ areas, so it's pretty hard to beat.

Founder Dennis Asche says :

 "Connection Rio provides training and accommodation services to BJJ practitioners. If you want to come to Rio and train BJJ, come and stay with us! We'll make your stay as easy and enjoyable as possible. We offer the choice of staying in multiple properties, we have connections to all the top academies, and we’ve got years of experience to draw upon. The hardest part of planning a trip to Brazil is committing to going. Once you’ve made the decision, thanks to Connection Rio the rest is easy. Live your dreams with Connection Rio!"

Great Vacation Plan

If you've been thinking about taking a vacation, why not try Brazil? It's a beautiful country, and you'll get some high quality training in. And Connection Rio seems to be the easiest way to train jiu jitsu in Rio. Pretty much everything is included in the price except for food, and they have numerous ways to accommodate any budget.  And best part yet, mention KnuckleUp or Morisson when signing up for exclusive discounts! Check out their site for more information, including videos from people who have already gone.

Related posts:

1. KnuckleUp Special Guest: Grappling Master Sean Spangler On Wednesday, the 17th, and Thursday, the 18th, KnuckleUp had...
2. 25lbs Lost – A Special Thanks From A Great Student The following is a letter written to us by Laura,...
3. KnuckleUp Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Program Is A Major Hit (BJJ Rocks) Along with the winter schedule came a highly anticipated Jiu...

Gary Farrow FTW!

Gary's fight was held at the Omni in VA Beach, and was sponsored by Frank Lipoli. Gary's opponent was Scott Cox, who had a record of 2-3 and now, thanks to Gary, is 2-4.

Gary's been training hard, as always, and it showed in this fight. The match was slated to be threee three-minute rounds. Scott came out hard with a fierce stand up game that no one was expecting and Gary ended up on the ground after a strong blow to the head. But unbeknownst to Scoot, the ground is Gary's home. After a brief struggle where Gary clearly showed dominance, Scott succumbed to a wicked armbar with literally one second left in the first round.

Quality KnuckleUp Training

It goes without saying that hard work and persistent training pay off. Morrison was probably just as excited as Gary for his victory, and is as proud of Gary as any trainer could be. Morrison had complete faith in Gary's abilities, and knew he would come home a winner.

So what comes next for Gary? We're all looking forward to his next fight, and there'll be plenty more jiu jitsu tournaments in the coming year. And no matter what the future holds, Gary is still training as hard as ever and still teaching fitness classes on the Outer Banks. So come up and train with a winner!

Related posts:

1. Team KnuckleUp – Battle Tested Bayonetts Last Saturday was the Good Fight grappling tournament in Williamsburg,...
2. KnuckleUp News Hey everyone! There's been a lot going on around the...
3. Morrison’s Nasty Accident Have you seen Morrison Butler around lately? Notice that crazy...

Gary competed in the No-Gi competition and went through several opponents, before finally coming in second. Morrison said Gary's first opponent came of the mat muttering he "picked a fight with a warlock." Congratulations, Gary!

Different How? Tiger Blood!

But the big victory Saturday came from Morrison himself. Morison came in first for both his division and the absolute! Not only did he beat everyone in his weight class and skill level, he also beat everyone else in the absolute! When asked how he achieved such a remarkable victory, Morrison says, "I’m different. I have a different constitution, I have a different brain, I have a different heart. I got tiger blood, man."

I Win Here and I Win There.

This is two more medals in a recent string of victories for Morrison. “I probably took more than anybody could survive. Because that’s how I roll. I have one speed. I have one gear: Go."

Morrison and the rest of Team KnuckleUp are eagerly awaiting the next tournament. Morrison assures us they'll do even better at the next one. "I’m not fair game. I’m not a soft target. It’s over. There’s a new sheriff in town. And he has an army of assassins."

When asked about the secret to his impressive skills on the mat, Morrison says he has "magic and poetry" in his fingertips, and that jiu jitsu is almost entirely mental.“If you borrowed my brain for five seconds, you’d be like, ‘Dude! Can’t handle it, unplug this bastard!’ It fires in a way that’s maybe not from, uh… this terrestrial realm.”

Good Job, Team KnuckleUp!

So congratulations to Team KnuckleUp! You guys did an awesome job, and we're all proud of you. We can't wait to see how everyone does at the next tournament!

And remember, if you, too, want to live "the life of a rockstar vatican assassin", "partyin' in my oceanfront home in Duck", call someone else. But if you want to be part of one of the best grappling teams in NC, or you're looking for the best place for fitness on the Outer Banks, then KnuckleUp is your only choice!

Related posts:

1. KnuckleUp Taking A-Team to Coastal Combat Circuit In Elizabeth City This Saturday 30th, KnuckleUp Fitness Outer Banks is taking its...
2. Gary Farrow: Kickin’ Ass and Takin’ Names! Wow, Gary Farrow is on a roll! We've talked about...
3. KnuckleUp Team Rocked The Outer Banks Marathon This past Sunday, November 9th, the Outer Banks hosted their...

Hey KnuckleUp crew! Been an exciting past couple weeks, huh? Had the Jiu Jitsu tournament where Team KnuckleUp had some impressive victories. Then we had the Outer Banks Marathon the very next day and our Boot Campers had some pretty impressive finish times. And of course, our favorite super-trainer hit some Kryptonite, and had to have surgery on his knee. But Matt's doing better, and seems eager to show everyone his new war wound.

Also new is a pretty cool sports recovery drink head-trainer Morrison Butler brought back from the ATL, Kill Cliff. I don't put much stock in energy drinks, recovery drinks, or that sort of thing, I just like the taste of one or two, but to be fair, I actually had a great experience with this one. My elbows were screaming one day after a hard Jiu Jitsu class, followed by some sparring in the ring.

I was thirsty, hit a Kill Cliff, and resigned my self to the agony of my elbows for the next few days. But the following morning, it was gone. Was it Kill Cliff? I don't know, but I like the flavor, and I'm still drinking it.

Another person who was caught using it was Devin Sailor. Everyone know Devin? He's the blue belt that's strong as an ox. If you've rolled with him, you remember him. He's also the head of Ocean Rescue and an all around great athlete.

So Devin liked it enough to do a video that Kill Cliff is using in their promotions. They already sponsor a number of UFC fighters and professionals from other sports., and now they want to focus on regular people who work out. I'm not sure that Devin really qualifies as "regular" but it's a pretty cool video, right?

Related posts:

1. Devin Saylor’s Outer Banks Paddle Board School So as if Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Matt Costa's...
2. Did You Get Pumped for Pink? I hope so!! Or Matt's going to have you doing...
3. The Lurking Threat of Over Training We know you want to live a healthy and active...

The medals for the first 125 to finish.

I hope so!! Or Matt's going to have you doing push-ups til your arms fall off!

But really, it was an awesome race. Our favorite Super-Trainer, Matt Costa, and his right hand man ,Rev. Jay Bowman, were really instrumental in pulling it together, and was undoubtedly a resounding success! There were over 150 runners, and everyone had a great time.

The race started at 8 AM, and since the Boot Camp was a sponsor, Matt had everyone do 10 push-ups in the parking lot. Judging from some of the runner's faces, I'd say they this early morning work out was less than expected.

C'mon y'all, it's Matt. You should have known better.

The 1st place finisher for men was Eric Torrey, with an impressive 41:56. 1st place for women was Jessica Witter with an also impressive 45:32.

Junior knows how to warm up for the race!

XFC Lightweight Champion Junior Assuncao came from his MMA gym in Roswell and ran in the race. Junior had held a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu seminar on Thursday, and he donated all of the proceeds to the Get Pink campaign. His time was 51:41.

Also in attendance was Outer Banks Massage Therapy. They provide in-home massage on the Outer Banks, so it was no problem at all setting their tables up at the race. They were giving massages by the minute, and donated a portion of the money they made to the charity as well.

After the race, there was plenty of food and drink for everyone. A lot of people donated food, and we want to thank all of you. We also want to thank everyone who helped sponsored the race.

Morrison, Matt, Junior and Jay after a great race!

And a great big thank you to all the people who volunteered their time into making this race possible. Without you, it would never have happened.

And for those of you who missed it, for the next four Mondays, Matt's holding the O2BC Adventure 5k at 7 AM at the Black Pelican beach access in Kitty Hawk. If you complete these four races, you'll definitely be ready to Get Pumped for Pink next year!

If you'd like to see the times, here is the full list of runners for the Get Pumped for Pink 10k

Related posts:

1. Get Pumped For Pink With A Massage! The Get Pumped for Pink 10K is coming up next...
2. Get Pumped for Pink 10k September 25th 2010 Race Description Race Director Matt Costa (outerbanksbootcamps@yahoo.com ) Assistant Race...
3. 25lbs Lost – A Special Thanks From A Great Student The following is a letter written to us by Laura,...

Did you HEAR it break? That was crazy! And then he just walked off like a total bad ass, with not one, but TWO bones broken in his forearm! Nice job, Morrison!

This all went down at Mission Submission 1.5 in Elizabeth City. When Morrison passed his opponent's guard, Jay Speight a very talented 16 y/o, he set up a move called a Bicep Slicer. It's called a Bicep Slicer; bet that's a little worse than a Charlie Horse.

This is what happened to Morrison's arm. Both bones broke.

A Bicep Slicer is a painful move (no, really?)  that super extends the nerves in the bicep and the forearm, but it's not intended to break any bones. No submission in MMA is intended to break bones - they are aimed at joints and ligaments.  What happened to Morrison was a really freaky accident.

But it still goes to show, that while we train and train so they don't, accidents will still occasionally happen. Thank God for insurance right?

So if you see Morrison around, check out that wound on his arm. It's even crazier in person.

And Morrison, sorry for what happened, but the way you handled it, was epic!

P.S - Here's a link if you're looking for information on the USA Jiu-Jitsu accident insurance

Related posts:

1. The Muay Thai and BJJ Clinics Were Awesome! Hey, if you missed these seminars, you missed out, and...
2. Did You Get Pumped for Pink? I hope so!! Or Matt's going to have you doing...
3. Team KnuckleUp – Battle Tested Bayonetts Last Saturday was the Good Fight grappling tournament in Williamsburg,...

KnuckleUp Fitness now carries the USA Jiu Jitsu badge

We are proud to announce that KnuckleUp Fitness Outer Banks has become the first USA Jiu Jitsu charter school in North Carolina.

USAJJ is a non-profit organization founded by some of the most respected and distinguished participants in Jiu Jitsu over the past 50 years.

USAJJ seeks to establish Jiu-Jitsu in the United States as an official amateur sport, to provide a governing body, to standardize rules for tournaments and set standards for promotions.

They also seek to provide guidance to individuals wishing to participate in the sport, either as operators of schools & academies or students just wanting to learn.

The organization helps foster relationships among those individuals and companies providing products and services to the Jiu-Jitsu community. The idea is to make the sport approachable and available to everyone.

According to KnuckleUp's GM Morrison Butler and USAJJ Membership Director Chris Stolzman, the benefits that current students of KnuckleUp will receive as part of the USAJJ organization include:

• Belt certification by USAJJ Black Belt Council
• Accident medical insurance - All youth and adult members of a USAJJ Charter School are covered while participating in sponsored activities. A member is also covered while traveling, directly and without interruption, to and from any Policyholder sponsored activity and his or her home or place of residence. Coverage is $100,000 per accidents with a $250 deductible.
• Access to the official USAJJ class curriculum
• $35 tournament entry fee - $49 off the regular entry fee
• And a nationwide $10 fee to take classes at other member schools around the country!

An added bonus for KnuckleUp Fitness’ membership is a $1 million dollar general liability insurance for the club, staff, and students.

The policy defends schools against claims of bodily injury liability, property damage liability and the litigation costs to defend against such claims. Coverage is provided up to $1,000,000.00 per occurrence with a general aggregate amount of $2,000,000.00. That just gives KnuckleUp members extra piece of mind while training at the gym.

We're always working to provide you with the best! We are excited by the opportunities presented by our membership, and we believe this will benefit both the staff and students at KnuckleUp.

We also look forward to helping to further the goals of USA Jiu Jitsu and promote and encourage people from all walks of life to participate and enjoy the sport of Jiu-Jitsu.

Also, if you're ever in Colorado, check out Jiu Jitsu in Littleton!

Related posts:

1. New Winter Schedule For KnuckleUp Outer Banks Effective Nov03 DONT STOPPPPP!!!!!!! Our students have done SO well this summer,...
2. An Inspirational Tale of Pizza, Kickboxing and Fitness on the Outer Banks! Bryan Maher's updated results! He just cant stop looking better...
3. 9 yr Old Boxing Phenomenon At KnuckleUp Fitness Outer Banks Check out this kid! This is Chance Church, a 9...

KnuckleUp Fighters Competing at Coastal Combat Circuit

This Saturday 30th, KnuckleUp Fitness Outer Banks is taking its A-Team to compete dominate the Coastal Combat Circuit grappling event in Elizabeth City.

The event, the first Grappling event in Northeastern NC, takes place at the old Elizabeth City Middle School gym and promises to bring the area's big names of MMA and Grappling.

The KnuckleUp team will be coached by Jeremiah Lancaster and General Manager Morrison Butler, who will also be competing.

The entire team has been training really hard, and for some of the fighters, this is their very 1st tournament. Coaches Jeremiah and Chris Stolzman want to invite everybody to come and support our group during the fights.

No-Gi Jiu Jitsu - Submission Wrestling

The competition will be grappling only - no punches or kicks. Fighters start standing up, and win points for dominant position acquisitions, takedowns, and reversals. Matches range from 3 minutes to 6 minutes, depending on the skill class, and of course, the ultimate goal is to catch the opponents in a choke, arm lock, leg lock, or any other submission.

For this event, fighters will wear only shorts and rash guard - no special garments (GI or Kimono), which makes the matches even more similar to wrestling - only the fight doesnt stop when the opponent has its back on the mat.

Because of the tournament, our BJJ classes have been taught without the Gi. We apologize for the inconvenience that may have caused to some of our more traditional members - regular classes start again on Monday at 6pm.

Yeah - because a majority of our BJJ students are competing, as well as both of the coaches, there will be NO SATURDAY MORNING BJJ CLASS. Instead, come support our team, study their matches, and you'll get hands-on teaching!

We'll see you there!

Related posts:

1. Team KnuckleUp – Battle Tested Bayonetts Last Saturday was the Good Fight grappling tournament in Williamsburg,...
2. Mission 4 Submission No-Gi Tournament Back To Elizabeth City! Ready for Another Mission 4 Submission? Here in North Eastern...
3. Fight Results For The AFL VII In Elizabeth City Are In! Alright, what a great event we had on Saturday! Again,...

Eric Wong's MMA Strength & Conditioning Program

Incorporating boxing, wrestling, muay thai, and jiu jitsu into a comprehensive MMA training that doesnt require daily 3-hour workout sessions is a work of art. But it still isnt enough.

Fighting will shape your body to become flexible, explosive, and lean - but it does so in a natural, slow pace. Yeah, we love natural, but we dont like slow.

We're fighters, and being slow means we lose! So how can you pick up the pace in your training, gain strength, power, and improve your conditioning for MMA?

Well, you must've noticed that fighters have other, more experienced fighters, coach them - and they get paid very well for it.

But of course, not many folks can afford a full-time MMA personal trainer.

Luckily, one of the top MMA trainers in the country thought about this and released the Ultimate MMA Strength & Conditioning program - a complete personal trainer that you can take with you anywhere - simply loading it up on your iPod!

Zero fat, MASSIVE Knockout Power!

Eric Wong, the author, took Jeff "Inferno" Joslin all the way to the UFC - and documented the entire process.

His course includes videos for each exercise, as well as a progressive training system designed to improve your stamina, and boost your knockout power. It creates lean, powerful muscles, perfectly suited for explosive MMA moves.

The videos come "on-the-go-ready" - simply load them up to your iPod, print a copy of your training program and go to the gym with your new personal trainer.

And it's a bargain at $57 bucks!

Click here to get yours now

P.S - We've been using this program for about a month at the gym - our instructor Sal has a copy on his iPod all the time.

So we decided to give you a great opportunity:

Buy the MMA program today, leave us a comment here on the blog saying "yeah, I got it", and Morrison Butler (our head trainer, 13 years of MMA experience) will personally contact you to answer any questions.

You dont want to miss that - Morrison is a killer trainer!

Go get it now

Related posts:

1. Ultimate MMA Strength & Conditioning – An Instructor’s Review Back in August we bought a copy of Eric Wong's...
2. Gina Elko’s MMA Training Program Video – She Fights Sept 26th! The relationship between KnuckleUp Fitness and AFL MMA (Amateur Fight...
3. Exciting Changes In The Jiu Jitsu & MMA Program In The Outer Banks KnuckleUp is proud to announce major changes in the Brazilian...