Montreal, Canada and Mixed Martial Arts on TV

It has been awhile since the last post but I promise to post more regularly especially on the latest topics buzzing around in the martial arts community. This post is not about the newest BJJ technique but rather my most recent mini-vacation.

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday Melanie and I took a short trip to Montreal, Canada. It is a beautiful city with lots to see and do. For those of you who are as uninformed as I was prior to my visit, Montreal is in the province of Quebec which is the only province in Canada to adopt French as its official language. The average American who generally speaks only one language, "Eng" errr "American", has nothing to fear. Most people living in Quebec, aka Quebecois, are bilingual and speak both English and French. On top of that, nearly every printed sign, media, etc. is written in both French and Engish. So like I said, this place is sanitized for your protection. Did I mention that Canadians are extremely nice and hospitable?

Enough education, back to the point!

During the short night time reprieves between meals and sight seeing, I had the chance to watch some Canadian television. Melanie has a lot of family in France and I've traveled there a number of times which has made me very familiar with French TV programming. I was expecting Canadian TV to much like French TV; limited programming with a lot of uninteresting shows (thanks to my public education and subpar performance in high school French; I only understood a small part of what was being said on TV which is why I found much of it difficult to watch).

Back at the Marriott hotel where we stayed for the weekend, we had basic cable so I knew my options would be limited but after a quick channel surf at 11 o'clock at night, I was pleasantly surprised. With the exception of the staple program channels such as CNN and Discovery, every other Canadian Channel had either Mixed Martial Arts (WEC or UFC) or Poker (World Series and Poker After Dark). At one point there were three different MMA shows broadcasting simultaneously on seprate channels along with two other Poker programs. I could hardly flip the channels fast enough to keep up with all the action between commercial breaks. Interspersed between MMA and Poker channels you had your typical European influenced uncensored sex and nudity in addition to flashing highlights of Canadian Hockey, MMA, and other sporting highlights.

Programming was mixed between English and French so you had your choice of language however, they were different shows so you had a decision to make. I actually stuck with French commentated MMA since I was more intersested in the fights shown on French broadcasting channels.

Why is Mixed Martial Arts so huge in Canada. . . duh because of George St. Pierre (GSP) of course. An average working class Quebecois has now become one of the most recognized faces in MMA. With his most recent sponsorship by Under Armor, he is positioned to become a household name.

Looks like I visited Montreal just at the right time! Canadian late night TV rocks!

This article was written by:

Nakapan Phungephorn
Head Instructor of BETA Academy in Washington DC
For more information visit: www.betaacademy.com or www.betamartialarts.com

BETA Academy Schedule (effective August 31, 2009)

Monday

5:30pm to 6:15pm - Kids Class (All Levels ages 5 to 13)
6:30pm to 7:30pm - Thai Boxing: Beginner (White to Gold)
7:30pm to 9:00pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Basics
9:00pm to 10:00pm - Muay Thai Fight Team (Competition Team Only)

Tuesday

10:30am to 12:00pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Mixed
12:00pm to 1:00pm - Thai Boxing: Mixed

6:30pm to 8:00pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Mixed
8:00pm to 9:00pm - Thai Boxing: Beginner (White to Gold)
9:00pm to 10:00pm - Muay Thai: Circuit Training (All Levels)

Wednesday
5:30pm to 6:15pm - Kids Class (All Levels ages 5 to 13)
6:30pm to 8:00pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Basics
6:30pm to 8:00om - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Women's BJJ
8:00pm to 9:00pm - Thai Boxing: Intermediate (Green to Purple)
9:00pm to 10:00pm - Thai Boxing: Advanced (Purple 1 to Black)

Thursday

10:30am to 12:00pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Mixed
12:00pm to 1:00pm - Thai Boxing: Circuit Training (All Levels)

6:30pm to 7:30pm - Thai Boxing: Intermediate (Green to Purple)
8:00pm to 9:00pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Mixed
9:00pm to 10:00pm - No-Gi Submission Wrestling (Competition Team Only)

Friday

5:30pm to 6:15pm - Kids Class (All Levels ages 5 to 13)
6:30pm to 7:30pm - Thai Boxing: Mixed
7:30pm to 9:00pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Mixed
9:00pm to 10:00pm - MMA (Competition Team Only)

Saturday

10:00am to 11:00am - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Basics
11:00am to 12:00pm - Thai Boxing: Mixed
12:00pm to 1:00pm - Thai Boxing: Circuit
1:00pm to 1:30pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Open Mat
1:30pm to 3:00pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: (Competition Team Only)

Sunday - Closed

BETA Academy to move to 4500 square foot facility

Where is the academy moving?

We are to excited to officially annouce that BETA Academy will be moving to 1459 Columbia Road NW Washington, DC. This is right around the corner from our current location. We are leasing the basement floor of Casa Del Pueblo Calvary Methodist Church which will be the home of our new 4500 square foot training facility.

When will the academy be moving?

BETA will hold its first day of classes at the new school beginning Monday August 31st.

What is the vision for the new academy?

This move opens new doors for the school. BETA Academy will have exclusive use of the space. This means that we not longer have to take up or put down the grappling mats! In addition, we will expand our program to include six days of classes per week (Monday thru Saturday) upon moving to the new location. We will also launch a kids program and offer a wide range of fitness classes to compliment our martial arts program.

In addition to having showers and locker rooms, we are planning to install a 20 foot boxing ring, a half cage for MMA training, and a multi punching bag rack system. Overtime, we should also be able to purchase a treadmill, weights and perhaps an exercise bike. All of this equipment will require a significant amount of investment so students should expect a gradual phase in of all these new amenities.

Further into the future we plan to have a school store where students and martial arts enthusiasts can purchase their gear.

What kind of fitness programs will be offered?

Over the next few months we plan to add a number of fitness programs such as Yoga, Women's Fitness, and Strength and Conditioning classes.

What kind of martial arts classes will be offered?

In addition to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai classes, we will be vastly expanding our schedule of classes. There will be more training sessions available both for beginner and advanced students. We will also hold special classes exclusively for the competition team including No-Gi Submission Grappling, Mixed Martial Arts, and Fighter Team Training.

Will there be a kids class?

Yes! We are excited to launch our kids program which will include both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai.

Will you have morning and afternoon classes?

Absolutely! Provided there is enough interest, we will be holding morning and lunch time training sessions starting with Thai Boxing and eventually offering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes.

Is there a new schedule available?

The new schedule will be available and distributed within the next two weeks.

Can students help with the move?

The new school requires a significant amount of work. We need help painting and moving equipment. Although we will be working tirelessly to prepare the space each and every day leading up to August 31st, we would appreciate and graciously accept any help from students. Please contact Melanie or Khun Kru Nakapan if you are interested in helping.

When can the students see the new space?

We are planning to show the space "as is" to students on Monday, August 3rd after the 9:00pm class. We will hold the advance Thai Boxing class, time permitting, after the walk-through.

Will there be a grand opening?

Once work to the space has been completed, we plan to hold an official grand opening celebration at the new academy. This will be a big event, which many members from Team Lloyd Irvin and Team Leo Dalla are planning to attend.

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE SOON

BETA Academy - Looking For Bigger DC Space!

BETA Academy (http://www.betamartialarts.com/) was founded on January 1, 2009. Since that day, our home has been on the basement floor of the Capital City Public Charter School located at 3047 15th Street, NW in Washington, DC. While the mat space is a little less than 900 square feet, the total occupied facility (including changing and bathrooms) is approximately 1,500 square feet.

We are the only school in the DC area to offer a complete Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Thai Boxing, and Mixed Martial Arts program. With the explosive popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) the demand for like schools, such as ours, is sky rocketing. In less than six months, we have signed up over 50 members and that number continues to grow every month exponentially. At this rate, we will need a bigger facility in less than a few months. Most of the students at BETA Academy will tell you that we already need to move.

Even with the worsen economic climate, the DC commercial real estate market remains unshaken. It is extremely difficult to find a space that is accessible and affordible. Home for BETA Academy will always be in DC so are doing our best to find a suitable location in and around our current location; Columbia Heights, DC.

Our current plan is to continue subletting until we can increase our student body enough to justify a standalone space.

Official Academy Blogspot

We're excited to announce the launch of our official blogspot. To supplement our weekly newsletter we will use this site as a tool to share our thoughts on current events happening in the Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts community.

To receive our newsletters or to learn more about our academy please visit: www.betamartialarts.com.

BETA Academy - Washington DC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Thai Boxing, and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

Welcome to the Academy for Body- Efficient Tactical Arts, the premier source of effective martial arts instruction in the Washington, D.C. and the surrounding Metropolitan Area. We offer classes in the following arts:

THAI BOXING

Thai Boxing (also known as Muay Thai) is an effective method of self-defense developed from an ancient form of martial art used by the Siamese army during the medieval ages to defeat their enemies on the battlefield. It has evolved into the martial art of choice that is used by “eight-limbed warriors” to deliver punches, elbows, knees, and kicks, as well as standing grappling techniques, to devastate their opponents both inside and outside of the ring.

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (also known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ) is a ground fighting martial art that is based on early 20th century Kodokan Judo. It was developed and refined through a series of Mixed Martial Arts competitions to become the most effective grappling method in the world. BJJ utilizes positional control and effective grappling techniques, including joint locks and choke holds, to force opponents into submission. Underlying all effective Jiu-Jitsu techniques is the concept of leverage. Mastery of this concept is what eliminates the impact of size and strength disparities in a confrontation.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full contact, no holds-barred, combat sport that utilizes a wide range of fighting techniques, both traditional and non-traditional. The combination of stand-up fighting techniques of Thai Boxing and on-ground grappling techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has proven to be most effective in MMA competitions. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Thai Boxing are distinctly individualistic sports, for which the ultimate criterion of success is the ability to execute techniques successfully, rather than strict stylistic compliance.

Private lessons with BETA instructors excel practitioners’ tactical fighting skills by providing customized techniques and training methods that work for our individual students' body types, strategic preferences, and levels of athleticism.

To set-up a private lesson, contact us.

Come visit BETA at our primary location, the Capital City Public Charter School (Lower School Building), located at 3047 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. If we do not see you soon, we would like to hear from you. Call us at 202.538.0422 or email us at info@betamartialarts.com.