Having an open-door policy is still rare among martial art academies. Although many academies are moving away from traditional ideologies, there are still instructors who forbid their students from training with anyone else. Those who implement this rule may have their own reasons for doing so, but it is well documented that a vibrant martial arts scene in any country begins with a community that can come together and train without any issues or politics.
Fitness and Martial Arts (FaMA) practices an open-door policy and welcomes martial art practitioners, fitness enthusiasts, and instructors from around the world to train at its facility regardless of their affiliation or flag.
This has enabled FaMA to provide students with different viewpoints. After successfully hosting 4th Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Black Belt Rodrigo Teixeira, FaMA welcomed another lifelong martial artist through its doors. This time it was Josh ‘Hurricane’ Dubinsky, a BJJ Black Belt from California, United States and a long time training partner of resident BJJ instructor Robyn Goudy.
Travelling to Asia for the first time, Professor Hurricane arrived in Singapore to complete his training camp for the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Asian Open Championship in Tokyo, Japan and to share his favourite techniques with FaMA's students.
“I was very impressed with FaMA’s facility and the level of Jiu-Jitsu here,” said Hurricane. “My first training session was at 6:45am and there are some really tough brown and purple belts that rolled with me. They pushed me and I was still jet-lagged,” he joked.
Hurricane started training BJJ by accident when it was still in its infancy stage in California. There were very few black belts in the US and only a small number of gyms, a far cry from what it is today. Hurricane was at a local fitness gym when a gentleman by the name of Cub Swanson approached him and his friend and asked if they would like to train BJJ. Clueless yet curious about BJJ, Hurricane obliged and the rest, as they say, is history.
Cub - as many mixed martial arts fans would know - is one of the most recognizable fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a BJJ Black Belt himself. He has won accolades such as Fight of the Year, 2x Knockout of the Night, and 5x Fight of the Night in the UFC.
Hurricane has been training and competing in BJJ ever since and currently runs his own academy in Palm Springs in sunny California. “I get the same vibe at FaMA as I do back home. There’s an open-door policy and everyone is so friendly. And I am definitely taking back a few things that I saw here,” said Hurricane, who was referring to FaMA’s Kids program and all-day classes.
Fundamental Jiu-Jitsu
Hurricane believes that strong fundamentals and a good grasp of basic moves are extremely vital compared to fancy new techniques. “There’s a time and place for all the new stuff that we can see on Youtube these days but without a strong foundation in basics, those fancy moves are going to be hard to execute,” said Hurricane.
“At FaMA, Prof Zoro and Prof Robyn emphasize on building a strong foundation with basic moves. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned competitor, you can’t go wrong by mastering the basics.”
Hurricane ended his trip to Asia by winning Silver at the IBJJF Asian Open in Tokyo and hopes to return to Singapore in the near future.
FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts Established in 2016, FaMA is a world-class martial arts training facility located in the heart of the Central Business District in Singapore. Walking distance from the Clarke Quay MRT station, FaMA’s main goal is to help people improve their lives through martial arts regardless of age or athletic capability. Each program is led by experts in their respective fields. Whether it is weight loss, a fun workout, camaraderie, competition training, or just to break a sweat, FaMA has something for everyone.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ as it is commonly known around the world, is a self-defence martial art that enables a smaller, weaker person to protect themselves against a much larger attacker using leverage and pressure. Formed from Kodokan Judo in Japan, Jiu Jitsu found its way to Brazil in the 1910s through Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese judoka and no-holds-barred prize fighter. During his time in Brazil, Maeda accepted a young Carlos Gracie as his student. Carlos would later pass on his knowledge to his brothers, most notably Helio Gracie - the father of modern Brazilian Jiujitsu. The Gracie family would go on to spread BJJ through The Gracie Challenge and eventually the creation of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Today, BJJ has grown to be more than just an effective unarmed fighting system. It helps young children deal with bullies and adults live a healthy lifestyle. BJJ classes are offered daily at FaMA under the tutelage of Black Belts Zoro Moreira and Robyn Goudy.