It was a momentous month at Fitness and Martial Arts (FaMA) as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Black Belts, Zoro Moreira and Robyn Goudy, promoted a number of students to the rank of Blue, Purple, and Brown Belt.
On June 30 2018, after an intensive three hour belt test, nine students received their Blue Belts, three others were presented with their Purple Belts and FaMA is now home to two new Brown Belts.
Those who received their Blue Belts were tested on their basic understanding of BJJ techniques such as single and double leg takedowns, closed guard attacks and defence, mount and back positions, and the ability to defend themselves while being attacked. They were also tested on their ability to spar for six minutes - the standard competition time for adult Blue Belts.
These techniques were taught by the Professors in the Basic and Intermediate classes throughout the year. All White Belts who attended the belt ceremony were required to demonstrate each one with finesse and confidence. They were paired up into groups and were told to show each technique as it was called out.
Professor Zoro said that he was extremely happy with all those who were promoted. “Everyone has shown tremendous dedication and commitment to the art of BJJ and their hard work has been rewarded.” He hopes that those who were newly promoted will continue to put in the work and keep training with the same devotion they had before receiving their new belts.
Marc Ferris, who received his blue belt on that day, said he had a great time working through all the techniques when they were called out. “It was an amazing experience for me. We all worked hard to get to this point and it was definitely a memorable experience.”
As an added bonus, all those who received their new belts will also receive their International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) membership card courtesy of FaMA. This membership will enable students to compete in IBJJF sanctioned events.
Following the belt ceremony, all the newly promoted students and their family members
who were present were treated to pizza by FaMA.
BLUE BELTS
• Azri Aziz
• Conor McHugh • David Cukierman (not pictured) • David Delmas (not pictured) • David Wightman • Jerald Chua • Kelvin Tay • Kevin Teoh • Marc Ferris • Mark Chua • Tim Yee
PURPLE BELTS
• Candy Heng • Clarence Ding • Nevash Nair
BROWN BELTS
• Rienaldy Achadiyat
• Stefan Hauff
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.
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