In this issue of FaMA Weekly we welcome a new Kids BJJ Assistant Instructor to the team, share a health and hygiene reminder, see who got a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) belt promotion, check out who Earned Their Stripes, and an article on what a life of martial arts looks like.
Want to leave us a review on Google? Click here.
NEWS
Welcome Kids BJJ Assistant Instructor,
Tim Yee, to the FaMA Team
A familiar face around the academy, Tim has been an unconditional pillar of support to the FaMAly since joining in 2017. Tim tried Taekwondo as a kid, but never found a personal connection to martial arts. Things changed when he picked up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at FaMA. He did so to motivate his children, whom he had enrolled in the kids' program. There, he fell in love with the combination of intellectual and physical aspects of BJJ. Tim and his children have entered local and international competitions together, and taken home gold and silver medals along the way. Tim also attributes his mental growth and weight loss to the martial art. Having seen the benefits BJJ brings to him and his kids, Tim hopes to impart his BJJ skills to the next generation.
To learn more about all our Assistant Instructors, please click here.
Health and Hygiene
The nature of martial arts requires us to often be in close contact with our training partners and instructors. This is why we emphasise the importance of good hygiene and health practices. These practices make you a great training partner to be around. They also ensure that the mats continue to be a pleasant, clean, and safe environment to train in.
Training is addictive, we know, and we’d hate to miss class as much as anyone else. But if you’re sick, be it the common cold or something more serious, please seek medical attention.
In the meantime, avoid attending training until you are sure to be well!
Have a read from one of our older blog posts, which breaks down how we can help make FaMA a safe and clean place to train in.
Click here to read it.
Happy Chinese New Year FaMA!
As the festivities have come to an end, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the FaMA team for all their hard work and commitment this past year. Happy Chinese New Year and we sincerely wish you, and your loved ones, a wonderful year ahead.
Want to leave us a review on Google? Click here.
BJJ Belt Promotions
Congratulations to Dylan, Tyler and Naomi Bharucha on being promoted to Grey/Black Belt this past week. These three siblings started their BJJ journey with us when we first opened in early 2016 and we cannot believe how much they've grown.
Earned Their Stripes
Congratulations to our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students who earned new stripes on their belts this past week.
Before It Was Cool:
What A Life of Martial Arts Looks Like
Are the martial arts cool?
To the eyes of the public, it can seem like a glamorous sport, reserved for only the youthful and athletic. Martial arts have gained popularity in Singapore thanks to much media exposure. For us at FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts, this is a great thing, for it has brought so many through our doors!
Amongst our students is one man who is no stranger to martial arts. At 67 years of age, "Papa" James Chan has tried several disciplines over the decades.
This is his tale.
UPCOMING COMPETITIONS
Singapore Grappling Championship: Gi Open - 1 February, Singapore
Kuala Lumpur International Open 2020 - 23 February, Kuala Lumpur
Singapore BJJ Open - 7 (Gi), 8 (No-Gi/Kids) March, Singapore
If you're interested in competing, please speak to Professor Robyn.
Please note that during competitions we do not cancel our BJJ classes and they will still be taught by one of our Black Belt Professors.
FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts Established in 2016, FaMA is a world-class martial arts academy located in the heart of the Central Business District in Singapore. Walking distance from Clarke Quay and Fort Canning MRT stations, FaMA’s main goal is to help people improve their lives through martial arts regardless of age or athletic capability. Our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Muay Thai Kickboxing, Kids Martial Arts and Fitness programs are led by experts in their respective fields. So, whether it is weight loss, a fun workout, camaraderie, competition training, or just to break a sweat, FaMA has something for the whole family.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai, or The Art of Eight Limbs, is a martial art developed in Thailand thousands of years ago to help the Kingdom protect itself against invaders. Using the human body as a weapon, Muay Thai practitioners are well-versed in punching, elbowing, kicking, kneeing, and clinching with their opponents. What was once only used for self-defence and protection of the Kingdom, Muay Thai has grown to become one of the most popular sports not only in Thailand but in the world. Muay Thai is known to provide a complete total-body workout that will help build lean muscle, core strength, and help with weight loss. At FaMA, Muay Thai classes are taught daily by World Champion and Lumpinee Champion Lamnamoon Sor Sumalee also known as Kru Yo.
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, Robyn Goudy and Thiago Gaspary.
FaMA Fit
An all-in-one fitness class suitable for everyone, FaMA Fit incorporates moves from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing and Kickboxing together with functional training to help develop flexibility, mobility, strength, balance, and stamina. For beginners who are just starting out, the FaMA Fit Fundamentals class is an entry-level program that will work the entire body. FaMA Fit and FaMA Fit Fundamentals classes are run by professional athlete Coach Kirstie Gannaway.
Kids Martial Arts
Our Kids Martial Arts classes offer a choice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and/or Muay Thai programmes which have been specially designed for children of all skills levels. Several studies have suggested that children who participate in a sport experience positive development in their self-esteem and confidence, which supports our belief that the skills children learn through our Martial Arts programmes here in Singapore will benefit them beyond their time in the academy.