Ross MA seminar to feature UFC veteran
Ross Martial Arts & Fitness Academy will play host to Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Aaron Riley during the weekend of Jan. 25 as the local martial arts school puts on its sixth annual Complete Grappling Challenge & Seminar in Demopolis.
The event will kick off Thursday evening, Jan. 23 with a one-and-a-half-hour no gi grappling workshop taught by Joe Cunningham, head instructor at the Yamasaki Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Woodbridge, Va. This seminar will be open to Ross Martial Arts students only.
“This will be our sixth year hosting the seminars and the fourth year hosting a tournament,” said Jay Russell, co-owner and instructor at Ross Martial Arts, “but having an actual UFC fighter come to teach is the most exciting thing we’ve ever experienced.”
Riley, who is the head MMA instructor for the Yamasaki Academies, recently retired from professional mixed martial arts competition following 16 years as a pro fighter at the highest levels of competition. His past fights include nine bouts in the UFC octagon as well as many in other productions such as Pride and Hook n Shoot.
Russell said Riley will be teaching a MMA seminar that is open to the public on Friday, Jan. 24 at the Ross MA school on Highway 80.
On Saturday, Jan. 25 following a two-hour Brazilian Jiu Jitsu seminar taught by Cunningham, grapplers will gather to test their skills against each other in tournament competition matches at the Demopolis High School gymnasium. A mandatory rules meeting will begin at 1 p.m. with competition beginning at 2 p.m.
Russell stated that this year’s competition will feature many improvements over the tournaments his school has hosted in the past. Some of the improvements include custom medals for competitors, two competition rings with multiple referees, and professional grappling mats.
“We’ve already gotten confirmations from grappling schools in Mississippi and northern Alabama,” said Russell, “and we even have one guy flying in from New York for the seminars and tournament.”
Russell added that he has also received many pre-registrations from independent grapplers and mixed martial arts fighters throughout Alabama.
Competition at the Complete Grappling Challenge will include gi and no gi submission grappling, which is a form of wrestling that also allows chokes and joint locks to win. Competitors grapple in timed matches and score points for gaining dominant positions on their opponents. If a competitor goes unconscious or taps out, his or her opponent automatically wins. Otherwise, the competitor with the most points at the end of the time limit wins.
Gi grappling is traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sparring where competitors wear heavyweight uniforms that may be used to grip, control, or even choke with. In no gi grappling competitors wear shorts and rash guards and are not allowed to use the clothing of their opponents against them.
Competitors are bracketed into divisions according to age, weight, and experience level. However, this year’s tournament will also feature an absolute division that just separates grapplers by experience in an open-weight class. Winners of the absolute divisions will receive unique trophies.
Persons interested in competing in the Complete Grappling Challenge or attending the BJJ, kickboxing, or MMA seminars may contact Ross Martial Arts at 289-9775 for more information. The tournament at the DHS gym will open to spectators at 1 p.m., and spectators are asked to give a $5 donation at the door to help cover travel expenses for visiting instructors, judges, and referees.