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“I Just Want To Fight”

February 22, 2015/in Uncategorized /by LevelupAdmin

I hear a lot from fighters “I just want to fight”. Usually this is code for I don’t want to have to worry about selling tickets, I don’t want to find sponsors, I don’t want to execute whats expected of me by having sponsors. On one hand, I understand where they are coming from. In a prefect world, you would just focus on training and fighting. Basically your life would be that of a Gladiator. You train all day, rest, eat, fight, repeat, but this isn’t Gladiator times. This is an amateur mindset. If this is your way of thinking, it will be tough to make fighting your full time profession. If you plan to have a full time job and fight more as a hobby, then you’re all set. If you plan to make a living, have and provide for a family, you have to elevate your thinking and be ready to hustle.

The Grass is not always greener-

I have seen fighters decide that fighting was the career for them, but the truth was it seemed like an easier path than having to clock into a job they didn’t really like everyday. I can tell you as someone who has lived both lives, the 9-5 is an easier path. The dream of being a great fighter, and everything that comes with it is an exciting thought. The work that goes into it is not the story you see on TV though. If you tune into a 24/7 you see the highlights of the life. Not what it took to get there. The road is filled with sacrifice and a grind that only the elite can handle. Not to mention that Muay Thai, and Kickboxing aren’t the most lucrative combat sports you can pick as your profession. Although times are changing and I feel like we are on the cusp of that changing. This is where the proper mindset becomes more important than ever.

I have an alternate perspective on the subject because of the journey thats brought to where I am today. When I started competing I had a full time job as a manager of a Honda Dealership. I did my best to balance training and work. During down time at work I watched videos of fights, and always thought of quitting to pursue fighting. After about a year of this internal battle I decided to make the move. I was offered a job at two MMA gyms as the Striking Coach and decided this was the way. I would coach in the evenings and train during the day. What more could I ask for. My path would eventually be redirected over time. At both gyms all the Coaches were also fighters, we had mixed results in competition and I felt that part of the reason was we were all focused on fighting, no one was focused on being the General. Which is a pretty important part of the team dynamic. Long story short, I decided to step into the role of full time coach and put fighting aside. From the outside looking in, it seems like the perfect job, teach a couple hours a day, train the rest of the time. What you don’t think about is the fact that being a coach is still a job, and you have responsibilities. Many do this, and are able to balance it no problem, but to be honest, I don’t recommend it. I feel that you can be TOO emerged in the life which can burn you out. If you are a fighter, everything you do will naturally revolve around fighting, your diet, your schedule, it even becomes part of your down time. When ever I go on “vacation” I always pick a place based off “where can I train while in town” haha. I’m not saying everyone will get burned out in the life style, but I have seen it a lot. So consider this carefully if this is a possibility.

So as a guy that had full time job, quit to become a full time fighter, and is now a business owner, I have really gone through different mindsets over the years. We have covered balancing work and training, finding what works for you is vital. If you go the path of Full Time Fighter, you have to become a Brand. You have to create a valuable asset for businesses that you want to pay you to stay in the business of yourself.

Pumping Tickets-

Just about every fighters least favorite thing to do in preparation of a fight. It’s also one of the most important things that you will do. On this subject I speak to you from a business owners perspective, and previous salesman. In sales, creating value is key. You can’t sell anything to anyone if they don’t feel like it has value. So as a fighter, you have to create value in yourself to promoters, and you have to create value in your fans, friends, family of how important their attendance is. I have heard fighters say things like “it’s not my job to promote the show, it’s the promoters job”, or “why should I have to sell tickets thats the promoters job”. Here’s the thing, they are right, that is a Promoters Job. YOUR job is to create that value in yourself though. So selling tickets, getting people to attend, or tune in if you are talking PPV, TV situations is all you have to show a Promoter a return on their investment in you as a brand. So lets look at it now from the promoters perspective, which I understand as a business owner. If you want to be on the show, and you want to be paid enough to make a living, doesn’t it make sense to help the people paying you? In business the best working relationship is always going to be a mutually beneficial one. How long are either of you going to carry on with a one sided business relationship? At the level where you are talking ticket sales, that is the only measure of return on investment. If you are getting paid $1000 for a fight and not bringing any money in to the Organization how can they justify what they pay you? Also I can tell you that at the regional level, fighters that move tickets, and put asses in seats climb through the ranks quicker. I’ve seen people get salty about that too, but here’s the thing, do you want the guy that brings attention to the event and the entire sport itself or the guy who is just showing up to fight?

Bring The Crowd

I’m not saying it’s impossible to make it to the top without selling tickets. There are always going to be those fighters out there being brought in to lose to a ticket seller that throw a monkey wrench in promoters plans, and just because someone can sell tickets doesn’t mean they can fight. A promoter may protect a fighter as long as they can because they bring revenue to the show. There will always be hungry fighters waiting for the opportunity to take that guy out. It happens all the time, and maybe you springboard your way into some bigger fights and make it that way. It’s not impossible. Beyond creating value in yourself with promoters though what are you really doing to elevate the sport? I understand that not everyone is going to look at the long game, but its important we all look at the bigger picture. Especially here in America. Getting people to shows, pumping the events on Social Media, re-posting video’s and pictures from the event, all these things are steps to elevating the sport so that one day the athletes are able to be paid like Boxers and MMA fighters. Also there are only so many events here in the states considered World Class, if they go out of business paying fighters to fight, and don’t bring any money in, then we all suffer. We are all on the same team. My outlook is, create a great working relationship with the promoters we work with at Level Up, help them in any way I can to grow and evolve, so in turn my fighters have a better shot at living comfortably doing what they love. As long as we have events like Glory on Spike TV, and Lion Fight on AXS TV, people gain interest in the sport, and want to learn more about it, which brings them to the gym, and some go on to become fighters, its a cycle, if you disrupt it screws things up for everyone.

Move These!!

: Lion Fight

: Jeter Promotions

: Glory 19

Sponsors- Mutual Benefit

I’ll keep this brief because I feel like this is getting absurdly long. Again, the key element here is “Mutual Benefit”. I’ve been selective of who we work with at Level Up, if I don’t think we can help the business in return I don’t consider them for a working relationship. Now obviously if a business reaches out and says they want to Sponsor one of our fighters, and I don’t think I can give them much of a return I’m not going to turn them away, but I’ll be honest about it. Ideally I want to create a relationship with a Company I can be helpful with. I want a Sponsor that can actually make money off being involved with us. So now we have a situation where they appreciate us, and we appreciate them. For example, one of our Sponsors is a Screen Printing Shop here in Maryland called Ink Generation. When we first linked up with IG the owner was running his business out of his basement. I have worked with many different printers and Eze the owner of IG is the best I have ever dealt with. On every level, quality, production time, professionalism in all our dealings. I literally couldn’t ask for a better guy to work with. I reccomened him to everyone that needs any printing done. In turn he has since moved out of his basement, and into a warehouse, and is now a very busy man, but no matter what is going on if I call him with a crazy order that I need last minute he takes care of me, and provides shirts for our fighters when they have upcoming fights which helps them make money. Our partnership is priceless. So long story short, when approaching Sponsors think of what you can do for them, and present it to them professionally. With Ink Generation, we have campaigned on Social Media constantly, filmed short videos, been photographed at shows like Lion Fight and Glory with their logo, and brought them tons of business through word of mouth.

: Ink Gen & Urba Ninja

: Make Sure Your Sponsors Shine

: Myself & Eze of Ink Gen

In short, invest in you, build your brand, use social media to promote your sport. Keep in mind the more successful the sport is, the more buzz we all create, the more sponsors get involved, the more TV time we get, the more people start new shows and create new opportunities for you to make a living. Be a positive part of the cycle. Fight for your legacy in this sport.

Make Your Mark

Level Up T Shirt Of The Month Club Has Arrived

February 12, 2015/in Uncategorized /by LevelupAdmin

During our short time of operation we have put out some shirts that have become famous all over the World! Some designs have sold out in a matter of days! We always feel terrible when someone misses out on one of our designs so we have decided to start a Level Up T Shirt of the Month Club!

The Away Team T

Every month we will release an Original Design available ONLY to our T Shirt Club Members! By joining the club to assure that you will get each excluisve design in your indiviual size. All T.O.T.M. members will also recieve a %10 discount on training equipment here at Level Up, as well as any other T shirts, hoodies or apparell, including Urban Ninja! We will also randomly select certain months where you will recieve an exclusive Urban Ninja T!!

: Jareds Glory 19 T

: LVL UP & UN Collab T

: Urban Ninja I Punish Legs T

: LVL UP GYM UN Design

: UN Original T

: American Muay Thai T

For all non-members of the Level Up Gym you will pay $25 per month, which will cover your t-shirt as well as shipping. For our Level Up Members we will simply add a $20 per month membership to your Gym dues!

Check out some of our T’s in actions below!!

: Black & Silver

: Black & Gold

: Silver & Blue

: American Flag T

: Balck & Purple

Joining is a simple email away! Email us at levelupboxing@gmail.com and let us know your size, for our current students we will enroll you with your current information. For non-students, we will email you a link to a form you can easily fill out to initiate your membership!!

Here is a sneak peek at our first exclusive T!! A Bruce Lee Inspired Design!

Be Like Water

Erin’s Gut Check Fight Blog

February 10, 2015/in Uncategorized /by LevelupAdmin

Hey everyone, this is your fearless leader Coach Jason. Usually I write these blogs but I wanted to give you guys a different perspective this time, and also I was curious to see how she felt about the whole experience as well. So here is Coach Erin Jimenez’s Fight Blog in her own words. She will take you through the months leading up to the fight and through the fight itself.

Enjoy!!

It took me (or my surgeon really) 11 months to be cleared to fight again. This was around December so around this time Coach Jason and I were already planning when the next fight would be. For the last few months I had been feeling really good about my training and I grew confident with my knee. I was just itching to fight again. We discussed before that we would make my return to the ring in January 2015. Initially, we anticipated fighting for TCB January 31st. I couldn’t get an opponent matched up for me and the whole show just fell through. Luckily a few days after the New Year, Rami Ibrahim from Rami Elite was matchmaking for Gut Check Championships scheduled for January 24th.

Although I had been cleared to fight in December 2014, I had been sparring Muay Thai since the 8th month mark. My knee held up fine during those long cross training sessions so I felt confident that 6 minutes in the fight wouldn’t be a problem. I did worry about my conditioning considering I was on such a long break off my legs for a considerable time during the recovery. Training went well but 2 weeks before the fight I got really bad shin splints on my right shin…the “bad” leg. I had to stop doing sprints on the turf and instead did sprints on the bike. That worried me because I felt like my conditioning would be affected.

The weeks leading up to the fight, I just felt so blessed to get the opportunity to fight again. Not only did training go relatively smooth, but I felt mentally ready. I felt like I was hitting harder, hitting faster, and I felt like my mind was right for the first time ever. In the past I have been an emotional mess and I would be full of doubts about my performance and thinking I was going to lose the fight. This time was different. The whole year I had been watching everyone else train and seeing my teammates enjoy the whole fight experience. I had been wanting it so bad, all I did last year was imagine my own fights and even my training sessions. So, before this fight I just imagined it going my way. I imagined perfectly placed punches, kicks, knees, and push kicks. And only pictured my hand being raised after the fight was over.

The weight cut could have been smoother. I had the flu all day Wednesday so I took the whole day off to rest and hydrate. I was still sick Thursday but I had to train and cut. By Friday, I miraculously was better even while not being able to eat or drink for 24hrs. After work, we drove out to Delaware. We checked into the Hotel and cut the last couple pounds. I weighed in at 122.6 lbs. After hydrating and eating, I felt amazing!

Erin Makes Weight

The day of the fight, I woke up early and did 3-5 rounds on the pads with Coach Jason and did the elliptical to wake up my body. We ate breakfast and had a light lunch before heading to the venue. While we waited for the locker room to open up, Kristan braided my hair and Jason wrapped up my hands. It wasn’t until I changed into my Muay Thai shorts and started warming up where I became emotional. I would go from focused and calm to really excited and then on the verge of crying because of all the loops I had to jump through just to get to this day. All the emotions were just overwhelming. I was feeling this way the entire time I was in the warm up area. By the time I walked out and into the ring, I was super calm, almost too calm for the fight. I heard them announce my name and heard everyone yelling in the crowd. It just felt good to be in there. When I was in the ring, I stood there the few seconds before the fight started thinking with my eyes closed tight, “I can do this.” After everything, the fight I was imagining was right there and it was gonna really go down.

Hand Wraps Signed Off

My opponent, Mary Brulator, had as much experience as I did (if not more) and also came to fight hard. I anticipated her coming forward for a fight and also to try to clinch me up.

First round we touched gloves and she landed a big rear push kick. I was okay. I had to find my range and so I started off with a jab kick 1-2 and in the clinch we went. In the clinch she was a lot stronger than she looked. We broke and I remember just shaking off the jitters. I needed to get back into gear this round and fast! I only had 2 minutes to win it. She landed good straight punches. Looking at the footage, I was surprised at how much the combos I threw flowed. My training was really translating into the fight.

Round 2 started off very fast paced and we exchanged strikes on the outside for like 30 seconds. We clinched up for 30 seconds, broke and started exchanging more strikes on the outside. I did hesitate in this round. I still needed to find my range. This round was close and I think it could have gone either way. I wasn’t as active in the clinch and she looked good in this round.

Round 3 I went for it. I felt strong and ready to go! I finally was able to get full control in the clinch and pull her into my knees. She slowed down a little bit in this round and I came back stronger. She landed really good straights. My head movement sucked and I would just eat them.

When the fight was over I just held my hands up. It was over. Coach Jason and Jared removed my gear. I just felt relieved that I did it. When they announced the winner, I felt confident that I had won. But since, I left it to the judges I kept my head down as I listened to the results. They announced I won and raised my hand up. I just felt calm and relieved that I did it. I was back.

I feel content with my performance. I wish I was more active on the outside and I feel like I could have done better in the clinch. But, I came out of the fight without any injuries and my legs were perfectly fine. This fight wasn’t just to shake off the ring rust. It was super important to me. I hadn’t fought in 16 months and prior to that I only had one fight in 2013 before blowing out my ACL. I feel like I collected enough data in those 6 minutes to know where I was at in my training. To my surprise I have gotten better since my last fight in 2013 even with my long recovery. Perhaps most importantly, I finally believe in myself. I will be back in the ring in less than 5 weeks and I am confident I will just be even better, stronger, faster, relentless and more fearless. Im back!

Erin & Mary Post Fight

Erin will compete late March at the WKA National Tournament.

From Casual To Kicking Butt

January 20, 2015/in Uncategorized /by LevelupAdmin

Meet Sophie, a full time nurse and regular attendee here at Level Up. Sophie has been training with us for about a year. Her interest was peaked at another gym in a Cardio Kickboxing class. She did some research on gyms that offered more than what she was learning and found us. Sophie had no previous Martial Arts background, but in a short time she has grown tremendously in skill. This past weekend we had a huge Sparring event with gyms from all over the East Coast, with some of the best Amatuer and Professional Fighters this area has to offer. Even with her limited experience, she felt comfortable mixing in with everyone that showed up, and found that she was able to get in there in mix it up very well. We are extremely proud of her.

Many people ask, if we cater to casual people, or if we only train fighters. We 100% cater to everyone, what we take pride in, is helping the “casual student” gain confidence in their abilities that translates into their everyday life. Being able to guide someone through a task they never belived themselves capable of is one of the magic things about Martial Arts. It’s truly amazing to witness.

If you would like to see how we can help you get into great shape, and literally change your life, feel free to take advantage of our 30 Day Free Trial! There are no tricks, no hidden sign up fees, we give you a full month to let us show you results obilagatin free!

Call us today at – 240.206.8505

Email us at – levelupboxing@gmail.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram – @levelupboxing

Like us on Facebook – Level Up

Or just stop by our 9000 square foot Facility!

Level Up Gym
4891 Telsa Drive
Suite G
Bowie MD 20715

January & February Upcoming Events!

January 8, 2015/in Uncategorized /by LevelupAdmin

We are starting of the New Year with a Bang! We have Multiple events and training sessions coming up!

This weekend the fight will travel to Weapons 9 Muay Thai Gym in New Jersey. We are excited to cross train with such a great camp. Some of the fighters from The Institute will also be there. We will leave the gym at 9am to get up to NJ to train at 12. There will be no Womens Only Class Saturday morning (Jan 10th) Coach Erin is traveling with us to get in sparring for her upcoming fight!!

January 17th we are holding a Level Up “Sparathon”. From 11am til 1pm we will open our dorrs up to any Gyms that would like to come and spar here with us. We are expecting a large turn out, will over 35 people confirmed coming from multiple different gyms from all over! We will have training for all levels. We will seperate the more experienced and less experienced in to two groups, then divide both of those groups by weight. All are welcome, even if you’d like to just come and watch!

Previous Cross Training Session Here @ Level Up

January 24 Coach Erin Jimenez makes her return to the ring!! Erin will be fighting for Gut Check in Delaware, please come and support her! This is a big fight for her, as it will be her first fight back after ACL surgery. She is one of our hardest working Fighters, and one of the most talented as well. This is not a fight you will want to miss!!

Erin Lands A Viscious Knee

Just a couple weeks later on February 6th, Coaches Jared Tipton, and Patrick Rivera will be fighting for Glory World Series!! Glory is the premier Kickboxing show in the World. This is a huge step for both of them personally and for us as a Team. It’s extrememly important that everyone come out to support these two, not only for them and the team, but to show Glory they made the right choice by bringing the event to Virginia. Until now the majority of Glorys events have been held in major cities like New York, LA, Chicago, and internationally all over Europe and Asia. We have to show them and the world the the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area fighters are some of the best the US has to offer! So we need your help!! Tickets should be in soon! Stay tuned!

On February 28 Luther Smith will compete in his first Pro Boxing event. The event details will be available soon. Luther will be fighting for Jeter Promotions, where he fought all of his amatuer boxing fights. All of us here as well Tony Jeter believe that Luther has what is takes to become one of boxing nexts stars and we are all excited to see him take his first step towards that goal. Again crowd support is huge in the fight game so mark this date down on your calenders and come support Lights Out in his Pro Debut!!

Luther Smith & Promoter ? Fighter Tony Jeter

Wednesday Night Mixed Level Sparring Class

December 2, 2014/in Uncategorized /by LevelupAdmin

We are adding in a new training element here at Level Up. Starting this week December 3rd 2014 we will be adding a Mixed Level Sparring Class. This class will be designed to bring the Experienced Level Team members together with the Newer Team members, which will help those hoping to compete, or just test out all the training they have been doing in a safe and controlled environment. This will be one of the Mandatory classes for the Fight Team and JV Fight Team members. You will have to have passed the Level 1 Test to attend or have been invited by the Coaching Staff based off previous experience. The practice will be run by Coach Jason, you should be warmed up, with all your gear on and ready to go at 8:30pm if you are participating.

Necessary equipment is as follows.

16oz sparring gloves
shin pads
mouthpiece
headgear (is optional, we will be going light and technical)

Level Up, Towson Thai Boxing, Coalition, Ground Control Sparring @ Level Up

Currently our fight team trains separately from the general population here at the gym. This is an amazing opportunity to get a first hand look at the systems that has made them so successful, and pick up new techniques to add to your game, as well as learn what specific things you need to tighten up before you compete, or just to make you a sharper Martial Artist. We will also frequently have guest training partners visiting from other gyms. This is part of what has made Level Up rise quickly, getting different training partners with different styles forces you to learn how to adapt on the fly. That is one of the most valuable tools to have in a fight.

If you are unsure if you are eligible, or are curious how to be invited to this practice speak to any of your Coaches to get the proper steps in order to attend. We cross train with some of the best Gyms and Fighters on the East Coast. If the thought of one day being one of the Best yourself excites you this class is for you. If you love Muay Thai, Kickboxing, or Boxing, and want to test your skills in a safe and fun environment, this class is also for you. We will be keeping the pace at a technical level, which allows you to learn from your mistakes and make the proper adjustments. We look forward to watching everyone improve, and seeing who emerges as our next Fight Team Members.

Join The Team!