Moai Martial Arts

Healthy Breakfast Shake of Champions

Posted on April 17, 2013 by moaimartialarts

I’ve been searching for a good, nutritional breakfast solution for quite some time. I don’t train in the mornings as much as I used to; instead, I’m in a rush to get ready for school while going through my baby’s wake-up routine. The easiest thing would be to chug some coffee and run out the door, but the mid-morning crash is brutal. Plus I have a big appetite in the morning, and the temptation to hit up the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru is tough to resist. What’s a new dad to do? Continue reading →

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged Almond milk, Breakfast, gelatin, Great Lakes, shake, Smoothie | 7 Comments

TUF 17 Finale Preview: Glass Trophies for Everyone!

Posted on April 11, 2013 by ALar

This Saturday night we will be treated to the 17^th Finale event in the history of The Ultimate Fighter reality series. If you ask me, the formulaic nature of the show is getting seriously stale, but this last season was highly watchable for two big reasons; Zuffa dumped a ton of money into the production value of the show and Uriah freaking Hall. A fight fan can’t ask for much more than watching one of the most brutal knockout artists in the history of the series in crispy HD and super slo-mo every Tuesday night. (Unless you were asking for men and women to live in the house together, but your prayers have been answered.)

The fights this season were entertaining, but besides Hall, the talent doesn’t have me believing that any future champs are going to be making their Octagon debuts on Saturday night. Along with Hall’s TUF coronation fight against young scrapper Kelvin Gastelum, the rest of the card is surprisingly solid for a TUF event. We get to see Travis Browne return to the cage against Gabriel Gonzaga and the second ever women’s UFC bout will go down between Miesha Tate and Cat Zingano. The Main Event of the night is a Bantamweight brawl between perennial contender and company man Urijah Faber and Scott Jorgensen. As always, Faber is sniffing another title shot and will be looking to climb the 135 lb. ladder against friend and former training partner Scott Jorgensen. On to the preview!

Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, MMA, Opinion | Tagged TUF 17 Finale, Uriah Hall gif, Urijah Faber | Leave a comment

Weekend Fight Watch

Posted on April 4, 2013 by ALar

April 5^th Edition

Words by ALar

I’m back! I know, you all have been on the edge of your seats awaiting the return of my wit and breathtaking prose. It has been a relatively slow month or so in the world of combat sports, but we are being bombarded with fights this weekend and for the foreseeable future. I’ll touch on the five fights that I find most compelling this weekend and why they should be essential viewing for any fight fan.

Continue reading →

Posted in MMA, Opinion | Tagged Bellator, Pat Curran Check, The Rock Machida, UFC Sweden | Leave a comment

Up in Arms II: One Martial Artist’s Thoughts on Gun Control

Posted on March 24, 2013 by moaimartialarts

First off, thanks to Jesse “Doc” Sweeny from Gun Control=More Crime Connecticut for responding to my first post on gun control. I’ve been reading and rereading his very thoughtful and sincere comments. If you haven’t had time to sort through our viewpoints yet, please do; we would love for you to join the conversation!

Right now, I will respond to each of his arguments below. Then I’ll diverge a bit, arguing against what we’re hearing in the media at large. Finally, you’ll see that I’ve changed my original stance on the assault weapons ban, thanks to none other than Stephen King.

Thanks again, in advance, Jesse, for helping me to learn more about this important issue!

Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion, Self Defense | Tagged assault weapon, assault weapons, Background check, ban, Bruce Lee, Connecticut, Federal Assault Weapons Ban, gun control, gun control=more crime connecticut, kim rhode, National Rifle Association, newtown, sandy hook, Stephen King | 1 Comment

Choosing the Right Martial Arts Equipment

Posted on March 21, 2013 by moaimartialarts

Here’s a humorous guest post from the folks over at Blitz Sport in the UK. It includes some sound gear buying advice, and a few good zingers as well. Enjoy! – Bill

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Choosing the right martial arts equipment when you begin training in any discipline can be tricky. Are you compelled to buy the most expensive, awe-inspiring and impressive martial arts equipment money can buy, because you feel that adorning the flashiest gear is the definitive way to earn a heavy slice of respect when entering a dojo or gym for the first time? What about safety precautions? Pfft! They’re for wimps, right? Time to think again!

Continue reading →

Posted in Affiliates, Guest Post | Tagged karate, martial arts, Nunchaku, Sports | 1 Comment

ALar’s take on UFC 158

Posted on March 15, 2013 by ALar

How does Nick Diaz leave the Octagon with the belt on Saturday???

I’ll tell you!

I usually share my fight previews with you guys, but this week, I am going to do something a little different. Excuse me if I start to wax poetic, but the fact that we are just a mere 48 hours away from a possible Nick Diaz UFC title reign has me marking out as an MMA fan. The only force standing in the way of Nick’s reign is seemingly invincible long time 170 lb. King Georges St. Pierre. All things considered, Nick’s chances aren’t stellar against the Canadian Champ. At first glance, Nick’s main weakness is his takedown defense, and who is one of the greatest MMA wrestlers of all time??? Unfortunately for me, that GSP guy. GSP could quite conceivably make this into a boring wrestling match where he has top control for 25 minutes, but I don’t want to talk about that possible snoozefest. I want to talk about what all the MMA fans out there want to know, how does Nick Diaz take the belt back to Stockton on Saturday????

Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, MMA, Opinion | Tagged Hendricks Diaz, Nick Diaz, UFC 158 Diaz, UFC 158 pick | 1 Comment

Up in Arms: One Teacher’s Thoughts on Gun Control

Posted on March 12, 2013 by moaimartialarts

This post may diverge a bit from what we usually talk about. Let’s just say it’s in the name of self defense . . .

It’s been a while since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary school. There has been plenty of time to begin working to prevent something horrible from happening like this ever again. So what’s the average American to do? Argue about something unrelated and completely irrelevant to avoid facing the real issue!

Please pardon my sarcasm. I live in Connecticut, USA. I am a public school teacher. I am a martial arts instructor. I am husband and a father. I have a vested interest in learning how to keep myself, my loved ones, and my students safe. I hoped that people would address the underlying issues of school shootings and other senseless crimes against children head on. Instead we are drowning in a debate about gun owners and their rights.

It seems counterproductive to discuss gun rights when really we need to tackle mental health, adolescent issues, and school safety. Maybe if we dispel the myth that the Second Amendment and public safety are inextricably linked, we can finally get somewhere. So here we go! Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion, Self Defense | Tagged AR-15, assault weapon, assault weapons, Connecticut, gun control, newtown, Right to keep and bear arms, sandy hook, Second Amendment | 6 Comments

Three Quick Tips on Starting a Martial Art (as Presented by Bruce Lee)

Posted on March 6, 2013 by moaimartialarts

I’ve been teaching martial arts informally for a long time, and I’ve been running my own programs at Gracie Farmington Valley since 2011. I encounter new students all the time with various levels of experience in the martial arts. I’m always impressed by their desire to learn and improve! One common theme is that new students want to get as good as possible as fast as possible. But is more study time and more effort the best way to approach learning something new? Here are three quick tips that may surprise you! Continue reading →

Posted in Inspirational, Instruction, Jiu-jitsu, Karate, MMA, Philosophy | Tagged bjj, Bruce Lee, instruction, ion, iu-jitsu, karate, learning, martial arts, mma | Leave a comment

Who Are Your Martial Arts Heroes?

Posted on February 28, 2013 by moaimartialarts

Here’s a quick post about my top three martial arts heroes. I’m really most interested in learning about yours! Please list them in the comments. Include names, styles, and the positive influence they’ve had on your art and life.

1.) Ed and Jean DeCosta

My Senseis!

For nearly 40 years, Masters Ed and Jean have run their Shohei-Ryu Karate dojo in North Attleboro, MA. I’m one of the lucky ones to have become a long time student. Their technical abilities rival only their ability to instruct, and their dedication to the martial arts are second to none. I have trained with them for most of my life and am forever grateful for all they have done for me and for the greater community. I never would have become a teacher or a martial artist if it wasn’t for their caring and support throughout the years! Continue reading →