Coach’s Corner
The new year is upon us! I’m very happy and grateful for a fantastic 2022 with our tribe and I’m looking froward to another great year in 2023. Our students make EGA the community that it has become and I couldn’t be more thankful. We have a lot of exciting things to look forward to from team outings, to competitions, and outdoor training. The year is just starting, let’s make it a great one! – Coach Mike
Cage Wars 55
Big shout out and HUGE CONGRATS to Therese Shkreli for her Cage Wars 55 WIN in Schenectady on January 20th! In the MMA Featherweight Fight Therese dominated each round and won by decision. We can’t wait to see where Therese’s determination, hard work, talent, and skill take her! Her next fight is close to home! Join us in the crowd (keep an eye out for tickets!) on April 1st as Therese headlines with the RFC Featherweight National MMA Title Bout at the Newburgh Armory.
Special Announcement!
We are excited to announce the addition of an Adults BJJ Fundamentals Class to the schedule! PARENTS! We’re looking at YOU! After hearing of interest from several of you wishing you could train at the same time as your kiddos, the time has come! All levels are welcome, parents or not. Beginners, don’t be afraid! Not sure what you’ll think? That’s ok! Talk to Mike about getting started!
Student Spotlight
Naomi Peterson
Naomi has been training Jiu Jitsu here at EGA for the past 5 months. Now a white belt with one stripe, this 6 year old is already developing some great skills! Coach Mike says, “We love the energy Naomi brings to class! She is such a well-mannered and talented young lady! She focuses really well and is dialed in when learning. When one of the coaches asks a question, her hand shoots up ready to answer. When grappling, Naomi demonstrates the “fighting spirit,” she doesn’t stop moving, and she’s always battling for position. In baseball they would say “she’s not an easy out!”. When she’s not at EGA Naomi enjoys playing on her tablet, reading The Pigeon… books, playing with friends, hoverboarding, and crafting (take a look at that star-shaped crayon she MADE!). When she first started training learning to shrimp was pretty difficult. Now, after lots of practice that move is a lot easier! Her favorite move is the mountain and she loves playing “Who Let the Dogs Out.”
Parker Sheehan-Lopez
Parker is 6 year old (VERY soon to be 7, she points out) white belt and has been at EGA for about 5 months. Parker spends her free time building LEGO and she loves to swim! Parker said the hardest thing about beginning Jiu Jitsu was, “Trying new things without getting embarrassed.” That has now gotten easier and what she loves most about training is, “Having fun while I learn.” Coach Mike says, “What an athlete we have with Parker! This sweet young lady always has a smile on her face. She breezes through our warm ups and when it’s time for instruction she throws her “Jiu Jitsu goggles” on, determined to learn. When it’s time to grapple, the smile on Parker’s face extends from ear to ear. Whether she meets the objective or not in live grappling, she’s always happy and ready to shake hands with her training partner.”
Kingsley Ashton
Kingsley, a 10 year old gray & black belt, has been training jiu jitsu since the fall of 2020. This athlete, you can also find him in local basketball and football leagues, loves learning to wrestle during class. Having competed and won a gold medal at his first competition in spring of 2022, his favorite move is the paint brush, which happens to be one of the things that started off as difficult for him but has become easier! Coach Mike says, “Kingsley has developed into quite the grappler. This young man started his Jiu Jitsu journey 2 and a half years ago. Kingsley has stepped out of his comfort zone into the competitive arena and performed great! At class, Kingsley enjoys making friends with the other students just as much as he enjoys grappling them. His favorite takedown is the Osoto Gari, always looking for it, and executes it effectively quite often!” If not playing group sports, Kingsley loves 4-wheeling, going to the beach, swimming, dancing, Fortnite, and really anything that keeps him moving! Biggest piece of advice Kingsley wants to share can be for us all, “Go to class, try your best, and you will succeed.”
Maddox Morrow
After starting at EGA for Jiu Jitsu, Maddox, now 13, found his way to the striking side and has fallen in love with boxing. He’s tried several other sports, including soccer and swimming, but keeps going back to boxing as it’s by far his favorite! “Jumping rope was difficult at first but has gotten easier. I love walking into the gym and seeing everyone working out.” His favorite move so far is the left hook. Working out with the older guys that have been there for a while is a challenge he enjoys and welcomes. The way he’s included and challenged gives him the determination to work hard and strive to be the best someday!
Jonathan Marks
“I’ve been training Mauy Thai for about 5 years, first in CA and then in Brooklyn. My wife and I moved to the Hudson Valley last summer, and I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find a gym, but EGA was immediately welcoming and comfortable. Actually on my first night of training I ran into a friend from my old Brooklyn gym at EGA! He grew up out here, and he sang EGA’s praises. Everyone involved in both the Muay Thai and BJJ programs has made me feel very welcome, and bumping in to people from the gym out and around town has really helped to make Fishkill and Beacon feel like home. I caught a train back to the city one day from Beacon and ended up sitting next to one of the EGA coaches and chatting like old friends the whole ride!
I’m a professional comic book artist and book illustrator, and all of my work is done at home (and usually alone), so getting out to the gym is always a nice break in the day – and it seems like there is a little crossover between my nerdy world and my gym world which has been fun to discover! If you read comics please come find me, I’m looking for a good shop up here haha! EGA has quickly become an important part of my life, and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone more and more, and seeing both the gym and myself continue to grow.
Reg Martinez
“I am a white belt with a blue stripe. My friend Tatty-Matt had been harping on me for years to try BJJ and I finally caved (I’m thankful he didn’t relent) and I’ve been consistently training since the beginning of June 2022. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d love BJJ as much as I do. I’ve learned that something you start later in life can actually begin to weave itself into the fabrics of who you are becoming. One of my favorite parts of training is escaping, it’s like being a magician. Soon I’ll compete in my first BJJ meet, and it’s scary but so exciting at the same time. It’s been a great and humbling experience and I owe it to the coaches I’ve had and the friends I’ve made. I’m in this for the long haul, I can’t wait to get my twin toddlers into BJJ as well. I’ll see you on the mats. Thank you coach Mike for choosing to showcase me as a Student Spotlight.”
Sean Doherty
“I’ve been training BJJ for maybe 7 months now? Something like that, I’m a white belt. Listening to a lot of Lex Friedman got me interested in it. I wanted to make friends, and develop myself physically and mentally. I’m usually pretty bad at being disciplined and working very hard, so I figured jiu-jitsu would be a great way to get better. As far as other hobbies, I love photography, traveling, sailing, surfing, reading classical Russian literature and history, flying small airplanes, and off roading in my modded Jeep. I love getting out in the world and capturing it with photography.”
Team Outing!
EVERYONE, both kids and kids at heart, is invited to join us at IceTime Sports Complex (Newburgh) after open mat on Sunday, February 19th for a team outing! Feel free to bring your family for a fun afternoon of skating and hanging out. Cost is $10 per skater (cash, please!) and can be paid at the door. Please RSVP to [email protected] by 2/16 so we can give IceTime a heads up! Hope to see you there!
A humble request…
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave us a Google Review! This simple act helps others find EGA with ease and helps our business grow. If you have yet to leave a review, we would appreciate one! Did you know you can share pictures there as well? Drop those pics and help others get a peek of what life is like at EGA.
On the blog…
After a little break, regular blog posts are BACK! Have you checked out the latest on Confidence? Join us as we dive into Dr. Nate Zinsser’s book The Confident Mind to see how we can connect what we learn with our training.
Interested in competing?
Have an interest in competing or looking for some goal driven training? Talk to your coaches! There are many opportunities right around the corner to help you learn and grow in your craft. Your coaches will help you determine which competition and date to shoot for and then, with the help of your teammates, get you prepared!