Hope everyone had a great break, but now its time to lose all those christmas pounds, and get back fit!!

Gym is back open from the 3rd of January, at 6.30 for kickboxing and bjj classes, then for a joint MMA session at 730. All levels welcome, so if your a Core or a Rookie Member, or a complete new starter, come on down and join in…

Just a quick reminder to everyone about tomorrows Annual Christmas submission tournament which starts at 11 o’clock in gaelic street. All Kokoro and Legends members are welcome to take part in this In-house tournament. It doesnt matter if you’ve been training for a few weeks or a few years. Just turn up and give it a go.

Then later that night, after all the sweaty effort of the tournament, all are invited out for a few festive drinks. We will be in the purdy kitchen from 8 and we hope to see you all there.

Any questions about either the tournament or the party please talk to Darragh. Any extra pints that need to be drank, please contact Johnny.

See you all on the mats and/or the at the bar

Osu!

First of all I want to say congrats to the two lads who fought at Clan wars. Keith won his bout by sinking in a deep triangle while Vic secured his victory by connecting with a beautiful right which KO’d his opponent. Both lads worked hard and their effort paid off in the end with the two of them having their hand raised as winners.

The Fight Before Christmas

Sean “of the Dead” Keoghan (the lads barely alive!) and two of the legends boys, Oisin Coburn and Dean knight, will be taking part in The Fight before Christmas which will take place in Rush, December 2nd. All three lads have showed great prowess in the ring so far and will play a major part in the future of Irish MMA.

Those of you that were at Man of War 2 should remember the excellent fight between Dean and his opponent from Rush Dermot Byrne. Both lads displayed some excellent skills in their last encounter and the judges score cards reflected how close it was by calling it a draw. The rematch is bound to provide us with an entertaining fight.

Tickets for this event can be purchased in the gym or direct from promoter baz.oglesby@gmail.com

Christmas Party Anyone?

Also please keep the 17th of December clear in your calender for this years Christmas tournament and Party. If the last few years of Kokoros partys are anything to go by then this should be a Romper Stomper!

Eoin O’Conner MISCP is the head physiotherapist at Slainte Physio. He is a member of the Irish society of chartered physiotherapists and is offering all Kokoro and Legends members a discount on treatments. He is located just off Wellington quay at the D8 fitness studio.

Some of the conditions treated include,

More information can be found at Slaintephysio.com or call Eoin @ 086 1764714. Alternatively talk to Johnny Bowden down at the club.

Remember to mention the club you are with to claim your discount .

We are barely over our weekend at the Helix and already we are looking forward to seeing more Kokoro lads in action.

Clan Wars 9

After some great performances at Man of War 2 we are excited to say that it’s not over yet. Both “Slick” Vic Grundy and Keith “The Menace” Ennis are to make their fighting debut at Clan wars 9 on the 11th of November. Clan Wars is an event that we are always excited about taking part in. They put on one of the best shows in Ireland and anybody that makes the trip to support our boys will not be dissapointed. Tickets are available in the gym

BattleZone 4 – NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS
	And if thats not enough to tickle your fandango then we have one more fight left in us. The one and only Stevie Webb is fighting on Battlezone – The Night of the Champions. He will fighting Drogheda’s Kasper Jnk and even if the fight is not great then you should get your moneys worth by seeing Stevie in his new shorts (Trust me on this).

Full fight cards are available here Clan Wars and here Battlezone

So ill see you all there

Osu!

The new Schedule is finally up and running and we are hoping that everybody will take advantage of the new classes. Any changes to classes will be announced via The Kokoro Facebook or Twitter so dont forget to add us.

Also Tony’s Traditional BJJ classes have begun and with the winter coming it’s a great excuse to wear a few extra layers on the mats.  Well that and you get to learn from a Second Degree BJJ Black belt. An opportunity not to be missed.

Osu!

More information on the schedule can be found here (Levels and Prices)

Invite Kokoro onto a show and you can expect two things; 100% effort and a solid technical display in all ranges.

Steven’s masterful performance on his feet and great ground game saw him taking charge of the fight standing and grounded. As the match progressed an error of positioning saw Steven paying the price. His opponent, a decorated Judo champion, capitalised on the mistake and latched on to a match saving armbar. Steven will be back and we can’t wait to see him again.

As for Alan; what can we say? He’s become an overnight sensation as a solid technical fighter. With just two amateur matches under his belt – he’s a model of what effort and dedication can achieve. His win by unanimous decision (following three rounds of complete technical dominance) was well deserved.

There’s plenty of time for these two lads to continue developing their skills on the mat and in the Cage. Outstanding performance gents!

We also need to thank Cage Contender for having us and our awesome support team of coaches, corner men and spectators. Having a crowd shouting for you is no small boost for a fighter – so thanks to everyone that showed their support on the night.

Next outing for Kokoro – Man of War…

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US AND START TRAINING!

Kokoro MMA are Dublin’s Premier Gym for MMA Training and classes. We are the city’s original Sport Specific MMA Training Centre, we’re 100% dedicated to Irish MMA and we’ve a rock solid stable of fighters and our beginners program is second to none. Our training practices are derived from Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Kyokushin (Full Contact Karate), Greco Roman Wrestling, Submission Grappling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Judo and MMA. We provide experienced and sport specific coaching in a safe environment.

Training at Kokoro MMA is a rewarding experience. It’s challenging for sure – hard work brings about results. We actively encourage positive effort and and our coaches lead by example. We provide a positive environment where people of all shapes, sizes – regardless of gender or age – can achieve their goals.

Anyone from Kokoro that would like to get on a bus – just grab a ticket from Shane (€30) and leave a comment here (post) to book your seat. Dylan will confirm cost dependant on numbers and your seat is only guaranteed once it’s paid for (probably around €20). We need this organised before 3rd November latest. Use your REAL NAME to book a seat.

The Spring Level Assessment is all about finding out where we stand on that curve.  There are still places available for those that want to book a spot, put themselves to the test and get feedback on their performance.

Take a look at our schedule below. Regardless of your experience level (from new starter to experienced fighter) you’ll find something for you. Head down to “MMA 1″ on Monday night and you can train for free to see if Kokoro is what you’re looking for. Please, no spectators, just get stuck in and see if it’s for you. All our training is progressive so you’ll be training at a level of intensity that suits your current level of experience and fitness.

For more extensive information; just take a look at our complete schedule.

It’s been a crazy weekend but it’s been worth it! Some forty or so volunteers from the gym have been working the whole weekend to get our new HQ up and running. We’re pleased to say, that training at the new place has begun!

Thanks to EVERYONE that made this possible. We’ll post alot more info and photos shortly coverinng the build and the opening nights.

Saturday: Meet 10:00am at the new site, finish around 16:00.
Sunday: Meet 10:00am at the new site, finish when complete (as long as it takes).

Many hands make light work and all that – so the more the merrier guys and we really need your help and support getting set up!

We’re moving in to our new premises on Gaelic Street, North Strand, Dublin 3. We’re now just walking distance from Connolly Station and our opening night will be Monday, 2nd November, 2009 at 18:00.

Smash and Blast is a simple and effective striking strategy – based on techniques from Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Kyokushin Karate – it’s tailor made for MMA. This week and next, the fundamentals sessions are focusing intensively on standup drills.

Getting to know the drills, that will in turn give us the skills to standup and fight with confidence, is the name of the game this week. Watching the lads work – it’s hard to be believe that some of these guys have been training for just four or five weeks!

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US AND START TRAINING!

Blazing a trail through the 12 week cycle of fundamentals is tons of fun. But, just how much do we really retain in our memory? More importantly, just how much can we put into practise?

This week, the guys have been working their way through “refresher week”, an opportunity to remind ourselves of the strike, clinch and submit drills and skills we’ve been coming to grips with for the last six weeks.

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US AND START TRAINING!

Just how effective is “ground and pound” from inside the guard? How can we neutralise the striking efforts of our opponent through “pulling guard”? How can we turn this threatening situation into an opportunity for attack?

This week, as we progress through our twelve week cycle of fundamental MMA concepts, the guys have been familiarising themselves with “ground and pound” from inside the guard.

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US AND START TRAINING!