Serra BJJ News Blog

Serra BJJ welcomed close friend, 3rd-degree BJJ black belt and UFC, Pride and Pancrase veteran Ricardo Almeida to the Huntington academy on Saturday, May 14, for a three-hour seminar that packed the mats. It was an honor and pleasure to learn from Ricardo, who showcased slick techniques that prove why he’s one of the best BJJ fighters in the world.

With energy and spirits high from the seminar, Matt and Nicky took advantage of the momentum and announced some huge promotions.

Congratulations to all of Serra BJJ’s new belts:

• John “Convict J” Larosa and Michelle “Maldo” Maldonado, who were awarded their blue belts
• Steve “Stevie Stones” Elizarde, who climbed the ranks to purple
• Billy “Billy Tats” Bottone and Vincent “Polar Bear” D’Agostino, who were given their brown belts

Last but not least, earning the prestigious rank of “official Jedi” are Serra Jiu Jitsu’s newest BLACK BELTS:

Franky “Bam Bam” Oyague, who began training at Serra BJJ when he was 13 years old, and immediately earned the nickname Bam Bam because of his grown-up stature.

Ron Witkowski, a dedicated student whose role as an admired and respected instructor is an asset to the academy.

Rich “Bolo” Lau, who has been with Serra academy since the Barn days, and continues to train passionately over a decade later.

A heartfelt thank you to Ricardo for hosting the seminar, and sharing in the Serra BJJ promotions. And to all of our loyal Huntington and East Meadow students: thank you for once again supporting the spirit that defines Serra BJJ. It’s always uplifting and inspiring to see both schools join together in celebration of the Serra BJJ family and its students’ accomplishments.

Thanks to all those who came down and participated in our open house today. We had a great turnout and most importantly all of the kids and teens had a great time. Also, big thanks to our great instructors (Mike Piccolomini, Joe Fragapane, Mike Horun, Joe Sagarese, Matt Borst) who work very hard to keep these classes fun and exciting for our students.

Lastly, thanks to Nick Locicero (Manager at California Pizza Kitchen) for supplying the food for the afternoon. Be sure to visit them over at their Westbury location.

Photos by: Joanne Kountourakis

Huge congrats to Chris Weidman on his UFC debut versus Alessio Sakara. Chris won his match by unanimous decision after a three-round battle with the UFC veteran. Keep an eye out for Weidman, he is destined to be a standout in the UFC and is sure to take his career to a championship level. Aside from his accomplishments as a two-time All American wrestler, Chris made a mark in the Abu Dhabi Championships, competing against the world's best in 2009 in Barcelona, Spain.

Chris is currently a purple belt under the Serra BJJ academy and is working heavily with Ray Longo on his striking.  In addition, his natural ability along with his superb wrestling skills have elevated him to a world class fighter. We are really looking forward to seeing Chris' career flourish to new heights and to following him on the road to future champion!

Check out the new Round 5 figurine of Matt Serra due out in May.