There have been some great promotions over the past couple of weeks at our East Meadow location. We our proud to announce that we have 3 new blue belts, 2 new purple belts, and a brown belt.

Blue Belts:

First up, we have John Abels receiving his blue belt. John has been around for quite some time and actually began his training while Matt and Nick were teaching at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan. This was before job and family responsibilities interfered with his training. John is looking great on the mat and told me that he's not going to stop training this time. We look forward to training with John for years to come.

Next up we have AJ Cobain. Aj has recently stepped up his training and it has certainly paid off. You can find AJ any given day training hard at the academy. In addition, AJ is always willing to help and is a great addition to the academy. Congrats AJ on the new blue belt.

Finally, receiving his blue belt also was Jon "Killer Jon" Phillips. Jon has an agressive style of jiu-jitsu that has been causing many of his training partners trouble. He is a regular fixture during the day classes and we appreciate his hard work.

Purple Belts:

We are honored to announce our 2 newest purple belts, Gerard McCloskey and Billy Vint. These 2 promotions are both extremely well deserved and we couldn't be happier for these guys.

Billy Vint has an excellent Jiu-jitsu game both in the academy and on the competition circuit. A huge fan of Star Wars, Billy is well on his way to becoming a Jedi. We are also thrilled that Billy is the newest member of our teaching staff.

Gerard McCloskey has also joined the rank of purple belt. His newly acquired purple belt along with his striking skills make him a very well rounded martial artist.

Brown Belt:

And the newest Team Serra Brown belt is... Eddie "Crazy Eddie" Lenoci. Those who know Eddie know how dangerous his guard and overall Jiu-Jitsu game are. Eddie recently won his MMA match with a beautiful triangle against a tough opponent. His all out, agressive style is perfect for MMA. We look forward to seeing more of Eddie in action.

Not only is Eddie an excellent Jiu-Jitsu player. He is also a loyal friend to the academy and an excellent instructor. Congrats Eddie on your new brown belt.