Lone Star MMA Gym in Tyler

[Guest PhilippiansChapter4Verse6]

Has anyone gotten a chance to check out the quality of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

instruction? It is supposedly Gracie certified.

[BigDog8913]

Has anyone gotten a chance to check out the quality of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

instruction? It is supposedly Gracie certified.

 

 

They have ONE descent jiu-jitsu instructor, by the name of John Fallin. However, he hasn't been there in a while. John Conklin has been filling in for him and he's not very impressive. Somehow, he's a purple belt but, I know white belts who can tap him out.

[Straw]

InJusticeForAll is a pathetic moron troll. Just letting you guys know!

[applebutter]

Kinda sounds like a one troll conversation.

[realfighter44]

Has anyone gotten a chance to check out the quality of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

instruction? It is supposedly Gracie certified.

 

 

I've trained at Lonestar before. They have a nice facility but, they don't cater to their fighters enough. It seems as if they care more about getting as many people as possible to sign up for their classes. An MMA gym should not be about money but, about producing talented fighters. After all, the fighters are really the ones who give a gym their reputation. MMA is not a traditional sport where you bow in and out. MMA gyms are not karate dojos. They are a place where fighters go to learn and evolve. It shouldn't matter if you train with your shirt off or choose to keep it on. You don't wear shirts at the pool! Lonestar has a bad habit of running people off with their weird and unnecessary rules. If they were more laid back and more of an actual MMA gym, they would keep fighters around longer. They teach things like Aikido, which is a pretty much a useless martial art that no pro MMA fighters use, at least anymore. All MMA gyms need are jiu-jitsu, muay thai, and wrestling. Everything else should be out the window. However, it's all about money right? If I were to go back to Lonestar ever I would train exclusively under Gerald Meharry, Hector Guerva, John Fallin, and Aaron Seagal. Nobody else up there has the credentials to produce good fighters. I just read from someone elses comment on this website that they have John Conklin teaching jiu-jitsu now, which is a shock because he's never even competed and I use to tap him out all the time when I was just a white belt. That just goes to show that it's all about money and not quality. A student should be able to tap out an instructor with such ease.

[Rhino2K]

Realfighter, if you get a chance to "tap out" a guy that calls himself JRowe at Lonestar, please do.

[sharkbite1979]

Hey guys... I'm Aaron, the MMA instructor at LSMMA. Not here to ruffle anybody's feathers, just shed some light on the above stuff. The owners are trying to run a Christian martial arts facility, which is why some of their rules might seem a little odd when compared to your usual dojo. As far as I know, our goal is not to produce fighters that can kick #### and get us more street cred. We just happen to have guys at the gym that fight on a regular basis. We want our "rep" based on how we conduct ourselves and how we minister to people. MMA and Jiu Jitsu are the focus of the gym, but not our only offering. Most of the instructors there don't get paid a penny and are only there to offer their services to anybody who wants to take the class. Hence the Aikido class. You can't expect kids 4 year olds and adults way past their prime to want to step into the MMA class with a bunch of bloodthirsty kids, so you have to offer them other options. While there aren't too many (if any) moves that translate from Aikido to usage in MMA, the class can teach things like balance, control, off balancing, etc... I know of pro football players that took ballet lessons so they'd learn grace and control, not so they could do a pirouette on the field. The "keep your shirt on" rule is there not because we're afraid of seeing a little man-nipple, it's because there are very young kids running around, parents watching, etc... It was the owners' choice to enstate that rule, so we have to abide by it. Also, John Conklin is not the Jiu Jitsu instructor. He's stepped in to help run the class during the temporary absence of John Falin. Our Relson Gracie program just got started and it's in its infancy. I plan on getting ranked soon by Relson and becoming an alternate instructor, so between myself and Drew, we will definitely have some competent instructors. I know that several students have been run off. I'm not privvy to the circumstances on all of them, but I know that a few were more than justified. All the instructors are Christians, half of us are pastors, and we expect our students to act respectfully. We're not forcing our beliefs on anyone, but everybody is expected to be cordial and respectful to eachother. That's why I have my MMA class bow in. They're not bowing to me. We stand in a circle and bow to eachother since I consider everybody (including myself) an instructor AND a student. Bowing is a sign of respect and an acknowledgement of the rules. I'm trying to bring a little old-school into the class. That's it. I'll climb off my soap box.

[BluePirate]

Aaron... Sounds to me like y'all have a great gym.

[sharkbite1979]

Thanks! I enjoy teaching there. It never fails that I learn something new every day. So many different instructors. We've got a former Army Ranger here who's going overseas soon to learn Krav Maga. That oughta be fun.

[aqua]

Has anyone gotten a chance to check out the quality of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

instruction? It is supposedly Gracie certified.

 

OK here goes, I am the other Aaron at Lonestar. I do judo and mma mostly but have done the ju jitsu class.I have also attended one of the seminars that they had when Phil came up from Austin. I learned more in two hours then I thought possible. The jujitsu is solid the judo is foundational but since Aaron S is a Judoka, he is good at teaching its applications in the mma world. as for the comment about John. His technique is good and he gets tougher every time I grapple with him.

My advise to any "fighter" that only studies those sacred 3 MMa arts BJJ wrestling and kick boxing .

Every one of them was elite in MMA till the next one knocked them off thier pedastle.

[aqua]

Aaron... Sounds to me like y'all have a great gym.

 

OK , I know there has been a lot of bantering here the last few days,so why dont we be a little more upbeat today.I would like to get to know people.So here we go.Forl know lets go with First name and where you study or teach at.I dont care if you use last names.but some people do not like the security risk

I am Aaron G from Lone Star MMA I study judo and mma there. I also have a black belt in Tae Kwon do and on a lighter note I can out run Aaron S only if we are in the octagon and I am trying to keep him from chuting in on me.

Ok Yalls turn as we say here in red neck ville.

[philcardella]

This is Phil cardella, (advertisement removed) I am the Black Belt Head Instructor under Master Relson Gracie. I have made a couple trips to Tyler to start our program out there. I will be out there very often after my next fight I will more than likely be out there for a week or two. The Instructors of Lone Star MMA gym come to my academy each month and train with me and my Instructor. Drew, the owner, used to live in Hawaii and train under Master Relson Gracie many moons ago. He is a good friend of Relson's and has kept in contact with him over the years and that is why he is part of Relson's team. I have spent many hours sweating and working in their gym. Their Jiu-Jitsu is under ME & MY INSTRUCTOR & MY TEAM! My resume can be found here: (advertisement deleted) since I like fishing and hunting you will see lots of me in Tyler Texas, My Instructor will be there soon as well as many other of my team mates & students will be there as well. I might even go out there to train in their nice new cage & facility before my next fight. I like it there. You will not find a better group of people to train with in TYLER I PROMISE YOU THAT. This is just the start of them being under Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu officially. This is not something you can just buy into. this is something that was earned by DREW. As far as "catering to fighters" Fighters need to humbly earn their way into a facility not come in & think the facility owes them anything. FYI fighters try to not pay academies, most don't have a good code of ethics, and those that whine on the internet about my assocations instead of training need to go running or something instead of playing on the internet. I assure you the way things are being done in my associations (and Lonestar MMA is an assocation of mine) are done the way I ask, which is exactly the way MASTER RELSON GRACIE ASKS. We follow his lead all the way. Got a problem with it? Call Relson. (advertisement deleted). He will be back from Brazil in less than a month. It isn't always about who you can tap out its about who you can learn from, they have a collection of Instructors at each class and they are a huge help and have made many people better and will only get better each day. They have several Blue Belts there in Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Oh, by the way, they have been getting lots better since I have been out there to help them with each individuals game. I also gave their instructors many pointers on how to teach our style of Jiu-Jitsu better. They are getting better & better. Come spar me when I come to town, you missed me the last couple times. HMMM. Nothing personal I will do what I do, my job, no more no less, wanna roll around with a competitor, not a family man? well, I will be back out there soon. Step up. Maybe I will bring some of my blood drinking students for you to roll around with too. LOL. Good luck making us tap unless we like training with you and want to see the moves you are learning. By the way, with my support & their hard work ethic and right attitude they will continue to be the best place to train out that way for years to come. Nothing will stop that. So get off the internet, grow up & go train. I have a fight in 30 days so you won't get anymore of my time. Phil (advertisement deleted)

[otisj82]

As a fighter from lonestar, I felt an obligation to get on here and speak my mind. First of all if you are involved with the East Texas MMA scene you've heard of our gym. We produce great fighters, but let me make it clear our fighters are humble, courteous, and respectful to all whose path we cross. However, our gym is much bigger than its fighters and continues to grow into something bigger than any individual could ever be. We have people with families and jobs that come and devote their precious time to teach the great things they have learned through different martial arts, whether you believe they are "MMA practical" or not (ask our aikido instructor about being attacked and see if you still don't think its legitimate). We have children learning jiu-jitsu, I have never seen something as amazing as an 8 year old applying an armbar. Their is no gym in this area like ours. I've never walked into an MMA class and found people +40 years of age training in MMA and the many other martial arts our facility provides. But at our gym this is possible due to the deep level of respect and love for each other our owners have been able to provide. My beginning in the fight scene started with drills such as running around the mats holding a heavy bag over my head. I hated it. Several days later I was finally allowed to attend the regular class and my team respected me because I didn't come in to try to be the next Chuck Liddell, I wanted to learn to be a martial artists. I earned that PRIVILEGE. Now, I'm a fighter. But the most enjoyable thing to me is not getting in the ring but getting to pass my knowledge on to the younger students and my friends, and one day my children. That is why you will find me and my teammates teaching slef-defense to girls at UT-Tyler, sport jiu-jitsu to college guys, and eager to help our instructors at the gym. Our owners are not greedy. It requires money to keep a gym running. Electricity, water, and new gear. Infact they have declined several people due to their lack of character and the threat they portrayed to the ideals of our gym. Drew and Hong are great. I use to think they didn't care for me so I had much animosity for them. After my second fight, Drew was one of the first to the ring to hug me. When they tried to rule it a no contest, he was the first on the phone to get it overturned. When I lost he was one of the few people to tell me to keep my head up. Drew and Hong are a blessing to all of the people at the gym, I never feel like I'm anywhere but home at Lonestar. They have brought in Relson Gracie and Phil Cardella to add even more to our credentials. Phil improved several aspects of my game in 2 hours and is a very genuine person eager to help you however he can. If you don't believe me, you have nothing to lose by coming sit down and watch a class. As for the people on here ranting about us, their is a reason you aren't backing Lonestar and won't reveal your name. If you were banned its because you've refused to accept the principles of respect and discipline our gym is founded on. If your a member, you don't have to come back their are other gyms in the area. Your loss.