Just down the hall from the main workout area of Olympus Gym & Fitness an army of punching bags hangs next to a large fighting ring surrounded by both red and white ropes.
This is where the 150 members of the Nemesis School of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) train with Danny Jones and John LeBlanc. Both MMA instructors provide their students with training in fighting styles from Brazilian jiu-jitsu to Muay Thai, a form of kickboxing that is considered among the elite striking arts and originated in Thailand.
The Haiti-born LeBlanc, whose father was a black belt in karate and whose godfather was a black belt in judo, explained that it is his job to make his fighters the best that they can be. He said he and Jones have worked hard to build a successful MMA program. As evidence, out of 13 MMA fights, Nemesis fighters have racked up 13 wins; 10 of those fights ended in the first round.
However, only 13 of the 150 Nemesis members actually compete. Each person has individual reasons for coming to Nemesis. Some join for fitness reasons, for example, while others may join for self-defense purposes.
’Some people do it just to come hang out and become some of the best fighters you’ve ever seen,’ LeBlanc said.
As an experienced coach, LeBlanc has a nice r’sum’ of his own. One of his most memorable fights, he said, happened against a man named Scott Bernard in 2001. From this fight, LeBlanc earned his first World Triathlon title.
’It was a war,’ LeBlanc recalled, who said that each time he thought the fight was finished, Bernard would pop up, saying, ’I’m not done yet!’
After losing all of his energy and incurring a cut on his shin from numerous kicks, LeBlanc said he finally defeated Bernard in the seemingly never-ending battle.
In another fight, LeBlanc rolled his ankle and was forced to lean on the ropes and fight off of one leg. Unlike the Bernard fight, LeBlanc didn’t emerge a winner in this fight, yet the heart shown during the match led to it being chosen as the ’fight of the night,’ he said. And fortunately, people trained by LeBlanc are able to benefit from this MMA experience.
Fights from both Jones and LeBlanc are available for viewing online. Trainer Danny Jones can be seen on YouTube winning a match by knockout in only 20 seconds.
With its popularity growing significantly over the years, more and more people are showing interest in the sport. It’s important, however, that people interested in learning more about MMA ’know exactly what you’re looking for’ before joining such a program, LeBlanc advised. Other than knowing what type of fighting to learn, people interested in MMA should know that it is a highly physical and demanding sport, he said.
’It’s like a triathlon, you can’t be good at one thing,’ LeBlanc explained.
As a full-contact sport, it is no surprise that fighters are sometimes nervous before matches. LeBlanc said he tries to keep his fighters’ minds off of fighting before the fight. They may joke around with each other on the way to the fight, he said, but they know exactly when to stop.
For more information about the Nemesis School of Mixed Martial Arts, located at 810 N.W. Broad St. in Jackson Heights Plaza, contact LeBlanc or Jones at (615) 895-0604.
