To celebrate my 46th birthday, I rolled 46 rounds of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with my incredible students—all for a good cause! 💪🎉 Each student made a donation to charity to take part in this special event, showcasing the power of community, fitness, and giving back. Throughout the day, we had fun, laughed, and shared unforgettable moments on the mats, all while supporting a charity that means a lot to us. ❤️ This video highlights not just the sparring rounds, but the strong sense of community that makes our gym feel like family. Whether you're a beginner looking to try BJJ, a seasoned practitioner, or someone coming back after a break, there's a place for you here at DKMMA.
Tuesday, 21 January 2025
46 Rounds of Sparring for my 46th Birthday
To celebrate my 46th birthday, I rolled 46 rounds of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with my incredible students—all for a good cause! 💪🎉 Each student made a donation to charity to take part in this special event, showcasing the power of community, fitness, and giving back. Throughout the day, we had fun, laughed, and shared unforgettable moments on the mats, all while supporting a charity that means a lot to us. ❤️ This video highlights not just the sparring rounds, but the strong sense of community that makes our gym feel like family. Whether you're a beginner looking to try BJJ, a seasoned practitioner, or someone coming back after a break, there's a place for you here at DKMMA.
Thursday, 5 December 2024
BJJ Grading FAQs
Grading Starts on Saturday at 11am and will finish at 12.30
What do I need to wear?
Wear a white gi and make sure your belt has the correct number of stripes.
How do I know if I’m eligible for grading?
Everyone is welcome to attend and take part in the grading. There are no entry requirements. I would advise all current BJJ students to attend and take part so you get an idea of what’s involved in our gradings and also to help support your team mates.
I haven’t been training enough in BJJ / I haven’t been training in the Gi?
Come along and take part anyway so you can help support your team. You would want them to be there to support you.
What techniques do I need to know?
Grades are awarded based on knowledge of BJJ as well as performance on the mat. There are no specific techniques you need to know for each grade.
Will it be too hard for me?
No. If you have been training regularly in our normal BJJ classes you won’t find the grading day any more difficult than a normal class. Obviously for students going for higher grades the grading is tougher due to more rounds of sparring however you by the time you are ready to grade to a higher belt you will be more than ready for these challenges due to your consistent training.
How much are the grading fees and where can I pay ?
We don’t charge for gradings. You earn your belt by training consistently for years and years and being a good training partner. At the higher belts you may need to pay a registration fee to the Ibjjf to have your belt officially recognised and certified.
Is it possible to be ungraded ?
Yes. This Saturday we will officially be introducing ‘ungrading’. This is a special ceremony for students who have been promoted to a particular belt but have slacked off significantly or avoided training with tougher sparring partners. We will also be removing stripes from students who’ve been training for an extended period of time but still cannot escape from Mount.
www.dkmma.com.au
Monday, 2 December 2024
DKMMA Zero 2 Hero MMA Training Camp
Always wanted to LEARN MMA and test yourself in competition?







Sunday, 7 May 2023
Long Term BJJ Training
Eleven years ago since I got my black belt and I thought this would be useful advice for anyone who is in the earlier stages of their JiuJitsu training.
Although it’s definitely important to have goals I think it’s also important to realise that goal setting will only get you so far. You have to enjoy the training in order to stick with it and to train consistently.Most people won’t really enjoy training, they might enjoy it for the first few weeks or months but after that the novelty will wear off.
That’s why all the gradings and coloured belts in martial Arts were invented in the first place. To motivate people into training consistently because they feel they will get some kind of tangible reward at the end.
The bad news is these rewards can be meaningless and don’t really work. If you don’t train consistently you won’t make progress and if you don’t make any progress you won’t enjoy the training.
Even after you reach a major milestone such as a black belt you realise that you still need to keep training to maintain and improve on the progress you have made. The longer you train the smaller increments of progress you will make and the time between these improvements seems longer.
Real Martial arts and combat sports training is tough and it isn’t for everyone. I think most people will figure out within a few weeks of their first sessions whether they want to do this long-term or not.
To me, martial arts is a lifelong pursuit. It’s about gradually improving my skill level, understanding and ability even if it’s only a small amount every year for as long as I possibly can.
Wednesday, 3 May 2023
Learn MMA in Melbourne
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Learn MMA in Melbourne
The DKMMA program is the top choice for martial arts training in Melbourne. Check out our Exclusive Online Offer today or request more information!
DKMMA is Melbourne’s #1 destination for MMA. We follow a structured approach to MMA training and pride ourselves on coaching excellence while providing a safe and welcoming environment for all levels and abilities.

MMA has rapidly risen to become one of the fastest-growing and most popular sports in the world. As popularized by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), MMA is a combination of the very best of all martial arts and combat sports. MMA is a proven form of self-defence and a fantastic way to get fitter & stronger.
The DKMMA curriculum caters to students of all fitness levels, from complete beginners to experienced professional fighters. Our highly-qualified, professional coaches have the expertise and experience to help you reach your goals.
DKMMA is the home of one of the longest-running MMA Teams in Melbourne.
DKMMA classes place a strong emphasis on combat effectiveness, correct technique, building confidence and personal development. You will get fit and learn new self-defence skills while training in a safe, structured, and professional environment.
DKMMA is renowned for its quality coaching and training. Our coaches are some of the most experienced in Australia with over 25 years of experience in competing and coaching.
DKMMA is home to several state and national champions. We cater to all different levels from complete beginners to experienced Professional MMA Fighters.
What Will I Learn In MMA Class?
You will learn how to integrate striking and grappling skills together in MMA classes as well as how to apply them inside the cage and how to train and prepare correctly for an MMA fight.
Why Train MMA At DKMMA?
Learn MMA in Melbourne
DKMMA is the Premier Martial Arts Academy in Melbourne. We have World Class coaching in a World Class Academy. We have everything you need under one roof with classes in BJJ, Muay Thai, Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts.
You will develop your MMA skills safely & effectively & achieve your personal goals at DKMMA.
MMA combines the most effective techniques from all Martial Arts Styles as proven in the UFC and other Mixed Martial Arts events.
Each MMA Class at DKMMA focuses on the highest percentage combat tested techniques.
Our Classes are professionally planned, structured, and supervised.We follow a precise curriculum that maximizes your MMA learning and development while allowing you to learn in a fun, safe and cooperative environment.
Get fit, lose weight, and increase strength while learning Real Martial Arts
Develop more mental focus and increased energy levels while releasing stress and making new friends.
Learn Effective self-defence skills that will give you the confidence to protect yourself and your family.
Learn MMA in Melbourne
Thursday, 21 July 2022
Bushido Fight Night 3 - Full Fight Card
Live MMA Action in Melbourne
Just over a week to go.
Bushido 3 - The Last Samurai will be back at @thornburytheatre
Just over a week to go.
Thursday, 30 June 2022
How to get your BJJ Black Belt.
BJJ differs from other martial arts in that there are no clear requirements for getting your black belt or if there are, they vary from school to school.
https://dkmma.com.au/beginners-bjj-course
Other traditional martial arts, on the other hand, usually have very clear-cut criteria about what you need to do to achieve each belt on the way to becoming a black belt. In karate, for example, there are certain techniques you have to be able to demonstrate and katas you have to perform before you can move up a belt. Even in Judo, which is the closest thing to BJJ, there is a progression path used all over the world for accumulating competition points, demonstrating certain techniques, and then performing the Nage no Kata to obtain a black belt.
Sunday, 23 August 2020
The Problem with Amateur MMA
I've had a lot of involvement in Amateur MMA over the last twenty years first as a competitor and then as a coach. My first amateur fight was on my coach Fred Rados Pancrase event in London in September 2000. I competed in around 30 amateur matches in events such as Pancrase and KSBO before graduating to pro rules fights.
I competed in MMA to test myself and gauge my progress rather than seeing it as a career. Becoming a professional cage fighter wasn't a viable career option back in the early 2000s, MMA / NHB / Cage Fighting was a freak show sport back then and was still banned in most places.
Over the years MMA has become more and more mainstream. The sport of amateur MMA has also progressed a lot to the point where there are now large international amateur MMA competitions. I think this is great and I would always encourage my fighters to gain experience as an amateur if they are serious about having a successful fight career (I have previously made the point in this article - http://www.dkmmacoaching.com/2019/10/the-importance-of-amateur-mma.html?showComment=1598179230582#c7257568754422585315)
However, there are several problems that I see with the sport of amateur MMA which will need to be addressed for the sport to continue to grow:
Amateur MMA as a Pathway to Professional MMA:
The first problem is that it is obviously not really necessary to compete as an amateur to compete at the highest levels in MMA.
Every aspiring fighter wants to fight in the UFC, Bellator or One FC but Amateur MMA isn't always seen as a pathway to the highest level of competition.
It is unheard of in boxing for a fighter to turn pro unless they have had a long and successful amateur career. Almost every top professional Boxer in history was also an amateur champion before turning professional.
If we look at most of the champions or top ten fighters, they didn't compete in amateur tournaments - they came straight from the elite level of other combat sports - wrestling, kickboxing or Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Of the current UFC champions, there are very few that have had any amateur fights before starting their pro career.
Having a lengthy amateur career may lead to the fighter taking excessive unnecessary damage when it could be argued that you would be better just developing elite skills and competing in one of the three areas of wrestling, striking or BJJ and then transferring to MMA.
There are also arguably even easier entry pathways to make it to the big shows. These include building a 'padded record'. Fights against opponents who are picked specifically to lose so you can get into the big event with an undefeated record or having a flamboyant screen personality and getting there via a reality TV show.
Obviously, the problem with these last two options is that you will quickly get exposed once you actually fight at the higher levels but nonetheless they do seem like attractive alternatives for the up-and-coming fighter who is trying to fast-track his way to the top.
Not enough fighters to make Amateur MMA worthwhile
As mentioned above many fighters will just go straight to pro or will focus on competing in individual sports such as kickboxing and wrestling so that leaves a smaller talent pool of amateur MMA fighters. This, in turn, makes it difficult to hold worthwhile MMA tournaments or MMA circuits because the best fighters probably aren't competing so even if you win it might be meaningless in the long term.
Another problem is that with amateur MMA, there will never be enough fighters willing to step up and compete. At every 'MMA' Gym there will be members training and even competing in kickboxing or grappling but very few training in both & combining styles and even fewer willing to step up and compete, usually citing the reasons that they haven't been doing enough grappling recently because they've been focusing on their striking or vice versa. Of the few that do compete, they will usually only compete once or twice rather than committing to a longer-term amateur career.
One of the reasons for this may be that there just aren't enough regular amateur events to build up the necessary numbers of fighters. Most amateur fighters are lucky if they get the opportunity to fight three or four times per year compared to sports like amateur boxing where you could conceivably fight every weekend.
The problem of what is the difference between an amateur and a pro?
In most sports, the term 'Professional' usually has connotations of being a super-elite high-level athlete. This is usually the case in sports such as football or basketball but fighting is a different story. Anyone who has been involved for any length of time knows that being a ‘professional fighter’ is usually a meaningless term. Anyone can get a professional fighter's licence regardless of their skill or ability whereas not everyone can become a professional football player. The reason for this is that in combat sports the focus is less on skill level and more on selling tickets.
It is not uncommon to see amateur fighters who are light years ahead of some 'Professional' fighters in terms of skill and experience. This is something that would usually never happen in other sports and for that reason, it makes the entire concept of Amateur and Professional MMA somewhat meaningless.
I think a useful idea in the future would be that fighters aren't granted a professional fighters licence unless they have a minimum number of legitimate amateur matches with a specific winning ratio or have equivalent high-level experience in another combat sport.
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Why MMA Fighters must train in regular classes - MMA Melbourne
Why do some MMA fighters have successful careers while others start off well but then quickly go downhill?
I’ve seen fighters have a lot of success early in their career, then they stagnate, they stop improving and gradually get worse and worse results. How can we explain this deterioration of skill level and results?
There are several factors that can have a bad long term effect on a fighters career.
They see top professionals like Floyd Mayweather training like this so they assume that's what they should be doing too. They also think they’ve become too good to train with the regular students and that all the training should be focused around them and their competition goals,
The reality is that if you are already an elite world champion like mayweather then it makes sense not to do regular classes. There's a point of diminishing returns, time is better spent doing training that is solely focused on you. Also, if you are already a world champion you can afford to pay your trainers and sparring partners a full time salary so they can work around your schedule,
They believe training should be all just focused around them, This is completely unrealistic, Even if the fighter is paying his trainer 10-20% of the fight purse, it is very unlikely that any decent or suitably qualified trainer will be willing and able to devote all their time over the course of an 8 week training camp.
They think they already know everything that's being taught in class so there's no point wasting time practicing it again. This is usually never the case. There isalways more to learn and more skills to be refined and improved upon.
Disadvantages of only doing fight training:
There are several common patterns which I notice from fighters who only do ‘Fight Camps’ rather than regular training. These include stagnation and deterioration of ability.
The fighter may be able to maintain their current level of skill, technique and fitness but is not improving and will not be capable of beating the next level of opponent.
The fighters coach who was probably responsible for the initial success doesn't want to work with the athletes who don't attend his classes regularly as this sets a bad example to the other students.
This often leads to the fighter finding other coaches who are willing to work them but usually the replacement coaches are inexperienced and just trying to make a name for themselves which will ultimately do more harm tahn good to the fighters career.
Its very important to continually keep improving and updating your skills. MMA fighting is a game of levels. If you beat a fighter of one level then you will have to move up to the next level to keep progressing your fight career. The level of skills and ability that was required to beat your previous opponent will not be enough to beat your next opponent.
46 Rounds of Sparring for my 46th Birthday
To celebrate my 46th birthday, I rolled 46 rounds of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with my incredible students—all for a good cause! 💪🎉 Each studen...

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