Bayo & Liani Torres: Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature

This weeks featured WNY MMA & Fitness Jiu-Jitsu and Kids MMA members are: BAYO AND LIANI TORRES!!!

by Cara Nassar

Bayo and Liani are the epitome of dedication.

I don't think there is anyone quite as dedicated as the two of them. They love this sport, and they love this gym. 

They really do.

The one other thing that stands out to me about the two of them is their good-hearted nature, a quality that Liani clearly has inherited from her father. It shines through.

A native Puerto Rican, Bayo moved to New York in his mid-twenties for work. Liani was very young at the time.

How did you both get into martial arts?

Bayo –Since I was a kid I had an interest in martial arts and boxing. Boxing is a major sport in Puerto Rico. I originally came to Buffalo cause of work, then I started looking for an academy for boxing. I found WNY MMA at the old location and talked to Coach Dub about it. At that moment he convinced me to join jiu-jitsu. Specifically Alliance.

Liani - I was getting bullied in my old school, so my mom said I should go to my dad’s gym because they teach martial arts. I switched schools so the bullying stopped, but I see other kids getting bullied. When I see other kids getting bullied I give them a card and try to get them to come try it out.

How long have you been training?

Bayo – Two years. I was training everyday for the first year. Sometimes twice a day.

Liani - A year or a year and a half.

Why WNY MMA & Fitness?

Bayo – I liked that everything was clean. When I talked to Dub he was super convincing and it made me feel like this is what I needed. I needed something more suave.

What do you like about WNY MMA & Fitness? Anything you don’t like?

Liani - I like this place because you can meet friends, you can learn a lot. And also adults can meet friends and learn too. They have really nice people here and really nice managers and people who work here. There is nothing I don’t like!

Bayo – Everything. I like everything. I like everybody. All my coaches, Dub and Matt. I like Matt’s fancy techniques.All my teammates. Being an assistant in kid’s class. Sometimes it fixes my day. Every time I see a kid smiling it’s special for me. I love everything here.

Have you won anything?

Bayo – In 2012 I went to Boston for the IBJJF Boston open. I took second place. It was my first experience in a competition and it was huge. I was nervous, but I learned  a lot. It was also hard for me cause I had to cut weight for the first time in my life. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling ready to roll. I was feeling like 'I need food! I need to eat! I need something!' I felt weak and I tried, but lost by a few points. After that I went to Mission Submission 2 in Erie, PA. No time, only submission. I don’t even know how many matches I won, but I won a lot. I didn’t take 1^st place but I learned, and learned, and learned. My last match lasted 49 minutes. No GI. I’m still working on my lower body through an injury but in the future I want to keep competing. My personal opinion is you’ll never know how you’ll do until you put yourself in the real situation. I try to get experience that way. I plan to keep on doing tournaments.

Liani - I want to and I’m going to! I want to compete in a kids MMA tournament.

What does it mean to you to be a fighter?

Bayo – I’m a fighter already. I don’t need to go to a cage to show anyone. I know what I can do. I’m confident of my techniques, thanks to my teammates and coaches.

Liani - To me a fighter is.. you have to be healthy, exercise daily, get really strong and learn how to defend yourself.

What are your goals/what do you hope to accomplish in the near future?

Liani - I want to compete soon and be an MMA model in MMA magazines like Rhonda Rousey.

Who are your biggest inspirations?

Liani - Rhonda Rousey and also Valerie Aspass. They are both really good fighters.

Bayo – In MMA George St. Pierre . Lyoto Machida. Victor Belfort. Helio Gracie. Kyra Gracie. Miesha Tate. Rhonda Rousey.

Liani

How old are you?

9 years old.

What belt are you?

I am a yellow stripe. Between a yellow and a white belt.

What do you know how to do that you can teach to others?

I know how to do an arm bar. I would show them with another person who knows it, but I would not really do it! [laughs]

What are three words you would use to describe yourself?

Strong. Creative. I’m a giver. Sometimes i'm a little grouchy [laughs].

And three words to describe your dad?

Awesome. Really good at fighting. Strong too!

What is your favorite thing about your dad?

I like it how he teaches others and he’s sweet sometimes because he can hug you he can love you and do a lot of sweet stuff. Sometimes when my mom’s not home he cooks for me.

What is something no one knows about you?

I like to learn a lot. I like to read a lot. I like math and reading comics.


You can see more in a video featuring Liani here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cveoMRRUQp4

“Liani has got the spirit of the tiger. I know it comes largely in part from her father – whom I once sparred with. I see it in the ferocity, will power and personal strength. Above all else she shows true dedication. She has been here whether there have been 15 kids or at times it’s been just her. Her arch nemesis is Landon – just kidding [laughs].” – Coach JJ

Bayo

What is your favorite submission?

Oh that’s a secret [laughs].

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I’m fast and sneaky. I’m light and strong. I don’t want to get injured anymore training. I believe in safe BJJ.

What are three words to describe yourself?

Honest. Family guy. Athletic.

And Liani?

Lover. She's a lover and she loves everybody. Fighter. Smart. Shes so smart. She’s got good grades and she does all her homework by herself.

What are you most proud of Liani for?

The confidence she’s built in the year and half she’s been training here. 

What is something about you that people here don’t know?

I’m honest with everyone. There isn’t really anything I hide from people. But when Im not training I do my doughnuts diet! And I’m in love with quesitos from the Puerto Rican bakery in Buffalo.

What is the biggest difference between New York and Puerto Rico?

The weather! And the language. What I like most about Puerto Rico is the culture, the weather and family of course. And NY? I love seeing and living every four seasons. I can’t wait to go skiing. The first time I saw snow I was 26 and in Long Island. It wasn’t even snowing, just flurries and it’s amazing honestly. The first time you are in touch with the snow and low temperatures it’s like a gift from earth, like going to the beach in the Caribbean.

What was the hardest adjustment for you when you moved here?

When I started in Western New York was being one of the smaller guys in the class. Until more people started to join our team, I was like struggling with that and the adaptation of a second language. But hey, Jiu-Jitsu is a Universal language meant for everybody! You should try it Cara!

I know you are a bit of an artist, can you talk about that? Do you do it just for fun? Who are your inspirations?

It runs in the family. My Uncle Eduardo Torres Soto, who just passed away this year, was a recognized artist / painter in Puerto Rico. He is one of my inspirations. I started my studies in visual art in 7th grade and did very well but decided to experiment art with developing photography. By that time there was non digital noting lol..... had a successful. I worked in television and as an event press photographer. I won a lot of contests, local and internationals. Yeahh I’m pretty good, now lets go back to Jiu Jitsu [laughs].

You can check out more of of Bayo’s art here: 

www.bayoantorres.com or http://www.modelmayhem.com/1057535

You said Jiu-Jitsu is everything. What did you mean by that?

I started training in the old gym they found the new location and I helped with the mats ring cage and building the gym. I do what I can for my team I teach all I know.. All my techniques. This is my family. I have no family in Buffalo so this is my family right here. Alliance forever! Jiu Jistsu is a lifestyle. It’s the one thing that keeps me busy, happy, confident and in shape. What I mean is for some reason all I think is Jiu-Jitsu, instead of my usual activities like tennis, drawing, photography.. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing [laughs].

And I have to ask! Whats with Bacon?!

I love bacon! I had to cut weight for the tournament Mission Submission 2 and it’s hard for me to cut weight. One day I was talking with Coach Corey about how to cut weight and he just kept saying “No bacon! No bacon! You can’t have bacon!” My teammates heard this and started calling me ‘Bacon.’ It stuck. They used to call me ‘El Conquistador’ because I’m from Puerto rico. Spanish blood.

"Bacon! That's Bayo's nickname. When people ask me why, I just say; Because everyone loves Bacon! Haha, seriously though, Bayo is that guy that shows up Day 1 and then again Day 2 and Day 3 and Day 4.... you get the idea. The guy just kept showing up, did what he was asked and subsequently earned his blue belt through me faster than I have ever gotten someone to blue; 12 months flat! The sky's the limit. Keep your eye out for this guy, he's going to be fun to watch!!" – Coach Mike “Dub” Dauenhauer

Hope you enjoyed this weeks Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature!

Brooke Hopkins (Pericak): Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature

This weeks featured Women's Fitness member is Brooke Hopkins (Pericak)!

by Cara Nassar

Brooke is a go-getter.

The one outstanding thing about her is her motivation. She would rather be up-and-at-'em than sitting by the wayside.

It's no wonder she is such a success story for the women's fitness program. She is one of the people that has been here the longest and her progress shows.

Beyond that she is a really sweet person and it was a pleasure getting to sit down with her and talk about her experiences at the gym.

How and when did you get into working out?

I danced my whole life from the time I was two and all through high school. In undergrad I cheered at Brockport for a couple years. After college I needed to do something so I started p90x about two or three years ago. Then I did insanity and other stuff on my own. I loved p90x. I hated insanity. I actually enjoyed p90x.

How did you find us?

I got engaged at the end of September of last year and the whole summer I didn’t do much of anything. I found the Groupon for this place online and I was only planning on coming for the month of December, but I’m still here! I really liked the class and the people. I never thought I would come here and actually make friends. I’ve made friends here that I can call and text and make dinner plans with.  Max and Steve are great. If I hadn’t known Sarah, who kept texting me to come all the time, I would have just stayed on the couch and ate M&Ms. [laughs] On top of all that, I’ve seen results. One of the first things I noticed was the change in my arms. And from all the kicks on the bags my stomach started to flatten out and my traps too.

What do you like/hate about the program?

I like that each class, each individual workout is different. With p90x it was the same. Every Monday here is arms, but it’s always different. I also like that it’s adaptable. As I was getting stronger Max would be like “let’s add some stuff!” It’s something that everyone can do because Max or Steve will modify it. I don’t like it when the classes get really big. When it’s crowded I feel that the workouts are easier and less challenging, or I’m not getting as good of a workout in.

How has it made you feel?

I’ve felt really good! I’ve gotten compliments on the way I look and how toned I’ve been. Going from p90x to insanity, I felt I lost muscle mass. I’m seeing different results even here than I’ve seen from insanity. With going to the classes it’s a different kind of workout. It’s a nice combination. We have bags and we have resistance, something I felt I didn’t really get from my other workouts. Even since the wedding I think I was able to get back into the swing of things more easily and I’ve kept wanting to come back because of the way I look and feel.

Did you face any obstacles throughout this whole program?

I think what has really held me back is my asthma. At first I would be huffing and puffing and had to stop to take a few minutes to rest. Once thing I’ve noticed a huge improvement on is an increase in my endurance. My breathing has improved immensely. I was worried to come over the summer because it’s so hot. I don’t think I would have been able to start this in the midst of the summer but from being here since December I was already conditioned enough to keep doing the workouts.

Who has inspired/motivated you most?

Max. There was one Saturday class that sticks out to me. It was in Mid-December around the time when I first started coming. I felt my face bright red and I was drained. I couldn’t keep up. I remember sitting by the side with my water and my inhaler and Max started talking to me. After that he would check on me in class to make sure I was okay. I knew he cared about me and my well being. When I started taking the advanced classes I started to work with Steve as well. During the 5:45 class when we were on the bags he would get the mitts out and we would use those so I could get a harder workout in. He is always telling me to keep going and not to stop and motivating me. Outside of the gym, my husband Brad. I always got constant reinforcement from him, saying he could see a difference. He was supportive understanding of me wanting to be here 4-6 times a week. He would give up our time together.

I know you were recently married! Tell me a little bit about that experience.

It was exhausting. There were days I wouldn’t want to come here, but having 45 minutes a day to do something not related to the wedding was nice. It was like my getaway. It was nice to see other people who weren’t talking about it all the time. It’s been my escape from the craziness. I was definitely ready to come back after, though, there was no exercising there!

What is your biggest big day advice?

Realize that it comes up very quickly! My biggest mistake in planning was being like ‘oh I still have 5 months. Oh I still have 4 months’ and then it was august and I had six weeks… and all the sudden it’s two weeks before the wedding and you have 100 things left to do, and I still wanted to be able to come here. Don’t assume that everything can wait. I would not have been able to do it without the support of my family, especially my mom. My sister is getting married in May I want to help her with that as much as possible. Also making time for yourself is important.

What was your favorite thing about your special day?

The reception. Just being able to spend the evening with everyone. It was nice to be able to see family and friends who traveled from Texas, Long Island, and for Brad from Florida, California, Virginia, just to be there for us. To be able to spend time with all of these people and know they want to see you and share your new day with you to celebrate the start of your new life with you.

Any funny stories from the gym?

Yes! The week before my wedding I was on the floor. I was lying down and Max almost stepped on my face, and instead missed my face by an inch and pulled my hair. I was like seriously?!?! A week before my wedding and I made it this far with no injury and he almost stepped on my face [Laughs].

What were your goals coming into this?

The scale has never worked in my favor. I haven’t even really lost weight, maybe 5 pounds, but I have been able to see the difference more than anything. In the summers up at camp I wanted to be able to feel like I didn’t have to put a tank top on to walk from the beach to the house to get a drink. That was another motivation for me, to get ready for the summer. I feel like a big defining moment for me was when Kelvin Martin asked me to do the photo shoot. It made me feel like my work here was paying off. To have someone that doesn’t even know me come up and ask to take my picture.

Any goals moving forward from this?

I want to try to get healthier than I was. The stress of everything has done me no good and Brad and I were getting fast food a lot from always being on the go. Now that we live together, I want to eat healthier and we cook together. This is actually something we both want. During the whole process we said we would be healthier because it’s something we both wanted. We want to keep working out and stay healthy. He lost about 10 lbs before the wedding too. We are just trying not to take any steps back. I wasn’t sure I would still be coming because I live in Cheektowaga and I wasn’t sure I would do it but I will be sticking around for awhile!

What do you do?

[Laughs] All I ever wanted in my life is for me to be able say what I do and people to understand. I’m a Pre-matriculation coordinator. Basically I work with 1^st generation and low-income fresh and sophomore students who want to get into a medical field. I meet with the once a month to see how they are doing and find out what they are struggling with. I do seminars with time management, money management and study skills to help them get through school. I got my masters in higher education student affairs at Canisius.

What is something that people don’t know about you?

I hate peanut butter. I hate the way it smells. Sometimes I tell people that I’m allergic because they just don’t understand it. [laughs]

“Brooke is an amazing motivation. From day one she was welcoming and nice. She is one of the main reasons I continued to come  to WNY MMA.” – Sara Kaplan, member

“Brooke is ripped! You would think it would intimidate other people from wanting to be with her or wanting to work with her. But it doesn’t because she is such a warm-hearted person. She is great to work with. The impressive thing about Brooke is that when she wants to do something she works harder than anyone to get where she wants to be.” – Steve “The Mermaid” Horton

“Brooke I think of you as a child of my own and honestly it was pleasure seeing you blossom into this health nut. Every time I talk to you it’s always something new regard fitness new exercise and I never get tired of hearing you say.. ‘that was an easy workout lets go harder next time!’ You f*!king rock!” – Coach Max Muscato


Hope you enjoyed this weeks Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature!

John Canestaro: Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature

This weeks featured Brazilian Jiu-Jistu member is JOHN CANESTARO!

Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature

October 11, 2013

by Cara Nassar

John is most well known around here for being funny.

You would never know it looking at him because he tends to come and go pretty quietly. But everyone always says he is a funny guy and I quickly came to find the truth in this as we sat down and spoke. He made me laugh at least a dozen times.

I don't know John very well, but what I can say is this: His friends speak very highly of him (when they aren't busting his balls) and it seems like overall he is really loved around this place. 

He loves his family, which consists of his wife Karyn and his 9-year-old daughter. And he loves his work. He is pretty successful, owning his own company Buffalo Power Washing, which he says keeps him pretty busy March through December.

Oh, and he loves donuts. (I still don't think I fully get that one.)

I had the pleasure of sitting down with John and talking about his experiences in at the World's Jiu-Jistu Championship and of his experiences in BJJ in general.

Tell me about your recent victory?

I took bronze at the Master and Seniors World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Long Beach California. It’s the world championships for older age groups. Last year I took double gold at blue belt. This year I won my weight at open weight division and took bronze. I competed in purple belt which was way freaking harder [laughs].

Tell me a little bit more about the tournament?

It’s stressful. It’s definitely stressful. It’s a huge tournament and people from all across the world compete. The guy I fought in quarter finals was from Honduras. There are a lot of tense moments leading up to it so when it’s over, just to be able to talk to everyone, relax and enjoy the moment was really cool. Now that I’ve been there a couple times I’m more used to what goes on so it’s a little bit less stressful. The World’s is not your run of the mill tournament by any means.

And the competition?

Before your first round they tell you who you are going to be competing against. First round quarter finals I get the name of the guy and I go to check Facebook and I come to find that he’s some jacked anti-terrorist [laughs]. I mean this guy has got assault rifles or he’s lifting weights in like all of his photos. Lots of people use Facebook to scope out the competition and here I am looking at this guy and I’m like that dudes probably looking at MY Facebook going this guy is some goof eating donuts in half of his pictures [laughs]. I ended up beating him anyway.

Is this something you are likely to do again?

Yes! I plan on going every year. Dan and I were talking about who would be coming with us because Dan says he is in for next year too. I would be excited if we could turn this into a big thing.

How did you get into Jiu-jitsu?

I started out as that guy trying to lose 15 pounds on the treadmill or the elliptical or lifting weights. Everyone talks about how they got into martial arts when they saw the original UFC tapes, but it wasn’t like that for me. I actually remember watching tapes of Matt Godden before he was my teacher and I remember being like ‘wow that’s so cool!’ I started talking to Coach Corey about it. Corey is a super nice guy and I told him I really would like to try it and I asked him if he thought I was too old. He was like “Nah man! Come on out!”

Really though, I suck at softball. Golf is not my thing. Basketball is not my thing. I used to wrestle in high school. So I said to myself I’m going to give a shot and give it a year and see what happens. I bought myself a year membership upfront to prevent myself from backing out and that was four years ago. Now it’s weird because I’m friends with all the people I used to watch in the videos. I once asked Matt if he knew I watched his videos and he goes “No…. that’s kinda creepy.” [laughs]

How long have you practiced Jiu-jitsu?

5 years. I started at 37.

How did you find us?

Matt opened up a gym in 2009 and at that point I thought this is it. It was my chance to start. At a brand new gym I won’t be the new guy because everyone is new. From there I pretty much followed Matt, but I love it here. We’ve got a lot of guys too. Bigger guys. Experienced guys. Guys around my age with families. I have more of a bond with people here than I think I would at another gym with younger guys.

What about Jiu-jitsu do you love/hate?

I love at the end of class you are sparring every day. You get a reward for practicing and learning the techniques and you get to apply them every day. It’s a big payoff to be able to get the aggression out. Not anything I don’t like about Jiu-jitsu in particular. I just wish I didn’t have four knee surgeries. A month into taking BJJ I tore the cartilage in my knee. I genetically have bad knees. But Jiu-jitsu is good option for anyone with knee problems. No running or jumping it’s all on the mat.

Who has influenced you most?

Matt. Matt has been the one since the beginning, but I think this is by far the best time for me to be doing jiu-jitsu. Dub and Matt are the perfect blend. They work well together. Coach Dub is awesome too, I have always idolized him. My wife Kayrn who has been very understanding of my passion for BJJ and I have really appreciated that.

What is your bread and butter move?

The Ezekiel choke. I’ve finished like half of my matches with that.

What has BJJ taught you?

You don’t have to be born with any type of ability. A lot of people think you have to be gifted. I’m not really gifted at anything. People think are born at 3^rd base with bases loaded and that they’ll hit a triple, but I don’t always think it’s like that. I’m a grinder. I think if you put the time and grind away you are going to get better no matter who you are. I guess what BJJ has taught me then is patience. They always say it’s a journey or at least that’s the big thing everyone talks about.

What would you say to someone that was thinking about joining?

For all those people who were like me that kept putting it off like ‘no I can’t do that,’ everyone is a newbie at some point. Give it a year and a year from now you will look back and realize that a far as jiu-jitsu goes you are a competent white belt. You would have some good experience. And until you get in here you are just wasting time. People think everyone is so mean at a gym. Everyone is so nice. I have 4-5 people from here that I text every day, 10-15 on weekly basis and 50 guys that all share this love and interest. At my age I feel lucky to have that because not everyone has that. Most people are lucky to hang onto a few good friends.

What do you wish more people knew about BJJ?

This is the big thing that drives me nuts. They don’t understand the progression. It takes 10-12 years to get your black belt. It took me five years to even get my purple belt, whereas some kid gets their black belt in tae kwon doe in five years. People don’t understand how long it takes to progress to black belt and then they ask me why I still am where I am. It drives me nuts.

What is some advice you would give to someone wanting to start BJJ?

Don’t be a spaz. People come in feeling like they have to prove themselves right from the beginning. You are supposed to suck when you start. Don’t try to overcompensate by doing needless things.

Did you always want to compete?

When I started out I had no real plans on competing. I did an in house tournament, and then I felt like I wanted to do a real one. After that I just kept progressing to bigger and bigger ones until finally I did the adult world championships last June where I went against a 20 done year old Olympic level black belt in judo from Mongolia. He dominated me, but it was good experience and I know it helped me win double gold at last year’s masters/seniors championships. I get nervous, but at the end of the day it's just a sport and if you lose, so what. The sun will rise the next day and my wife of 13 years and my 9 year old daughter will still love me the same, even if I get tapped.

Any thoughts of fighting MMA in the future?

I would like to. I have a nickname already picked out, "the jellyfish". I look soft and jiggly, but if I touch you it's going to hurt! I plan on standing over my unconscious opponent at the end and fake urinate on them to elevate the sting. [laughs] Just kidding! I would never do that. For now I will just concentrate on BJJ.

What is something people don’t know about you?

I have a guilty pleasure/ I love watching some of my daughter's shows like iCarly, Victorious and Full House. Sometimes I'll make it seem like I'm rewarding her for good behavior by putting on one of them for her, but really I want to watch it myself. My wife has walked into the room with me watching iCarly, an hour after our daughter has gone to bed.

“When John first started training with me he came in overweight and out of shape, I should say a complete slob [laughs]. But now he’s competing and placing at some of the biggest tournaments in the world. He is a great training partner and a great friend.” – Coach Matt Godden

"Big John is awesome. As one of the older guys in the gym he sets a great example for younger people of how to approach training. He listens, trains hard and tests himself in competition, even winning double gold medals as a blue belt at the World Championships. He's also one of the funniest people you'll ever meet. I rate Big John, 2 thumbs up!" – Coach Mike “Dub” Dauenhauer

“John is pretty much one of the reasons I kept training.” Jared Threat, member

“If I had a donut for every time John made me smile and laugh I'd own a Paula's donut shop to walk in. Big John is a good friend who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself. He inspired and motivated me to take my BJJ to the next level and compete in the Worlds Master & Senior tournament. It was an awesome and very rewarding experience and I have him to thank for it.” – Dan Lombardo, member

Hope you enjoyed this weeks Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature!