Author: Forged Bjj Krav Maga

Dennis Cregier, Owner and Head Instructor of Forged Self Defense Dennis has been training in the martial arts for over 40 years. He began his journey in New York, his home state, where he was first introduced to Western Boxing and Tang Soo Do Karate. Over the years, his experience has evolved into learning both Eastern and Western styles of martial arts. Dennis learned different styles to both educate and enhance is knowledge, techniques, theories, and forms to integrate the best disciplines in mixed martial arts. Dennis’s Martial Arts Credentials: - 3rd degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Tim Burrill/Carlos Machado - Black Belt in Krav Maga from Master Paul Garcia - Instructor in CT 707 Krav Maga from Nir Maman - Instructor in KCC/Knife Control Concepts from Aaron Jannetti - Level 3 Krav Maga from Ryan Hoover - Black Belt in Joe Lewis’s Karate/Kickboxing System - Black Belt in Kenpo Karate - Instructor in Muay Thai Kickboxing - Instructor in Filipino Martial Arts - Instructor in Filipino Dirty Boxing/Panantukan - Level 3 Knife Instructor from Sami Combat Systems - Level 3 Panantukan/ Filipino Dirty Boxing Instructor from Sami Combat Systems After working in New York as a personal trainer and a martial arts instructor for 15 years, Dennis decided to relocated to Massachusetts in 2002. Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts Academy was founded by Dennis in 2003 and he has since built a extraordinary school that contains the highest standards in Bjj/ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Krav Maga and Mixed Martial Arts for Adults and Kids by offering the most functional, realistic, innovative and enjoyable martial arts and fitness instruction. In 2020 Dennis changed the name of the school to Forged Self Defense.

Never Overlook BJJ as a Self Defense Art

On July 2, 2012 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The popularity of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and the massive growth of the tournament circuit has led many to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu/BJJ as a means of taking part in competition. This is all well and good but there was a day when BJJ was taught primarily as a self-defense art.   Here is some news: you always have to be capable of defending yourself in today’s day and age!

Learning BJJ can prove to be one of the best arts you can study when dealing with the realities of serious self-defense scenarios. Remember, in any self-defense situation, there is always the potential for a grave injury or even a fatality. When you are on the ground you will find yourself in a dire situation because you are prone to suffering from a blunt trauma injury to the head as the result of kicks or repeated punches. Such an attack could lead to the aforementioned fatality.

While there are definitely no easy answers or solutions to any self-defense situation, learning BJJ/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can definitely help you survive an assault that leaves you on the ground. The most obvious reason why would be the fact that it helps you move on the ground in the proper manner. By proper manner, it is meant that you won’t have any wasted motion that does little more than tire you out. You also will be able to move with an eye on proper defensive maneuvers that are designed to protect you from any serious injury that could potentially result.

What further contributes to the value of BJJ as a self-defense art would be the fact that it is an art based on leverage as opposed to strength. Yes, this is assessment is repeated so often people will take it for granted but you really should not. You do not want to combat a bigger and stronger assailant with force since you will likely lose such an encounter. However, if you use leverage and the law of physics, you will find it possible to address such a tough attacker in an effective manner that uses the opponent’s strength against him.

One other thing that does need to be mentioned would be the fact that BJJ puts a great deal of emphasis on chokes which are perfect for dealing with a larger and more powerful opponent. No matter how strong a person may be, if a choke is properly sunk in then the person is going to go to sleep – i.e. pass out.   And yes, BJJ is an excellent art for getting someone under control without hurting him. In many self-defense situations, this approach would be the preferred one since not all altercations revolve around hurting someone.

Granted, it is still a good idea to study striking and even weapons based arts for self-defense but BJJ does fill in a host of gaps in a self-defense game. Most people just do not know how to properly defend themselves on the ground. You will. That alone should give you much needed confidence.

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Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Salem MA , provides the most realistic and practical fitness & self-defense programs for Massachusetts and North Shore Area including:
Peabody MA, Salem MA, Beverly MA, Lynn MA, Marblehead MA, Danvers MA

Benefits of Training in Krav Maga Salem MA

On May 23, 2012 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

One criticism that is quite common of many of the traditional martial arts is that they often cannot be applied in real life. Sure, there are a lot of fancy moves, but they often won’t hold up when you’re trying to defend yourself out on the street. You see, most of the martial arts were actually developed to be sports, which is why they may not be really applicable in real life. However, Krav Maga is much different. It was developed for people who were in distress and there are no rules, just dirty fighting for survival. So, if you are considering training in Krav Maga, it is definitely a worthy pursuit; in fact, here are just a few of the benefits you’ll enjoy if you train in Krav Maga.

Benefit #1 – One of the main benefits of training in Krav Maga is that you’ll learn how to defend yourself in almost every situation. You’ll learn how to protect yourself on the street with your new skills. Whether you want to believe it or not, the world we live in is really not that safe and learning how to defend yourself is important. Training in Krav Maga will help you quickly learn simple and effective techniques that will help you stay safe.

Benefit #2 – Another great benefit of learning Krav Maga is that you will no doubt get into great shape quite quickly. Krav Maga is very demanding physically and the training will help you lose fat, gain muscle, and will have you looking and feeling great in no time. Your strength, stamina, endurance, and flexibility will also increase as you train as well.

Benefit #3 – Many people don’t deal with stress because they are fearful and anxious. When you learn Krav Maga, you’ll learn how to deal with that stress, how to function with it, and how you can recover. You’ll also learn how to get tough internally and externally. Also, since it is such a high energy workout, it will work as a stress reliever too.

Benefit #4 – Since Krav Maga will be teaching you how to hone your own natural reactions, it will be easy to learn and will provide you with a boost in your self confidence as well. Those training you will keep you motivated and will help you achieve the goals you have been striving towards. At the end of the training, you’ll leave a much more confident individual than when you came.

Benefit #5 – If you want to be on the cutting edge of self defense, then Krav Maga is a great choice. Today it is one of the martial arts that is the fastest growing throughout the world. It is used by the Secret Service, the FBI, the CIA, and even NYPD. There are a variety of celebrities that are also learning this style of self defense, including Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Swayze, and Lucy Liu. You won’t have to worry about rituals or outfits, but you’ll get the best self defense training out there today.

Benefit #6 – Yet another important benefit of training in Krav Maga is that you’ll learn situational awareness and how you can be aware of what is going on in every situation. This is extremely important, since self defense actually starts out with being aware of what is going on around you.

Benefit #7 – Not only are you going to learn about properly defending and protecting yourself and others, but the training is actually exciting and enjoyable as well. As you learn Krav Maga you’ll have a great time, learning new things, meeting new people, and building your confidence in yourself. You won’t have to worry about boring classes, or senseless rituals. You can have a great time, all the while learning one of the best methods of hand to hand combat out there.

Benefit #8 – Self Control – As you train in Krav Maga, you’ll also learn a lot about self control. You will learn to develop your senses and you’ll also learn how to foresee any movements that your attacker may make. As you train more and more in this martial art, more and more of the moves will become instinctive to you, which is important. Instead of having to think about the moves before you perform them, eventually it will become a reflexive movement that is controlled by the brain. Being able to have this type of self control is important, since you’ll have to rely on instincts if you are ever attacked.

As you can see, there are many great benefits to training in Krav Maga. If these benefits look appealing to you, then consider signing up for a class in your area today. No doubt you will never regret making this choice and you’ll be adequately prepared to meet adversity in your life.

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Facts from this article were taken from: http://www.aboutkravmaga.com/the-benefits-of-training-krav-maga/

Tim Burrill Brings His Unmatched Teaching Styles to Dragon Within!

On March 17, 2012 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

On Saturday, March 24th, Dragon Within Martial Arts will be hosting a Tim Burrill Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Side Control Workshop. Tim Burrill is a huge mentor of Dennis Cregier‘s (owner/head instructor of Dragon Within Martial Arts, Salem MA).

Along with being of the first Americans to receive his Black Belt from Carlos Machado; Tim Burrill has worked with Martial Arts legends such as: Jean Jaque Machado, Rigan Machado, Roger Machado and Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera (UFC fighter 19-9-0 record).

We are very excited to have Tim Back again. He brings such a unique style of teaching that we are all left with a new way of looking at something that we may have never known.

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The Importance of “Stranger Danger” Awareness!

On February 15, 2012March 17, 2012 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I came across this video today on from ABC News, and it made me so sick to my stomach to think that there are these types of people in the world. Thankfully, this story had a happy ending. This little girl (just 7 years old) was at Walmart, with her mother. She left her alone for a few minutes and a man tried to kidnap her. This girl fought back and the guy let her go. It is so important to give your kids the “fight back” mentality and to educate all children on how to get away if something like this ever happens to one of them (let’s hope they never have to use it).

IMPORTANT!!
NEVER leave your child unattended in a store. With that said, I know you can’t always be at your child’s side. You have to let them do things alone…eventually. If this video scares you about your child then you should act. Learn what your children know about strangers. Test them. Above all, the best way to fully equip your child with the skills and knowledge to be able to get away and get help if they ever come across a person trying to harm them would be to sign them up for martial arts training.

At Dragon Within Martial Arts, we center our curriculum not on just traditional martial arts like karate, or Judo (etc) or for martial arts competitions but more to educate your children on how to protect themselves if they ever came across a bully, or even worse, a person who wants to hurt them. The instructors will show them what to do in an emergency situation from how to identify a “stranger danger” and what they should do if they came across one to knowing their phone number if they ever got lost or were in a bad situation. Also, the self-defense system we teach, is very realistic an practical so if they had to fight back, they could get away and find help.

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Progression To Black Belt: What does it mean?

On December 2, 2011March 17, 2012 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn BJJ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, DWMMA, DWMMA - Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Fitness, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA, UncategorizedLeave a comment

There is a lot of questions regarding our newest saying written up above on the beam giving sturdy foundation to our building: WE ARE A BLACK BELT SCHOOL. What does that mean? It means that it’s our mission, as martial arts instructors, and as leaders, to help you EARN that black belt. It doesn’t mean that everybody who walks through that door will get a black belt. It means that once you put that clean, bright, white belt on and step onto the mat–it is the beginning of a fantastic journey in the progression towards earning your black belt.

Now, a black belt itself is nothing more than fabric placed upon your waste. You wear your belt with pride and respect for martial arts, but the value of BEING a black belt is much more. It is about knowledge, dedication, discipline, respect, commitment to martial arts and humbleness to know that even once you’ve reached that coveted black belt, your journey has just begun.

The lot of people who come in looking to take Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/BJJ, or even Krav Maga, don’t necessarily have earning their black belt as their driving force behind taking martial arts. Some do it for fitness, self-defense or even just for fun. Somewhere along the way, something clicks within them– that on top of all the great benefits of martial arts, there is a solemn driving force of transforming as a human being, intellectually and spiritually being in tune. Of not getting your black belt but BEING a Black Belt.

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Mixed Martial Arts and It’s Benefits for Kids

On November 26, 2011March 17, 2012 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn BJJ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, DWMMA, DWMMA - Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA1 Comment

The list of benefits for children who practice mixed martial arts is incredible! There are a lot of people who speculate that MMA/Mixed Martial Arts isn’t for kids based solely on what they see on UFC; however, the reality of mixed martial arts and children isn’t one geared towards fighting–but more of a way to give your child confidence. There are a lot of strong positive applications for mixed martial arts that reaches far beyond learning self-defense or keeping your child physically active.

Here are a few examples of how Mixed Martial Arts/MMA has helped a few of our students….

One main value gained from children taking Mixed Martial Arts/MMA is the level on confidence that it instills within them. At Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, we don’t force children to compete. We do (however) have a few who like to compete and it’s a great confidence builder! We have these four kids (ages ranging from 10-16) who love to compete in NAGA (North American Grappling Association). They have been written up in our local paper and it makes them feel good about their accomplishments. It also teaches them that, win or lose, if they gave it their all–they should be proud of what they have achieved. Being a sore loser isn’t an attribute in any of these kids. They are humble in their achievements and gracious in the lesson learned from their defeats which makes them work even harder next time. They set goals and work to achieve them. Which is a huge thing for kid’s to learn: goal setting.

There is a simple benefit from kid’s enrolled in mixed martial arts; it can improve the results in almost anything that you do in conjunction with their Mixed Martial Arts/MMA classes. We have one teen, 15 years old, who is flourishing in school with A’s and B’s and this all started when he began his training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/BJJ.

The Most IMPORTANT thing to stress is that our programs at DWMMA, Salem MA, instills confidence in Children! Whether it is performance in school or sports they have the confidence to perform to their fullest potential. Or, if they were to encounter bullying or peer pressure–they have the confidence to make the best decisions to make you proud as a parent.

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Why Train Krav Maga?/@DWMMA Salem MA

On November 12, 2011March 17, 2012 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn BJJ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, DWMMA, DWMMA - Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Events, Fitness, Mixed Martial Arts, MMALeave a comment

Krav Maga (Massachusetts) is a system; some would argue a philosophy; that was born out of necessity. After Israel gained it’s independence in 1948, Krav Maga’s founder Imi Lichtenfeld was asked to develop an unarmed combat system for the state’s new army. He had a problem though–this army wasn’t like most armies…Instead of physically fit, gung ho, 18 year old recruits–the Israeli Army was comprised of recruits ages 15-55. Imi had to come up with a realistic defense system that would work for everybody. The system, now known as, Krav Maga, had to be:

Easy to learn
Easy to perform
Easy to remember under stress
Must work from an unprepared position.

Lucky for us, these same prerequisites apply to teaching self-defense in Salem Ma today. At Dragon Within Martial Arts, you’ll learn that the system is:

Instinctual – rather than fighting your natural instincts, we’ll show you how Krav Maga Salem Mass, uses those instincts to your advantage.
It is an integrated system – ideas like “redirect” the “pluck, which you’ll see in almost every class, are a few basic tools that are used over and over again. With fewer tools, it’s easier to remember.
Krav Maga teaches you to defend and attack simultaneously, switching the balance of power to your favor. It’s faster and it also prevents us from mentally falling into a “victim mentality”.
You’ll see that Krav Maga teaches aggressiveness – this brings our training alive and in a real self-defense situation will neutralize the attacker more quickly.
You’ll also see that we test our responses under stress – multiple attackers, from multiple directions. You fight how you train. How you respond in the gym is how you respond in the street.

While these are principles that were used to construct the system, there is only one “rule” in Krav maga: rules create limitations. A street fight is not sport fighting. The one rule… go home safely.

But enough reading about Krav Maga, come down to the academy to try it out!

Learn Self-Defense, Gain Confidence and Get in Great Shape. Discover how anyone can Train and Enjoy Krav Maga Salem MA, regardless of your Age, Fitness level or Experience.

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Learn to KICK ASS, With Krav Maga, Salem MA

On October 27, 2011March 17, 2012 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn DWMMA, DWMMA - Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, FitnessLeave a comment

There are many benefits to training in Krav Maga, Salem Massachusetts. You learn real-life self-defense techniques, and get in great shape at the same time. The experience of a krav maga class is different from any other style.

What makes Krav Maga Massachusetts different from other styles in the intensity of the training. It is non-stop action that gets your adrenaline pumping, and challenges you both physically and mentally. so, you will not only build muscle and strength, you will also sharpen you mind and senses.

The classes are designed this way not just for the excitement and entertainment value. The philosophy behind the training methods is that in order to really be able to perform in a street fight, self-defense, situation–you have to train yourself to deal with the adrenaline and stress that comes with it.

Krav Maga trains you to deal with stress, fight under pressure, and deal with even the most unexpected attack. There is not other style that can duplicate the skills that you develop in Krav Maga MA. So, if you would like to REALLY learn how to defend yourself in any situation, get yourself into Krav Maga ASAP!

Learn Self-Defense, Gain Confidence and Get in Great Shape. Discover how anyone can Train and Enjoy Krav Maga Salem MA, regardless of your Age, Fitness level or Experience.

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Krav Maga And Fitness

On October 20, 2011 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn DWMMA, DWMMA - Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Events, Fitness, MMALeave a comment

Is Krav Maga just for self-defense?

Although Krav Maga was designed for street self-defense and hand-to-hand combat, today it is becoming a popular way to stay in shape. Krav Maga, the martial art of the Israeli army, has been used for the training regimen of choice of many of Hollywood’s top stars such as: Ashton Kutcher, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez— and now, it’s coming to Salem Mass, so it’s available for you too.

People who train in Krav Maga aren’t just learning practical self-defense skills to be able to protect themselves in any situation–they are losing weight, they are gaining confidence and they are getting healthy in a fun way.

So what about Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is an incredibly functional, realistic form of self-defense, however its added benefits are beneficial for anybody looking to get in shape with an awesome cardio workout and toned functional muscles. It will help build your mental health with personal empowerment, balance and confidence that you will be able to stay safe in virtually any situation. Although, the art of Krav Maga isn’t necessarily designed for these benefits alone; they are by products. The principals behind Krav Maga is to be able to fight while fatigued during combat or a street altercation. You must be able to push yourself to your limits and beyond. With that as a building block to Krav Maga; needless to say, the class will be intense exercise.

Krav Maga is:

Simplicity– It is designed for people to learn the techniques quickly because they are based on natural body movements. This makes it simple for anybody to learn and enjoy the benefits.

Aggressiveness– In a real life self-defense situation; you need explosive power, and aggressiveness! The curriculum of Krav Maga, the intensity and aggressiveness of the martial art alone translates into burning lots of calories fast.

Fun- With regular exercises, it’s easy to get bored with your same old work out regime. Krav Maga is a fast-paced, fun and interesting way to stay in shape and alter your body and mind for the better.

For more Information on Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts or Krav Maga North Shore MA
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Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Salem MA , provides the most realistic and practical self-defense programs for Massachusetts and North Shore Area including:
Peabody MA, Salem MA, Beverly MA, Lynn MA, Marblehead MA, Danvers MA

Why Train Mixed Martial Arts/MMA at DWMMA

On October 7, 2011 By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn DWMMA, Fitness, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA1 Comment

Why Mixed Martial Arts? What are the benefits of MMA/Mixed Martial Arts training and why is it more effective than traditional martial arts? Success in Mixed Martial Arts/MMA lies in adapting many styles. While each martial art has its attributes– it has its gaps as well. By cross training in different arts, as you do with MMA/Mixed Martial Arts, you fill yourself with more knowledge of different self-defense skills that make for a more well-rounded defense system.

Cross training in different arts that compliment each other can be extremely beneficial to the practitioner by making your self-defense techniques more realistic and practical by filling the gaps that you encounter in each art. This is why Mixed Martial Arts(MMA) is such an effective “fighting style”. The definition of Mixed Martial Arts(MMA) isn’t the training of particular martial arts, or even necessarily to become a UFC fighter, like our former BJJ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/MMA Mixed Martial Arts mentor, Kenny “KenFlo” Florian–it’s a combination of many arts such as: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu(BJJ), Muay Thai Kickboxing, Boxing, Karate, Judo, Wrestling, and Western Boxing. Our goal, at Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, is to offer you the most realistic, and functional self-defense training around and with cross training in different martial arts, you will be confident that you will be able to defend yourself in virtually ANY situation.

Check out UFC 136 This Saturday October 8th to see our Former BJJ/MMA Mentor Kenny Florian vs Jose Aldo

Want to train Mixed Martial Arts/MMA or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/BJJ Like Kenny Florian?

DWMMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Salem Mass– we take the most effective combat techniques from styles such as Karate, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Judo, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Western Boxing. The blending of all these arts is what creates a unique fighting system. Most MMA/Mixed Martial Arts gyms and programs are geared toward the fighters. Our unique approach makes this high-level training safe and fun for students of all ages and interest levels!

Learn Self-Defense, Gain Confidence and Get in Great Shape. Discover how anyone can Train and Enjoy (MMA) Mixed Martial Arts Salem MA, regardless of your Age, Fitness level or Experience.

Check out our Website
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