Ken Primola feels mixed martial arts needs to grow in the Cayman Islands.
The veteran American grappler, a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt who has been involved with the sport for more than 20 years, was in Cayman recently for sparring sessions with Ironshore Martial Arts Club. In his brief time on these shores, the Philadelphia native said he got a feel for where the discipline should go.
“I think the level of jiu jitsu on island is good,” Primola said. “I think there isn’t enough of it on the island and people need to know more about it. The word has to get out. Jiu jitsu is a very helpful outlet and form of expression for a lot of people. It’s also a way for people to make friends and feel part of a community.”
Primola, who earned his black belt in 2009, focused on various points related to grapples, submission maneuvers and defense while in Cayman. Roughly eight Ironshore club members were present, including Flloyd Moxam, Ian Charlery, and club lead instructor Leif Ristimaki.
Under Ristimaki’s tutelage, numerous club members have competed abroad and won medals. T.J. Hucker, for example, won two silver medals at North America Grappling Association tournaments last year in New York and Florida.
Primola, who was brought to Cayman by Ironshore member Dan Lamarca, said he enjoyed his first visit.
“I had a pretty stellar time. My goal was to enjoy myself, teach, and to learn about each individual’s style and thoughts on jiu jitsu. These guys showed me a great time. The island was so clean, so friendly, so classy. I had such a fun time and was treated like a king. I found Ironshore to be a great bunch of guys and the direction it is headed is positive. I got to know each person on a personal level by asking a ton of questions.
“I like to understand who is behind jiu jitsu and I find the only way to do that is through deep communication. And I found out in one week a lot about who I was dealing with – some solid individuals.” He added, “I think if people are reading this article, you owe it to yourself to check Ironshore out. Jiu jitsu isn’t as intimidating as people make it out to be. It’s fun and you will be connected with a great group of guys and gals who can really change your life. Simply put, jiu jitsu will empower your life.”
Moxam, who serves as an assistant coach at Ironshore, said there are plans to bring in more experienced fighters like Primola.
“The team feels that the visit was an awesome learning experience,” Moxam said. “Ken has won multiple tournaments, so just getting an opportunity to roll with him was priceless. He helped us all clean up our techniques and taught us lots of new transitions, positions and submissions.
“Ken enjoyed the island and plans to return. The next time he visits, the plans are to have him host a seminar that is open to the public and also to do personal sessions with anyone interested in learning. Team Ironshore’s goal is to continue to bring world class coaches and competitors to help the local and regional mixed martial arts scene grow through sports tourism. We bring guys in on money raised by team members and we are looking for sponsors.”
For more information, contact Moxam at [email protected] or call 924-0780.
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