MMA Classes on Long Island
Learn how striking, takedowns and grappling come together in real mixed martial arts training. LIMMA gives beginners and experienced martial artists a structured place to build complete MMA skills, taught by coaches who've competed at the highest levels of the sport.
MMA training available in West Babylon and Long Island City.
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Why Train MMA at Long Island MMA?
MMA isn't simply boxing one day and grappling the next. The challenge is learning how different martial arts work together — how striking creates a takedown, how a takedown changes the fight, how to control position, and how to move between ranges without losing technique. That's the type of complete martial arts development LIMMA is built around.
Striking That Connects to MMA
Develop punching, kicking, movement, defense and timing with an understanding that striking in MMA doesn't exist in isolation from takedowns and grappling.
Grappling With a Purpose
Build control, transitions and submission skills while learning how grappling changes when striking, takedowns and positional decisions are part of the equation.
Learn to Connect the Ranges
MMA requires athletes to move between standing exchanges, takedowns and ground positions. LIMMA's broader martial arts environment gives students the opportunity to build those skills as parts of one system.
A Gym With Competitive MMA Roots
LIMMA's coaching team blends traditional martial arts instruction with a Constraints Led Approach — building the mechanics and safety fundamentals first, then putting students in live, guided situations that force real-time decision-making instead of memorized patterns.
That's how disciplines actually connect under pressure, not just in theory. The gym also maintains an active competitive culture with amateur and professional athletes, so that decision-making is being tested and refined constantly, not just taught.
You don't need experience in several martial arts before starting MMA. LIMMA can help you build the pieces and learn how they fit together.
Start MMA TrainingWhat You’ll Learn in MMA Training
MMA forces you to solve problems at every range. LIMMA training helps students develop the individual skills behind striking and grappling while learning how to connect them into one complete martial arts system.
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01
Striking & Defense
Develop punches, kicks, combinations, movement and defensive skills while learning how striking changes when takedowns and grappling are also threats.
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02
Takedowns & Wrestling
Learn how to close distance, change levels, control position and move a fight from standing exchanges into grappling situations.
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Grappling & Ground Control
Build positional control, escapes, transitions and submission skills that can be applied within the broader demands of mixed martial arts.
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Transitions Between Ranges
Learn how striking, clinch work, takedowns and grappling connect so you can move between phases instead of treating each discipline separately.
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MMA Conditioning
Build the work capacity fighting demands — through kettlebells, steel maces, sandbags and movement-based training designed to support real technique, not just burn calories. Programming is individualized and periodized around your training and competition schedule.
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See mixed martial arts training and technique at Long Island MMA.
You Don’t Need to Master Three Martial Arts Before Starting MMA.
Beginners can build the individual skills step by step while learning how they connect. More experienced students can use MMA training to close gaps between disciplines and become more complete martial artists.
MMA Training for Beginners Through Competitors
LIMMA trains people with very different backgrounds and goals. The goal isn't to throw everyone into the same intensity on day one. New students can build fundamentals first, while experienced martial artists and competitors have room to train at a much higher level.
New to MMA? Start With the Fundamentals.
You do not need previous experience in striking, wrestling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before starting. LIMMA can introduce the core movements and techniques step by step so you can understand the individual parts before trying to connect them.
Develop in Mixed-Level Training
As your skills improve, coaches decide when you're ready for live sparring — there's no fixed timeline. Training includes controlled formats like jab-only sparring and positional rounds, so intensity always matches where you actually are, not where the calendar says you should be.
Push Toward Advanced & Competitive MMA
Students interested in competing are evaluated by the coaching staff on attendance, attitude, durability, skill development and performance under pressure. Approved athletes move onto a custom training schedule built around their goals — competition readiness is earned, not assumed.
Serious Training Without Throwing Beginners to the Wolves
LIMMA instructors divide students appropriately during technique and drilling and set training intensity based on experience. Ego-driven behavior and shortcuts aren't part of the culture here — experienced members are expected to work with newer students under control.
Upper-level students and competitors are also encouraged to help newer members learn and improve. That allows beginners to train in a serious martial arts environment without being treated like experienced fighters on their first day.
Not sure where you fit? Start by meeting the team and letting LIMMA help you find the right entry point.
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MMA Training Backed by Real Competitive Experience
Long Island MMA has a long competitive history across mixed martial arts, kickboxing and grappling. The gym has developed amateur and professional athletes who've competed in the UFC, Bellator, Invicta FC, PFL and Dana White's Contender Series.
That experience matters even if you never plan to fight. Coaches who understand what happens when striking, takedowns and grappling are tested under pressure can teach those disciplines with a different level of context than a program built only around fitness or isolated drills.
- Competitive team with athletes who've reached the UFC, Bellator, Invicta FC, PFL and Dana White's Contender Series
- Coaches with backgrounds spanning professional MMA, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and striking
- Structured, coach-directed sparring — readiness is earned, not scheduled
- Training built around real competition application, not theory alone
MMA Coaching Built on Multiple Disciplines
Mixed martial arts requires more than expertise in a single discipline. LIMMA's coaching team brings together backgrounds in professional MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, striking and competition — giving students access to coaches who understand different parts of the fight.
Ryan LaFlare
A former UFC welterweight, Ryan brings firsthand professional MMA experience into the gym and understands what it takes to connect striking, wrestling and grappling against high-level competition.
Gregg DePasquale
A BJJ black belt with a wrestling background, Gregg moved from competing into coaching and now blends traditional instruction with a Constraints Led Approach — helping students understand not just technique, but how to apply it under pressure.
Brian Michelino
Brian brings UFC corner experience and extensive striking background to LIMMA, blending traditional instruction with a Constraints Led Approach to help students develop stand-up skills, timing and technical discipline.
Hugh McKenna
A second-degree BJJ black belt, retired professional MMA fighter and former college wrestler, Hugh has coached at LIMMA for nearly 20 years. His focus is wrestling, top pressure and technical efficiency across both locations.
Ashiek Ajim
A BJJ black belt and Dana White's Contender Series veteran, Ashiek is fully home-grown through LIMMA. He teaches at both locations with a focus on dynamic striking, stance switching and blending disciplines under pressure.
Lucas Da Silva
Lucas holds a BJJ black belt and founded Team Savage at LIMMA's Long Island City location. He teaches Gi and No-Gi with an emphasis on analytical precision and high-level technical skill.
A Coaching Team Built for Mixed Martial Arts
That's the advantage of training inside a full martial arts academy instead of a single-discipline gym — wrestling, BJJ, striking and professional MMA experience, all under one roof and coordinated as one coaching team.
Students develop their striking, wrestling and grappling while learning how those disciplines influence one another — rather than relying on a single approach to every part of MMA.
What MMA Training at LIMMA Actually Looks Like
MMA training at Long Island MMA is built around more than learning isolated techniques. Students work through structured drills that help them understand how striking, takedowns, positional control and grappling connect in realistic situations.
The training environment also reflects LIMMA's mixed-level culture. Coaches manage pairings and intensity so beginners can learn safely while experienced athletes continue developing at a higher level.
- Technique broken down before higher-intensity application
- Partner drills that connect multiple phases of MMA
- Sparring readiness decided by coaches, not the calendar — with formats like jab-only rounds and positional grappling
- Experienced members helping newer students improve
- Progression from fundamentals to more demanding training
MMA Training in West Babylon & Long Island City
Long Island MMA gives students two places to build a complete mixed martial arts skill set, with training available in Suffolk County and Queens.
MMA Training in West Babylon
LIMMA's West Babylon location is a 15,000+ square-foot martial arts facility designed for serious training across striking, grappling and mixed martial arts.
The gym includes extensive mat space, an MMA cage and dedicated strength and conditioning areas, giving students room to develop multiple parts of their game inside one complete training environment.
MMA Training in Long Island City
LIMMA's Long Island City gym brings the same technique-focused martial arts approach to students in western Queens and nearby New York City neighborhoods.
The newer LIC facility includes dedicated martial arts training space and a rooftop training deck, giving students another place to access LIMMA's coaching and broader martial arts programs.
Find the LIMMA Location That Works for You.
Start by seeing the gym, meeting the team and finding the right entry point for your experience level.
Questions About Starting MMA at LIMMA?
You do not need to arrive as a complete fighter. LIMMA gives new students a way to learn the fundamentals, understand the training environment and progress into more advanced mixed martial arts as their skills develop.
Do I need martial arts experience to start MMA?
No. You do not need prior experience in striking, wrestling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before starting. Beginners can learn the individual skills step by step and gradually understand how they connect in MMA.
What happens during my first visit to Long Island MMA?
New students can start with a free one-on-one introductory lesson with a professional coach. You'll learn some basic techniques, tour the gym, meet members and coaches, and get familiar with the training environment before entering regular classes.
Will beginners train with experienced fighters?
LIMMA has everyone from first-time students to competitive athletes, but coaches manage pairings and intensity based on experience. Experienced students are expected to work with newer members under control, and instructors actively monitor the training environment.
Do I have to compete to train MMA?
No. LIMMA has an active amateur and professional competition culture, but many students train because they want to learn martial arts, improve their conditioning, develop practical skills or challenge themselves without ever planning to enter a fight.
Should I learn BJJ or striking before starting MMA?
You can start MMA without mastering another discipline first. However, dedicated training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai or other programs can also help you deepen individual parts of your MMA game.
Is MMA training only for people who want to fight professionally?
No. Professional competition is only one path. MMA can also give recreational students a challenging way to develop striking, grappling, conditioning, coordination and a deeper understanding of martial arts.
Do I need to be in great shape before starting?
No. Conditioning is something you can build through the training process. Beginners are not expected to arrive with the fitness level of experienced competitors.
Where does LIMMA offer MMA training?
Long Island MMA has locations in West Babylon in Suffolk County and Long Island City in Queens.
Start With an Introduction, Not a Commitment.
Meet a coach, learn some basic techniques, tour the gym and see how MMA training at LIMMA fits your goals.
Ready to Start MMA at LIMMA?
You don't need to know how to box, wrestle or grapple before you begin. LIMMA can help you build the fundamentals, understand how the disciplines connect and progress at the right pace for your experience and goals.
Start With a Free One-on-One Introductory Lesson
Work with a professional coach, learn some basic techniques, tour the gym and meet the LIMMA team before stepping into regular training.
Claim Your Intro LessonAvailable in West Babylon and Long Island City.