GIRL FIGHT

New Jersey's all-girl powerhouse, Girl Fight MMA and Prairie Rugilo, will return for the night?s sole female bout

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:41:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STRIKEZONE MMA TO HOST 3RD MUAY THAI FIGHT NIGHT ON JUNE 24TH

Mount Laurel, NJ (June 21, 2011) – Strikezone Promotions of New Jersey, is pleased to present Battle Aloft, its third NJSACB-sanctioned Muay Thai event. The Muay Thai showdown, featuring some of the best rising amateur talent in the tristate region, will be held on June 24, 2011, at the Aloft Mt Laurel hotel located at 558 Fellowship Road in Mount Laurel, NJ. The 12 sanctioned bouts are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (ET).

The night will showcase fighters from the region’s finest Muay Thai gyms,including ACMMA, Choice Martial Arts, Daddis Fight Camps, Danger Muay Thai, The Edge Ultimate Martial Arts, Girl Fight MMA, LA Boxing-Hoboken, Team Kru Josef, Tang Muay Thai, Tong Dragon, Tiger Schulmann MMA (TSMMA), and Kru Phil Nurse’s WAT Gym.

New Jersey’s all-girl powerhouse, Girl Fight MMA and Prairie Rugilo, will return for the night’s sole female bout in a highly anticipated matchup against Jenna Serio of Tiger Schulmann MMA (TSMMA). Both camps brought droves of fight fans at the last Strikezone event that took the excitement to unprecedented levels.

“We’re thrilled to host another Muay Thai Fight Night, and the Aloft Mt. Laurel will provide a great setting for fighters and fans alike,” says Derek Riddick, New Jersey fight promoter and owner of Strikezone MMA. “This is a very exciting event for both seasoned and new amateur Muay Thai fighters looking to hone their skills under the pressures of a large crowd.”

Strikezone Promotions previously hosted “Muay Thai Fight Night: The Westin Wars” in March 2011 at the Westin Hotel in Mt. Laurel. About Strikezone Strikezone MMA offers Muay Thai Kickboxing, Boxing, MMA and Jiu-Jitsu classes. Under the direction of owner Derek Riddick, Strikezone Promotions organizes amateur Muay Thai competitions in the state of New Jersey. The facility is located at 120 East Kings Hwy, Suite 402 in Maple Shade, NJ. For more information on classes call 856-439-9663. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @strikezoneMMA. For ticket information: Derek Riddick of Strikezone at 856-439-9663

CONTACTS:

Derek Riddick, Owner & Head Instructor Alisha Brown, Media Relations

Strikezone MMA Strikezone MMA

609-969-0092 609-351-5293

strikezonemma@me.com alimbrown@comcast.net

Interview with www.CageChatter.com by Chris Cella

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:27:00 +0000

CAGE CHIX

Inside the cage with the ladies of MMA

Inside Girl Fight MMA: New Jersey’s First Women’s MMA Academy

By Chris Cella on December 4, 2010

Prairie Rugilo—owner and founder of Girl Fight MMA in Toms River, New Jersey—has been around martial arts her whole life. As a child she studied Tae Kwon Do and earned her black belt by the age of 11. Her studies evolved to learning boxing and judo, and she eventually trained in Muay Thai Kickboxing, where in 2005 she was awarded her Black Arm Band by Master James Wellington/Vichai Academy.

She recently spoke with Cage Chatter about her gym—Girl Fight—the first and only mixed martial arts academy in New Jersey to offering MMA just for women.

Cage Chatter: What was your motivation behind opening up Girl Fight?

Girl Fight: While I was training, I was getting tired of the ‘tough guy’ attitude at the gyms. And I was thinking about a place for women where they can train comfortably and still learn MMA. Back when I used to teach I was more committed to my own training, so I knew I wanted to get back into the teaching. When I used to train with the girls we always had a good time, and I wondered if we could bring that over to the kickboxing world and MMA. I had the idea and it took off from there. The girls are what have made Girl Fight everything it is.

Cage Chatter: Since opening, have you seen a large volume of interest from women wanting to learn MMA rather than simply cardio kickboxing?

Girl Fight: Yes, when I first started Girl Fight, most girls came in thinking they were coming in for a fitness type of thing. So I had to teach them it was martial arts, not a fitness class, and at one point I thought it was just going to be glorified cardio kickboxing.

But when the first girl got her arm band—her first ranking—the attitudes changed. They started taking the training a lot more seriously, began watching the UFC and they wanted to go watch the live fights in Atlantic City. I’ve seen a lot of girls that just came in to train get the itch where after only a few months they wanted to take the sparring class and full contact class. So we have about 15 girls right now who are trying to reach their goal of fighting within the next year. We attract girls with a strong mind who stick with it. They are very competitive, and once they see another girl progressing in it, they want to do it for themselves.

Cage Chatter: What advice would you give to a female interested in MMA but not sure how to start?

Girl Fight: I would say first off take a class and see if you like it. The actual fighting aspect, that comes down the line. A lot of the girls like to punch and kick, but when it comes to the fitness and everything that goes into competing, that scares them away. Get in there and try something new, and see if it is for you. Don’t be intimated if it is an all guy environment. A good school is going to promote any female fighters.

Cage Chatter: How important is it for you to help the women you train understand that they can accomplish anything in this sport that men can?

Girl Fight: I think in life in general it’s important to understand that they can. My number one goal is to inspire women to do what’s in their hearts. They can do anything, no matter what their husband or boyfriend tries to tell them. We have a lot of guys who won’t take the girls serious in the training, and when they come to the gym for their graduation, they see that the girls are doing real MMA and not simply cardio kickboxing.

It’s very important to me that my goal is to empower women that they can do anything they set their minds to. I know Martial arts have gotten me through many tough times in my life just due to the training and dedication it takes, and to be head strong to push through all the training.

Cage Chatter: What do you feel as a female martial artists has been the biggest reason women’s MMA has propelled so much in the past year or two and is finally getting the recognition it deserves?

Girl Fight: A lot of women have the same mentality that ‘if she can do it I can do.’ They see another girl doing it, and they want to try it for themselves. I think the reason why its take of is because finally the media is showing it on TV. So for women who may have been intimidated to walk into an all men’s school and see what it’s about, they see it on TV and see there is a market for them and it is something they can do. A huge reason is that mainstream media has started to push it.

Cage Chatter: Being the first female only gym in NJ says a lot of the progression of the sport, and I think you have started a trend that will catch on quickly. What does it mean to you to to be a major contributor in brining women’s MMA to NJ?

Girl Fight: Its overwhelming. I don’t even feel worthy of this ride I’m on right now! It means a lot. Seeing anybody that starts a female only MMA gym—it would be be flattering. We will always be the original, and I’m hoping others can see that it’s a great idea and something that people should be doing. It means a lot to me. I hope people recognize that there is a market for women and it’s not cardio kickboxing. We train as hard as the guys; maybe we’re a little more light hearted and have more fun, and there’s a little more talking going on during training, but these girls all train hard. I’d be flattered and excited to see other all girl gyms.

Cage Chatter: When you first opened Girl Fight a year ago, did you envision that it would take off the way it has?

Girl Fight: No, absolutely not. We were supposed to be a two-day a week program. I would’ve been happy with 10 girls, ecstatic with 20. When I started hitting the numbers I was hitting student wise, I was overwhelmed, not even prepared for what had happened. These girls are amazing; they’re superwomen too. They balance working, going to school, raising families, and still find time to train and train hard.

Cage Chatter: Can I have a prediction for the UFC 124 fight between Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck?

Girl Fight: I’m a St. Pierre fan, I think most ladies are! I’m going with GSP.

At Girl Fight, Sku Prairie Rugilo does more than simply teach women about MMA. To lead by example and show her students they can go as far as they want in the sport of MMA, she plans on taking a Muay Thai fight in Atlantic City in either January or February of this coming year, and has been working on her ground game in hopes of having a true MMA fight in 2011.

Cage Chatter wishes Prairie and everyone at Girl Fight much success with all they do.

Original interview can be found: http://cagechatter.com/Cage_Chix.html

Interview with www.FightsWeWant.com by Rich Serpa

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:23:00 +0000

All Female MMA Academy Celebrates their 1st year Anniversary

www.FightsWeWant.com by Rich Serpa 12/5/10

FWW: Hello this is Rich Serpa from FightsWeWant.com and we are here to today with the Prairie Rugilio, the owner and founder of New Jersey’s first all female martial arts academy Girl Fight Martial Arts. Prairie, welcome and thank you for joining us.

PR: Thank you for having me.

FWW: Girl Fight Martial Arts, when did you start the Academy and why?

PR: I started the academy December of last year. I was just looking to have something that kind of committed me to my training. Was a workaholic in real estate and I felt there weren’t any local gyms that were really inspiring me. So I figured I would just do it on my own and maybe try to inspire some woman to get into something new that they thought they would see themselves doing.

FWW: The gym, it’s in the Brick Police Athletic League, is that correct?

PR: Correct.

FWW: Can you tell us a little bit about what is your background in the Martial Arts?

PR: As a kid I studied Tae Kwon Do and then in my twenties I was actually trying to look into a fun way to try and lose weight and get back in shape. I was working for the police athletic league at the time and I started doing boxing and judo over there. Then finally a Muay Thai school opened up at the shore and I started doing that and I was hooked. I have probably been training in you know, between boxing and kickboxing for the last nine to ten years.

FWW: Do you have classes for different age groups?

PR: Yeah, we offer a girl’s class from 6 to 12 and then the teens-by the time their thirteen we allow them to come into the adult class. Because, you know there is so many women of different shapes and sizes and they tend to work in well. And the teens, once they get comfortable with all the movements are the dangerous ones I think (laughing).

FWW: Could you talk to us a little bit about some of the different programs you offer? I notice you have one that I thought was real creative, the 8 week Bridal Party Boot camp? What are some of the different programs you offer?

PR: Well we offer the bridal party boot camp, because usually, you know everybody wants to look great on that day. And we do a lot of co-ed private lessons which is kind of cool because the husbands come in and we make sure we give them an extra good workout so they respect their wives and what they do, you know when they are at GirlFight. We also offer a program called “Butts and Guts.” You know, it’s all in the name more or less (Laughing). And then we offer—are classes really consist of a mixture of Muay Thai, some ground defense, boxing and plyometrics and calisthenics relying on your natural strength and all that.

FWW: Do you have any students now who have expressed an interest in competing either in the amateur or professional level?

PR: Yes, I have a group of about ten to fifteen right now. You know it started really—you know a majority of the girls come in for fitness. Then after a few years of training…I am sorry, after a few months of training, some of them you know…get the itch, the highly competitive ones. We have about you know, ten to fifteen girls who are training full contact right now and are pretty sure they want to go at least once. Just to, you know, whether it’s a bucket list and see how it is. But it’s pretty good, ten to fifteen, I think.

FWW: Yes, absolutely.

PR: There is ten consistent, there is five that are, you know, they come and go. They haven’t fully committed (laughing).

FWW: Did you do any competition on the amateur level?

PR: Not where someone would pay to come and get through the door. I have done, you know, inter school, full contact matches within students but what I am looking to do is probably after the new year, maybe February or March, take my first Muay Thai bout. And I am hoping, I have been working on my ground game and I am hoping by the end of 2011, I can take my first MMA bout, on an amateur level.

FWW: Who do you train with for your jiu Jitsu?

PR: Tom DeBlass out of the Ocean County Brazillian Jiu Jitu.

FWW: Ok, and how bout your Muay Thai?

PR: My Muay Thai is through a gentleman, his name is Bernie Zurella and then my boxing is through Rahn Carter at the Police Athletic League.

FWW: Where can people find out more about Girlfight Martial Arts?

PR: At www.girlfightmma.com.

FWW: Anything on facebook or twitter?

PR: Yes, it is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brick-Township-NJ/GIRL-FIGHT-Martial-Arts/271751850707 and the twitter is http://twitter.com/GirlFightMMA.

FWW: The Fightswewant.com site as we talked about initially is a site is set up for fans to pick bouts and their dream bouts they would like to see regardless of what league a fighter might be in. And we cover all combat sports so whether it’s MMA or BJJ or Boxing or Judo, but if you had to pick a dream bout that you’d like to see fight?

PR: Well on a female level I think it would be a very sick fight between liz Carmouche and Cyborg. Depening, you they could be in the same weight class. I think they are both you know, power houses and it would be a good fight.

FWW: No doubt. Ok Great. Prairie, we want to thank you again for your time and we wish you a lot of luck with the school and look forward to some future interviews with your up and coming talent.

PR: Great, thanks so much for the support it really means a lot to us.

Original interview can be found: http/www.fightswewant.com/blog.cfm?feature=1491310&postid=619761

Article from Asbury Park Press by Amanda Oglesby

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:09:00 +0000

Martial arts for women only

Businesswoman kicks through gender barriers

ASBURY PARK PRESS

BY: Amanda Oglesby

January 11, 2010

Prairie Rugilo, 31, is giving new meaning to the phrase "hits like a girl."

The Toms River resident is determined to make her all-female mixed-martial-arts business kick through gender barriers in the normally male-dominated arena.

On a recent Tuesday, women met at the Brick Police Athletic League, where black-and-white photographs of boxers — all men — line the walls. The lithe women donned boxing gloves and prepared to join Rugilo's Girl Fight Martial Arts classes.

Rugilo believes her business will appeal to women who might not join a mixed-martial-arts class attended by men.

"There's really not many girls in the real kickboxing classes. They're intimidated by the male environment," Rugilo said. "It usually does attract law enforcement, military, big guys."

Opened in December, Rugilo's business already is attracting a steady stream of clients, she said. Relying only on word-of-mouth and her Web site, www.thegirlfight.com, two to three new clients a week are signing up for classes, Rugilo said.

As her Web site unites her with women interested in kickboxing, the site also has received criticism. After launching the site, she received anonymous comments attacking the business, she said.

"That just makes me feel good," Rugilo said. "It lets me know that this is a good idea and they're threatened by that, (by) the competition."

Of mixed-martial-arts fans nationwide, about 20 percent are women, said Diana Illiano, publicist for Scarborough Sports Marketing, a company that is studying the sport's fans and their purchasing habits.

"No surprise that mixed-martial arts is a male-dominated sport," said Howard Goldberg, senior vice president at Scarborough Sports Marketing. "That doesn't mean it won't be growing more into a female following, but the core demo(graphic) really is about men 25 to 49."

In addition to being mostly male, Scarborough research finds the group to be affluent. A 2009 Scarborough survey found mixed-martial-arts fans are 15 percent more likely than an average American to have a household income of $75,000 or greater and are 10 percent more likely to own a second home.

This affluence has attracted advertisers and spawned the rise of programs such as the Ultimate Fighter Championship and companies selling varieties of mixed-martial-arts clothing and equipment. In addition, centers like Rugilo's are operating throughout the country.

"The market (for mixed-martial-arts schools) is pretty much saturated," said Christopher Kenney, owner of The Phalanx Thai boxing gym in Toms River. "From a business point of view, there's probably half a dozen schools within a 5-mile radius anywhere in the state."

Despite the competition among schools, Kenney supports Girl Fight and sees a market for all-female classes.

"Traditionally, from a gender point of view, women and men work out differently," he said, as his 11-year-old daughter Nina stretched and prepared to join Rugilo's class. "There aren't any programs like this . . . . Women have a bigger need for self defense."

In addition to support from Kenney, she is receiving positive feedback from friends and family.

"It was the first thing in my life that everybody else said was a good idea," said Rugilo, who also works as a real estate agent and owns an online surf shop.

Though she currently operates two classes a day sandwiched around her real estate work, she hopes to make Girl Fight Martial Arts a full-time job.

"I've never been into it for the money," Rugilo said. "I just want to be inspiring. I want to be able to stay in shape. I just really want to change people's lives and show them that they can be whatever they want to be as long as they try hard enough."

"Now if I make a living out of it, that's even better," she added.