WELCOME TO OAKDALE
MMA ONLINE! Oakdale MMA started off as Oakdale Kajukenbo self-defense
club back in 1988.
The first location was the two car garage owned by Tom Theofanopoulos
and soon the garage became too crowded for the dozen or so people
so the school moved to a larger facility in town. In 1994 the UFC
opened the eyes of Martial Artists all over the world and it became
obvious of the importance of ground fighting. Tom had spent many
years wrestling and practicing Judo, however Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
was dominating the competition from Grappling events to MMA.
Tom realized early on that there was a revolution about to happen
in the world of Martial Arts. Wanting to evolve and to become a
better martial artist, he started traveling and searching for a
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teacher. In 1998 Tom met Silvio Behring and
a few years later met Master Flavio Behring, Silvio's Father. Master
Flavio promoted Tom to Black Belt in 2008. In 2006, still active
with the Kajukenbo Association of America, Great Grand Master Charles
Gaylord promoted Tom to 8th Degree Red/Back Belt and to the title
of "Professor". Oakdale MMA is the result of 35 years of hard work
and study in the Martial Arts.
As the martial arts continue to evolve, you can bet that Oakdale
MMA will evolve also. But never at the expense of changing the values
of Honor, Respect, Loyalty and all the other virtues that made the
Martial Arts great. Since 1988, Oakdale MMA has grown into one of
the leading academies in the valley, establishing two additional
schools, one in Merced, and the other in Sonora.
In 2007, Professor Tom created the "Last Stand" fight
team. He did this to distinguish the professional fighters who trained
out of all 3 of the academies.
Last Stand fighters proudly display a Corinthian helmet (also known
as a Spartan helmet) on the front of their shirts. This symbol is
a bold testament to the devotion Professor Tom Theofanopoulos has
to his homeland and the birth place of ancient martial arts.
In 3 short years, Last Stand fighters have won 5 championship title
belts. We look forward to a continuing successful future and to
serving the MMA Community.
Thank you for checking out our web site, and feel free to come
by and visit our facilities.
Tom Theofanopoulos.
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