Warrior Profile: Rylan Lizares
Instructors from Technics Jiu-Jitsu Academy put their considerable fighting skills on display at last weekend’s Mini of Hawaii’s Test Drive Take Down in Honolulu, all the while emphasizing the true aim of MMA practitioners in the 50th State.
Held April 15 at the academy’s Kapiolani Boulevard location, the event featured many of Hawaii’s prominent MMA fighters — including Rylan Lizares, Dustin Kimura, Brandon Wolff, Yancy Medeiros, Anthony Torres, Raquel Paaluhi and Max Holloway — all conducting self- defense and take-down demonstra- tions for guests.
“It was a great way for us to provide a community service and do a public event for Mini of Hawaii,” says the academy’s Tiffany Lizares. “Mini of Hawaii was really gracious to us.”
Although some people train in order to street fight, the goal of Technics Jiu-Jitsu is for its students to avoid unsanctioned, illegal hand-to-hand fights. Members such as Medeiros (Strikeforce), a top contender in Hawaii and a well-known fighter nationally, has never been in a street fight. The same holds true for Rylan Lizares, owner of Technics Jiu-Jitsu Academy and a skilled practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Meanwhile, Wolff, a former Navy SEAL, chooses to use his skills in a productive manner by teaching government rescue personnel in the fine art of grappling.
“Ten percent of our guys are pro fighters and are top athletes in different martial arts sports,” Tiffany Lizares explains. “They want to represent the academy in a positive way.”
These athletes take educating the next generation of fighters seriously, and all of them take the time to teach classes at Technics Jiu-Jitsu. Rylan Lizares is the lead instructor, Dave Aquino is the kids coach, Brandon Wolff and Rob Hesia are co-head instructors for MMA, Dustin Kimura and Max Holloway teach kickboxing, boxing and striking, Raquel Paaluhi teaches women’s classes, and Anthony Torres and Matt Isoda are assistant instructors.
Technics Academy is dedicated to the art and technique of Gracie Jiu- Jitsu. For more information, visit gracietechnics.com or call (808) 834- 24550. Technics Jiu-Jitsu Academy is located at 428 McNeill St., #4 in Honolulu.
