{"id":57451,"date":"2024-09-28T17:57:54","date_gmt":"2024-09-28T21:57:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/?p=57451"},"modified":"2024-09-28T17:57:54","modified_gmt":"2024-09-28T21:57:54","slug":"batavia-passion-for-mixed-martial-arts-jiu-jitsu-drives-first-responder-to-open-city-venture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2024\/09\/28\/batavia-passion-for-mixed-martial-arts-jiu-jitsu-drives-first-responder-to-open-city-venture\/","title":{"rendered":"BATAVIA\/Passion for mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu drives first responder to open city venture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Mike Pettinella
For Video News Service<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successful first responders are willing to help, are committed to people\u2019s health, are eager to learn, exhibit sound judgment and put others above themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Batavian Peter Flanagan, a former City of Batavia police officer and current City of Batavia firefighter, talks about his latest venture \u2013 First Response MMA \u2013 and his entrance into the professional kickboxing circuit, all of these qualities come to light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Flanagan has been operating the mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu and kickboxing business for about a year. It is located on the second floor of Borrell\u2019s Gym at 232 Ellicott St.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 36-year-old Clarkson native said he was smitten with MMA during his high school days at Brockport High.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMMA was just starting to get big when I was in high school. It was something that I saw and I fell in love with it immediately,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce I graduated high school and went out on my own, I joined the military and had the means and opportunity to start training.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he began training in 2009 with a team out of Buffalo. He took a few breaks since then \u2013 one for deployment to Afghanistan in 2010-2011 and others for enrollment in the police academy and fire academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOther than that, it has been pretty much nonstop,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While he wrestled and played football \u2013 \u201ca little bit of both,\u201d he said \u2013 Flanagan said he didn\u2019t excel in anything until discovering mixed martial arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI found a passion for it and it has been able to hold my attention. There\u2019s always something new to learn,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Flanagan said he draws inspiration from Grand Master Flavio Behring, whose 9th<\/sup>-degree red belt is the highest rank achievable to any living practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Response MMA program is jiu-jitsu combined with Muay Thai \u2013 a kickboxing discipline from Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMuay Thai is sometimes referred to the art of eight limbs because you use punches and kicks but also use elbows and knees,\u201d Flanagan said. \u201cGrand Master Behring just celebrated his 70th<\/sup> year of training in jiu-jitsu and he conveys that there\u2019s always something to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flanagan, who said he has participated in seminars with Behring, has achieved the rank of purple belt. He said he embraces the opportunity to learn as much as he can and is eager to help others \u2013 from teenagers to senior citizens \u2013 progress in the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said his jiu-jitsu program contains a \u201chuge self-defense curriculum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have people who compete in just jiu-jitsu or just Muay Thai kickboxing. And we have people competing in MMA, which is a lot of the stuff who see on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flanagan said he\u2019s trying to build a solid competition team, including those who aspire to fight professionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur program is good for your mind, body and soul,\u201d he said. \u201cI was in the military, the police department and now the fire department, so I\u2019ve seen a lot of not great things. This is an excellent opportunity to come in and get rid of all your stress. It\u2019s very therapeutic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Barbie Starowicz<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Flanagan, his proficiency has resulted in a professional victory earlier this month in an event in Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he made his pro debut at Castricone\u2019s Colosseum Combat at the Forbes Theater, where he placed first in his weight class, defeating Alex Carroll of Buffalo by TKO in 2 minutes and 16 seconds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With about 50 family and friends in the audience, Flanagan prevailed, employing some quick thinking to defeat his opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had this whole game plan for him and had studied tape,\u201d he offered. \u201cBut the problem was that neither of us had fought in quite a while, so the tape was old. He came out much more aggressive than I was anticipating so I had to think on the fly and come up with a new game plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flanagan said the bout was a Muay Thai fight; not mixed martial arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had to go by the Muay Thai rules that state that if you get knocked down three times in a round, the fight is over,\u201d he said. \u201cHe (Carroll) came out swinging for the fences and I had to think quick. We got in close, doing some dirty boxing, but the first time he fell over, I knew that this is my fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Barbie Starowicz<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carroll went down five times in the round, but the referee ruled one was from a push and the other was when he slipped. Still, Flanagan was dominant and was able to raise his arms in triumph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that he would compete again if offered another match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see. I\u2019m not a spring chicken anymore in this sport,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As far as First Response MMA is concerned, Flanagan offers four courses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Full unlimited MMA membership, $100 per month.
— Jiu-jitsu, $70 per month.
— Striking, $60 per month.
— Fight-fit boot camp, non-contact, Saturday mornings, $40 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 25 percent discount is available to veterans, first responders, healthcare workers and school employees. For more information, go to his Facebook page (20+) Facebook<\/a> or send an email to firstresponsemma@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Mike PettinellaFor Video News Service Successful first responders are willing to help, are committed to people\u2019s health, are eager to learn, exhibit sound judgment and put others above themselves. When Batavian Peter Flanagan, a former City of Batavia police officer and current City of Batavia firefighter, talks about his \u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8,23],"tags":[4635,4634],"class_list":["post-57451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-batavia","category-genesee-county","tag-first-response-mma","tag-peter-flanagan"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8eTP4-eWD","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63372,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/04\/06\/batavia-flanagan-wins-title-kickboxing-match-at-the-cove-with-a-tko\/","url_meta":{"origin":57451,"position":0},"title":"BATAVIA\/Flanagan wins title kickboxing match at the Cove with a TKO","author":"aka","date":"April 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"(Photo credit- Lisa Hess and Dorky Stork Photography)\u00a0 Peter Flanagan won his American Kickboxing Pro Title Bout with a TKO halfway through the first round on Saturday night at the Cove in Depew, NY, with a kick to the body against RJ Hayes of Red Creek. 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The 36-year-old Flanagan, owner of First Response MMA located above Borrell\u2019s Gym\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250331_120524-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250331_120524-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250331_120524-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250331_120524-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20250331_120524-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58477,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2024\/10\/30\/batavia-coloring-contest-winner-gets-a-ride-to-school-on-ladder-15\/","url_meta":{"origin":57451,"position":2},"title":"BATAVIA\/Coloring contest winner gets a ride to school on Ladder 15","author":"aka","date":"October 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Coloring Contest Winner Amara Lee Thomas, a 3rd grade student in Ms. Austin's class, received a ride with City Fire today on Ladder 15 after coming in first place in the 2024 City Fire Coloring Contest. Thomas arrived right on time for school at John Kennedy School thanks to Lt.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241030_081325-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241030_081325-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241030_081325-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241030_081325-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241030_081325-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69704,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/11\/03\/batavia-john-kennedy-student-gets-a-ride-on-city-ladder-15\/","url_meta":{"origin":57451,"position":3},"title":"BATAVIA\/John Kennedy student gets a ride on City Ladder 15","author":"aka","date":"November 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Elizabeth Colantonio, a 4th grade student at John Kennedy, with Firefighter Flanagan(left) and Lt. Tedford(right) and Firefighter Fix (far right) Elizabeth Colantonio was all smiles after her ride to school in a fire truck on Monday morning. Firefighters say Elizabeth was very talkative during her ride in Ladder 15. \"She\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "City of Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"City of Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/city-of-batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251103_081829.jpg?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251103_081829.jpg?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251103_081829.jpg?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251103_081829.jpg?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251103_081829.jpg?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":84462,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/10\/18\/batavia-police-blotter-october-18th-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":57451,"position":4},"title":"BATAVIA POLICE BLOTTER\/October 18th, 2026","author":"aka","date":"October 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On 10\/7\/2026, Branden R. 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Flanagan was arraigned in CAP Court and released. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ On 10\/11\/2026, Marlon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Batavia-Police-badge.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3972,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2018\/03\/19\/batavia-police-report-state-street-man-charged-after-damaging-a-wall-at-washington-towers\/","url_meta":{"origin":57451,"position":5},"title":"BATAVIA POLICE REPORT\/State street man charged after damaging a wall at Washington Towers","author":"aka","date":"March 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Elliot L. Lyons, 27, of State St., Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief after security footage revealed that he allegedly damaged a wall inside Washington Towers at 1 State street on March 12, 2018 at 11:19 a.m. Lyons was issued an appearance ticket and will appear in City Court on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Batavia-Police-badge.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240927_123046-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57451"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57477,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57451\/revisions\/57477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}