Meet Vincent Serrano

I want to start by saying thank you to my coach Vincent Serrano for allowing me the opportunity to do this interview.  I've known Vincent for several years now and as fate would have it he's now my instructor at Dirty Bay MMA.  I knew early on after meeting Vincent and watching him on the mats that he had a gift for teaching. But, you have to see it and experience it to know what I am talking about. Vincent can be a hard task master.  He doesn't see your age or what you might believe to be your physical limitations.  He will push you beyond your limits at times.  He will expect you to give him just a little bit more than you think you can give.  Even if you don't believe in your abilities, Vincent sees beyond that.  He sees what he knows you can become.  I am proud to call him my coach, my instructor, my friend.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.  Thank you Vincent!

Meet Vincent Serrano.  Vincent is a Brown Belt and the Head Instructor at Dirty Bay MMA in Baytown, TX.  Dirty Bay MMA is an affiliate school of Solis Martial Arts Academy.  We are proud to be a part of Team SMAA!  Vincent currently teaches all classes.  We are excited to watch our small gym grow and blossom under his leadership. 

Dirty Bay MMA currently offers the following classes: 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – Monday & Wednesday / 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Muay Thai Kickboxing – Tuesday & Thursday / 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Wrestling – Tuesday & Thursday / 7:00 – 7:45 p.m.

MMA Sparring – Tuesday & Thursday / 7:50 – 8:20 p.m.

No-Gi Open Mat – Friday / 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

How long have you been training Jiu-Jitsu?
I'm honestly not sure, I just know I started BJJ when I was a junior in high school and don't ask me what year I graduated either it’s been too long.  lol

How long have you been training Muay Thai?

I started when I was a freshman in high school.

What other martial arts have you trained?

I've trained Jeet Kune Do, kickboxing, and a little boxing. I've dabbled in others, but nothing too serious. My main styles are BJJ and Muay Thai Kickboxing.

How would you describe your teaching style for Muay Thai and for Jiu Jitsu?

Great question! The way I think about it, I never teach my students anything, I show them how I do it and let them figure out their own way with my supervision. I’m small and fast, so some things I can do that some people can’t, so I am always helping my students adapt to their body. In BJJ my style is very aggressive, always going for takedowns, always attacking, submissions, always staying on top and staying active. Basically it's a wrestling style BJJ game. If we get put on our backs our main focus is to put them back on their backs, so you will hardly see us trying to recover our guard. We love to smash guards and make you submit. lol

For Muay Thai it's the same as BJJ, very aggressive and very explosive. I show everything - kicking, punching, elbows and knees. We do a lot of combinations. I never show to just throw a single punch or a kick.  When we throw a strike, expect a powerful, very aggressive combination to come right after.

People can be intimidated to start training martial arts.  What would you say to someone who is out of shape or on the fence about training to encourage them to give it a try?

There's no such thing as "out of shape". There's always going to be someone who is faster, stronger, and has a better body than you. It doesn't mean you’re "out of shape". Out of shape is negative and I really don't like negativity around my gym.  We are all here to help and lift you up. You honestly never know how you feel about something if you've never tried it. I encourage everyone to give something you've never done a try.  Sometimes people are still on the fence about it, so I invite them to at least watch a class. Once they see our class and see how I am with my students, it usually makes them want to try. My students are very friendly and they will give you their last water if they had too. My students and I are always picking people up off the ground when they think they are too tired to keep going. When you experience something like that first hand, it's really amazing, and that's usually when people try out our class and make a life changing decision. We are all one, if someone falls we don't leave them, we stop, pick them up, and keep moving, even if we have to carry them. I love my ninja clan.

Do you have any long term goals for yourself and your training? 

My long term goal for myself is to make my clan bigger. By clan I mean my students/friends. We are a very close team and I make it a point to get to know my students in and out of the gym. One of my other long terms goals is to help my students reach their goals, whether it's becoming a black belt, owning their own gym, or becoming doctors, scientists, etc. I love my job and I love lending a hand. If you become one of my students, expect to get pushed past your limits in and out of the gym. My goal for training is too keep training and passing on my knowledge. Right now I'm all about the gym. I also plan on fighting very soon. I'm very comfortable and very motivated where I'm at. My technique and my skills have gotten so much better since I started teaching and training with SMAA, so look out for my comeback, it's going to be mind-blowing for you.

Tell us a little something about Vincent Serrano off the mat. 

With me there's no such thing as "off the mat".  I'm always thinking about training. I'm always finding ways to improve. I'm always coming up with new ways to make my training and my clans training better. So the mats go wherever I go.  lol