WESTMINSTER – Dom and Danthony Muniz have something in common — besides a blood relationship,
Each is invested in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Danthony started seven years ago, and Dom began a year ago. Each trains at the 303 Training Center in Westminster.
And both love what they do.
“I have always watched my brother do it since I was little,” Dom Muniz said. “One day, I was like, ‘I’ll try it out.’ And I have loved it ever since. It was also a big part in losing weight as well.”
He said he’d lost about 40 pounds in the past year.
In Danthony Muniz’s case, his interest began after watching the movie “Never Back Down,’ a film about a teenager who goes to a new high school, discovers an underground fight club and meets a classmate who points him in the general direction of fighting.
While Dom Muniz played football in middle school, Danthony Muniz never had another interest before he started mixed martial arts.
Danthony Muniz’s training regimen is extensive — a five-mile run and weight lifting in the morning, a training session late in the morning, then more training late in the afternoon. All told, it amounts to four to five training sessions per day. He was set to fight Raphael Gomez (“very skilled,” Muniz said) before a rib injury caused a postponement.
“Injuries come along with this sport,” he said after a recent randori (sparring) session at 303 Training Center in Westminster. “It’s very important to have partners who will care for your well-being and not injure you. At 303 Training Center, we have a friendly environment where I’ve had some of the best partners I’ve ever trained with. Recovery is one of the most important things in the sport that I do.”
Dom Muniz isn’t sure if he wants to pursue something beyond his present BHJJ involvement. Danthony Muniz wants to join UFC.
“The difference between MMA (mixed martial arts) and BJJ is MMA is a sanctioned fight. You utilize all martial arts – boxing, kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, judo,” Danthony Muniz said. “In a jiu jitsu match, it’s strictly submission grappling with no strikes allowed.”
He noted that training for the two is very similar.
“If you’re preparing for an MMA fight, you really want to sharpen your game in every aspect,” he said. “In jiu jitsu, you focus more on wrestling and jiu jitsu strictly.”