By Ermira Babamusta/
New York – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art sport, a combat sport and self-defense system that utilizes leverage and proper technique to help small combatants overcome stronger and large opponents. The tournaments in this sport are broken down into divisions of the belting system: white, blue, purple, brown, black, red and black (Coral) and red belt (becoming Master). Many who train in BJJ will not make it to purple because the sport requires a lot of dedication, training and persistence.
According to Fabjon Lunaj, an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner there are five keys to being successful in BJJ that are also life changing methods: (1) knowledge about the proper techniques, (2) staying focused and calm during intense pressure, (3) letting go of the past and being confident, (4) being determined and consistent in training, and (5) staying positive.
“I came across Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and it has literally changed my life. Jiu Jitsu is not about strength or exerting a lot of energy. It should be fluid in a way, trying to find or create the path of least resistance, instead of combat with brute strength. Jiu Jitsu also teaches you life lessons. In a real life situation, you are put under pressure and have to think quickly and react quicker. If you chose wrong, you might not have a second chance.”
“In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you are still in a high pressure situation, but if you don’t make the best decision, you just tap and start all over again, you get a second, third, fourth chance. So in BJJ, because each time you spar, you may be put under that intense pressure, you learn you have to stay calm, focused and use what the techniques that you learned from class. Same goes for real life situations, not just in physical confrontations but in decision makings too,” stated Fabjon Lunaj, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner.
Fabjon Lunaj started lifting weights and bodybuilding as a hobby then later he incorporated Brazilian Jiu Jitzu (BJJ) into his MMA training. He has fought in mixed martial art matches, Muay Thai and competed in BJJ tournaments. Based in New York City, Lunaj has won major local Brazilian Jiu Jitzu tournaments including, NAGA, Grappler’s Quest, The Good Fight.
Lunaj received his early BJJ training from Head Instructor Tito Hartz and Jojo Guarim, from ECUBJJ (East Coast United Brazilian Jiu Jitzu) in White Plains. For the past 4 years Fabjon Lunaj has been training at the East Coast United BJJ & MMA Academy in New York, where he also met the love of his life and his BJJ partner Danielle Simone.
“Special thanks go to my best friend, nutritionist, BJJ partner, life partner, my fiancé and future wife Danielle Simone for always pushing me to do better not just in BJJ but in all aspects of life. I have the support of my East Coast United BJJ team, which we are a pretty big team with 4 locations now in New York: Bronx, Queens, White Plains and Portchester. A class at my academy starts with the warm ups that utilize some basic movements essential in BJJ. We sometimes do drills and then we learn 2 or 3 techniques. After that we go “live” and try to practice the techniques we learned sparring. Before we try to choke each other out (hahaha) we start by slapping hands and “rocks” (a pound with the fists). It’s a way of showing good sportsmanship and respect for your opponent. That an important part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.”
Fabjon moved to United States with his family in 1999. Born in Shkodra, Albania, Fabjon Lunaj spent his childhood playing soccer for the city’s youth academy. Growing up he used to spend his summers in the beach town of Velipoja or in Bajza, a village in north Shkodra where his father’s family is from. He returns often to Albania to visit his grandmother and relatives.
“I still have family that lives in Bajza. I go back to Albania often and I make sure to go and visit my grandmother and my family who live there. Can’t forget the owner and head instructor of Tirana MMA Center Rrezart Spahia and Julian Maloku for always being amazing hosts, always making me feel at home, every time I visit Tirana in Albania. I’d like to also thank Dorian Lapaj, head instructor of Gracie Barra Saranda, Albania for running an awesome summer camp in the beautiful coastal city of Saranda this past summer!”
Fabjon Lunaj hopes Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will soon turn into an Olympic Sport and hopes to one day form an Albanian Top Team. “Actually there’s talk that it will be demonstrated in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. I have contacts with other Albanian guys who train and fight MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling and Judo from Denmark Italy, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Albania and here in the States. I always tell them that we should form an Albanian Top team. I have said it more as an idea, but they all like the idea so maybe one day, who knows, we can form an Albanian Top Team,” said Fabjon Lunaj.