“August Wallen is a remarkable individual. This man has been through the ups and downs of MMA, as an athlete, a coach and an administrator. He is a high caliber individual on the international MMA scene. His presence was an honor.” – Wissam Abi Nader
Lebanon | Tristar Gym welcomed this last weekend [Saturday October 31, 2015] International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) founder August Wallén who conducted a successful seminar accompanied by Wissam Abi Nader, owner of Tristar and IMMAF board member. The event also witnessed the opening of an IMMAF office in plan to decentralize the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation and ease the communication between involved parties.
Wallen, a pioneer in Martial Arts with his MMA journey beginning 20 years ago shared his skills with and inspired all the students who attended the seminar. A pro-MMA fighter with a record of (8-1), BJJ black belt under Roy Harris and head instructor Shooters MMA Fight Team, left quite an impact on the fighters with Wallen’s way of teaching, disciplining, and interacting. Leaving no student out, he gracefully glided through the explanations of various techniques, giving details and examples that make the difference between pros and amateurs, remained adamant about all displaying respect for those speaking, and demonstrated great strength and skill as he showcased his wealth of techniques on Tristar’s head coach Wissam Abi Nader.
What was remarkable about this seminar was the presence of representatives from over 20 gyms from all the Martial Arts Federations in Lebanon. Those such as Bechara Abboud (member of boxing federation), Reda Muslimani (VP of kickboxing fed) Maroun Khalil and Wissam Bouserhal (President and General Secretary of White Weapon Federation ), Naoum Saade (Kung Fu Federation representative) , Dr. Yousef Khalil and Dr. Alfred Riachi (President and Secretary of the Jiujitsu Federation), Francois Saade (President of Judo Federation) just to name a few.
Also present at the seminar were Desert Force’s #1 bantamweight contender George Bardawil, Georges Eid, along with #3 ranked amateur lightweight in the world Joeshwa Mortada and bronze medalist Imad Hoayek who proudly raised the Lebanese flag for four consecutive days at the IMMAF 2015 five-day tournament setting Lebanon on the international MMA Map.
“I would like to thank everyone who attended, especially representatives from most martial arts federations who are showing great support for a new sport. I am sure that in future events, all MMA clubs will unite under one umbrella.”
Unifying all gyms and clubs, like unifying all sects, in Lebanon is a dream we all hope for, which with the creation of a new MMA federation may be closer to reality than may have been thought.
Arabsmma is always present to watch and write about all and any great Martial Artists that come to Lebanon to share their knowledge. Don’t be left out, always check us out for the latest events and updates.
Watch below some highlight moves and techniques from August Wallen’s seminar at Tristar: