practiced various submission grappling techniques from the guard position June 2 at Bruhn Home Gym. Both grapplers
exchanged arm and leg locks during the intense one hour workout session.
Crane dominated Bruhn for most of the submission grappling session. Crane and Bruhn agreed that they have made
progress since the start of their team, and look forward to their bout at Sheraton Hotel in Danbury July 9.
Crane, Bruhn, and Alex Ilmenev will participate in a bracketed submission grappling event that will be video
taped and posted at this website.
Crane and Ilmenev are seniors at Ridgefield High School.
Crane and Bruhn will advance into striking during their submission grappling practice sessions later this summer.
Both grapplers have established a mutual respect for one another as a direct result of their intense fighting
during the past few months.
Crane, 18, and Bruhn, 58, have vowed to continue their intense submission
grappling practice sessions. Bruhn is a cardiac rehab patient and plans to enter submission grappling
tournaments in the future with Crane and Ilmenev. Currently, Bruhn is on a new diet workout program
whereby he plans to drop weight to 180 and develop his upper and lower body muscles for greater
strength and stamina on the mat leading to wins both in amateur and martial arts submission grappling.
(Ridgefield, Connecticut)...Ridgefield High School Senior Stephen Crane demonstrated lock-up techniques with Alex Ilmenevduring May 26 practice session at Bruhn Gym. The Ridgefield Grapplers Team will now devote half its practice sessions
to techniques and the other half to matches in preparation for July 9 submission grappling event at Ethan Allen Grand Ballroom
in Danbury, Connecticut.
Brewster, New York High School students will be joining the Ridgefield Grapplers Team and participating in the July 9 event.
Boxing and submission grappling will be apart of the local martial arts group which is open to high school and college age students.
The Ridgefield Submission Grapplers Team is under student leadership of Stephen Crane and will be co-operating with the Regional
Wrestling Team at the Ridgefield Recreation Center this summer.
(Ridgefield, Connecticut)...Stephen Crane and Al Bruhn battled it out during the most intense submission grappling matchto date May 12 during Ridgefield Submission Grapplers Team meet at Bruhn home gym.
Despite Bruhn's domination of the lengthy martial arts grappling match, Crane surprisingly reversed himself
from Bruhn's knee in groin, face in face and hand in throat tactic and took control of Bruhn from top position
forcing Bruhn to submit in a painful choke hold.
Exhausted and extremely tired, both 17 year old Crane and 58 year old Bruhn agreed it was the most intense battle they've encountered to date on the mat.
They plan to battle for gold during upcoming major martial arts event at Danbury's Ethan Allen in a ring
July 9 at night.
Alex Ilmenev and Andrew Bruhn also practiced submission grappling moves during the weekly workout session.
E-mail Bruhn for more information about Ridgefield Submssion Grapplers Team at [email protected]
(Ridgefield, Connecticut)...Three Ridgefield High School seniors have earned a spot on the newly formed Ridgefield Grapplers Team.Stephen Crane, Alex Ilmenev and Jesse Woellhof will meet May 5, 2004 at Bruhn Home Gym to practice martial arts submission grappling
using Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Theory and Technique by Gracie brothers Renzo and Royler.
The team will participate in a special submission grappling demonstration martial arts event in Connecticut this summer, along with
fellow team mate and adult advisor Al Bruhn. Team members will compete in matches for gold medals at the
nutmeg martial arts event site. The team plans to participate in other out-of-state noted submission grappling events as well,
including North American Grappling Association.
The Ridgefield High School submission grapplers� team has students instruct themselves with Stephen Crane as student advisor, who is a martial
arts student.
The team will present a demonstration for the Western Connecticut Wrestling Team this summer pending approval of its coaches'
meeting May 23, 2004.
and lock-ups during April 28 team session at Bruhn Gym.
Alex got Al Bruhn to submit during scheduled five minute match, and his son
Eric to submit as well during another five minute match.
Alex achieved victory over the Bruhns due to his intense desire to win.
He's a senior at Ridgefield High School.
Next scheduled team practice session is set for May 5 at 5pm in Bruhn Gym.
Weight lifting and cardio boxing will also be practiced during next week's session.
Anyone who wants to join Ridgefield Grapplers Team is welcome.
Contact Al Bruhn at (203) 438-1243.
The team plans to compete in martial arts submission grappling events in the future. Alex Ilmenev is a member of the Ridgefield Submission Grapplers Team which is part of our regional team. As a Ridgefield resident and taxpayer and civic sports leader, I feel obligated to recommend Alex Ilmenev for an undisclosed scholarship from me as head of our regional sports group upon his successful graduation from Ridgefield High School next month. Alex Ilmenev has demonstrated an outstanding scholastic-sports leadership role model within my regional sports group. As a result, I will pursue legal paperwork with officials of Ridgefield Board of Education to guarantee that Alex Ilmenev receive an undisclosed college scholarship from me as a private and community civic leader during his 2004 graduation. Al Bruhn http://www.usatvtalk.com/ridgefieldgrapplers.html Al Bruhn Head Coach James Baker Assistant Coach Jesse Capecelatro High School Wrestler - Associate Coach Western Conencticut Wrestling Team/Ridgefield Wrestling Team/ Westport Regional Wrestling Team/ CT-NY Submission Grapplers Team http://www.usatvtalk.com/wrestle.html (Ridgefield, Connecticut)...Team member Steve Crane demonstrated lock-up and sweep underarm and combination arm/head choke hold;escape from the mounted position. Upa" April 20 at Bruhn gym with Al and Eric Bruhn. Steve Crane has martial arts experiences and as he stated "I would much prefer this to be an informal session where submission-type moves could be tested out, studied, and practiced." He further added "I would be happy to lead practices, and use my limited experience to show a few simple moves to people..." Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Theory and Technique by Gracie brothers Renzo and Royler is program used by team. Team will meet next April 28 at 5:30pm in Bruhn gym. It's recommended team participate in Grapplers Quest as listed below. Team objective is to meet twice weekly and to learn two new skills each session. Weight training and boxing will be included during team sessions. Boxing and wrestling will be done for cardiovascular objectives. New website will be up after next session following pictures of skills learned by team members. Team members Steve Crane and Al Bruhn will face off in submission grappling match, as part of Western Connecticut Wrestling Team demonstration program this summer during martial arts event in Connecticut. Team member Steve Crane is a senior at Ridgefield High School, and Al Bruhn is a guest teacher/amateur wrestling coach.