School History
Tony Rinaldi has been teaching martial arts in the Youngstown area for many years, at several different locations. Tony was teaching out of the Astra fitness center in Boardman in 2002 - 2003. In September of 2003 Tony began teaching BJJ and Karate out of Ohio Valley Martial Arts on Rt 224 in Canfield, Ohio. Tony taught out of Ohio Valley for 2 years, building up a strong base of students interested in learning BJJ. In 2005, Tony decided to open up his own school, teaming with Brian Mlinarsik and Paul Hido. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Self Defense Academy, Inc. was formed and a site selected on Rt. 224 in Boardman. We received the keys to the new location in July of 2005. After several months of intense work and the tremendous efforts of our students, we had the building ready. We opened for business in September of 2005!
From the Youngstown Vindicator
Published: Thursday, August 25, 2005
3 partners who relish the downfalls
Crunching an opponent ends a CPA's day of crunching numbers.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
BOARDMAN — Like all certified public accountants, Paul Hido can work with assets and liabilities; he just prefers takedowns and choke holds.
Hido, controller for an auto parts supplier, is one of three partners in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Self-Defense Academy at 945 Boardman-Canfield Road.
Other martial arts studios have long-standing reputations, but Hido figures the new center stands a fighting chance because of its focus on jiu-jitsu. This discipline emphasizes techniques to be used when grabbed from behind or fighting on the ground. Jiu-jitsu practitioners hold that high kicks and many punching techniques are not useful in self-defense situations, so they work on bringing an opponent to the ground and moving into a dominant position.
"It's not the biggest, strongest guy who can just beat the heck out of somebody. This is a thinking-man's game," Hido said. Hido demonstrated by allowing a training partner to sit on him in a seemingly dominant position. But with proper leg and hand techniques, he showed how could choke the opponent or break an arm.
Besides, it's a good workout. "I spend 10 hours a day crunching numbers and then I can come here for a couple hours and roll around. It's a great outlet," said Hido, 42, of Canfield.
He is teaching children's classes, but his main role at the center is handling the business side of the company. His day job is at Colfor in Malvern, a company that makes transmission parts.
He said he encouraged the other partners — Tony Rinaldi, 34, of Youngstown and Brian Mlinarsik, 32, of Girard — to open the center because they had so many martial arts students. They were teaching students at another studio.
Growing interest
Hido said the new center has 50 students, which is enough to break even, and he is planning to attract more students with advertising and other means. He hopes to have 100 students within one year and 200 within two years. Hido said he likes the location because it is on Boardman-Canfield Road and the suite offers a large training room, changing rooms and a children's play area.
Hido learned about jiu-jitsu through a friend who told him about classes being conducted by Rinaldi. Hido has been studying under Rinaldi for two years.
Jiu-jitsu made its mark in the early 1990s when Royce Gracie, a Brazilian fighter, won three Ultimate Fighting Championships using the discipline. Jiu-jitsu was created 4,000 years ago in India and refined in Japan, but the Brazilian form taught at the local center was developed in the 1920s. A Japanese fighter brought jiu-jitsu to Brazil, where the Gracie family added new techniques and made a name for themselves in various competitions.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007, bob