Lebrun teaching Jiu-Jitsu in Fredericksburg health club.

Lebrun teaching Jiu-Jitsu in Fredericksburg health club.

By TAFT COGHILL JR.
 

Date published: 5/13/2005

An ordinary occupation just wouldn't suit Chad Lebrun.

But the Woodbridge native promised his mother he'd work a "real job" for at least one year after graduating from Radford University in 1997.

So after graduation, Lebrun, armed with a bachelor's degree in finance, sold mutual funds at a bank for a year before bolting for his true passion--Ultimate Fighting.

"I needed to test my skills," said the 33-year-old Lebrun. "I wanted to see if what I've learned could work against others."

The only restrictions in Ultimate Fighting are biting, eye gouging and "fish hooking"--grabbing and stretching the opponent's mouth with your finger.

While Lebrun admits the sport can be "barbaric," he compared it to a chess match, and he wanted to see how his ability stacked up.

"I can get a normal job when I'm 40," Lebrun said in a pilot documentary on Ultimate Fighting that never aired.

He added: "Ultimate Fighting is as real as it gets."

Lebrun won all four of his professional fights. But like boxers, Ultimate fighters compete only twice a year on average. And at the time, the pay was a mere $2,000 per fight.

The pay is much better now. Lebrun said premier fighters now sign three-fight deals worth $100,000. Fights are often aired on pay-per-view.

"It wasn't paying the bills for me," Lebrun said. "But it's much bigger now."

Lebrun, who was living in a friend's basement in New York City while training and fighting professionally, needed more money and he missed home. He decided to return to Virginia and create The Lab Martial Arts Academy to teach Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Lebrun is certainly qualified. He won a gold medal at the 2000 Sport jiu-jitsu World Championships in Leeds, England.

"I really like teaching," said Lebrun. "At first I thought I would miss fighting, but it feels good to teach a young guy and watch him grow."

For the past four years, The Lab has served 30 Fredericksburg-area students in a dimly lit room in the back corner of the Sport & Health Club at Four-Mile Fork in Spotsylvania.

Lebrun, who rents space at Sport & Health, also instructs FBI agents and members of the armed forces at Fort Belvoir and Quantico.

"He's a great teacher," said Eric Plamp, a senior at Massaponax High School. "Since I started two years ago, I've lost 25 or 30 pounds. It's totally changed my life."

Brazilian jiu-jitsu has been used in the United States for around 20 years. Lebrun and his pupils call it "realistic" self-defense. It focuses on grappling techniques that one could use in a traditional street fight.

Lebrun said one of jiu-jitsu's basic principles is that smaller fighters learn to use other parts of their bodies to fend off bigger attackers.

For example, someone with a disadvantage in arm strength would instead use his legs or another part of his body to an advantage.

Spotsylvania resident Matt Lux, 27, said jiu-jitsu has been more interesting and effective for him than any other martial art, particularly tae kwon do.

"If someone approaches you on the street they're not going to be [using Taekwondo]," Lux said. "They're going to do what they do. This teaches you how to mix it up and fight."

Added Lebrun: "In a street fight, you're not going to be doing any fancy kicks. This is just basic boxing and wrestling."

Jason Doucette, a 31-year-old Bealeton resident, wants to be an Ultimate fighter. He's trained under Lebrun for the past 3 years. He'll participate in his first fight in an amateur competition in Chantilly in late July.

Doucette said he feels well-prepared.

"If Chad says I'm ready, then I'm ready," he said. "I thought I was ready a while ago, but I decided to put it off. This seems like the right time."

Lebrun isn't necessarily training future fighters at The Lab. He recently started an eight-week course for women for $100.

He said students have the option of learning the basics of jiu-jitsu or taking more intense training.

Lebrun offers two courses for $20, so students can determine if they want to continue.

"We don't lock anybody into a long-term commitment," Lebrun said. "I know some karate schools want people to commit for three years, but what if you don't like it?"

Lebrun is now building a house near Lake Anna in Spotsylvania. He said that fighting is out of his system. He's firmly settled into his job as an instructor.

That's good news for Jennifer Rokasky, a front desk clerk at Sport & Health. Rokasky said that police detectives once came to the club looking for two male crime suspects. She didn't worry about her well-being.

"It's nice to know that Chad's back there," Rokasky said. "I feel safe with him around."

For information on The Lab Martial Arts Academy, call Chad Lebrun at 850-8561.

To reach TAFT COGHILL JR.: 540/374-5526 tcoghill@freelancestar.com

Date published: 5/13/2005