About
My name is Dann Cucuta and I have been involved in the martial arts for over 30 years. I began competitive fighting in 1999 and will still fight from time to time. Mainly for the love of it, but have been teaching since 2011. Teaching has been a great way to give back by sharing the lifestyle which has shaped me into the man I am today. I've gained many friends through sharing martial arts with people who have become like family to me over the years. Hopefully you'll find the same love for it that I have and will join in our community.
I currently have availability for another 2-4 training sessions per week. This may be taken up by one client, or by more than one depending on the frequency of their training. This provides me enough time to provide quality instruction for each client without jam packing my training schedule.
I'm very detail oriented to an almost obsessive level. I will pick at and fine tune your movements to the minute details, but not in a way that makes you feel like you can never get anything right. I treat each improvement as a step by step success plan. You don't always fail. You always get better. I also include strength, conditioning and stretching as part of our training regimen as needed. Learning some cool punches and kicks is nice, but one also needs the appropriate strength, conditioning and flexibility in order to use them successfully. There is more focus placed on core strength and conditioning as we progress in addition to technique fight mentality training.
I enjoy working with people and seeing them improve. I get more excited over my students' successes than I do my own. Similar to watching my children succeed in school or anywhere else. I'm seriously doing what I love and have always wanted to do since I was a kid, so I really enjoy my work. The bonds I've built through training others are priceless.
I have just recently relocated to the Kissimmee/Orlando area at the beginning of 2019 and intended to return to actively fighting professionally before the pandemic led us all to make big changes. Fighting is still my goal, but I do love how I have been able to transform the lives of my previous students and clients through training, so that's still my main focus. I will be taking on only a few more serious clients for private training. I have no interest in only teaching a few quick self defense moves (those never work). I'm looking for those of you who seriously want to learn the art of fighting and gain the confidence to tackle anything in life. You will learn new skills, learn new habits, break old bad habits, lose fat, build muscle, live healthier and build new confidence, but this all takes time. Lots of it.
Prospective clients should want to train at least 1-4 times per week. To build any skill and gain the confidence that you know how to use it with competence requires repetition, so the more you do it, the better you will become.
Our sessions will run approximately 1 hour. This is the length of a fighter's basic training session. Though you may never want to step in the ring or cage professionally, my goal is to train you so you would have the ability to do so one day and can actually defend yourself using what you train. This requires we put in the time however. If you're just interested in fitting into your old jeans or dress, there are a ton of other programs for that. My goal is to teach you to protect yourself and loved ones with the skills of a professional fighter. You'll trim down in the process too though 😉
All training is private and conducted in your home or at a fitness facility of your choice. I have access to all LA Fitness locations and can always bring a guest in with me. Drop in fees associated with any other fitness location would be the responsibility of the client.
PRICING:
Single person: $150 per single session (1-3 people) $1250 for 10 sessions prepaid, $200 per group session (4 or more people) $1750 for 10 prepaid group sessions.
You can find over 30 of my client testimonials on my Thumbtack Professional profile. That has been the site I've mainly used.
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brendan T.
Gellert S.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Regardless of my students experience, I spend the first session learning how they move as it applies to fighting. Then we begin working on the basics of movement and footwork before progressing into striking skills. We of course begin with simpler moves, then build from there. It's all about lots of repetition, so the student becomes comfortable using the techniques in a fight if need be. Showing you some cool moves will be useless if you don't remember how to do it right when you need it. So we build strong basics first. Then we progress.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
My education and training comes from almost a lifetime of involvement in the martial arts. I've been in the martial arts about 30 years and fighting for over 20. I have trained in Taekwondo, kickboxing, boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling for a rich mixture in MMA. My primary specialties are boxing and Muay Thai.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Pricing is $150 per single session (1-3 people) $1250 for 10 sessions prepaid. $200 per group session (4 or more people) $1750 for 10 sessions prepaid. I will travel up to about an hour's time to from where I live in Orlando.
How did you get started teaching?
I started teaching as a teenager, though I wasn't as fond of it as I am now. I mainly did it to help my trainer out because our classes were so big. I was more focused on being just a fighter then, which requires us to be a bit selfish for our own growth. Nowadays I love teaching. It's opened up a whole new life path for me. I've found that I continually learn just by teaching. It's brought out a new set of skills in communication that also helps me outside of the gym. As in with my family and personal relationships.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have trained men and women, children, law enforcement and even a Vietnam War veteran. I may have to change up what I teach based on who I'm training, but anyone can be taught.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
One of my proudest moments was preparing two of my students for the TBA Muay Thai National tournament. They both won the championships in their respective divisions. One of these students won the title on her 55th birthday in dominant fashion (two knockdowns) against a woman over 10 years younger.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Be sure that you are prepared for the level of commitment required to grow in this field. Even with expert guidance, your training doesn't end when the session is over. You should keep working on the things you've been taught until the next session. This is a lot about repetition. You will most certainly become better at that which you do repeatedly. Martial arts is no exception.