Rex Brothers’ MMA Family Affair Valuable In Many Ways (10/26/15)

(Article provided by Clarion MMA)

A couple of years ago, the door at Clarion MMA blew open and a tornado of red hair burst through. Once the wind calmed down, you could see it was actually three boys, Breckin, Ashton, and Ethan Rex. Their father, Cory, recalls this, “My 3 sons had asked if they could do it for a long time and not knowing anything about it, I procrastinated in looking into it. After a very good wrestling season, I told them we could check it out and from day one it has changed our lives in an amazing way.

The Brothers Rex proudly displaying their medals

First, we met Leo who owns and operates the academy and he was wonderful at taking the boys in, with no hesitation and no politics. As time moved forward and we began going on a regular basis, it became very clear that this lifestyle was part of who we were.”

Since that day, the boys have been regular attendees at Clarion MMA. This summer, they played a lot of baseball, but they still maintained a presence on the mat. They have attended camps and seminars, but perhaps more importantly, they have had each other. It is said that iron sharpens iron and these boys are the living proof of that. There is a sibling rivalry that drives improvement, but there is also a lot of teaching, encouragement and help that passes between the three of them.

Ethan applying an armbar

We recently got to see the results of this…

On Saturday, October 24th, a team from Clarion MMA rose to the challenge and entered the 9th annual Western Pennsylvania State Grappling Championships, in Pittsburgh. Competitors were divided by age, size, and skill level.

Because of their similar size and age, Breckin and Ashton were put into the same division. Luckily they were put on opposite ends of the bracket. Each one then battled their way through their opponents, winning with a variety of chokes and armlocks. They continued until they were the only two left in the division.

Breckin’s hand raised after a victory

They met in the center of the mat, shook hands, and ended the match. Ashton conceded the victory to his older brother, Breckin. Coach Leo LeFay explains, “One of my instructors was part of a family that often competed together. When two brothers faced each other like this, the house rule was that the victory automatically went to the eldest brother. This kept the peace at home and also prevented them from really turning it on and accidentally hurting their brother, in a moment of heated competition. We felt this was a valuable tradition to keep alive.”

The final results were a gold medal for Breckin, silver for Ashton, and a silver and a bronze for Ethan in two divisions he entered.

The discipline it takes to succeed at this type of competition and the humility it takes to bear the inevitable losses are what will make these boys champions as men.

(Thanks to Clarion MMA for this article. GREAT WORK, BRECKIN, ASHTON AND ETHAN!!!!)