Our Mission
Team Tugman strives to develop well-trained and highly skilled athletes who become champions both on and off the mat.
We believe that young athletes can become proficient wrestlers if they work hard and develop a desire for greatness. By joining Team Tugman, girls and boys from kindergarten through high school will be provided with the opportunity to learn the sport of wrestling properly. Through the development of match skills, mental toughness, and wrestling savvy, they’ll gain the confidence necessary to take on any opponent.
Benefits of Team Tugman
Coach Tugman has over 30yrs. of wrestling experience, and continues to train himself. We are a USA Wrestling Sanctioned Club. (Members are able to register and compete in USA wrestling tournaments).
Team Tugman has a great assistant coaching staff at each practice to help interact with the wrestlers. Extremely affordable. Runs year round.
Freestyle is taught once a week in the off-season. Coach Tugman personally attends all tournaments with his wrestlers, both in and out of state. He encourages his wrestlers to get out of CT and compete on a regular basis.
Each practice is filled with a wide variety of state caliber wrestlers which will provide your son/daughter with great work out partners! Private lessons are available for those interested in a more personalized technique sessions. Reviewing of match film is also available. Team Tugman members are encouraged to film their matches in order for them to be reviewed by coach Tugman.
(Film review of matches is an excellent tool for wrestlers to learn what they need improvement on.)
Coach Tugman
- Over 30 years of wrestling experience
- Head Coach Hamden Hall Country Day School 2017-2019
- Assistant Coach Wesleyan University 2012-2016
- Head Coach Daniel Hand High School 2010-2011(25-1, SCC Group A Champions, SCC Tournament 2nd, Class L State 2nd, State Open 2nd, New England Championship 3rd)
- Wrestled DI at Lock Haven University
- AAU Freestyle Grand National Champion(2001)
- 4X NJ Freestyle High School State Champion
- 3X NJ Scholastic High School State Place Finisher
- 4X NJ Scholastic High School Region Place Finisher
- 1X NJ Scholastic High School Region Champion
- 4X NJ Scholastic High School District Champion
Mixed Martial Arts Experience
- Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black Belt under (Marcelo Garcia Affliliate)
- Represented USA in the 2007 Abu Dhabi World Grappling Championships
- 10 year Professional MMA Fighter
- 18 Professional MMA Fights
- 8X Bellator MMA Fighting Championships Veteran
- 2X Nationally Televised Professional MMA fights (Bellator Fighting Championships and BODOG Fighting Championships)
- Professional MMA Organizations Fought for include Bellator Fighting Championships, BODOG Fighting Championships, CES MMA, Extreme Challenge MMA, Cage Fury Fighting Championships
- AMMO Grappling Championships 1st Ever Absolute Division Champion
- Multiple Time NAGA Grappling Championships Place Finisher
Combat Sports Coaching/Training
- Trained multiple times with Team Alpha Male (California)
- Trained with multiple UFC Champions and contenders (TJ Dillashaw, Cody Garbrant, Uriah Faber, Gregor Gillispie, Chad Mendes, Anthony Benavides, Duane Ludwig, Martin Kampmann.
- Trained multiple times with IBJJF World Grappling Champions at Marcelo Garcia Academy, NYC
- Trained with Marcelo Garcia, John Danaher, Gianni Grippo, Mansher Khera, Vitor Shaolin
- Have coached several NCAA, HS and youth Wrestling National Champions and All-American
- Cornered numerous amateur and professional MMA fighters and grapplers
Certifications and Memberships
Game Face Certified Sales Executive Game Face, Inc., Portland, OR. June 2005. Completed a comprehensive sales training program at Game Face Executive Academy, including:- 40 classroom hours in the Game Face Sales Training Camp
- Live sales calls representing Game Face’s national accounts
- Mini-plan account management
- Customer service
- Lead generation and organization
- Daily supervision and evaluation of sales techniques and strategies
- NCEP Copper and Bronze level USA wrestling coaching certified
Blair Tugman, Head Coach and Program Director
Our Head Coach, Blair Tugman, has more than thirty years of combat sports experience. A highly successful wrestler from New Jersey, Coach Tugman went on to wrestling and Lock Haven University. After college he began his coaching career while training to become a professional MMA fighter. These experiences have provided Coach Tugman with a unique perspective on the skills, attitude, and psychology necessary to have success in wrestling. As the leader of our club, Coach Tugman deploys this considerable experience to the benefit of all our athletes. Read More
Our Assistant Coaches
Team Tugman is fortunate to have assistant coaches who have extensive wrestling experience with a rich background in other combat sports. Our coaching staff has “been there and done that” and will include, at times, visiting coaches from the top Universities and Colleges around Connecticut. They will help run our practices and give us unique perspectives on techniques and training. This experience and their unmatched credentials provide many opportunities for our athletes to not just learn wrestling basics, but to begin to develop their own styles. Read More.
