I (Joe Burtoft) trained, coached, and cornered Josh Samman for almost 10 years. Some of the last texts and conversations with Josh were about the two of us opening another MMA gym together. We were both involved in a gym called Tallahassee Combat Sports. At the time MMA wasn't real big in Tallahassee and we wanted it to grow. So we started TCS and put on 4 pro MMA events in Tallahassee. We accompl
ished our goals and TCS was winning lots of fights. We then both went on to do other things but all along continuing to train and of course fight in the UFC. We let Tallahassee get back to were it was before TCS and he really wanted to bring the area back to what it once was. I promised him we would one day accomplish his goals so I am back to make Tallahassee a great MMA town again. Our record and reputation at TCS speak for itself. We are calling it Double Fist Gym in honor of Josh who was known for his Samman Double Fist. I am a board member of The Josh Samman Foundation in which we raise money to help support MMA fighters. At every fight in which I ever work the corner, there will always be an empty chair for Josh. We miss and love him. Joe Burtoft Bio
Fighting is in my blood. My grandfather was born in the late 1800s and was a pro boxer. His record was an impressive 60-2. Man, I can tell you some stories about him. Most of my uncles were boxers in the military. My dad is tough as nails and has done some sort of fighting all of his life, he even beat cancer! I was always a good athlete and had my share of boxing training. Where I grew up you had better know how to take care of yourself. I went from playing sports to coaching college baseball and football. Teaching is my passion. I have had some of the best instructors, including my uncles, Dan Rose, Rodolfo Aguilar, and Hector Morales to name a few. I believe in the method training on both the physical and mental level. I like to call it controlled violence. I try and do make them the best version of themselves. Over the past ten years I have had the chance to train some great guys in MMA with success. I have had two guys on The Ultimate Fighter show and one to continue to have 5 fights in the UFC. I was able to corner him in all 5 of his UFC fights and will continue to get MMA fighters in the UFC. Who are we looking for? Anyone interested in MMA, judo, jujitsu, boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling, of ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS. We can train you to compete in an actual fight or simply get you in the best shape of your life. We have created an environment that is conducive both to hard work and learning. We have coaches from all backgrounds that are eager to share their expertise in various martial arts, all we need is you.
