After a four and a half month layoff since his last fight, Titan Fitness boxing instructor and Penn State boxer, Dan Testa won a decision in his return to the ring at an amateur event in Uniontown, PA last Sunday on August 16, 2009. After a slow start, Dan dominated his opponent Eric Parker in the second and third rounds with a barrage of attacks to the body. Dan raises his record to 7 wins against only 2 losses. With one more fight, Dan qualifies for the open division of the amateur level.
Dan Testa serves as an assistant boxing instructor at Titan Fitness & Martial Arts. Dan has achieved much in his short boxing career. He started as a boxing student less than two years ago with his first fight (a victory) coming only eight months later. During that time, he compiled an impressive record of six wins against only two defeats with many of those victories happening as a member of the Penn State Boxing Team. In March 2009, Dan qualified for the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) national tournament after his second place finish at the East Coast NCBA Regionals. Dan continues to fight in amateur events throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
Dan has worked with many students both in the classroom and personal training setting bringing a high level of boxing instruction to his students. In addition to his instructional duties, Dan is the assistant office manager at Titan Fitness. Dan is a kinesiology major who will graduate from Penn State in the Fall of 2009.
Dave Vacco is the head boxing instructor and the Boxing I instructor at Titan Fitness & Martial Arts. He also coaches the Penn State Boxing Team. Dave became involved with boxing as a student at Titan Fitness & Martial Arts five years ago. Since then, Dave has several years of experience competing as an amateur boxer under coaches John Robertson and Tommy Wilt, out of Altoona Boxing Club. Dave has also learned from Walter Kravitsky, Steve Bumbaco, and Walter Blake.
As a boxing coach, Dave has coached dozens of competitive boxers in hundreds of bouts, including four All-Americans, seven NCBA national qualifiers, and one national runner-up. In the 2009-2010 season, Penn State Boxers had 52 fights.
Dave has a life-long love of the sweet science. He teaches the “Boxer-mover” style, which involves slick footwork, out-fighting, and counter-punching. Dave treats boxing as a chess match, teaching his boxers to strategize and out-smart their opponents. The Boxer-mover, commonly called the “European Style,” or “in-and-out” style, is the most successful style on the international boxing scene, most notably utilized by the Cuban National Boxing Team. By taking advantage of the scoring system of amateur boxing, the boxer-mover style teaches a boxer to score and get out, building up points and out-hussling opponents. Dave learned this style from a former member of the Russian Olympic Boxing Team.
Dave also teaches aspects of “pressure-style” boxing, which involves relentless forward movement, head-movement, and attacking combinations. Commonly this style involves steady hussle, trapping opponents on the ropes or in the corner. This is the style Dave’s coach, Tommy Wilt, used to win 6 open-class golden glove state championships, competing on the U.S. National Team, and gaining a 21-7 professional record. Dave’s boxers have the pressure-style in their toolbox, allowing them to “switch gears” when the time is right.
Titan Fitness(formerly State College Martial Arts Academy) has been teaching boxing to men and women of all ages and experience levels since 1994.
Titan’s Coaches are not only excellent teacher’s of the fundamentals of the sport, but most of them have been competitive boxer’s themselves.
Titan Fitness has produced many accomplished Penn State Boxers, and currently is a training center for the Penn State Boxing team.
The boxing program at Titan Fitness is much more than just an avenue for competition. It is a great alternative workout to one’s normal workout routine. It is also a great cross-training activity to other sports such as: football, hockey, lacrosse, basketball, and many more!! Developing hand and foot speed, as well as, cardiovascular and muscular conditioning is a main philosophy of the program.
Titan Fitness offers a FREE LESSON to all curious or interested men and women of any age or experience level!
Jake Winowich Advanced to Finals of the NCBA National Championships
Four Penn State boxers competed at the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) National Championships at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland April 2-4. Dan Testa and Luke Davis lost hard-fought decisions in the quarterfinal round on Thursday. Jake Winowich and Anthony Liotta were both victorious in their first bouts advancing to the semifinals and earning All-American status. In the semis, Anthony lost a close decision in his 139 pound bout. Jake was victorious advancing to the finals on Saturday. Jake lost but fought valliantly in Sunday’s final. Congratulations to all of the fighters and coaches on a great season and on the resurgence of Penn State Boxing. Titan Fitness has been proud to be associated with Penn State Boxing and looks forward to a long-standing relationship in promoting and supporting this fine program.
Former Titan Fitness boxing student and Penn State boxer Luke Davis was selected for an at large bid to compete at the NCBA Nationals to be held at College Park, MD from April 2-4. Luke was selected on the basis of his 3rd place performance at the Eastern Regionals of the National Collegiate Boxing Association. Luke joins fellow Penn State boxers Jake Winowich, Anthony Liotta, and Dan Testa to contest for collegiate boxing national championships. Congratulations to Luke and his teammates on their achievements.
Three Penn State boxers placed second in their respective weight classes at the 2009 Eastern Regional Boxing Championships of the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) held March 20-22 at the Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. With their performances, the fighters advanced to the NCBA National Boxing Championships after finishing second place in their respective weight classes. Jake Winowich, Anthony Liotta, and Titan Fitness Boxing Instructor, Dan Testa will travel to College Park, MD for nationals on April 2. Former Titan Fitness boxing student and Penn State boxer, Luke Davis finished third in his weight class and now awaits the decision on an at-large bid from the selection committee to go to nationals. Titan Fitness would like to congratulate all of the boxers and wish them the best in their efforts at nationals.
Boxing at Titan Fitness teaches the basic skill set of traditional western boxing. The class combines a progression of boxing techniques to include punching, punching combinations, blocks, defense, and conditioning. Boxing has become a popular alternative to traditional workout programs. Students will learn boxing from a self-defense standpoint while enhancing their present fitness regiment. The goals of this program are designed to give individuals the opportunity to learn self defense and better physical fitness. The program can also be utilized as a stepping stone for those with higher martial arts or competitive boxing aspirations.
Dan Testa lands a punch during his victory over Ian Shaw of WVU.
Penn State Boxing is back! This past Saturday, February 28, the 2009 Penn State Boxing Invitational, “Showdown in the Valley”, marked the return of Penn State Boxing to the University Park campus in several years. The event was a tremendous success. A standing room only crowd was treated to a tremendous evening of boxing action featuring schools from all over the East Coast. Penn State pride was on display with many “WE ARE, PENN STATE” cheers from the crowd to show their overwhelming support for the Penn State fighters. Titan Fitness & Martial Arts was proud to be the chief sponsor of this event.
Overall, it was a successful night for the Penn State fighters as they finished the evening with a winning record. In the final bout of the show Titan Fitness Assistant Boxing Instructor, Dan Testa posted a win by decision over Ian Shaw of West Virginia to raise his record to five wins against no defeats. After two close rounds, Dan completely took over the fight in the third round to remain undefeated in his boxing career.
Titan Fitness & Martial Arts was proud to partner with QWK Rock 103.1 FM in the promotion of the event. Penn State Boxing and Titan would like to thank Troy Craig of the Troy and Jerry in the Morning radio show for the excellent job he did in announcing the fights.
Titan wishes the Penn State Boxing team well as they move toward the regional and national competition during the months of March and April.
