We are very excited to host a gathering of the finest black belts in the metroplex for, what we believe will be, an unparalleled learning experience! This two-hour long seminar will address the 7 positions of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (Mount, Guard, Side Mount, North-South, Modified Mount, Back Mount, Knee-on-Belly) with questions and answers from the perspectives of 11 Jiu Jitsu black belts!
With school starting just around the corner and recent high school graduates on their way to becoming freshmen in college we will be holding TWO FREE CLINICS in August.
On August 12th we will be having the Back-to-School Bullyproofing Clinic for kids and teens between Ages 3-17, and on August 19th we will be having our College Campus Safety Clinic for ages 18+. We also encourage adults to attend on the 19th.
These clinics are completely FREE andopen to the public, so we invite anyone and everyone to attend!
FREE Back to School Bullyproofing Clinic Life is filled with battles, don’t let bullying be one of them.
Bullying is a serious problem in schools and the effects on everyone involved can last through adulthood. Sometimes as parents we recognize the problem but are unsure of what to do. Bullying prevention confronts the problem from many angles.
Date: August 12th Time: 10:00-11:00 AM Location: Gracie Barra Mansfield
780 W Debbie Ln, #300
Mansfield, TX 76063
FREE College Campus Safety Clinic Going off to college soon?
These days most of us have a loved one going off to college to fulfill dreams and become the person they want to be. As parents/relatives/friends we want to ensure they meet their goals and be safe while doing so. We’ll be going over college campus safety and self defense, but we encourage adults to attend as well since we’ll also be covering personal protection and safety in general.
Date: August 19th Time: 10:00-11:00 AM Location: Gracie Barra Mansfield
780 W Debbie Ln, #300
Mansfield, TX 76063
If you have a brother or sister that you’ve been dying to get started in Jiu Jitsu, then now is the time. For the entire month of March your sibling can train for FREE. There are no excuses not to get started in the world’s fastest growing martial art.
Need to get into shape? Jiu Jitsu will get you there. Looking for a new sport or activity? Jiu Jitsu can fill that gap. Want to learn self-defense? There’s nothing better than Jiu Jitsu for personal protection.
Having a tough time trying to figure out what to get for that special someone this Holiday Season? Can you think of a better gift one could have than learning Jiu-Jitsu, making new friends, getting healthy and losing weight? Neither can we! (more…)
Going to the gym can be boring and you don’t always see the results. With Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu you will learn the worlds most effective form of martial arts, get in shape, and have fun doing it! Get an early jump on your New Year’s Resolution and get started today!
I was speaking with a senior GB Black-Belt from Brazil about what it was like to teach a class of black and brown belts. I expected the senior black belt to say that he was much more interested in teaching experienced belts because he could show some really cool and advanced positions.
But he said that for him teaching beginners was just as satisfying as teaching black belts!
He explained that sure, when he was teaching black belts they could really explore some of the advanced positions and techniques. But he added, the improvement of white belts was so rapid that it was very rewarding to him.
Any students who have been training a while will recall the early frustrations of being a beginner and feeling overwhelmed at times. However, it is also the period that we fell in love with jiu-jitsu and became addicted!
Every class brings a new discovery, a new position, a new sweep, each new technique more interesting than the previous!
Every class shows a solution to a problem that we have been experiencing on the mats and we can’t wait to try it in rolling.
Every class we see an amazing submission or escape that blows our minds and expands our wonder about the art.
Every class the movements become a little more smooth and take less effort.
We start to see how the individual pieces fit together to make our jiu-jitsu game.
A story from the mats: This week in class, one of the beginner students was sitting at the edge of the mat observing two more experienced belts roll. That very class we had worked on taking the mount, maintaining the position and then attacking and finishing with a straight armlock. During the roll, one of the students succeeding in mounting and tapping the other with that same straight arm bar from mount.
The beginner was astonished! You could figuratively see the “light bulb” turn on over his head and his eyes beamed with excitement. He turned to me and said “Hey, that is what we just did in class! It really works!”
I could see that something had clicked in his mind and sure enough, he was early to the next class full of enthusiasm to train! Yes, white belt is a period where there are some early challenges – but it is also the most exciting time in your jiu-jitsu journey.
on Gracie Barra : 5 Important Questions to Ask When Learning a New Move In Class
Credits: Mark Mullen
Gracie Barra Black belt based in Saigon, Vietnam
Twitter: @MarkMullenBJJ
As Jiu-Jitsu continues to grow all over the world, more people (outside of the 20 something male demographic) are becoming interested in starting to train Jiu-Jitsu. Many questions about training come from men over the age of 35 who ask “I am 40-something, am I too old to start training bjj?”
The short answer is NO!
A quick look at a BJJ class photo will see a number of BJJ students who are over 40 years of age.
Master Carlos Gracie maintains a high level of fitness through Jiu-Jitsu after the age of 60. TV show host and author Anthony Bourdain started training at 58 years of age and recently was awarded his blue belt.
Gracie Barra recognizes that different students have different goals and needs. The philosophy of “Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone” at Gracie Barra includes programs for all levels and types of students. “As a Gracie Barra instructor, you are promising everyone in your community that if they come to your school, they will be welcomed. Regardless of their size, gender, cultural background, experience level, or age, you will exert your best efforts to teach that person the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”
Many of the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies were strongly oriented to competition and simply not accessible for the average person who wanted to learn some jiu-jitsu. While we all respect and are inspired by the high level competitors, competition training is very demanding and may not be compatible with everyone’s goals and capabilities.
The Gracie Barra ICP Course describes this exclusively competition oriented environment as “Jiu-jitsu for a few”.
The “Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone” philosophy structures the programs and curriculum to:
Focus beyond competition vs focus on competition
Classes / Students are grouped according to age and level
Ex. Athletes train at special hours /competitors mixed in with beginners.
Now the over 40 beginner should start bjj with a few important things in mind:
1) Proceed at your own pace. Don’t measure yourself against the 22 year olds who eat, sleep and breath jiu-jitsu. A more balanced, patient approach is required. Especially if you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle, you must allow time for your body to adapt to the physical demands of jiu-jitsu.
2) The emphasis in rolling is more on defenSe first. Protect yourself at all times and that might mean giving up positions (such as being stacked) to protect your spine and neck. As Master Carlos Gracie Jr. advises “The lumbar region, for example, as strong as it may be, will never be armored against the passage of time.”
3) Recovery time is the single factor that is most affected by age. Adequate sleep, rest in between training sessions and a healthy nutrition are all more important for the over 40 student of bjj. Most over 40 black belts recommend an increased commitment to eating a healthy diet as key to their longevity in the art.
There is an old saying in jiu-jitsu:“The best time to have started training jiu-jitsu was 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is NOW!”
Credits: Mark Mullen Gracie Barra Black belt based in Saigon, Vietnam Twitter: @MarkMullenBJJ
These days most of us have a loved one going off to college to fulfill dreams and become the person they want to be. As parents/relatives/friends we want to ensure they meet their goals and be safe while doing so. We’ll be going over college campus safety and self defense, but we encourage adults to attend as well since we’ll also be covering personal protection and safety in general.
