Gracie Barra Mansfield | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Tag: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Arlington

Gracie Barra 30th Anniversary Promotion!

If you ever needed a reason to begin your Jiu-Jitsu journey…
your search ends today.

For the past 30 years Gracie Barra has been delivering Jiu-Jitsu excellence to local communities all around the world. This month Gracie Barra is celebrating 30 years of Jiu Jitsu and GB is giving you not one but THIRTY reasons to start training today.

Want to try out a class for free? Fill out the form below or call (817) 453-5858.

[contact-form-7 id=”2360″ title=”30th Anniversary Promotion”]

30 Reasons To Start Training Jiu-Jitsu

1 – Get in the best shape of your life!
2 – Surround yourself with great people who will help you accomplish your goals!
3 – Have a mentor that will walk you through your success as a martial artist!
4 – Get inspired to achieve more!
5 – 30% OFF – After all we are celebrating 30 years!!!!
6 – Free Intro Class – Get started the right way.
7 – Jiu-Jitsu is a journey for a lifetime.
8 – Gracie Barra is a family that we choose, and a place where we respect and help each other.
9 – You will always find a good friends on the mats.
10 – Focus – The first skill you will improve in your Jiu-Jitsu life.

[expand title=”Click here to learn more about the other 20 reasons why JJ will change your life for better!!”]
11 – Everyone should learn Self-Defense.
12 – Confidence – Day-by-day you will learn to trust your body and see yourself becoming more confident.
13 – Mindset- Jiu-Jitsu will also help you improve your mind.
14 – Gracie Barra is a place for a everyone, including you.
15 – Philosophy – Find a new way to live your life. The Jiu-Jitsu philosophy is contagious.
16 – Tradition – Be part of something bigger than you and make history with us.
17 – Gentle Art – Jiu-Jitsu focuses on grappling and controlling your opponent rather than striking. It is substantially less violent and injurious than other forms of combat or martial arts.
18 – Self Esteem – Training Jiu-Jitsu will help you accept yourself and love yourself just the way you are.
19 – Greatness – Find your greatness thought jiu-jitsu is something possible and mensurable.
20 – It’s Challenging – You will learn something new every day and the learning never stops.
21 – GB Environment – You will never know if you never try. Gracie Barra is the right place for you and your family!
22 – It’s Fun – We promise that you will never get bored doing jiu-jitsu.
23 – GB Method – Gracie Barra developed an amazing curriculum that will help you learn Jiu-Jitsu in the right way.
24 – Discipline – To make it happen.
25 – White Belt – Jiu-Jitsu is a journey and being a white belt is the first step.
26 – Blue Belt – Being a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu is an awesome feeling and means that you have the power of perseverance and you didn’t give up.
27 – GB1 – Fundamental Class. Gracie Barra has created a structure that condenses an immense diversity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into core fundamental moves combined intelligently and safely to optimize your learning.
28 – Purple Belt – Hard Work is how we describe a purple belt and in this phase Jiu-Jitsu has already became a part of you.
29 – Brown Belt – Patience and dedication. The word that we use to describe the brown belt is patience as we are dreaming a lot about becoming a black belt.
30 – Black Belt – The journey doesn’t end for those who have reached this level. If you want to be a black belt, be ready to serve. We believe that the knowledge should not die with you. It should be passed on as a legacy.[/expand]

Gracie Barra Mansfield
(817) 453-5858

January 28, 2016
Valentine’s Day!
That time of the year is upon us and we at GB Mansfield invite you to bring your Valentine to train with us on Feb. 14th!

Many of us are constantly having to maintain a healthy balance between spending time at Jiu Jitsu and spending time with our significant other. Gracie Barra believes in JIU-JITSU FOR EVERYONE and we would like to give you and your S.O. the opportunity to train together!

For ONE DAY ONLY we will be offering both you and your Valentine a gift for training with Gracie Barra Mansfield:
- Free Class for your Valentine.
- Free Gi for the Valentine when they sign up for Jiu-Jitsu.
- Free Month for you when your Valentine signs up for Jiu-Jitsu.
This is a great opportunity for you to show your loved one why Jiu Jitsu is so important to you.

Offer valid only for current GB Mansfield students.
January 23, 2016
Do You Want To Start Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? How To Get Started!

When January 1st rolls around many potential students think about getting started training BJJ.

Here are 5 Tips for Getting Started in BJJ:

1. You don’t need to “get in shape before I start”.

This is a common statement by people who are apprehensive about getting started in bjj. Part of it likely originates in the (understandable) wish to avoid “paying your dues” and getting tapped a lot at first.
Truth is the Gracie Barra warm up and drills will build the type of fitness that bjj requires without being overly exhausting. When you focus on the techniques you are being taught and attend class 2-4 times per week your body will adapt to the new demands.

GB warm up

2. Expect to be the “nail” early on.

Jiu-jitsu legend Renzo Gracie famously said “Sometimes you are the hammer and sometimes you are the nail!” When you start any new skill, there is that initial step learning curve.

You are not alone in feeling like the proverbial “nail”. I have witnessed well conditioned competitive fighters from other martial arts flounder when they first started. It isn’t only you!

3. You don’t need to buy every piece of training gear in the pro shop to start

Some students of bjj are “gear heads” and have every piece of training aid and fashionable rash guard and spats, limited edition kimono… the truth is you need to spend hundreds of dollars to get going. read also: 7 Things To Keep In Your BJJ Gear Bag

A kimono and rash guard are really all you need to get started. Usually your gb school has kimonos in stock in the pro shop and can fit you properly.

4. Being fit to start helps, but your body will have to adjust to the sports specific requirements of ground grappling.

This is related to #1
You might have a six-pack and have great “guns” from all of those concentration curls at the gym, but you will find out quickly that the conditioning required for grappling is different! Forget the beach muscles and think more about core strength, abdominal’s and muscular endurance.

There is a principle of sports science known as “specificity of training” which means the closer the exercise is to the specific demands of the sport, the greater the carry over benefit.

5. Go watch a class before signing up

Gracie Barra recommends that you seek a legitimate gb school with classes run by a black belt instructor. It isn’t always possible to find a black belt where you live but it should be your first choice. Remember, any martial arts school can put “brazilian jiu-jitsu” on their sign, but it is no guarantee that the instructor is qualified to teach beginners!

If there are numerous bjj schools in your area drop by and ask to observe a class. You will get a feeling as to the culture and vibe of the school.

The Gracie Barra mission is striving to put a qualified instructor and school in your city. Look for a Gracie Barra bjj school near you here!

Credits: Mark Mullen

January 23, 2016
Gracie Goes BACK TO SCHOOL! Three Tips to Stop Bullying

The BJJ “Brothers”

Ah, BACK TO SCHOOL! At Gracie Barra Mansfield, we strive to support families and this means helping bully proof your kids. As an author and on-line personality, I can say that bullying never goes away. It seems that young bullies often simply grow up to become adult bullies. Though nothing will ever make bullies completely disappear, there are things we can do to minimize the damage they can do.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is wonderful for helping our kids learn how to handle bullies, but Jiu Jitsu goes beyond simple self-defense. Martial arts practitioners might be prepared for a fight, but that in no way means we ever WANT a fight.

Today we are going to talk about three simple ways Jiu Jitsu helps kids with bullying.

Peace In The Plan

We talked about this earlier in the year. As a society, we drill for EVERYTHING. We have fire drills and flood drills. Tornado drills. Hurricane drills. We make a plan for what to do if separated at the mall. What to do if Mom forgets to pick us up from school. Heck, our family even has a plan for the Zombie Apocalypse.

But how many people plan (mentally prepare) for being verbally or physically assaulted?

Often, just wargaming a potential crisis can help tremendously. If it didn’t, flight attendants would simply wait until the plane was falling out of the sky to bother telling us that our seat cushions can also be used as a flotation device.

When you or your child trains in Jiu Jitsu, you are mentally preparing to be victorious and not a victim. Your child is practicing being in a bad spot and coming out unscathed (in a healthy environment).

Body Language

How do you feel when you deal with a person who refuses to make eye contact?

What about a person who keeps looking at a phone and tapping her foot when you are trying to ask a question?

How do you feel about people who smile genuinely when they see you?

Most communication is nonverbal. Body language is a HUGE deal. School can be hard on kids, especially at the beginning of a school year. Are the old friends going to still be friends? Will there be a place she can fit in? Maybe the school is completely new and is a frightening and unfamiliar world.

Jiu Jitsu instills a quiet confidence in those who practice the art. Confidence is nonverbal and it does affect how others treat us. Predators (bullies) are not looking for the kid who has a strong self image. They are sniffing out the insecure because the confident kid will just tell them to go pound sand. Bullying, manipulation and intimidation don’t work very well on the kid who has a strong sense of self.

Having a TRIBE

This strong sense of self can and does come from practicing a martial art, but it also comes from being part of a TRIBE. Bullies look for insecure loners because insecure loners lack a system of support. They lack peers who can be there for emotional support.

Think of wildlife documentaries. The pack of hyenas (great parallel for bullies) isn’t looking to take on an entire pride of lions. They are looking for the sick, old or lost gazelle who wandered too far away from the herd.

Bullies are cowards and the best thing we can do to bully-proof our kids is to add them to the Gracie Tribe. They can then learn to practice and live excellence and feel safe knowing they are part of something stronger than themselves. Maybe they don’t fit in at school, but they will always have their Jiu Jitsu brothers and sisters 😉 .

Jiu Jitsu also helps train our kids to be world changers. The only way to get rid of bullying is to train kids to have excellent character. Don’t BE a bully and if you SEE bullying? Make a difference. Protect those weaker and stand up for what is right.

We hope that you will come by and bring your kids. We offer an entire anti-bullying curriculum and look forward to making you part of our tribe!

August 20, 2015
Social Media Self Defense

Image via Tumblr

At Gracie Barra Mansfield, our goal is to reach out beyond the mats and serve our DFW community by teaching ways to stay safe. Yes, I (Kristen Lamb) am the self-professed Dojo Diva. While I am not YET a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, I am a trained social media ninja. I’ve written three #1 best-selling books on the topic and been teaching how to use social media since MYSPACE was cool.

One crucial area I teach? SAFETY. The internet is crawling with predators and we have to be wise how we handle our on-line interactions so they don’t turn into real-life disasters.

I teach Operational Security—Know your adversary and deny him access.

When sitting in our PJs scrolling Facebook, it is easy to fall into a false sense of security. But BEWARE, there are real life big bad wolves posing as Grandma (sometimes literally). Today, we will cover some tips to make sure on-line fun remains FUN.

NEVER Report Your Whereabouts on Social Media

There is no reason to be specific about where you live in your profile, especially if you live in a small community like Rendon or Kennedale. My on-line profiles all say “Dallas, TX” or “DFW, TX.” People who KNOW me, know where I live.

If you are going on vacation? Keep it to yourself until you return. Then feel free to post all your pics of the fun family vacation AFTER the fact. I can’t count HOW many times I have seen tweets or status updates with a pic of the family at the airport and a line that says, “FINALLY! We are off for our week vacation in Tumbuktu.”

And all I can think is, “Good job. You just let every potential burglar know your house is probably empty.”

Also, just because social media lets us “check in” and businesses encourage this doesn’t mean it is a good idea. First of all, it lets strangers know our precise location. This is great information for a potential attacker to lie in wait and a great way to get ambushed. Other people don’t need to know THAT much.

It’s none of their business.

DO NOT CHECK IN FRIENDS

I’ve been out with people who like to “check in” on Facebook and tell the world they are WITH ME at “XYZ BBQ” in Arlington, TEXAS. Well, that is great except, what if I am a female with an abusive ex who I am hiding from?

Thanks for getting me jumped in the parking lot.

If that person wants to advertise their house for a home invasion, go ahead, but please leave me out of it.

We don’t want to be “that” friend.

Don’t Post Pictures of Your Home with Identifiable Landmarks

Hey, after all that rain? I was PROUD of the work I did in my garden. My wisteria resembled that plant creature from Little Shop of Horrors and was trying to eat my house. Of course I took Before and After pictures. BUT, I was careful to not include the sign on my garage with my street address. I take great pains to always shoot from angles that don’t give away vital information.

Get a new car and want to share? Go ahead. Just take a pic that doesn’t show the license plate number or use a photo tool and blur or pixilate it out.

Monikers are Great for Kids

Some people get all weird and never want to post pics of their kids ever or talk about their kids or even let the world know they HAVE kids. And that is your call. But, I post pics of my kiddo and his on-line following rivals my own. But the world at large knows him as The Spawn. Unless people know us, like FOR REAL know us? They don’t know his real name.

Meet The Spawn

Putting our kids’ given names on social media just gives a way for predators to be able to approach a child BY NAME and that can go badly. Just use that nickname and refer to The Squirrel, The Bean, Peanut, whatever.

DO NOT GIVE YOUR BIRTHDAY

Identity thieves LOVE getting a hold of a birthdate. Just because Facebook has a space to fill in our birthdate doesn’t mean we need to go along like sheep. Either leave it blank or put in a date that is close enough for government work. Again, real friends will know your birthday.

These are just good habits for being safe on-line. Even if we have a locked down page and ONLY friends and family members “know” us? Still follow these tips. Hackers and phishers compromise accounts all the time. Just because we think that’s Grandma doesn’t mean a Wolf didn’t “eat” her profile and put on her clothes.

Predators thrive off information and they pay attention for weakness. DENY THEM ACCESS.

Stay smart, stay calm and stay safe!

~Dojo Diva

June 15, 2015