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.
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]
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.
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.
Looking for an exciting new goal for the New Year?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the fastest growing Martial Art around the world. Everyday tens of thousands of practitioners come together to get fit, release stress, and gain confidence by learning this amazing art.
Testimonial 1: “Gracie Barra has changed my life! Training here is so encouraging and humbling! The challenges we all overcome on the mats together have empowered me to better deal with my daily challenges off the mats”
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will change your life forever! If you are looking to get started on a new activity that will help you achieve your fitness goals while keeping you motivated and enjoying a more balanced routine, look no further!
Gracie Barra is your place! The Blue Belt is Your Goal!
Testimonial 2: “I have tried every gym and fitness program in town. Nothing seemed to get me off my couch when I came back from work. All that is part of the past now! I lost 10 pounds since I joined GB last then 3 months ago!”
Gracie Barra believes in Jiu-Jitsu and what it can do for you! Let’s work together to bring out the best version of yourself in 2016.
Gracie Barra Mansfield, Texas strives to bring you the best Jiu Jitsu training in the Fort Worth/Arlington area. We’d like to share these TEN TIPS for Beginners from Gracie Magazine:
If you are a white belt just starting out or have been practicing the martial art for many year now, it doesn’t matter! We all should read these 10 tips in order to get the most out of our Jiu-Jitsu training and make sure we’re up to speed on all things in the future. Check it out:
1. Trust and be trustworthy.
NEVER hold a sub past the tap out. When in doubt as to whether your training partner has tapped, let go—better safe than sorry. By striving to be a more reliable training partner and trust your teammates and coaches, the environment becomes a safer and more pleasant place in which to learn. If you’re not having fun, none of it makes any sense. Jiu-Jitsu is something you carry with you for the rest of your life. Each stage should be great; after all, the art is the most wonderful addiction you could possibly have.
2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is done in a gi.
As trendy as it is, make sure to have a good understanding of the techniques using cloth before venturing into “No-Gi”. It’s easier to adapt your Gi techniques to No-Gi than vice-versa.
3. Don’t ask black belts to roll.
You can train with black belts but make sure you’re invited. This tip is kind of old fashioned and is often resented by recently promoted students. It happens that the higher-ranked feel like they are being “challenged” when a lower belt summons them to train. You have to realize that they know who is available just by the way the person looks at them. Look at them humbly and make it clear you’re available—if they want to, they’ll invite you…
Renzo Gracie, one of the most successful and respected black belts famously said “Sometimes you are the hammer, and sometimes you are the nail!”
No where is that more true than when you are first starting out in bjj. Everyone has more experience than you and when you begin live rolling, the match is happening so fast and usually with the new person on the bottom.
This is where the new student is feeling like the proverbial nail. Without the technical experience and more accurately – the correct understanding of strategy, the new whitebelt is prone to making some tactical errors in trying to “survive” the roll and avoid being submitted.
Here are the 6 worst white belt errors:
1) Mistake: Give the back to escape mount / bottom
The rear mount is the most dominant position in bjj and the rear naked choke is the most successful submission in the UFC. Giving your back is a HUGE No No!
All of your weapons are turned away from your opponent and all of his weapons are turned towards you! It can be very difficult to escape once your opponent has secured rear mount with hooks. Correct: Bridge escape or elbow to knee escape.
2) Mistake: Trying to submit within the opponents closed guard
When any attempts to pass your opponent guard are stopped, it becomes tempting to try to cross choke or otherwise choke the opponent from inside their closed guard. This gives your straight arms to the guard player and more often than not results in tapping to straight arm lock from the bottom.
If you are the guard player, this is exactly what you want your opponent to do! Correct: Instead of trying to submit, look to pass your opponent before any submission attempts
3) Mistake: Straight arming / pushing to escape mount
When mounted by your opponent it is instinctive to push them off (bench press!) to get the weight off of you. However, you are literally giving them the straight arm bar by extending your arms. Merry Xmas, here is your present!
Secondly, it requires a lot of muscle power to push someone’s bodyweight off of you and you quickly get fatigued. Correct: Correct defensive posture and framing with arms; bridge escape or elbow to knee escape
4) Mistake: Trying to collar choke from the bottom of mount
This happens typically after the beginning student has seen a “Helio Gracie” cross collar choke from the guard. Not correctly understanding the position difference between mount and guard, they try to cross choke and mounted opponent. Ironically, this attack results in them getting arm locked! Correct: Understand that you attack from guard or mount: NOT inside the guard or from bottom of mount
5) Mistake: Grabbing fingers to avoid choke
It might be understandable that when you feel your opponent snaking his arm around your neck for a choke, to grab whatever you can to prevent being choked. But grabbing the fingers and twisting is against bjj rules (small joint manipulation) and is very likely to cause a sprained or even broken finger.
A painfully broken digit could cause you to miss work and not able to make your living. To someone like a dentist, this injury would be disastrous! Correct: The correct defence is to grab the hand or control the sleeve of the attacker
6) Mistake: Not tapping when caught in submission
Part of this is that the beginner student doesn’t understand the limitations of their own body. How far can a shoulder be twisted in kimura before something has to give?
Secondly, many students measure their progress by whether they tap or not in a 5 minute roll. They will resist too long after being caught in a submission. The unfortunate result is usually a sprained / twisted shoulder or popped elbow and a painful lesson. Correct: Tap early and often. It is better to tap and then live to roll another day!
Credits: Mark Mullen Gracie Barra Black belt based in Taipei, Taiwan Twitter: @MarkMullenBJJ
Dojo Diva here to talk more on the Gracie State of Mind. At Gracie-Barra Mansfield, we love serving the DFW community, but through this blog, we can do more. We can share what it means to practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, how it goes way beyond becoming a lean, mean fighting machine.
One thing I have been learning a lot about is the “Grace” part of “Gracie.” I have been working hard for over a year to get my blue belt. I was doing great and then got SHINGLES. Ugh. I had to take time off. Then I got started AGAIN and have been going strong since January. Then, last Friday? I was in the Urgent Care.
Poison Ivy. *head desk*
Just about the time I felt I was getting some SERIOUS momentum? I had to take off Saturday and might take off another night… and I am struggling NOT to have a panic attack.
Will I be okay? Will I forget all I know? Will they remember who I am? Will I lose my will to get my blue belt?
*twitch* *twitch*
But I think I am doing better with giving myself more grace. I know that persistence prevails when all else fails. Often it is when we rest, when we cease to stop fighting, that we begin to see real improvement.
More is not always better.
For instance, when I first joined Jiu Jitsu, I used to power through everything. It didn’t take long until I was winded and soaked in sweat…and caught in an arm bar.
WHAT? HOW did THAT happen?
I was going too fast, pressing too hard. I wasn’t pacing myself. I couldn’t understand why the upper belts just kept shaking their heads and telling me that I was “working too hard.”
Of course I am working hard, because this is AMERICA and hard work eventually pays off!
Commies…
Then, last week something changed. Suddenly, I was fine. I was cool, even. I moved with ease and relatively slowly. I stopped to think before making a move…and I was UNSTOPPABLE. When I relaxed and didn’t “try so hard” I actually did a lot better.
But I keep having the same lessons over and over. Giving myself grace. I don’t have to be busy ALL THE TIME. Faster is not better. Working harder isn’t working smarter. It is OKAY to slow down. Taking a day or two off won’t derail EVERYTHING.
So, enjoy the summer vacation. Float in a pool. Get off the phone. No, we don’t have to multi-task every waking second. We CAN actually just BE. We are human BEINGS not human DOINGS.
As we talked about last time, we don’t have to be a black belt to know how to stay safe. Sure, having a black belt is COOL, but there are some simple things we can do, that we can teach our KIDS to do so that we can minimize what bad people can do.
If you’ve seen the movie, “American Sniper” you have heard the parable of the Wolf, the Sheep and the Sheepdog. I actually laughed out loud in that scene because I think that speech must be issued to all Texas parents, or at least military parents because I recall getting the same speech when I was a kid.
For those who haven’t heard it, the analogy goes as so. There are three kinds of people in the world. There are the wolves. Wolves prey on the weak for their own ends. They are always looking to exploit a weakness. When wolves (or any predator) hunts, they don’t go after the strongest and the fastest. They target weakness. They go for the small, the weak, the young, the old, the infirm, or the one who wandered off and isn’t paying attention. They go for the one who strayed too far from the safety of a group.
This is what wolves DO with most of their time. They hunt, they search and study and patrol LOOKING for any kind of weakness where they can take advantage.
There are human wolves. All they do is look for opportunity to exploit.
Then there are the sheep. Sheep are dumb. They are often oblivious. They follow where they are led and they will even follow to slaughter. They don’t question. They are a herd creature and they are the favorite prey for the predator.
Finally, we have the sheepdog. The sheepdog is a formidable adversary. The sheepdog is FIERCE but also gentle, loving, loyal and protective. The sheepdog watches over the sheep. Hs doesn’t exploit the sheep. If he sees a little one wandering off, he herds him back to the group and watches out for predators.
For the sheepdog, violence isn’t always the answer, but it IS an option.
Our goal in Jiu Jitsu (or any martial arts) is to train sheepdogs. Those with an interest in becoming wolves with our techniques don’t last long, and they know they will ignite the ire of a pack of nasty sheepdogs if they are discovered. So most stay away. Many people join Jiu Jitsu to be trained how to transition from sheep to sheepdog.
When I was growing up, we used to train Belgium Sheepdogs as service animals. What was SO COOL was that you could see the wiring of the sheepdog from puppy to elderly. The pups would bounce around and play in a group of small children, but if one of the toddlers decided to wander off, the pups would rush over and gently guide the baby back to the group. Same with the old dogs. We had an elderly Belgium who was an AMAZING service animal even at the age of eleven.
But sheepdogs exhibit behaviors that distinguish them from wolves and from sheep and we can learn from that. In fact, Gracie Barra training is ALL ABOUT honing and training our inner sheepdog. Image courtesy of Virtual Wolf via Flickr Creative Commons
Sheepdogs are NOT PACK ANIMALS LIKE WOLVES
Wolves will almost always be found hunting in packs. They are bullies and use their numbers to pick on the weak. They don’t like one-on-one confrontation because they lose advantage.
Sheepdogs have no problem with one-on-one confrontation and they don’t rely on outnumbering for advantage.
Sheepdogs are NOT HERD ANIMALS LIKE SHEEP
Yes, sheepdogs meander through the herd, they protect the herd, but they are never ONE with the herd. They don’t rely on safety in numbers like the sheep. They are never part of the groupthink of the herd.
Sheepdogs are ALWAYS Alert, Present and AWARE of Surroundings
Sheepdogs might be seen basking in the sun but trust me, they are very aware who who is where and doing what. They are always on the alert for any signs of danger and that somethings doesn’t look right. They keep an eye on those who are weak, not to take advantage, but rather to PROTECT the weak from predators who wish to exploit.
Sheepdogs Will Never Seek a Confrontation but They Won’t Back Down from One
Sheepdogs don’t go out “looking” for predators. They generally hang back and keep watch. But, should danger present itself? GAME ON.
Sheepdogs are WIRED to Be Prepared
Sheepdogs have genetic wiring that gives them the ability to take on or back down a predator.
When we train in Jiu Jistu, we are training to be sheepdogs. Unlike sheepdogs, we don’t have the same genetic wiring, so there are skills we need to learn.
I hate to say it, but I see A LOT of sheep behavior in people and it’s a good way to get hurt or killed. One of the first steps we can do to stay safe (and keep those around us safe) is to start behaving more like a sheepdog and less like a sheep.
Some Human Sheep Behaviors
Headphones
I like listening to music as much as the next person, but one thing I see that vexes me PROFOUNDLY are people (particularly females) out jogging in a park alone wearing a set of headphones. To me, they look like some little lamb that’s wandered to the outside of the herd and is too busy munching on dandelions to notice the wolf.
Remember, human predators think and act A LOT like predators in nature. What better place to snag an unsuspecting victim than a park where the potential victim is oblivious to her surroundings?
If you want to jog wearing headphones, great. But get some friends to go with or do this in a contained environment like a gym. Predators back down when there are numbers. If you are alone? Ditch the headphones so you can maintain situational awareness.
Smart Phones
I love Facebook. I like to text and talk as much as the next person. But, there is a time and a place for everything. Parking lots are NOTORIOUSLY dangerous, and yet daily I see people walking alone (usually with headphones) completely immersed in their Twitter feed instead of paying attention and looking for potential threats.
If I am busy tweeting about my latte, I can’t see that there is a panel van or an open trunk or a pack of thugs who look like they might want to go Christmas shopping with MY purse.
Put the phone away until you are in a safer place. Don’t text and talk when you are walking across the wolves’ favorite hunting grounds.
Conversation
As a Stay-at-Home Mom, I totally get it. Sometimes we just have to go unleash the kids in the park. It CAN get boring watching Junior on the monkey bars and it is tempting to chat with a friend or another parent (or even get out the cell phone). This is fine so long as we limit it and keep situational awareness.
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO CONFRONT A POTENTIAL WOLF
I always stay on the lookout for potential predators. One day I had my two young nephews at a park. I noticed a man walk down the hill and linger along the fringes in a copse of trees beyond the play equipment. He had no children, but was unusually focused on the kids in the park. I moved in between him and the kids and made STRONG EYE CONTACT to let him know I SAW HIM. I NOTICED HIM.
He left.
Those who are going to possibly prey on a small child are hoping we aren’t paying attention. They DO NOT like being noticed. Often, like the sheepdog perking its ears and growling, this is enough to make the predator slink away, because they have lost their greatest advantages—stealth and invisibility. They KNOW we are not going to let any little lambs wander their direction.
Again, I hope you find a Gracie Barra close or even come join us here in Mansfield. We are offering free trials so you can get a taste of Advanced Sheepdog Training. Train the pups!
Just remember, stay alert, stay calm and stay SAFE!
So we’ve talked about how hard it is to begin. We are in the company of our fears and insecurities. Maybe we even get pushback from friends. But, a new level, a new devil.
Meet THE DIP
You pushed all those negative thoughts back and STARTED. GO YOU! Maybe you started a new eating plan, a new novel, a new BJJ class. Odds are there was some pain involved, but the changes you saw were enough to keep pressing. Sure, you might have been bummed to be eating veggies and chicken instead of drive-thru burgers, but the clothes started getting looser and your skin began to glow. That new novel seemed to write itself. Yes, BJJ was hard, but MAN what a workout and you were learning SO MUCH.
Then????
*brakes screech*
Sometime, somewhere you ran into a wall.
Now? No matter how many veggies you eat, the scale isn’t budging. You pound on the keyboard, play with spitballs and try to be inspired, but? NOTHING. You can’t seem to finish that novel. If you are like me in BJJ, you feel like you’ve been at this FOREVER and you just aren’t getting any better. X number of months in and you wonder if maybe the dojo would be better off spraying your gi with Endust so at least the mats will be clean when your opponents finish wiping the floor with you.
The Dip is that pan of suck right before the breakthrough (thank you Seth Godin). No one knows how long The Dip will last until they are standing on the other side. Problem is, this is the place most people give up.
It is easy to keep pressing when we have some kind of outside validation that what we are doing will eventually pay off.
It’s easy to keep eating super healthy so long as the scale is going down. It’s easy to keep writing so long as the chapters are flowing. It’s easy to keep blogging so long as people comment and the stats at least improve.
But can we keep doing it even with NO SIGN what we are doing is “working”?
I’m a mom. I have a great kid, but he IS a five-year-old boy, which means he is like an Etch-A-Sketch someone shakes every night erasing all I imparted on him throughout the day. Even though we HAVE a routine and we HAVE structure, I still have to remind him over and over and… *cries* over.
“Is that how we ask for things? Please may I have…?”
“Is that where your shoes go?”
“It is not my job to keep up with your XBox controller. No, YOU need to look for it.”
Many times it would just be a LOT easier to give him what he wants without insisting on manners and respect. It would be easier to put away his shoes and find the controller because short-term? It is easier.
Did I mention that it is EASIER?
Meet The Spawn
But what would happen fifteen, twenty or twenty-five years from now? What kind of person would he be? Granted, I can’t control all of his choices, but as his mother it is my responsibility to at least TRY to rear a good citizen who is respectful and has self-control.
But I can’t always SEE that. That is why it is important to…
Keep Our Eyes Beyond The Dip
Lately I have felt stuck in BJJ. I didn’t feel like I was improving all that much. But, I kept thinking of why I began. I wanted a black belt in SOMETHING. Apparently sarcasm doesn’t count 😛 .
So, I just kept showing up. And, today I was at the gym doing my own training and found that, suddenly, a certain drill that was really cumbersome and awkward clicked. It is a small step, but it IS a step.
With my son, day-to-day I can’t SEE who he will become and parenting can feel like a GINORMOUS Dip. We seem to never make it forward. Every day is new, but still sticky, coated in cat fur or lost in the basket of socks we STILL need to fold.
Then one day, he says or does something that I stop and go, “OMG! He IS listening! It’s working!”
The Trick To Busting The Dip
Keep pressing. We need to remember the WHY behind what we are doing. We should keep our eyes OFF The Dip (namely because that sucker is HUGE and intimidating) and instead keep our eyes on putting one foot in front of the other.
Never underestimate the value of simply showing up.
I did this as a writer. I blogged when no one cared what I had to say. I blogged for a YEAR AND A HALF to the spam bots. Now, eight years later that my name is in Writer’s Digest Magazine? Sure, WAY easier to show up. But what if I’d focused on The Dip instead of the work?
Right now? I have all kinds of other Dips (organizing my house, getting a blue belt in BJJ, finishing my next book). That’s the thing about Dips. We get past one and soon? There will be ANOTHER Dip and likely a tougher one. This is why we must learn the PSYCHOLOGY of The Dip.
Dips serve some great purposes:
Dips weed out the uncommitted.
If every person who started writing a novel could be GUARANTEED to be a New York Times Best-Selling Author? They’d likely finish the novel. But it is simply because there ARE NO guarantees that few people ever get published at all. Most give up because they really didn’t LOVE writing.
Dips make us value what we’ve achieved.
Trust me. When I get that black okay, blue belt? I AM WEARING IT EVERYWHERE. I will VACUUM the house in that thing because I worked my tail off for it.
Dips harden us and fire out our character impurities.
I used to make more excuses than I do now. These days? Because of some Dips? I am much more self-disciplined.
Dips train our minds to be formidable. Success in anything is mostly mental.
Some see obstacles and others see opportunities. Dips TRAIN THAT.
Once we learn to recognize The Dips, we know they aren’t permanent. When we realize they aren’t permanent, we can shift our locus of focus to those things we CAN control and CHOOSE to focus on those instead. We learn to be OUTLASTERS. Eventually? We eat Dips for breakfast 😉 .
What are your thoughts? Have you ever been through a DIP? Was it hard not to give up? Are you happy you didn’t? What was on the other side? Are you in a Dip now? I SO am. Which is partly why I am WRITING about Dips.
