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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.
It is that time of YEAR! The weather is changing. Kids are back in school. People are gathering in closed spaces and cooties abound. Yes, even in the dojo. ESPECIALLY in the dojo.
Thing is. Kids are seriously cute. Sign your kid up for Jiu Jitsu and the cuteness factor just increases two hundred million percent.
Don’t argue. It’s science. PROOF HERE.
Then, when your kids are in Jiu Jitsu, they like to make friends. Or, in my son’s case, I think one of his classmates claimed him as her future husband…which totally works for me because HELLO? She does Jiu Jitsu so she’s a keeper.
But, let’s face it, Jiu Jitsu often involves a lot of this…
And this…
This…
OOH! This.
And of COURSE…THIS…
And YES I KNOW I have way more pics of the little kids and the girls and that is because trying to take pics of the bigger boys grappling? How do we put this? Ever see the outtakes where the poor cameraman is accidentally flattened by an overzealous lineman and hospitalized?
EXACTLY. And that is why y’all got a shot of them sitting. Still. Where they don’t BLUR and can’t hurt me.
Anyway. With all this Jiu Jitsu cuteness rolling around, it’s hard to believe that any one of these could be Patient Zero in a gi. These kids are so cute (especially mine), but we need to remember that they are God’s Little Petri Dishes.
I watch my kid sometimes and think I’d be safer licking a toilet than kissing him.
Sigh.
And the adults? We aren’t any better. We are sweating and slobbering as we grapple, spreading the Joy of Germs everywhere we go.
The common approach these days is to SANITIZE EVERYTHING. And that’s cool. Cleanliness is my thing. I am Scandinavian and Norway IS the motherland of OCD. But, I am not a huge fan of relying on anti-bacterial stuff. I like some common sense.
So FIVE TIPS to help keep you healthy this cold and flu season.
#1—Easy on the Anti-Bacterial Gels
I am not saying these are bad, but they are not a cure-all. WASHING our hands actually does a better job because it is the friction that does the best job at getting rid of the germs. So, yeah, gels when in a pinch, but good old fashioned hand-washing just can’t be beat. Wash to the tune of Happy Birthday or if your kid is like my son?
Innagaddadavida.
#2—Jedi Your Germs
Thing is, germs are EVERYWHERE. We need them to be everywhere or life as we know it would implode. Like the scientists benevolently kill one BAD bacteria but then they find they disrupted this chain of events because that bad bacteria was the ONLY one feeding off a bacteria no one ever knew about that made Avon Ladies foam at the mouth and eat their young and WE KILLED IT!
When science starts tinkering with things to “help”, that’s when we get a new Michael Bay movie.
It’s The FORCE. Things need to stay in balance.
Sith germs exist, but so long as the Jedi Germs abound? We’re cool.
Invest in a GOOD probiotic. Modern food doesn’t keep the Jedi germs in high enough numbers in our system. Unfortunately, if you have even REMOTELY paid attention in the last 20 years, you KNOW McDonald’s is OWNED by the Sith.
We have to actively look for things like a GOOD Greek yogurt or even a GOOD probiotic (found in the refrigerated section of Sprouts). I would recommend that you get the probiotic Gummies, but you seriously need the self-discipline of a Shaolin Monk or those are going to be the most expensive gummy bears you have ever eaten in your LIFE…and no, eating an entire jar of them in one night does NOT make you healthier.
It does, however make you poorer and sad. Very very sad.
#3—KALE, BABY!
Yes, well I drank green juice with KALE before it was cool. But now that it’s cool it is easier for you to stay healthy because I used to have to drive 30 MILES to get good, luscious, dark, awesome kale to toss in my juicer and now they sell it at Home Depot and JoAnnes Fabric store so you have NO EXCUSE.
Invest in a Vita-Mix if you can because fiber is great for keeping you healthy. It pulls toxins out of your system.
Kale is loaded in B Vitamins that we ALL NEED. Stress will burn through your Bs like a flash fire and if you don’t replenish them? You get tired, burned out and SICK. Antioxidants also act like tiny Norwegians with OCD who like to scrub your body clean of all the schmutz.
Again, don’t argue. It’s science.
Why I love kale is the body just does better getting nutrients from FOOD instead of a pill. BUT, we should all be taking a good supplement so I HIGHLY recommend vitamins by Megafoods because all the nutrients are from food and captured using cold fusion.
This means your body uses a LOT more (meaning less Technicolor pee—YES SHE WENT THERE!) and you also won’t be belching up the taste of vitamins all day.
#4—Drink Lots of Water
It’s easy to remember to hydrate in the summer when it’s hot. When the weather cools? Not so much. Thing is, germs looooove a dehydrated, acidic environment. They thrive where there is not enough fluid to flush them out.
How much to drink? Take your body weight, divide in half and then drink that in ounces.
And yes, I know vodka IS clear, but that doesn’t make it water and no it doesn’t count toward your hydration intake or make your grappling or dancing better.
#5—DO JIU JITSU
Want to stay healthy? EXERCISE! Yes, wash your hands, eat great, get sleep, take probiotics, but get exercise. The human body was designed to MOVE. Our lymphatic system works as a hydraulic pump (ergo the needing enough water). We need to be hydrated to make the lymphatic fluid more viscous, but then we need to MOVE so that the lymphatic fluid can do it’s JOB, which is to help CLEAN the body…
Because the antioxidants…(those tiny ODC Norwegians) can only do so much and they probably got distracted organizing. So they need help. Lymphatic fluid can do that.
We modern humans sit waaaay too much on our butts, and so we need to GET OFF them and get to a Jiu Jitsu class and help put Cold and Flu Season in a Triangle Choke.
Yes, I went there. I hear your golf clap. YOU! In the back! I have my eye on you O_o. I am going to go make my kale juice and silently judge you.
ANYWAY! Enjoy the fall, have a great Halloween. Enjoy Jui Jitsu and kiss your adorable little Petri Dishes of LOVE. Stay safe and healthy and please, if you are in Mansfield, come join us for a free month of classes!
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!
