Nov25

8 Week Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals Program – Only $49!

by goatfury on November 25th, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Posted In: About Revolution BJJ, Brand new to BJJ?

Start Date:  January 2nd, 2012

This 8 week program will cover the basics of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)!

Classes will meet at 5:30 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays. The lesson on Monday will be repeated on Wednesday, so if you can make it to both days, you’ll be able to get a second look at the same basic lesson.  If you can’t make it one day or the other, you wont’ be behind for the next week!

Best of all- you don’t need any equipment to get started! All of the classes are no-gi classes (no uniform required- shorts and a T-shirt are fine).

This class is only $49. Sign up here for more info or to reserve your spot.

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Nov24

Five Ways to Get Better at BJJ

by goatfury on November 24th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Posted In: Brand new to BJJ?

This is something that concerns every student of BJJ!  Whether you’re just now starting out, or you’ve hit a wall in your training, here are five things to do in order to improve your jiu jitsu.

5.  Learn to flow.

Jiu jitsu is the “gentle art.”  What does this mean?
In a nutshell, it means learning to use your partner’s energy against them, to redirect their force into another direction so as to make them move a little too far, or a little to the left, or a little to the right.  This is how off-balancing and sweeping a larger, stronger opponent is possible.  Easier said than done!

So how do you flow?  The quickest way to learn to do this is to remember:  you must lose at the gym in order to win at jiu jitsu.  You have to learn to relax in order to let positions happen.  In the process of doing this, you will be beaten!   Remember that this is part of the process of learning, and that flowing takes time to figure out.  You have to balance the process of trying to execute techniques with trying to let your partner give you enough resistance.  Ultimately, you will have to learn how to use as little energy as possible in order to overcome force.
Relax while you’re training, remember that your goal isn’t to tap out your training partners every class, but rather to learn jiu jitsu, and you will surely improve.

Below is an example of some flow rolling.  Look at the positional exchanges.  Neither guy is overly tense, or especially trying to dominate for more than a few seconds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WzqQ2XNgKE

4.  Ride the waves.
Every jiu jitsu practitioner goes through peaks and valleys in their quest to understand grappling.   Some days, you feel like the king of the world.  Other days, you feel like a first day white belt.  The interesting thing about this phenomenon is that you can actually use it to your advantage!

How?  When you’re on the top of a wave, you’re able to dominate seemingly anyone, and execute virtually any move you want to try out.  Things are really clicking for you.  This is the time to perfect your offense.
When you’re at the bottom of a wave (a “valley”), use this opportunity to work on your defense.  Let everyone dominate you, but figure out how to get out.  And remember:  even if you’re unable to escape, you are still learning how you’re being dominated!  This is all part of the journey.

3.  Watch other people roll, especially people who are better than you.

You can accomplish this at the gym, especially if there are upper belts rolling constantly at your gym.  At Revolution BJJ, there are generally always brown and black belts rolling every day.  Watch them roll, but also be sure to watch the blue belts.  Sometimes the brown and black belts are doing things that are more confusing than not, whereas the blue and purple belts are generally more easily understood and replicated.
You can also make progress on this one at home, by watching videos of high level guys rolling and competing.  There are hundreds of great videos of BJJ competition on Youtube, from local to international competitions.  Be sure to take advantage of being able to do this one as “homework”, one of the few things you can do on your own!

Highlight videos on youtube are are excellent resource:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62wbmsAqty4&feature=related

2.  Focus on one thing for a set period of time.
Jiu jitsu can be overwhelming.  Because of the wonderful underlying structure of the art, it is a never-ending process of change.  New positions and submissions are invented every day.  If you try to become a master of everything, you will surely become a master of nothing.  Note that the word “master” is relative here; you certainly will never understand a position or move as well as you possibly could understand it if you just worked on it a little longer, but you can certainly develop things that you make your own.   At Revolution BJJ, for example, there is a monthly theme for techniques taught in the majority of the BJJ classes.  Themes include passing the guard, the Kimura, armlocks, escapes, and many more.

1.  Keep at it!

I asked one of my brown belts for his advice to new students to jiu jitsu.  In his words, “I don’t know what to say to anyone, other than the 3 most wonderful words I’ve been told since I was a boy – ‘keep at it.’ “

Profound in its simplicity, this elegant- yet elusive- advice is the most important to follow from this list.  It’s probably also the most difficult.  A wise man once said, “A black belt is just a white belt who never quits.”  There is a great deal of truth in this statement.  Remember that if you are training at a good school, and you are dedicated, you are on the path to black belt, and (more importantly) to improving over time by leaps and bounds.  Be patient, and improvements will come.

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Nov24

If You’re New to Jiu Jitsu…

by goatfury on November 24th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Posted In: Brand new to BJJ?

If you’re starting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you are in the right place!  This website is designed to answer your most common questions about the fastest growing martial art in the world.  Check out the sidebar for some very useful information, or just scroll down below to dive right in!

If you’re looking to get started right away at Revolution BJJ, you can go ahead and schedule a FREE introductory class.

We have a comprehensive beginner’s program, including classes at 5:30 PM that are one hour in length- the perfect time for the beginning grappler.  Our staff will work with you one on one to make sure you understand the concepts before moving on to the next technique.

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Nov24

Is Training in Sport BJJ Effective for Self-Defense?

by goatfury on November 24th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Posted In: Brand new to BJJ?

This is a debate that rages on across the world of Jiu-jitsu, and will continue to do so for as long as “sport BJJ” is practiced.

Proponents of traditional martial arts are often critical of sport Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. They claim that because not all of the techniques taught in sport BJJ are self-defense oriented, that sport BJJ is not an acceptable training method to defend oneself. An example of the techniques that critics feel is unproductive for self-defense is pulling guard.

Pulling guard or “jumping guard” is a technique used my many Sport BJJ practitioners. This maneuver is executed by essentially “pulling” your opponent to the ground and inside of your closed guard (legs closed around the opponent’s torso). The benefit to this technique is that you can avoid the standing takedown grappling, and can move the fight to the ground position immediately.

This can be a very effective technique for sport BJJ. This is not an optimal position for someone in a self-defense encounter. For one, you would be falling (even if controlled) on to terrain that could injure you. While you can fight off of your back, it is generally accepted as a weaker offensive position than being on top. You most definitely would not want to pull guard on hard concrete or ground. Doubly so if there is broken glass or debris in the area.

While pulling guard is not an effective “street technique” this does not validate the criticisms aimed at Sport BJJ. The problem with the argument against sport BJJ is that it completely ignores three essential facts about Jiu-jitsu:

1. Live grappling against a resisting opponent every time you train is absolutely invaluable. You can train safely in Jiu-jitsu at a pace that is close enough to 100% that you can be sure that the techniques you’re learning work well against a resisting opponent.

2. This one is the big secret, the seamy underbelly of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu that traditional martial artists, naysayers, and others who don’t want you to practice BJJ really don’t want you to know:

Rolling is fun. It is exactly this which keeps people coming back for more, day in and day out.

3. Chokes, joint locks, standing takedowns, sweeps, and positional maintenance are all taught, practiced and applied in sport BJJ. They are all also accepted fundamental concepts of effective self-defense.

Because Brazilian Jiu-jitsu can be practiced in a safe manner at relatively full speed, and because it’s unbelievably fun, Jiu-jitsu is the most effective martial art for one on one self-defense.

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Nov24

Revolution Interviews: Vince Newton, BJJ Brown Belt

by goatfury on November 24th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Posted In: About Revolution BJJ

Today, Revolution Interviews is interviewing Vince Newton.  Vince is an example of a great training partner and is well versed in BJJ.  Vince can be seen training jiu-jitsu at the gym on Wednesday’s No-Gi class and on Sunday’s Open Mat.

Vince Newton!

Revolution Interviews: Hello Vince Newton.  First of all, thank you for taking the time to chat with us today.  I understand you have quite a bit of experience in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and I’d like to help our members get to know you a bit more.

RI: What rank are you in BJJ?

Vince Newton: I’m a new brown belt.

RI: How many years have you been training?

VN: I started out in the late 80′s kicking and punching in tae kwon do.  Then, i saw Royce Gracie in the mid 90′s ruling the UFC, and he made me want to grapple.  I found my way to VCU’s Judo Club in 1995 where i met Dave and Tim Wooton, Kevin Santi, Andrew Smith, Jarrett Church, Trey Martin, Russ Helm, and many, many of our like-minded friends who went on to other area schools.  We all trained and grew together.

RI:  Can you tell us how you first got into BJJ and what motivated you to do so?

VN: Andrew had set out on his pilgrimage from VCU Judo to study BJJ on the side in the late 90′s.  Everything he learned and saw, he brought back to us.  By the turn of the century, my body was suffering from being thrown around like a rag doll.  I was getting older and figured I’d be safer on the ground.  Andrew soon opened up his own school associated with Eric Burdo and our Brazilian founding fathers, Rodrigo and Julio.  So, it was a natural progression for me to follow Andrew and everyone else in the Revolution.

RI: How often do you train?

VN: I train twice a week.  I need the time to heal in between workouts.  I’ll be 50 years old in February of 2012.  At this point, I can’t really remember a time when something didn’t hurt at least a little bit.  But, BJJ has something for that.  You learn to adapt to what your body can and can’t do.  And you keep on rolling.  And it always feels better after a workout.

RI: What do you love most about BJJ?

VN: BJJ is a perfect fit for my personality.  It’s like a chess match between two players who respect each other’s skills.  I’m not very aggressive, I’m basically a reactive person.  And BJJ allows me to keep that perspective in some very confrontational situations.  For me, i care much less about winning than i do about surviving.  Most of the people I train with are younger, stronger, bigger, and often better than me.  But, if i can manage to roll around with them for a while and hang in there without getting hurt, i feel pretty good about that.

RI: Why do you train at Revolution BJJ?

VN: I’m lucky enough to have met Andrew 15 years ago.  He’s my mentor.  I’ve always liked his BJJ sensibilities.  He’s relaxed, focused, flexible, and technical – a true scholar.  His school has always been open to all, and he views the BJJ community as a brotherhood.  Anyone is welcome at his school anytime, it doesn’t matter where you come from.

RI: We understand you run the open mat program on Sundays, what is it, and what can new students at Revolution BJJ expect when they come in for open mat?

VN: Open mat is the continuation of a practice we used to have at VCU Judo.  It’s an open day when people can come and visit and roll.  All in the grappling community are welcome – BJJ, Judo, Wrestling, what have you.  It’s all about community.

RI: What advice do you have for new students at Revolution BJJ?

VN: Advice?  Give yourself time.  Time to learn, time to make mistakes and learn from them, and time to heal.  Don’t overtrain.  Open your heart and your mind and come have some fun.  It’s a blast.  It really doesn’t take long to learn the game, if you open up.  You first learn to defend the attacks that they throw at you.  Then, you learn to respond with your own attacks.  There’s always someone not quite as good as you, and always someone better than you.  Appreciate your place in the grand scheme and work to get better in the evolution of this beautiful art form.

RI: How do you feel BJJ has affected your life?

VN: BJJ has allowed me to grow into the person i really wanted to be.  I wish I’d had the opportunity to join this community when i was so much younger.

Revolution Interviews would like to thank you for your time today, Vince.  We appreciate your insight and look forward to seeing you on the mat!

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