Epi 150 We Share Tips For Bringing A Friend To Class

This week we have a important topic about bringing a friend to BJJ class. When you bring a friend you want them to have a good exposure to the martial art. This episode we have lots of tips about bringing a friend to their first BJJ class.

Epi 150

We talk about:

  • The benefits of bringing your friend to class
  • The goal of safety and fun for your friend
  • Taking away the initial stress of going to their first class
  • Why you should be at the class for their first day
  • Tricks for remembering names
  • How to get them to have fun on the mat
  • Telling them about the format of the class
  • What to do after the class is over
  • Why people may want to try a class
  • The follow up phone call the next day

Quote of the week: “Death is certain life is not” presented by Brent Lillard

Article of the week: How Do You Measure Progress?

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If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

Gary’s audio book this week is called “measuring up your submissions, Subs for people who are over 7 ft tall”

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Something You Need to Know About the BJJ Gauntlet

In many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) schools, students occasionally get whipped by belts. This is typically done as a right of passage during a belt promotion, birthday, or some type of celebration. Students line up with their BJJ belts in hand and whip the person who must run the gauntlet. Today I want to bring this dark topic to light.

Belt whipping meme bjj

Hazing students has a negative effect on self-esteem

BJJ brings many positive-life changing benefits to the people that train, none of these benefits are a product of belt whipping. Belt whipping is a form of hazing (illegal in 44 US states). It is seen as a way to prove yourself to be part of a tough group. Many kids and adults are in BJJ programs to learn how to not be the victim of a bully, and build confidence. They may find themselves in a room full of bullies with belts peer pressuring them to do something that they would rather not do. One of two things usually happens in this situation. The student realizes that this is an unhealthy environment and they leave the school. Or the student fails to stand up for themselves and they give in to the peer pressure.

It takes a person of extraordinary confidence to look at the gauntlet and tell the group “No, I am not doing this. I am not going to be whipped, and I am not going to whip anyone else. I am here to learn BJJ; I am not here to take part in hazing.” It takes more courage to stand up to the group and say no to the gauntlet than it does to get whipped by belts.

Some proponents of belt whipping argue that this sport is for people that are tough and can take a beating. I argue that BJJ will make a person tough, after all it is a rough experience being on the mat. BJJ is designed for the smaller, weaker person, not the guy who walks in the door already a tough guy. Instead of building the weaker person up, the sight of this hazing is likely to chase them away. Another argument is that the gauntlet is a tradition in BJJ (dating back to the mid 90’s if that counts as tradition). Tradition is important in martial arts, many traditions have a rich history, the gauntlet does not have a rich history. Much like picking fights on the beach this tradition is best left in the past as BJJ is spread around the world.

Let’s address the legal issue with a little more depth. It does not matter to the law whether the student gives implied consent. Their consent to the hazing is not a defense that a social club can use, it is still illegal. If a student is not physically harmed it will typically be a misdemeanor, but if there is an injury the crime of hazing is a felony in many US states. Whipping marks left by a belt could be considered an injury. Gym owners and coaches should heed this warning. By writing this article I am not trying to get anyone in trouble with the law, I just want to see successful gyms with good business practices. Ask yourself what successful business would post illegal activities on social media?Hazing 6 states

It is time to leave this tradition of hazing in the past. The gauntlet is not helping to build stronger or better students, BJJ does that in spite of the gauntlet.

Things like rolling, or a throw are not hazing – they are part of doing BJJ. If your school is participating in hazing its students I recommend sharing this article with your instructor and respectfully sitting out of the process. I am confident that most instructors are simply unaware that they are breaking the law. Help them out by letting them know.

I look forward to reading your comments.

Links

Epi 149 Employees & BJJ with CEO Brown Belt Brent Lillard

Brent Lillard is a brown belt that co-founded a business called Govsmart in 2010, selling IT products to the government. Govsmart is a 69 million dollar business and was listed as number 20 on the Forbes list of America’s Most Promising Companies. Brent credits much of culture of his business and the team to the fact that many of them train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Brent Lillard (photo by Alex Brown)

Brent Lillard (photo by Alex Brown)

We talk about:

  • How Govsmart was started
  • Some of his perfected methods and techniques of taring
  • Keeping it playful vs keeping it real
  • Why the basic techniques are so important
  • How BJJ became a part of Govsmart culture
  • The incentive program for employees to do BJJ
  • How he brings a new employee to try the mats
  • A comparison between the culture of BJJ and the corporate world
  • The story of an employee that lost 160lbs
  • Other team building activities for work
  • Dealing with an employee with a bad attitude
  • How BJJ has effected turnover of employees
  • Selling the idea of doing BJJ to employees
  • Training with a busy work schedule
  • Training safely
  • Personality traits that do well in BJJ

Links:

Quote of the week: “Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Article of the week: 5 lessons to learn as a white belt that will be worth for your entire Jiu-Jitsu journey

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If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

We also have Episode 4 of Mat Tales “January”

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Epi 148 Jonathan “The Scorpion” Uzcategui

This week we bring you an interview with Jonathan Uzcategui. Jonathan is a great coach and competitor. We are excited to bring you an interview with him covering a wide range of topics.Jonathan Uzcategui

We talk about:

  • His personal history in BJJ
  • Training with Rubens “Charles” Cobrinha as his first instructor
  • His wife Hope Uzcategui 2X IBJJF world champion
  • His style of training
  • Why he likes to partner up training partners for the best training
  • Training new students
  • Organizing a weekly schedule
  • Using video to evaluate his students and give them advice
  • Working escapes when you are tired
  • Treating visitors correctly
  • Crawl, walk, run

Links:

Quote of the week: “Trust in god” and believe in your self, have faith in your self, and work really really hard” Tom Deblass

Article of the week: Five things every new/visiting student should receive on their first visit to your gym

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If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

Gary’s book this week is called “Foot in Mouth, the Unknown Move Called the Dentist”

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod

USA Judo Silver Medal Winner Travis Stevens Reads His Oath

This is an oath that Travis Stevens reads to himself for motivation and focus. This was recorded in may 2016 a few months before he took the silver medal for the USA 81kg Judo in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.


Full interviews with Travis Stevens

Epi 136 Travis Stevens Part 1

Epi 137 Travis Stevens Part 2

Epi 147 Hard Charging Nice Guy Tom DeBlass

This week we bring you an interview with coach and competitor Tom DeBlass. Tom has been a black belt for 9 years, and competed of many stages. In fifteen years of competition he has given up less than 12 points, and he has never had his guard passed to side control. Tom is not just know for his competitive background and personality, he is also know for being a world class coach.

Tom DeBlass

We talk about:

  • His thoughts on training with a Gi
  • Why people train Jiu-Jitsu
  • The changes in the BJJ culture over time
  • Advice for someone that had a hard training day
  • Why most people quit BJJ
  • Why it is important to keep grappling fun
  • Teaching leg locks to white belts
  • Advice for people who can only train once a week
  • Competing with perfect jiu-jitsu
  • What he was like as a blue belt
  • Taking supplements

Links:

Quote of the week: “Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.” Steve Jobs

Article of the week: Baby, Don’t Hurt Me by Marshal Carper

Your-First-Year-Of-BJJ-artwork-1199

If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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Gary’s audio book this week is “Hot Mats Cool Rash Guards- Gary’s guide to summer grappling”

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod

Five things every new/visiting student should receive on their first visit to your gym

This is a list submitted by a listener of The BjjBrick Podcast. Hopefully this list will help make your gym more welcoming to visitors, travelers and potential new friends.

Welcome to BJJ

1. Introductions all around. It’s a tradition in most jiu-jitsu gyms, when first stepping onto the mats, to walk the room and greet everyone already on the mats. New comers should be sought out at this time. Make sure to ask their name, give them yours, ask about their previous experience on the mats, what brings them to town, etc.

2. A brief intro to gym etiquette. If they are brand new let them know we don’t wear shoes on the mats and we don’t walk around off the mats (especially to the restroom) in our bare feet. Explain to them the structure of the class so they know what to expect. Let them know if the instructor prefers to be called professor, coach, or by his first name. This type of information can go a long way towards making their first experience at your gym a pleasant one.

3. A good roll. I have visited gyms before and was unable to engage anyone in a decent roll at the full training/free rolling portion of class. The guys wanted to just sit out or roll with their friends. I have also visited schools where I’ve had tremendous experiences and tough rolls. Guess which schools I’m likely to visit again or would join if I moved to that area?

4. New knowledge. If you’re a higher ranked student and you roll with a visiting student of a lower rank, make sure and compliment them on the roll, and maybe make an observation that will help them out. Let them go home feeling like their jiu jitsu is a little bit better on account of their visit to your school.

5. Contact information and an invitation to return. Make sure they know how to contact the gym, find their website for scheduling questions, facebook or other social media accounts. I’m not and expert but I’m pretty sure if you can ensure, that at a minimum, all new/visiting students receive these five things the odds are pretty high that they will also be returning students.

Thank you to Joe Thomas for this list

Epi 146 Synergy Movement Therapy With Shawn Kitzman

This week we talk to Shawn Kitzman. Shawn will help to keep you on the mat longer and moving better. He works with a large variety of athletes and he enjoys traning BJJ. We are happy to have him share some of his knowledge and help everyone deal with the problems that our bodies can give us.

Shawn Kitzman

We talk about:

  • The healing arts and martial arts
  • His start with BJJ
  • The importance of being physically active
  • Ken Blackburn
  • Motor control or muscle memory
  • Common jiu-jitsu injuries
  • Dealing with lower back pain
  • What pain is telling you
  • How past injuries can effect you now
  • How to tell if you are just sore or actually injured
  • Keeping a pain journal
  • Using a foam roller
  • DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)
  • How to find a good PT in your area
  • Changes to make when you compete

Links:

Quote of the week: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Edison

Article of the week: 5 MISTAKES YOU ARE DOING IN TRAINING

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If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

Gary’s audio book this week is called “Overalls and Underhooks- The Hillbillies Guide to Grappling”

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod