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Tag Archives: starting bjj
Epi 272 Grow Your Local Jiu-Jitsu
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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is growing all over the world for many reasons. We want to make sure the Jiu-Jitsu at your school and local community is growing to the best of its ability. This episode is aimed toward the students who can help grow BJJ. This is not an episode of business ideas for gym owners, although they should share this with their students, and glean ideas from it.
We talk about:
- The benefits of having a school
- Helping introduce the school to new people
- Asking questions to new students
- Tips for remembering new names
- Getting your friends to try BJJ
- Talking to people about Jiu-Jitsu
- How you describe BJJ
- Helping your team out on social media
- The Fuji Tournament in Wichita
- Working with other BJJ schools
- Supporting local seminars at different schools
- How a BJJ school can do community events
Links:
- Marune App for BJJ, social connections, and tracking your training
Quote of the week: “Knowledge rests not upon truth alone, but upon error also.” Carl Gustav Jung
Article of the week: Never Again “Just a Girl” (Why I train Jiu Jitsu)
Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast
The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod
Epi 256 Mistakes we have made in BJJ
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We have all made mistakes on and off the mat. We share some of ours so you can possibly learn from our mistakes.
We talk about:
- Training but doing activities but not actually accomplishing anything
- What mistakes most people make
- The mistake of not knowing your “why”
- Training for the wrong reasons
- Lacking focus in BJJ
- Not learning from seminars
- Training while injured
- Getting your spouse to train
- Not recognizing progress
- Not being welcoming to new people
- Mistakes we are currently making
Quote of the week: Do not mistake activity as accomplishment” John Wooden
Article of the week: Competing in mid-adulthood: How to train to win after age 35
Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast
The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod
Epi 234 Good to know vs Need to know
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Some stuff in BJJ you need to know, while other things fit into the good to know category. This week we have a fun and informative discussion about how things fit into these categories.
We talk about:
- What you need to know during your first month of BJJ
- Some off the mat things you need to know about BJJ
- Being safe on the mats
- Offence vs defense
- controlling someone from mount
- Escapes from positions vs submissions
Links: Coming to America
Quote of the week: “Ask five economists and you’ll get five different answers – six if one went to Harvard.” Edgar Fiedler. Whe change this quote to “ask five black belts and get five different answers.”
Article of the week: Three Rules for Rolling
Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast
The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod
BjjBrick Q&A Question 15 What to expect in your first Jiu-Jitsu class
Production Now and Production Long Term
Recently while listening to Steven Covey’s audio book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People I was introduced to the concept of P/PC Balance, or Production/Production Capacity balance. The idea is that we need to strike a balance between the amount of energy and focus we put into production right now, and the amount of energy and focus we invest in doing the things it takes to ensure we will continue to see production in the future.
In business, it is necessary to invest in capital improvement, employee compensation, training, surplus inventory, etc. One could shift their focus entirely to production, ignoring the need to reinvest and restock inventory, and for a short period see a dramatic increase in production and profit. This of course, would ultimately lead to the failure of the business.
This concept is applicable to almost any pursuit in life including Jiu-Jitsu. There are things you can focus on to see results right now ie. going to class, attending seminars, participating in tournaments, studying video, etc. and then there are things off the mat outside of the dojo that must be attended to for continued progress in Jiu-Jitsu long term. There must be a balance between these two areas of focus.
Maybe the most important off the mat investments we can make is in the maintenance of our bodies. One does not have to be a health nut or stud athlete to be good a Jiu-Jitsu–but if you do not take care of your body, your pursuit of Jiu-Jitsu will inevitably come to an unfortunate end. Spending additional time and money on quality food and meal preparation will not make you better at Jiu-Jitsu today and spending an extra hour a week stretching/doing yoga will not make you better at Jiu-Jitsu today… but these are the kinds of investments that will allow you to pursue Jiu-Jitsu long term. Also, along these lines, when it comes to training Jiu-Jitsu sometimes less is more. Training 5 plus days a week will most likely result in rapid gains–but for many of us it will also result in over training which leads to nagging ongoing overuse injuries, fatigue, and burnout.
For many people, having your family in your corner is a key element in the long-term pursuit of Jiu-Jitsu. I know that’s true for me. My kids are grown, but I still value and need the support of my wife. I strategically choose which classes I’m going to attend so as not to be taking away too much time from her. I could just go to class whenever I wanted with no regards to her, but it would only take a few weeks before I got the “it’s me or Jiu-Jitsu” ultimatum. It’s easy to jokingly say “I sure will miss her”, but the reality is my Jiu-Jitsu would be, at least temporarily, derailed. So making sure that she gets the time she needs is ultimately an investment in my ability to progress on the mats long term.
I’ve seen young people struggle to balance their pursuit of education and career with their pursuit of Jiu-Jitsu. I’ve known a few who put some things on hold to train Jiu-Jitsu. That might be fine if you’re one of the few people who have a legitimate shot at being a top-level competitor or successful gym owner. But for most of us, Jiu-Jitsu will be a lifelong part time hobby that requires ongoing financial investment. Putting your career or education before Jiu-Jitsu now may put you in a position in 10 years to comfortably afford to travel for tournaments, attend seminars, and take private lessons with high-level instructors.
Each person’s Jiu-Jitsu Journey is different. The off the mat investments that you need to make may be completely different than mine, but the fact remains, you will need to invest in “production capacity” if you want to continue to see “production” or progress.
BjjBrick Q&A Q6 Building Your Confidence As A New Student
Here is the question submitted via email.
I am fairly new to BJJ but not to martial arts in general. BJJ has always enticed me because of the fluid flow of the art plus the confidence and humility of its practitioners. I have mainly trained in striking arts and I have to say the brotherhood that I see between the students in Jiu-jitsu is so different. With that being said there is a lot of intimidation. I have never been one to have the most self confidence and I hope that BJJ will change that, which I believe it will. My question is getting over the fear, for lack of a better word, of rolling with folks. It’s not that I am “afraid” to do it but it’s very defeating sometimes when almost instantly you feel weak and beaten as soon as you start. I enjoy drilling and working technique but when we roll at the end of class it kind of gets to me. Is that to be expected? I know talking with other students they have basically said it kind of sucks when you first start but just to keep doing it and it will get better. I know that with continued work it will get better but how do I address the apprehension now? I do know giving up is not an option for me because I have given up in the past on things. Not because it was tough but because I think my self esteem gets the better of me. I know I have to keep pushing because I really want to develop my self not only physically but mentally too.
Thanks for your time. Keep up the great work.
Regards,
Jason
More People Die From The Spoon Than The Knife
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can save your life in a fight. There might be a day when circumstances lead you to a place you probably should not be. In this place you might end up dealing with someone who intends to harm you. My friend, if this happens to you BJJ can indeed save your life.
Fortunately the odds of you ending up in a life and death confrontation in this day and age are pretty slim. The odds of you overeating and living an unhealthy lifestyle are statistically pretty good. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States -it is accountable for 23.53% of deaths. If you live in a relatively safe area the odds of you dying from a violent crime are less than 1%.
Here comes the saying from my grandfather Harry Jabara (Dec 29,1979- Mar 5, 1990 Ks), “More people die from the spoon than the knife”. He meant your poor eating habits are more likely to kill you than an act of violence. People fear the knife, most don’t have any fear of the spoon.
The good news is that BJJ can help defend you from death by the spoon. You might find yourself eating healthier because it effects your ability to train. Even if you don’t change your diet, the cardiovascular output of a BJJ workout will help you keep heart disease at bay.
The benefits of BJJ are many, today I highlighted just two. I hope that this article has helped to keep you motivated with your training.
If you are new to BJJ or in your first year of training check out this audio book! This audio book will help you avoid many common mistakes during your first year. These mistakes can hold back your progress in this important time.
Your First Year Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Audio Book
Welcome to the amazing experience that is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Byron helps to get you through your first and often most difficult year of training. His goal is to help you simplify and find joy in BJJ. Many people start BJJ only to quit after their first few months. This book will help you start off right and avoid common mistakes, reducing the odds of quitting and help you adapt quickly to this new lifestyle. Download it here Price $11.99