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Respect in Jiu-Jitsu

Many people associate the positive values of humility, discipline and respect for ones instructor and fellow students with the traditional martial arts. This is one of the most important reasons why parents decide to enroll their children in kids martial arts programs. Where did this tradition of respect in Jiu-Jitsu come from? Those of you who know a little about Jiu-Jitsu history know that the roots of Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu come from the original Japanese schools of ju-jitsu and judo. In those early schools of ju-jitsu (common spelling in Japan) that the Masters were frequently not making much money from teaching and the teacher – student relationship was based upon the ....
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5 Tips to Staying Motivated in Jiu-Jitsu

The road to a black belt is long. It takes several years, and most people who start jiu-jitsu will honestly never make it to black belt. That’s not pessimistic, but a statistical reality. People start jiu-jitsu for couple reasons and leave for other ones. Everyone will experience hiccups along the way that will slow or completely halt a their jiu-jitsu career. This could be due to injury, change of heart, or a shift in life priorities. Ask any higher belt and I bet they’ve seen a fair share of people who have come and gone with jiu-jitsu. As you move higher up the ranks, you will see many filter out. I feel that motivation is a major factor. People simply loose that ....
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7 Jiu-Jitsu Lessons Learned Only From Experience

In life there are some things you will learn on your own. No one will be able to teach you certain things. In Jiu-Jitsu there are things you will have to experience to understand. #1. You will learn what it feels like to be helpless There will come a point in every Jiu-Jitsu student’s life where they feel helpless on the mat. A skilled opponent can hold you down in such a way that makes you feel powerless. Sometimes the only thing you can do is tap. It develops humility in Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. There may be several people you know that would could benefit from this lesson. #2. You will bond with people in a different way While training in Jiu-Jitsu, you will ....
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"How Can I Improve My Sweeps?"

So you’ve identified a technique that you really want to add to your game, but so far it isn’t working as well as you hoped. It doesn’t have to be a sweep, in fact this advice applies to all techniques and positions in your Jiu-Jitsu. Of course doing your own research on a Gracie Barra YouTube channel (see our weekly GB Technique features on GB Online) could help. But if you are determined to add another weapon to your Jiu-Jitsu arsenal, we have some black belt tips for you. 1) Demonstrate the technique to your instructor. Ask if you can apply the technique on them for feedback. This is a crucial step that many students miss out in learning a technique. Jiu-Jitsu is ....
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Jiu Jitsu Triangle Variations

This week on Gracie Barra Blog we are looking at one of the most versatile and iconic submissions in jiu-jitsu: the Triangle Choke The Triangle is one of those key techniques of jiu-jitsu that is applicable to all of the modalities of the art: no-gi, sport bjj with the kimono, professional MMA and self defense. When we mention the Triangle Choke, most of us immediately picture the basic Triangle Choke from the guard. But as we will see in this video technique feature, the triangle has many variations that creative jiu-jitsu fighters can explore. While the basis principle of using ones leg strength and angles to choke the opponent using their own arm against the neck, there are many ....
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Tips for Avoiding the Tap

“There is no losing, only learning” a popular piece of jiu-jitsu wisdom goes. And that positive attitude will carry you through periods where you are getting dominated by training partners with more experience. After surrendering a submission it is cool to ask your training partner “ What mistake did I make that led to the submission?” Now that is a constructive way to deal with what might otherwise feel like a discouraging lack of success in rolling. Moral victories aside, most jiu-jitsu students consider their earliest successes on the mat in terms of escaping positions and avoiding getting submitted by other students who regularly submit them. We are here to ....
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“How long does it take to get your jiu jitsu blue belt?”

A really common question when most new students start training Jiu-Jitsu is: “How long does it take to get your blue belt?” While this is an honest question for a goal-oriented person to ask when getting into a martial art, it is not that easy to answer. The simple answer might be commonly anywhere from 1 year to 2 years from the start of your training. But read on to see why this is not a set rule. There is no set time period or a specific list of techniques that a student tests to get their blue belt in the Gracie Barra school . The decision to award a blue belt is up to the discretion of the instructor who takes several factors into ....
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The Power of Focus

If you have struggled with trying to remember the multitude of techniques that you’ve seen in class at Gracie Barra, you will readily admit that training Jiu-Jitsu is not all physical. There are a number of mental aspects to being a student of Jiu-Jitsu – self confidence , humility, positive thinking, resilience, flexibility in thinking… just to name a few. I’d like to discuss one of the most important mental aspects of learning Jiu-Jitsu – especially for students in the first few years of training. Focus. The ability to apply one's attention to a specific area of your learning to maximize one's retention of the information and, as importantly, ....
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What Should White Belts Be Working On?

Being a white belt can simultaneously be the most exciting AND frustrating time in your Jiu-Jitsu journey. Why? Because every class seems to bring a new technique solution to a problem that you have been having. Every day you see something new that can fit right into your growing game. It seems like your GB instructor is reading your mind. “Wow, I always get in this position and never knew what to do! This technique is exactly what I needed.” The frustrating part can come from a few things. The unwillingness of your body to do what you are telling it to do. For example, it’s easy to say “Move your hips!” It’s quite another to do it when ....
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The 9 Golden Rules of Jiu-jitsu

Beyond the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu there are pieces of wisdom – or Golden Rules – that seem to be common in Jiu-Jitsu schools everywhere in the world. Step on the mats in a Gracie Barra school somewhere in the world and you are likely to hear one of the below pieces of Jiu-Jitsu wisdom. These Jiu Jitsu rules have endured because they contain valuable knowledge about the experience of learning and training Jiu-Jitsu over many years. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but I hope you will enjoy these nine rules. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Rules 1- Do not directly contest strength against strength. If you “lock horns” with bigger, stronger opponents you ....
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Respect in Jiu-Jitsu

5 Tips to Staying Motivated in Jiu-Jitsu

7 Jiu-Jitsu Lessons Learned Only From Experience

"How Can I Improve My Sweeps?"

Jiu Jitsu Triangle Variations

Tips for Avoiding the Tap

“How long does it take to get your jiu jitsu blue belt?”

The Power of Focus

What Should White Belts Be Working On?

The 9 Golden Rules of Jiu-jitsu

Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone

Charles Hayden

Fabio Bueno

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