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Why should I start Jiu Jitsu you might be thinking to yourself?  Well if you’re reading this then its probably safe to assume you’re at least a little bit curious.  I will try to answer that question here. Confidence  Confidence is one reason to start Jiu Jitsu.  We all believe we are confident and have self confidence and to a degree that’s true.  However one of the benefits that Jiu Jitsu offers its practitioners is dramatically expanded confidence.  I’ll come out and say it, Jiu Jitsu is hard.  By training Jiu Jitsu you’ll do a hard thing – you won’t...

Jiu Jitsu is a martial art that originated in Japan.  The precise origins of Jiu Jitsu much like nearly all martial arts cannot be precisely determined.  It is believed to have originated in the Japanese Samurai culture of feudal japan somewhere between the third to eighth centuries.  Mitsuyo Maeda (1878-1941) was born in Funazawa Village, Hirosaki City on November 18th 1878.  Maeda whom is considered universally to be the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt spent his life pursuing and learning self-defense techniques.  In Brazil in 1917 a young Carlos Gracie (1902-1994) saw a Japanese man dominate and submit much...

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been recognized as the most effective self-defense system for decades by elite law enforcement trainers experienced in arresting violent suspects. As an instructor myself, I will be upfront and acknowledge there are instructors out there that don’t train BJJ and would get mauled by a female purple belt. If you interact with these instructors, they often speak as if they are an authority on all things defensive tactics. Their false sense of security is built on a fantasy that they have never tested. Knowing police culture, the last thing an officer wants is to get tangled up...

Three years ago - as a black belt - I was recovering from shoulder surgery and going through rehab.  That was when I first discovered power yoga.   My conception of yoga was just like most of the men. I thought it was just “stretching” and mostly for girls.  I was wrong. Very wrong. Between learning and competing in jiu jitsu for nearly a decade, fighting amateur mma and working out I have always looked for ways to challenge myself, to improve my physical and mental abilities in every possible way.   That's when the Power Yoga came into play. After taking...

After a health scare that turned out to be nothing, a change was needed.  I dodged a bullet and likely wouldn’t the next time. As a long time listener of the Jocko Podcast I was familiar with Jiu Jitsu at least in passing.  It was always the thing they did. The thing others like Jocko and the Seals did but not me. Why not me? So I watched a couple clips of Jocko doing Jiu Jitsu.  It seemed so awkward and uncomfortable – I did not want to do this. This was for the aggressive jock types but not for...