Friday, June 28, 2013

Sacramento Jiujitsu news: Milton Bastos Seminar June 30

     Sacramento Jiu Jitsu Team Yemaso will be hosting a seminar on Sunday, June 30th with Milton Bastos. This will be an OPEN SEMINAR for all Jiujitsu clubs in the Sacramento area. The seminar is schedule to start at 10 am with rolling at the end of the seminar. Please contact Yemaso BJJ staff to pre register and secure your spot. Pre registration discount is $40. Day of Registration is $50. For more information visit www.yemasobjj.com We look forward to seeing you on the mat!
     Open seminars are a great opportunity to strengthen the brotherhood of jiu jitsu while expanding every students knowledge, skills, and awareness. Milton Bastos is a seasoned black belt in competition and a great opportunity for all to learn some great Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Summer Wrestling Camp News at El Dorado Hills Wrestling Dojo

     El Dorado Hills Wrestling Dojo Summer camps are about to wrap up the fourth week of camp for the summer of 2013. The theme for this summer is "elements of danger," a term loosely used by Lennie Zalesky while coaching at UC Davis and branded by Jon Clark, who redefined the meaning of dangerous wrestling with his always exciting wrestling matches. Although "elements of danger" might be taken as wrestling moves that are dangerous to do in a match, that would be inaccurate. Elements of danger is a concept or style of wrestling that keeps the opponent second guessing what will happen even when they are in the lead.
     Many wrestlers become satisfied with developing a great double, a stand up and a tilt. If you can do this on anyone at any level, in theory there is no one that can stop you from winning. However, that may not be the case for everyone, and no one would be interested in watching wrestling. The sport would become very boring to watch if all we saw were double legs, stand ups, and tilts. Elements of danger are feet to back, high percentage, low risk, high return moves. Not only does it get you a big lead and potentially the pin, but also excites the crowd and gets people to enjoy watching the sport of wrestling. Developing these elements of danger will definitely wow the crowd and get you closer to victory!
     In our first four weeks of wrestling we covered several elements of danger concepts while building on some key fundamentals of wrestling. Here is a simple breakdown of some of the techniques we covered in the four weeks. If you were in camp and we are missing anything, don't hesitate to add a comment!

Week One:
Over Under Position - Knee drop 
Over Under Position - In-N-out 
Under Hook Chop Attacks

Week Two:
Double
Hi-C - electric slide to tombstone
Single - electric slide to three toes
Set ups

Week Three:
Granby - Jump
Peterson - Eugene Special
Step Around - Big Harn
Brace Back

Week Four: 
High thigh leg riding series
Leg Ride defense

     In addition to developing skills during the Tuesday and Thursday 9:00-10:30 am sessions, this summer MATCH HOUR was introduced to implement the new technique in the heat of the battle situations from 6:00 to 7:00 pm every Friday. Match hour is an opportunity to wrestler not only with other middle school and high school wrestlers in a match situation but also wrestle with experienced wrestlers in the area. The first 15 minutes of match hour consists of drilling and warming up and stretching for injury prevention, and the remaining 45 minutes is devoted to wrestling. If you would like more information on becoming a Dojo Wrestler give us a call 916 595 4064.

Dojo Wrestler
916 595 4064

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Wrestling Legend Takhti: Character of a Champion

     If you are a wrestling fan, a wrestling history nerd, or just love wrestling, you need to learn about Takhti. He was a champion on and off the mat. A true wrestler who understood the importance of being an honorable man in victory and defeat. 

Gholamreza Takhti
 (Persianغلامرضا تختی‎; August 27, 1930–January 7, 1968) was an Iranian Olympic Gold-Medalist Wrestler andVarzesh-e Bastani practitioner.[1] Popularly nicknamed Jahan Pahlevan (Persianجهان‌پهلوان‎; literally The World Champion)[2]because of his chivalrous behavior and sportsmanship (Javanmardi in Iranian Culture),[3] He was the most popular athlete of Iran in 20th Century, despite the fact that there are dozens of Iranian athletes that have won more international medals than Takhti.[1]Takhti is still a hero to many Iranians.[4] He is listed in the FILA wrestling hall of fame.

Character on the Wrestling mat[edit]

Takhti tended to act fair when competing rivals during his career, something which was originated from traditional values of Zurkhaneh, a kind of heroic behaviour epitomizes chivalrous qualities so called Javanmardi.[3]
For instance, once he had a match with Russian wrestler Alexander Medved who had an injured right knee. When Takhti found out that Medved was injured, he avoided touching the injured leg and tried to attack the other leg instead.[3] He lost the match, but showed that he valued honorable behavior more than reaching victory.[5]
Another example of his character comes from a match in Moscow. After defeating the then-world champion Anatoli Albul, Takhti saw the sorrow on the face of Albul's mother. Takhti went to her and said, "I'm sorry about the result, but your son is a great wrestler." She smiled and kissed him.[5]

916 595 4064
Become a Dojo Wrestler

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

El Dorado Hills Wrestling Dojo Teaches Responsibility

     The Wrestling Dojo is running an open enrollment wrestling camp for the entire summer of 2013. The Wrestling camp includes two skills sessions on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 am to 10:30 am and one match hour on Friday from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. The ten week long camp is in place for wrestlers from different schools to come together to train, on a weekly basis, review the technique from other summer camps and get in the routine of having fun on the mat and learning new and exciting technique. In addition to wrestling, the Wrestling Dojo includes a curriculum that helps the wrestlers apply the skills and concepts they learn on the mat in their everyday life off the mat. This martial arts centered wrestling curriculum makes the ordinary wrestler into an extraordinary Dojo Wrestler.
     One concept we will be talking about and reviewing over and over again is the importance of responsibility. Responsibility is an essential ingredient for student athletes to find success at the high school and collegiate level. For example: Wrestler A and Wrestler B both have a tournament coming up at the end of the month. They are both great students in their classes and also train to beat the best of the best wrestlers in town. Wrestler A (having gone through the Dojo Wrestler program) knows it is their responsibility to let the teacher know that there is a tournament coming up at the end of the month and that he/she will unfortunately have to miss class. The teacher is pleasantly nice about it and lets him/her know that there happens to be a test on that day, but since he gave notice with plenty of time in advance it won't be a problem and that they will be able to figure it out. Wrestler B on the other hand waits until the day before the tournament to let the teacher know that he/she will not in class tomorrow and that he needs to have a make up test. The teacher, slightly agitated that the student waited until the last minute, tell him/her that there is no class policy to give make up tests and he/she can either choose to go to the tournament or stay in school and take the test. No wrestler would want to be in the shoes of Wrestler B, but as a student athlete it is the students responsibility to let the teachers know well in advance that they will be missing some classes during the school year and some of them will fall on the date of a test.
     There are plenty of other examples and reasons of how a student athlete will benefit from being responsible. During this summer camp wrestlers will graduate from camp knowing the importance of responsibility both on and off the mat. El Dorado Hills Wrestling Dojo is a location where all wrestlers from all schools are welcome to learn about responsibility of being a student-wrestler.

916 595 4064
See you on the mat!

Monday, June 24, 2013

What is Self Defense? An answer we should know...

     What comes to your mind when you hear the term self-defense? Self-defense is a term we hear and see all the time in Martial Arts. While we might see this term being used all over the place, do we really understand what people are referring to when they are using the term self defense. When you look up self defense using http://dictionary.reference.com/ here is the definition you would receive:


self-de·fense

  [self-di-fens, self-]  Show IPA
      noun

1.
the act of defending one's person when physically attacked, as by countering blows or overcoming an assailant: the art of self-defense.

2.
a claim or plea that the use of force or injuring or killing another was necessary in defending one'sown person from physical attack: He shot the man who was trying to stab him and pleaded self-defense at themurder trial.

3.
an act or instance of defending or protecting one's own interests, property, ideas, etc., as by argument or strategy. 


     The first and second definition deal with the use of physical force to protect yourself from someone physically assaulting you or someone near you. This is usually takes place as a surprise and there is very little time to think. As a result, it is important to be learning a type of martial art like jiu jitsu where free grappling takes place. One of the students at El Dorado Hills Jiu Jitsu, Aaron was assaulted on his way home from a meeting in San Francisco awhile ago, fortunately to his dedicated training he was able to shrug off the assailant and walk away from the incident without any injury to himself or the attacker. In an ideal situation, the some would argue that a true form a self defense only protects the attacked and does little to no harm upon the attacker. In Aaron's case, a Soccer player gone Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, this was true. However, the second definition in the dictionary would say that might not be the case.  Interestingly, there is another form or type of self defense that is less physical and more mental. 
     While the first and second definitions might deal with what we are more familiar with, the third definition talks about the need to defend interests or ideas, the less tangible materials. Take for instance a term I've learned from martial arts guru Tom Callos, dietary self-defense. Dietary Self-Defense addresses the need and urgency to educate and protect ourselves and children from obesity and diabetes. Take for instance child obesity; Obese children are more at risk of cardiovascular disease, pre diabetes, bone and joint problems, and even social or psychological problems. The long term effects are devastating. With over a third of America's youth classified as overweight or obese, the need to address Dietary Self-Defense as an urgent problem within our community becomes very clear. This summer EDH Jiu Jitsu is committed to addressing more than just Self-Defense, but the multitudes of areas self defense encompasses. 
     So what comes to your mind when you think of the term self-defense? Don't be afraid to ask those around you how they define it. If we are speaking about how we are being attacked by a person, the food we eat, the pills we take, the sun we bathe, the beverages we drink? How do you define self defense and how will you protect yourself and your family from harms way?

916 595 4064
See you on the mat!

Friday, June 21, 2013

Check out Bishop BJJ: Jiu Jitsu as a Science

     One of my favorite jiu jitsu blogs I like to read is BishopBJJ. Their blog has some of the most comprehensive reviews, studies, observations, and breakdown of the most current jiu jitsu at the macro and micro levels. In addition to statistical breakdowns of who is doing what and what is working the most, they have some great breakdown videos that physically show us what is being performed and how we can incorporate those techniques into our game.
     Since Bishop BJJ helps us understand jiu jitsu on an individual level and as a whole, we can understand what the masses are doing and at the same time see those that have their own unique style of jiu jitsu. Being able to understand both elements allows us as jiu jitsu nerds, jiu jitsu competitors, and jiu jitsu fans to see and better understand effective elements of the game. Most importantly, the blog shows us how we can improve our jiu jitsu by studying what is effective. Some of the best instructional videos are not the technique videos we all pay money for, but the competition footage of the best at their best.
     The most recent breakdown is a video breaking down Tanquinho beating the open guard. Not only does the video incorporate a variety of footage from the past, but also incorporates the most recent footage available from the World Championships. The footage includes short explanatory notes within the video for the observer to learn and notice some of the key concepts to Tanquinho's successful passing.

     I highly recommend everyone include this on their monthly must visit website list and improve their game, teach better, and enjoy some of the fine details of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!

Eliot Kelly
916 595 4064

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Top Four Priorities of Life

   
      We are always making decisions about what we will do, what we need to do, and what we actually do. Most of the decisions we make are based on priorities we have set for ourselves. I was talking with Professor Todd Jones of EDH BJJ the other day and he has been doing a great amount of research on mindfulness and the study of meditation and stress release as a form of personal development recently. If you ever get some free time to pick his brain and learn from his experiences, I highly recommend it! During our talk he shared a interesting breakdown on priorities from the Dalai Lama. If you don't know who the Dalai Lama is I recommend looking him up right now. According to the Dalai Lama the top four priorities in life are:

1) Peace of mind
2) Health
3) Good Relationships
4) Money

     I was initially very surprised to hear that money would make the list, but after talking about it some more with Professor Todd, I could see how money would be a priority in our life. It's nice to have someone like the Dalai Lama share with us his thoughts about what our priorities should be, but I also think it would be beneficial for us to think about our own priorities and write them down.
     Taking an active approach to thinking about your priorities and then looking at how much time you spend doing those things or focus your energy on those things might help you live a more complete, fulfilling life. Just as we prioritize learning and training on the mat as students of jiu jitsu, I believe we would be better off by thinking about what our priorities are when we are not on the mat. What would your top four priority list look like?

Eliot Kelly
916 595 4064
Instructor EDH JIU JITSU

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

What is precision when doing jiu jitsu, wrestling or just training?

     What is precision? In jiu jitsu, wrestlng, and training there is a need to find a degree a precision. To better understand precision we looked up the word using http://dictionary.reference.com/

Some words we associate with precision is accuracy, exactness, punctiliousness, strictness. Similar to how precision is defined in relation to mathematics, we could say that when we talk about precision is jiujitsu, or training, it is about the degree to which the correctness of a movement is expressed.



pre·ci·sion

 [pri-sizh-uhn]  Show IPA
       noun
    
1. the state or quality of being precise.
2. accuracy; exactness: to arrive at an estimate with precision.
3. mechanical or scientific exactness: a lens ground with precision.
4. punctiliousness; strictness: precision in one's business dealings.
5. Mathematics the degree to which the correctness of a quantity is expressed. Compare accuracy ( def 3 

     If we were to look closer at what is meant by precision we should take a look at the word accuracy. While precision relates to a general application to different fields, accuracy is a word that describes the condition of being exact. Which is a better word to be used and emphasized during coaching is hard to say. However, it might be practical to use both words PRECISE and ACCURATE when talking to the students.  

ac·cu·ra·cy

  [ak-yer-uh-see]  Show IPA
noun, plural ac·cu·ra·cies.
1.
the condition or quality of being true, correct, or exact; freedom from error or defect; precision or exactness; correctness.
2.
Chemistry, Physics. the extent to which a given measurement agrees with the standard value for thatmeasurement. Compare precision  def 6 .
3.
Mathematics the degree of correctness of a quantity, expressionetc. Compare precision  def 5 .


     One of the most essential moments for precision and accuracy is during drilling. Drilling is done when a new technique is learned or as a means to increase the amount of exposure and repetition with a specific movement or technique. During drilling students need to have an elevated sense of mindfulness towards ACCURACY and PRECISION. Having an awareness and appreciation for these two words will help them effectively learn the technique desired and be able to implement the technique in the heat of the battle. Although accuracy and precision are not the only ingredients of a successful training session. They count for the body of a successful workout. 
     In addition to helping a student learn proper body placements and making us a more effective competitor, accuracy and precision will help us evaluate our progress. Being able to look at your jiu jitsu, wrestling or training in general objectively is a difficult thing to do. We are often blinded by our ego and desire to win, how we are feeling at the end of a practice or what someone said to us while training. The best way to evaluate a workout is by understanding how accurate we were with our implementation of technique. By judging our accuracy and precision we are able to see the mistakes and take the necessary steps to correct them for the future. The key to successfully finding your mistake is to not to only look at the end product but the process of how you came to that point.
     Interestingly enough, precision and accuracy are not the only elements of jiujitsu or wrestling. There are so many other variables and factors involved in process the outcome of a match, roll, or fight. However, there is no secret that focusing on accuracy and precision will significantly increase the learners ability to implement the technique. There is also the added benefit that a learner will be able to better understand and explain the technique or concept at the end of a training session by placing their attention on these two elements. BE PRECISE! BE ACCURATE! 

916 595 4064
Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Wresling, Self Defense

Monday, June 17, 2013

Ladies only jiu jitsu and self defense in el dorado hills

   
 El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has restarted the ladies only jiu jitsu class. The class is led by Professor Todd Jones, an expert in teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and it's application towards practical self defense. Our ladies only jiu jitsu class is a safe and friendly class for women who are interested in getting a workout, strengthening their core and learning the most practical and innovative form of self defense through jiu jitsu.
     The Ladies only class begins with a rigorous set of drills and exercises to get the body warmed up and everyone used to some of the new movements on the ground. The most important reminder for all beginners is to remember that no one is being judged on how good or bad they may appear but that everyone is being encouraged and praised for making self defense, health, and fitness a priority. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, Professor Todd Jones with over twenty years of experience on the mat, has designed a curriculum that fits each students needs and helps them feel comfortable and welcome.
      Along with learning self defense through our martial arts curriculum, ladies will also be tested on their fitness levels. A comprehensive cardio/strength warm up routine will start each class, to get the body prepared to the technical instruction. The warm up will include specific drills and mat exercises designed to help the body learn some of the basic techniques in jiu jitsu. As the student develops comfort with these exercises they will gradually learn how to apply them with a partner. We hope to see you on the mat! All ladies who come with a friend to try our class get their first lesson free. See you on the mat!

916 595 4064
Ladies only BJJ

Friday, June 14, 2013

A Wrestling Poem: Dojo Wrestler El Dorado Hills


     Wrestling had a tremendous impact on my life growing up. We had a wrestling class when I was in elementary school and the high school coach who was our Physical Education teacher, structured the wrestling curriculum for everyone to have fun on the mat. Although I was first exposed to wrestling in fifth grade it wasn't until I was in eighth grade after I was cut from the basketball team when I began wrestling. Most of my friends were trying out for the basketball team and who didn't want to play in the NBA when they grew up. Not making the basketball team was probably one of the best things that happened to me. It was the first time in my life where I could see progress as a result of working hard.
     For the second summer in a row EDH Grappling will be hosting Summer Dojo Wrestler.  A wrestling program designed for local wrestlers from different schools to develop skills, improve, motivate and encourage one another while educating the public and becoming ambassadors to preserve wrestling as an essential sport in scholastic athletics. Here is a little more information about how Dojo Wrestler started.
     Dojo Wrestler is an innovative concept I started to implement after I began learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I found that Jiu Jitsu taught and preached some of the same lessons that applied to the core of wrestling. During the process of earning my black belt in jiu jitsu, I began to realize the roots of wrestlings as being self defense and a type of martial art. At the same time, I also noticed how those roots have diminished over time.  Recently, we've seen an enormous drop in collegiate wrestling programs on the west coast, University or Oregon, Fresno State, Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Arizona State (Although they were brought back with the financial support of a donor), Portland State University, are only a few programs that have been cut in recent years. I believe this is a result of wrestling becoming more of a sport and less of a martial art. Dojo Wrestlers are wrestlers who face the challenge of improving their wrestling on the mat and in turn facing the challenges off the mat. Our first off the mat project for 2013 Dojo Wrestler was to write and present a wrestling poem.
     These poems, some silly and some serious, reflect the wrestlers ability to put into words the work, time, dedication, effort, and teamwork required to be successful on and off the mat. Although it is a very difficult task to express the mental, physical, and metaphysical expression of wrestling in words, these Dojo Wrestlers have stepped up to the challenge of making that connection and expression what they do while  wrestling.

Eliot Kelly
916 595 4064
Be a Dojo Wrestler

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Summer Fight Fit Program for June


June Fight Fit

1.    Warm up   (If not already warmed up)
2.    Mobility
  Lunge stretch 
   (drop bent knee to the outside)
  10 - Straight leg lunge stretch (dynamic)
  Wall Quad stretch
  10 - Sumo Squat 
   (hands on the ground to a full squat)
  10 - Side lunges 
   (staying as low as possible)
  Duck walk (full squat waddle)
  Ostrich walk (keep legs as straight as possible and place your hands on the ground.  Press your hands off the ground and clap each time you take a step)

Workout
1.    Tabata (20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest)
2.    We will start with 4 rounds of each exercise.
3.    Finish all 4 sets before moving to the next exercise
4.    Each time we do the work out we will add  a round.  (example: next week we will do 5 rounds)
Tabata
  Squat
  Deadlift (or burpee if you have no weights)
  Push up

Fight Fit
916 595 4064
Strength, Flexibility, Speed