Jiu-Jitsu seminar in Folsom with Leonardo Vieira

Jiu-Jitsu Seminar in Folsom on July 10th! Early sign ups receive a discount! 

Leonardo Vieira Seminar

July 10 we will have the honor of having our head coach teaching:

Seminar 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

First 5 people to sign-up and pay $45.00 the 6th-10th $50.00 and everyone else $65.

Checkmat - Folsom - BEDA Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Checkmat Martial Art Folsom California Fitness Gi No-Gi grappling wrestling

Seminar Report: Prof. Torregrosa at EDHBJJ

     On July 10, 2012 El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu hosted a Seminar with Professor Marcos Torregrosa.  As a competitor, he is a World Champion and sitting in the current BJJ world rankings at number eight. As an instructor, he has multiple students in the IBJJF rankings and has come out with very technical instructional Apps on the Droid and I-phone. The seminar was very insightful for the attendees, giving them a chance to understand how they can breakdown a position and develop technically. Most importantly, the two and a half hour seminar, emphasized the importance of designing a structured game plan according to your skills and body type.

     "When you have a game plan, you've taken your thoughts, your energy and now your actions are channeled towards something very specific," Professor Torregrosa explained. "When I first learned about this idea, this concept, my approach to Jiu jitsu completely changed." As he continued to share with us his insights and technical break down of very specific positions, the students began to reflect upon their jiu-jitsu styles and how they could form a game plan specific to themselves. 

     Immediately following the seminar, one hour of rolling took place where the students were given the opportunity to train with the Professor and implement the newly acquired technique. Instruction didn't end though as Professor Torregrosa continued to make adjustments specific to each student he rolled with. His sincere passion for jiujitsu and desire for it to be understood by everyone was very apparent. Thank you, and we are looking forward to having you up in the hills again soon! 

EDH Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 

"Seminar with Professor Torregrosa"

Abu Dhabi Pro Trials in Las Vegas

           

January 28th/29th, 2011

The Venue: Sports Complex in Las Vegas, NV

No-gi division: Absolute (all weights combined)

        This weekend I traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials. The tournament was held in The Sports Complex right off the Las Vegas Boulevard Strip and competitors from all over the country gathered to battle for the all-expenses-paid trip to Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Multiple World Champions were there competing, and although the tournament could have been better organized, it was a great opportunity to compete against the best of the best in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. 
     My competition started off with the Absolute brown/black gi division. The grand prize for winning the division was a $4,000 prize. I had a come from behind victory in my first round match against a black belt and lost a good match to the eventual finalist of the tournament Antonio Braga Neto. Even though I lost this match, it left a big impression on my thoughts about competition and overcoming adversity. Although it's hard to explain, I feel like I was able to knock down a big barrier and overcome exhaustion while fighting through to finish a tough match. 

No-gi division: Below 202lbs

         Exhausted after my match in the Absolute division, I lost a close one in my first match of the gi weight division. (I didn't realize why my leg was hurting so bad until after this match. Braga Neto had tried to foot-sweep me so many times to the point where it felt like my entire shin was bruised/dead-legged. I'm still feeling it in my leg after a week since the competition.)

          In the no-gi weight division, I was able to finish with some better results. I won a close semi-final match and after scouting my opponent I was able to go in with a good game plan and finish the match early. In the no-gi Absolute division, I won a high scoring qtr. finals match, but fell short in the semi-finals to Caio Terra(a rooster weight World Champion). Our match reminded me of the time when I first started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. One of the instructors at our sister school in Japan probably weighted 135 lbs on a good day, but his technique was so incredible he would climb around me on the mat and manage to get my back or lock up around my leg. Thanks to his great teaching, by the time I was leaving Japan our practice sessions went a lot better in my favor. Going agains Caio felt the exact same except he was way faster! My loss to him just reinforces in my mind that Jiu-Jitsu is great for those of all sizes, and anyone with an impressive technical game has the chance to win! 

Eliot Kelly 

www.edhbjj.com
 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Tradition

"No one is forced to compete, but the cool thing about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that you are grouped by age, weight,and belt rank."

Why is it called a gi?

           During my time training in Jiu-Jitsu, I have notice several different ways people refer to the uniform we wear. In Brazil is is called a kimono, in Japan it is called dougi, and in North America it is called a gi. I thought it might be interesting to think about the different meanings behind these words and how these different words might reflect our attitudes toward the uniform we wear in training.
          I was a little confused when I first heard someone use the term kimono when referring to a gi. The reason for my confusion was because I was living in Japan at the time, and in Japan kimono (着物) would be the beautiful dress worn by women on weddings or special occasions. At first, my reaction was something like, "What the heck are these crazy Brazilians talking about? Are they trying to pull a quick one on me?" But I soon realized they were serious. The term kimono literally translated means, the thing you wear, and in earlier Japan simply meant clothing. It could be that the Brazilians attached a sense of value to the uniform and use the term kimono, or another option is that it was seen as the clothing people wore while training in Jiu-Jitsu. To me, using the word kimono just sounded so elegant and classy!
          In Japan the uniform is called dougi (道着).  Dougi literally means the way + to wear, or the thing you wear on your path to development.  Since martial arts that originated in Japan are not considered sports, they all have the character  for path/way (道) at the end signifying that it is a chosen way of life and training. Here are a few examples: Judo (柔道),  Kendo (剣道),　Aikido (合気道),　Kyuudo (弓道). Therefore a dougi is something you wear when you are training in the way. Traditionally all uniforms were white, signifying the purity of training within the rules and bettering yourself and others. Additionally, keeping the uniform clean and washing it on your own before every practice is expected in most if not all dojo's (道場) in Japan. As a result, there is somewhat of a spiritual sense/personal development associated with the use of  the character path/way (道).
            In North America we call the uniform a gi (着). You may have already noticed that this is an abbreviated way of saying dougi. Translated as to put on, did you notice that this is the same character as the first character in kimono (着物)? Although this character is used as a verb, North American culture has changed it into a noun. Not only do we use it to refer to Jiu-Jitsu uniforms, but also Judo, Karate, and Tae-Kwon-do. I think many of us just consider it the thing you put on while doing martial arts. It would be interesting to hear if others have any other associations with the use of the word gi.
           Now lets talk no-gi Jiu-Jitsu. Ever wonder why it's called a rash guard? Although this should have been a no brainer, I have to admit I didn't put the two together until after a session of no-gi Jiu-Jitsu without my shirt on. After our roll, my back was all cut up from rolling around with my back to the mat. It was very painful to take a shower for the following few days, and hence the name rash guard. Interestingly enough they use the exact same word for rash guard in Japan. Totally makes sense!

Eliot Kelly

www.edhbjj.com
El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
"Garra, Força, Respeito e Persistência"