Jiu-Jitsu for Law Enforcement

     Just the other day, Reno Police Chief Steven Pitts was promoted to the rank of Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In an interview, he said he started doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to help blow off steam from all the pressure at his job. Read Article Here
     Jiujitsu a great way to help de-stress from work place stressors. You could make an argument that any form of physical activity is a great way to unwind. However, there is just something different about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I'm not going to try and describe it, people just need to come in and try it out. There really is nothing else like it!

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

EDH Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

A Quick Lesson for a Bully Free Community: 1

What is the difference between TEASING & BULLYING?

 POWER

In teasing there is a sense of mutual power, a sense of RESPECT exists and people are able to freely poke fun at each other without hurting anyone physically or mentally. In bullying one person has more power over the other person. There is no sense of RESPECT and the 'teasing' is very one sided.

What is the difference between TATTLING  & REPORTING?

INTENTIONS

Tattling is something you do that gets someone in trouble. Reporting is something you NEED to do to get someone out of trouble. Tattling is done with things that are not very important, however reporting is something we see with things that need to be fixed as soon as possible!

Eliot Kelly

EDH BJJ

916-595-4064

For more info on Jiu-Jitsu & a Bully Free Community Please Contact us!

Bully proofing starts on the mat

     The Gracie family is famous for bringing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the United States, and helping the Martial Art spread across the globe. Rener Gracie, now teaching Jiu-Jitsu in Torrance, CA has been doing much more to help the local community by teaching kids Jiu-Jitsu. He has been applying the Jiu-Jitsu concepts of Self-Defense and applying them to help Bully Proof kids. 

     Every once in a while I will read an article in the Japan Times about some kid who decided to commit suicide because the bullying became too bad. Let's figure out a way to not let this ever happen again. For starters, we will be talking about Bullying during the months of August and September in our Jiu Jitsu programs at EDH Grappling. 
     In a recent article by vita coco, they were talking about how the Gracie Bullyproof Program. 
“At the foundation of the Gracie Bullyproof program is the belief that a confident child is a ‘bullyproof’ child,” observes Rener. “By giving children the non-violent self-defense skills to neutralize the violent physical attack of an aggressive bully, we give them the unshakable confidence to address bullies and defeat them WITHOUT violence. We’re teaching kids to fight fire with water.”
     thebullyproject.com is a website you can checkout to use as a resource to raise awareness, become an activist, or get help. At the root of it, bullying is an issue that we need to address as a family, team, and community. If we can get the entire Jiu-Jitsu community to start talking about the issue of Bullying in their kids and adults programs, this would make a huge difference! The change starts on the mat!   

To join EDHBJJ's Anti-Bully Campaign, contact us or drop in for a class

Eliot Kelly

EDH BJJ

916 595 4064

Are you a dirty dish?

     Today at our Martial Arts School, we talked about how we become what we associate ourselves with..... Essentially, we are the product of our environment! A good friend of mine shared this quote with me back in the day, "tell me who you're with, and I'll tell you who you are." We applied this concept to dishes.

     If you are a clean plate, but end up in the dirty dishwasher or sink full of dirty dishes, guess what, your plate is no longer considered clean. People will need to wash you (the plate) off before using it. Just by being around the other dirty dishes, your plate becomes soiled. Interestingly, if you are a dirty plate and end up in the dry rack or in the cupboard, people will pull you out and wash you right away. It's a quick fix to getting cleaned up. Therefore, if you need to get your plate cleaned, get yourself around other clean dishes, the chances of your getting cleaned up is much greater!

Eliot Kelly

EDH Grappling

916-595-4064

EDHBJJ, we learn Jiu-Jitsu and associating with positive people!

10 big mistakes you must avoid in Jiu-Jitsu

10 big mistakes you must avoid in Jiu-Jitsu | GRACIEMAG

     This is a good refresher for the regular jiu-jitsu player and a MUST for the brand new jiujitsu student to read through. Although Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a Martial Art, there is a growing competitive sport element that is dramatically changing the dynamics of the Martial Art. The article address the important positional concepts we need to keep fresh in our minds, while also maintaing a degree of respect and tradition. 
     The most important concept for beginners to keep in mind is number four:

4. COMPETING IN TRAINING

The mats of your gym are not competition fighting areas. There you have to train, lose, tap and learn. Only by losing and working on your weaknesses you will become a complete fighter. Trying to “win at training” only limits your game. After all, you will just try what you already do well.

     There are no hands raised at the end of practice, no medals handed out after training, and no on site press covering the action. Keep that in mind as you train to improve yourself, and not to beat the person you are training with. Beginner's have a very difficult time with this concept, and it's not saying you need to let the person win. The important thing is to concentrate how you can improve yourself during training, and not necessarily get the best of someone every single time. 

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

edh grappling

Women's Self-Defense: El Dorado Hills, CA

     I've come across many workshops advertising Self-Defenese Training sessions for women in the last couple of days. I think it's great that many Martial Arts schools are donating their time to offer some type of training for the community members. After all, the most important element of Self-Defense is AWARENESS. However, a one time 2 hour session is just not enough.
     Our weekly Women's ONLY Jiu-Jitsu & Self-Defense Class is meant to train women on a consistent basis to keep the techniques fresh and ready to be used. We see the need for ongoing training as an essential part of a fit and healthy lifestyle. Therefore, we not only talk about self-defense, but also incorporate all the other aspects of sport, fitness, and core training/ strength training into our workout routine. If you are interested in trying one of our classes contact EDHBJJ!

Eliot Kelly

EDH Grappling

916 595 4064

Late Night JiuJitsu

     What do you consider late night training?? When I first started learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the only classes within reasonable distance started at 9:30pm and ended at 11:00. Many of the students, instructors included, worked overtime and there was no earlier times available. However, about 6 months after I started training the U.S. economy tanked and people started getting laid off left and right. Unfortunately, there were a few students who were out of work and had to go back to Brazil... But, class start time shifted forward to 8:30 and made for a much earlier night. Here is an online graciemag article about late night training: Click Link. I remember going to another gym for a late night session that started at 1:00am and went for about an hour. I was ruined the next day, but really had a great time going along for the ride. It's definitely something I can say I'm glad I was there to do!
     Anyway, those late night sessions were all that I had. I had no choice but to accept the time and go train. It made for a late night, but I sometimes think back to the good ole days and remember how "hardcore" I was for wanting to learn Brazilian Jiujitsu at such a late hour. The Good Ole Days! At the moment, our classes at El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu end at 9:00 pm, but our goal is to have classes 24 hours a day!

Eliot Kelly

EDH Brazilian Jiujitsu

916-595-4064

The Wrestling Dojo of EDH Grappling

     The Wrestling Dojo is a unique and innovative concept designed and developed by Eliot Kelly. The idea behind the system came from his experiences as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor and Martial Arts mentorship from 7th Degree West Coast Martial Arts Black Belt Gary Merlo. The system is designed with the idea of applying the spirit of MARTIAL ARTS towards the sport of WRESTLING.
      In general, wrestlers are told what they need to work on in practice and each team has some type of curriculum in place for the wrestlers to learn. However, what's missing is a system to help identify the current level of the practitioner, other than the number of years they have wrestled. The first step would be in creating a ranking system that reflects a wrestler's technical skill, experience, and dedication.
    Also, the spirit of Martial Arts is much more than simply the accumulation of knowledge. It has to do with the shaping of CHARACTER, LEADERSHIP, and INTEGRITY. The Wrestling Dojo would provide the opportunity for students to apply what they learn on the mat off the mat. A ranking system that successfully incorporates the Martial Arts spirit will help the older/experienced students mentor the younger/newer students as well. As a result, building a sense of community and the spirit to help others in their progress towards success.
     Finally, The Wrestling Dojo would give wrestlers from multiple schools an opportunity get together, train, learn, and go back to their schools to win a State Championship. The more we can do to raise a community of wrestlers who want to 'make a difference' on and off the mat, the more success we will find at the higher caliber of wrestling.

Eliot Kelly

Creator of The Wrestling Dojo

(916) 595. 4064
EDH Grappling

Jiujitsu in the Olympics?

     I just recently ran across a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Training online discussion board talking about students training at multiple schools at the same time. (click here for the thread) I'm not going to talk much about the article. Instead, I'm going to relate some of the comments on the thread if BJJ were to become an Olympic Sport. I think it's really interesting that there is this BIG push by people to introduce Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Grappling, who knows what it will be called, into the Olympics. Basically, the thread says that the more traditional types believe that it's one school or nothing, and other instructors are happy as long as their students are doing jiujitsu as a positive addition to their healthy lifestyle.
     Competing in the Olympics has been a childhood dream of mine, and I would love the opportunity to make a run for a spot on the Olympic Team and compete for the Olympic Gold. However, I have a feeling introducing BJJ as an Olympic Sport would could only come about with some serous changes in the way people approach training.
     First of all, the idea of only training with your team would disappear. It would be longer about the team, it would be about getting the medal, and putting yourself in a room with the best training partners to become an Olympic champion. Representing your county is now the team you need to train with. That means getting the best guys in your country together to train. This leads me to my second point, unless your academy is in the same country you are a citizen of, you are now potentially training and teaching someone to compete against your own country. Technically, for those traditional thinkers... You are betraying your country. Finally, the World Championships or Mundials wouldn't tally 'team' points but instead tally 'country' points. People would have to enter as a representative of their country and not their team. The World Championships we speak of at the moment is more of a World 'Team' Championships than anything else.
     Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of training with the team and competing as a member of the team, but there will have to be some serious changes if we are going to see jiujitsu in the Olympics in the near future.

Eliot Kelly

EDH Grappling

916 595 4064

Drill to Win: The Legend Lives On

     When I was wrestling in college, I remember Coach Zalesky used to share with us many stories to help get his point across. Some are more memorable than others, but here is one about Dave Schultz I was recently reminded about while talking with my Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling students.
     Dave Schultz was probably one of the greatest technicians in the history of American wrestling. A native of Palo Alto, CA he went on to wrestle at the Univ. of Oklahoma after UCLA dropped their wrestling program. Anyway, Coach Zalesky told us about how Dave used to use his time after practice to drill. However, there was a degree of precision to his drilling. He didn't just randomly pick a move he felt he needed to work on.
     If Dave got taken down with a double leg in practice by someone, he would grab that person and figure out a way to counter that exact double leg. He would drill the counter several times, and then would ask the person to go 'live' from that position until he was able to successfully defend that exact double leg. If he had a hard time finishing his single leg on someone, he would grab that same person, drill his finishes, and have them defend his single leg until he was able to successfully finish his single leg takedown.
     This process allowed him to continue progressing and improving upon his weak points. At the same time it also gave him the confidence and ability to understand the potential attacks and counter attacks from each and every position.

Eliot Kelly

El Dorado Hills Grappling

(916) 595. 4064

"Drill to Win: The Legend Lives On"

Self Defense Awareness is Developed When You Roll

     Awareness is a BIG bullet point when the topic of Self-Defense is brought up. Being aware of your surroundings, understanding what dangers surround you, and taking the necessary actions to remove yourself from the possible dangers are all essential steps to protecting yourself.
     When grapplers train on the mat, whether it's Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, or Wrestling, it's essential to maintain an elevated sense of awareness. Not only do you have to be aware of the potential chokes and attacks from your training partner, but also where you are in relationship to others on the mat. If you are rolling inches from another group, you are allowing yourself to play in a 'high risk' area. Get yourself out of that situation. Don't wait for others to move... Exercise your awareness and move before someone gets hurt. If you are rolling inches from a wall, or the edge of a mat, that's also a great thing to be AWARE of. Tap your partner and let them know that you should move so it doesn't end up on the wall or hard floor.  Exercise your Self Defense Awareness, when you are on the mat! This is a great way to consciously train the mind and improve your sense of awareness!

Eliot Kelly

EDH Grappling

916-595-4064

"Train your Self-Defense Awareness when you roll!"

MMA Movie: Here Comes the Boom

     There have been many Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) movies that come out, and unless they are documentaries, like The Hammer a story about Matt Hamill, most of them are a little disappointing. Although I have not yet seen Here Comes the Boom, I'm looking forward to seeing this one in the movies! With all the humor and present day story line of budget cuts and minor league MMA events, I'm hoping the movie will also help the general public understand the different Martial Arts involved in MMA.

Eliot Kelly

EDH Grappling

916-595-4064

Jiu-Jitsu in the Schools of Abu Dhabi

     When I was living in Japan, I remember seeing the Emirates Team at the Rickson Gracie Cup in 2009. They seemed a little tired being on the road and all, but they were out there competing their hearts out! The enthusiasm, comraderie, and the spirit to compete were not lacking in any of them.
     Interestingly, Jiu-Jitsu has become the national sport in the Emirates and has been incorporated into the schools as physical education. The incorporation of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the schools shows that BJJ is more than just a sport, self defense, or martial art. This incorporation shows how jiujitsu helps individuals live a healthier, more fit, and confident lifestyle.

Eliot Kelly

916-595-4064

EDH Grappling & Jiujitsu

"Should Jiu-jitsu be in all schools?"

If you are looking to lose weight, get healthier, and learn something new every class, 
Come try jiujitsu at our school: Call 916-595-4064

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"

Who are the Olympic Wrestlers for Team USA?

     Can you name these wrestlers? The men and women pictured above are the 2012 Olympic representatives for Team USA.
     At The Wrestling Dojo in El Dorado Hills, CA our wrestlers have been given the assignment of going out and finding the names and weight classes of these wrestlers. The project will be to pick one of these wrestlers and complete a small group presentation. For those of you who don't already know who is representing who in each weight, here is the list. Now, are you able you match these names up with the wrestlers picture above? If not we have some research to complete!
     Learning the names and weight classes of these wrestlers will not automatically make us better wrestlers. However, these are the wrestlers we want to learn from, emulate, and maybe eventually beat in competition! Let's think and look beyond to the highest levels to learn from and aspire to be the best we can be on and off the mat!

Henry Cejudo 2008 Beijing Olympic Gold Medalist 55kg

Greco-Roman
55 kg/121 lbs. - Spenser Mango
60 kg/132 lbs. - Ellis Coleman
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Justin Lester
74 kg/163 lbs. - Ben Provisor
84 kg/185 lbs. - Chas Betts
96kg/211.5 lbs.- RC Johnson
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers

Men’s Freestyle
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sam Hazewinkel
60kg/132 lbs. -  Coleman Scott
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jared Frayer
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln
84 kg/185 lbs. - Jake Herbert
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Jake Varner
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tervel Dlagnev

Women’s Freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun
55 kg/121 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Elena Pirozhkova
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Stephany Lee

Eliot Kelly

 The Wrestling Dojo in El Dorado Hills, CA

For a Trial Lesson call: 916-595-4064

"American Spirit" defined by John Smith

      Coach John Smith has been at the top of his trade ever since he was an athlete. He has seen success as a collegiate wrestler, international wrestler, collegiate coach, and international coach. It's no surprise that one of his wrestlers he coached through college and beyond is in the line up to represent Team USA in the London Olympics this summer. 

Coach John Smith

          I ran across a recent interview with John Smith, talking about his thoughts leading up to the Olympics and past experiences as a competitor and coach. Here's his philosophy, "just take nothing for granted. Every day, you don't assume that you're going to win the Olympics. You earn it." Nothing these competitors achieve will be as a result of luck or chance. Each victory is the result of a determined attitude and disciplined training schedule to get to the top. The last few responses were probably the most insightful. 
Q: You mentioned Team USA needing to have an American spirit about it earlier. What did you mean by that?
A: There's just something about the U.S. - we're tough people. Our athletes are tough. The people on the Olympic team are tough-minded people. They're solid and they live by their sport. They live a lifestyle of winning. They push adversity away and go through it. Most of them are living on peanuts but they're following their dream. For that reason it brings out a spirit in them during the Olympics that I've watched for a lot of years. I've watched it as an athlete, I've watched guys on my wrestling team that I thought had no chance at medaling beat people where you thought it was a miracle. I've watched other sports at the Olympics and seen teams and individuals perform completely over their head. America has a history of doing that. I think we have great pride and in that pride, it allows us to have our very best performance because you're not just competing for yourself - you're competing for your country and I think that's the difference. Our athletes believe that they're winning this gold medal for America. And they really are.
Q: Can you take a step back and enjoy this Olympic experience or is it becoming part of your routine?A: I've had the opportunity to be part of six Olympics. In 1996, I wasn't a coach, but I had the opportunity of being recognized as one of the 100 Greatest Olympians. It's such a privilege. I just get fired up about the Olympics. I get fired up more now than I ever have because I have an appreciation for what all these athletes have gone through. They have that spirit, they have that drive, they have that discipline. That's why I love it. I love it because you know there's somebody in archery who wakes up every day at 6 a.m. and shoots for four hours, then takes a break to rest and comes back and shoots four more hours. They do that probably 320 days out of the year because they have a dream. They have a goal. It's not about money or personal gains. It's about the medal. It's about being part of the biggest event in sports. For the public when they're watching these athletes, I wish they all can see their past three, four, five years of sacrifices and adversity they experienced because they'd all fall in love with them.
To read the full article click here

Eliot Kelly

916-595-4064

EDH Grappling and Wrestling

"John Smith and the American Spirit."