What is Jiu Jitsu? A Game of Strength and Patience

     I see many students of all belt colors continually confront and need to overcome the challenge of the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle. Many people ask me what qualities you can learn from Jiu Jitsu and I've found these two traits to be the most present and developed through consistent, if not daily training on the mat. Jiu Jitsu is a Game of Strength and Patience. The development of these two assets will no doubt lead you to great success in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu but also in life.
     When we talk about the development of STRENGTH, I'm not only referring to the development and production of mitochondria or different methods to develop and increase your myofibril numbers. That would simply fall in the category of PHYSICAL STRENGTH.  I'm also talking about MENTAL STRENGTH, the ability to overcome a challenge when you've already had to overcome many other challenges. However, I'm mostly talking about TECHNICAL STRENGTH, the ability to use leverage at the precise timing in order to out position and maintain control. While physical strength may come and go depending on how much training you do, a strong foundation of Technical Strength over a period of consistent training is something that will never go away. This is the asset we are all looking to develop and attain from our training.
     In addition to developing Physical Strength, Jiu Jitsu is also the development of Patience. Patience is a key ingredient that is needed in order to maintain a sanity while training. There are going to be many things to get frustrated about, especially if you are a goal and result oriented person. The best way to develop Patience for those type of people would be through setting smaller, incremental goals along the way. Here is a little story I have when I think of the word Patience. In Japanese the word for patience is Nintairyoku： にんたいりょく：忍耐力. I don't know if you noticed, but beginning of the word is Nin, the same Nin that would be used for the Japanese word Ninja： にんじゃ：忍者. Can you see that the first character of both Patience, and Ninja are the same? So, when I begin to feel frustrated with things, maybe jiu jitsu, maybe other areas of my life I think of being a Ninja.... And dealing with the situation like a Ninja! No, not by dressing in black and going around a dark corner to attack someone, but by staying calm, figuring out what and who can help with the challenge, and planning how I will do better next time around.

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

Have Patience, Be Stronger

Dojo Wrestlers Write to ESPN Asking For more Wrestling

     The Wrestling Dojo of El Dorado Hills, CA is not just a place where wrestlers learn how to become better on the mat. The summer wrestling camp series of the Dojo Wrestler features many different off the mat activities to train the wrestlers awareness, develop responsibility, and build champions on and off the mat. The Dojo Wrestlers from this summer covered many different topics as seen below. Why do wrestlers need to wear singlets, A creative writing assignment on a wrestlers poem, research presentation on a great wrestler, and many others including todays in the dojo assignment, letter writing to ESPN.
     Recently, ESPN has become more active in covering all collegiate sports at the national scene, including wrestling. However there is definitely more prime time wrestling that could be shown! Covering the Big 10, Pac 10, and conference tournaments to qualify for the National Championships would make for great television. Some of the bigger tournaments during the heat of the season, Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, National Duals, Virginia Duals, Midlands would be great tournaments to cover during the season and create hype and anticipation as well. Even some conference rivalry dual meets would make for a great 60 to 90 minute program for viewers. More importantly, it would help wrestlers enjoy the sport as a spectator. By clinching more prime time for wrestling on ESPN, we also believe that more people would better understand the sport and appreciate the hard work and dedication required to be successful. We hope these letters reach out to the hearts of the producers at ESPN and help them see the value in promoting the sport of wrestling at all levels for all viewers. By taking a proactive instead of a reactive approach to promoting the sport of wrestling, Dojo Wrestlers expect to get a bigger community involved in their local wrestling matches and take away any possibility of their program ever being dropped from the athletics department.
     The letter writing assignment also gave the wrestlers an opportunity to share the wrestling shows they have seen on television. One show, "The Season" about the 2002 University of Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Team, and another "The Streak" about a high school wrestling team in Florida that has gone undefeated for over 30 years.

Eliot Kelly 

916 595 4064

Dojo Wrestler

What is Your Learning Style? How do you learn best?

     I recently started learning how to play the Ukulele. I've always wanted to learn how to incorporate music into my Japanese language classes I teach, and a friend suggested I start with the Ukulele. The reason, it has four strings instead of the six on a guitar and therefore the learning is much faster. Amazingly, El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a handful of musicians that are incredible at teaching me how to play, talking about music theory, or jam along with me at the end of a jiujitsu session. I'm so thankful for everyone who has helped me learn a little trick here and there, sharing their knowledge and what they know without any hesitation! You guys ROCK! (No pun intended)
     Oddly enough I've also become more familiar with my learning style. I was never been in tune with how my personal learning style mattered in the past, but now that I've had many different inputs from several of the jiu jitsu and martial arts members in El Dorado Hills, I feel I better understand my strengths and weaknesses in learning. Although I enjoy playing on my own and trying different chords while looking at sheet music, I really enjoy learning with or learning from a partner. Some are more independent learners while I think I seem to enjoy the social aspect of learning from a person rather than from a book or video. I also enjoy hearing the music and seeing how the different chords work or don't work with one another. It takes me a few times to confirm how I'm doing things and making mistakes.  Fortunately, I can hear myself making the music and get immediate feedback on what I did wrong and how I need to fix it. Most importantly, I'm having fun with my learning. I enjoy sitting down with the many Sensei's from the Dojo and learning. Just because I know and somewhat understand my learning style, I don't think I should limit myself and learning to that one single dimension. Know my style simply means I understand my strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge or self awareness empowers me to understand what situation I am immersed in my learning and how I need to direct my focus and attention at different times. I feel Jiu Jitsu is can be very similar. Group lessons vs Private lessons. Drilling vs Rolling. Movement Exercises (hip escape) vs  Actual Moves (gi choke). Open mat vs Fundamentals Class. Belt Testing vs Belt Assessment. Random youtube technique vs Organized instructional Video.... The list seems endless as there are many different ways for us to enhance our learning. Empower yourself by becoming more familiar with your learning style and see how that changes how you see and learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and by extension any other thing in life!

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

EDH Jiu Jitsu 

Past Olympians Training Future Olympians: Wrestling Clinic in El Dorado Hills, CA

Olivia Seppinni setting up her takedown. 

     Today and tomorrow EDH Jiu Jitsu is hosting a Wrestling Fundraiser for an upcoming star, Olivia Seppinni, from the Sacramento area. All funds raised from this clinic will go towards helping Olivia travel to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, participate in training camps, and compete in international tournament all over the world. The clinician for this fundraiser is Quincy Clark. Quincy Clark is an incredibly accomplished wrestler in collegiate and international wrestling, a division one NCAA finalist in college and Olympian for the United States in the year 2000. You don't want to miss the opportunity to learn from his experiences! The camp starts at 10:00am and goes until 2:30pm with a 30 minute lunch break. The cost is $50 for one day or $75 for both. Please contact Tyler Brey for any additional information you may need: 916. 276. 3370. 

     Olivia Seppinni is a two time All American in Freestyle and Folkstyle Wrestling, Freestyle State Champion in CA, three time California State Place Winner,  member of Team California, member of FILA jr. US Team, attending McKendree University with wrestling scholarship, and FUTURE OLYMPIAN! 

Not only is this a once in a lifetime opportunity for wrestlers to work closely with an Olympian, but also an opportunity for wrestlers to directly support the dreams and goals of another wrestler! See you on the mat! 

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

EDH Wrestling Dojo

If Self Defense is Important This Event is a MUST

     We talk about Self Defense in Martial Arts all the time. The kinda self defense where you are physically attacked by someone and need to escape from the dangerous surrounding you. We could talk about all the what if factors and where to grab what to kick and how to punch, but all that training is pointless if we are attacked by the silent assailant potentially hiding within all of us. HEART DISEASE is the number one attacker in the United States.
     Interestingly enough just maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle of not smoking, exercising on a regular basis, and not consuming alcohol in excess is not enough to battle against genetic precursors you may or may not know about. El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu members and all members involved in Jiu Jitsu, Martial Arts, and a healthy lifestyle are welcome to join the heart walk in Sacramento, CA. Please follow this link to read more about the EDHBJJ GENTLE HEART Team that will be walking on September 21 hosted by the American Heart Association. Below is a little information on the American Heart Association:

OUR MISSION:

Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

OUR IMPACT:

By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent.

In 1999 the American Heart Association set a bold 10-year goal: To reduce coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25 percent by 2010. We achieved the reduction in deaths ahead of schedule and made substantial progress against three of the six risk factors. Because of this success, the Board of Directors approved a 2020 Impact Goal. This new goal looks beyond helping people reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke by focusing on helping them build stronger health and a better quality of life.

OUR WORK…

We have an extraordinary impact through our wide range of lifesaving activities. Here’s how:

• Improving patient care — We’re improving the quality of health care by creating best practices for treating heart disease and stroke. Our Get With The Guidelines hospital-based quality improvement program helps heart and stroke patients get the best treatment consistently. Mission: Lifeline helps patients with the most severe kind of heart attack get the specialized emergency services they need to survive.
  
• Advocating for better health — Our nationwide volunteer network, You’re The Cure, advocates for key issues at the national, state and local levels such as requiring physical education in schools, clean air legislation and making AEDs mandatory in public buildings.
  
• Reaching out to populations at risk — Blacks have higher risk and higher death rates from stroke than whites. Our Power To End Stroke education/awareness initiative helps African Americans share information to reduce their risk of stroke. More than 23,000 key opinion leaders, including mayors, professors, ministers and celebrities, have been recruited to be ambassadors working within their own community.
  
• Raising awareness — Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women over age 25, but many women don’t make their own health a priority. Through Go Red For Women, we’re raising awareness among women about their risks and empowering them to protect their heart health.
  
• Protecting the future — Nearly one in three children and teens in the United States is overweight or obese. As a result, more kids than ever before are developing high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. We are helping kids develop lifelong healthy habits and working to make sure that today’s children can grow up to be tomorrow’s healthy adults.
  
• Educating Americans — We save lives every day by offering information and education. We pioneered CPR and millions of Americans use our patient education materials and online tools to help themselves and their loved ones live longer, healthier lives.

GENTLE heART

EDH Jiu Jitsu

916 595 4064

Sacramento Area Wrestling & Martial Arts Clinic for All Levels

     I'm very excited to share with you an event that will take place this Thursday and Friday in El Dorado Hills, CA. Quincy Clark, a 2000 Greco Roman Olympian for the United States at 84kg will be the featured clinician for this Wrestling Fundraiser to help a local wrestler travel to training camps in anticipation of making the national and olympic team as well as international wrestling tournaments.

     WHEN:
Thursday, July 25
Friday, July 26

     TIME:
10:00am - 2:30pm (Please bring lunch during 30min break)

     COST:
$50 one day. $75 for both (ALL Funds will go to support Olivia)

     LOCATION:
 1132 Suncast Lane #1
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

    CONTACT:
Tyler Brey 916. 276.3370

     Wrestlers and Martial Artists of all levels are welcome to join us for this wrestling clinic! See you on the mat!

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064 

EDH Wrestling Dojo

Kids Jiu Jitsu World Championship Results

     On the weekend of July 20 and 21st in San Bernardino, CA three martial artists from El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu hit the mats to compete for the title of Kids World Champion. The World Championships, hosted by Cal State University San Bernardino, CSUSB is the premiere kids jiujitsu tournament in the world with competitors from Europe, Australia, Brazil, Asia, and the United States. The competitors from El Dorado Hills had a spectacular performance on the mat with each competitor finishing with a place on the podium.

     Angelo finished the tournament with a gold in his weight division earning the crown of World Champion. JT finished with a silver in his weight division. Nico finished the tournament with a bronze in his weight division. "I was really impressed with how much each competitor improved during each match. It was like they had a month of training between each match as they improved their performance from one match to the next. I was very impressed and look forward to seeing them at the next tournament!" mentioned Eliot Kelly, an instructor at EDH BJJ. All the competitors were very pleased with their performance from the tournament but also realized that there are many improvements that can be made with their jiujitsu. The parents were very supportive of their performance by giving positive feedback and encouragement before, during and after the competition. 

     The overall experience for the competitors, coaches, parents, and family was extremely positive and productive! We look forward to more fun and exciting tournaments for the kids in the future! 

     For more information on Kids Jiu Jitsu in El Dorado Hills, CA visit their website: www.edhbjj.com 

EDH JiuJitsu 

916. 595. 4064

What does film making have anything to do with martial arts or life?

   I'm always up to trying new things and learning from my new experiences. Yesterday, I was part of a cast for a new feature film, titled "Fight 4 Your Life." (The independent film is a story about Fleet Blackwood, a young boxer who is thrown into a night of peculiar events.) The scene I was a part of took place in a dojo where a very well choreographed fight scene takes place. I'm not sure exactly how long the scene will be in the feature film "Fight 4 Your Life," but the filming started around 8 pm and lasted until 4am the following day. My assumption is that for about a 3 to 5 minute performance in the film, we spent about 8 hours filming..... And that's just filming! In addition to the filming, the fight scene members, collected from an assortment of different martial arts, had to choreograph and rehearse the fight before the filming about a week for about another 8 hours. Rounding up, this amounts to about 20 hours of preparation or "training" for about 5 minutes of performance. Let's not forget all the editing and action that goes on behind the scenes the make the movie look even more dynamic and action packed. It just feels like the amount of time needed to package a perfect product is endless. 

     The same concept applies in martial arts, jiu jitsu, wrestling, and life. Practice and preparation are essential elements in performance. The better you want to perform, the more effort you need to invest in yourself. If we were to just look at the physical filming and preparation time and relate that to the time we will see on the screen we could say we spent an input of about 1,200 minutes to get an output of maybe 3 minutes. And again, I'm doing a serious disservice by not including all the time that will be spent reviewing and editing the clips for the final product. 

     The underlying common theme is that we spend just as much time, if not more, training in our martial arts for just a few minutes of performance. The amount of time you invest in making the performance is going to take more than the actual performance will. Therefore, we need to remind ourselves that enjoying and appreciating the time we spend "training" is very important. The final product or performance may or may not be exactly what we desired, but the time spent training is just as significant and precious as the performance itself. I like to think of the time I spend "training" as personal development time. An opportunity where I get to focus on my needs and making myself stronger, calmer, and happier. I'm very thankful for the personal development I went through the last few evenings with the Fight 4 Your Life cast and crew. I can't wait to see the final product!

If you would like to make a financial or physical contribution to Fight 4 Your Life and support film making in the Sacramento area visit their website: Fight 4 Your Life 

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

EDH Jiu Jitsu 

Sacramento Jiu Jitsu News: Garth Taylor Seminar in Rocklin, CA

Garth Taylor Seminar in Rocklin, CA

     This weekend, Saturday July 20, Innovative Martial Arts in Rocklin CA will be hosting a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Seminar with Professor Garth Taylor. The seminar will start at 1:00pm and the cost is $60 at the door. Pre Register and receive a discount on your registration. For more information on registering for the seminar visit the website Innovative Martial Arts. Friendly staff members will be available to help you with any questions you might have about the seminar as well. 

6688 Lonetree Blvd
Rocklin, CA, 95765

Phone: (916) 771-4622

     Here is a little information on Professor Garth Taylor. Professor Garth Taylor is the founder of Kaijin Jiu Jitsu in Santa Cruz, CA.  Garth may be the most highly decorated non-Brazilian black belt in the world. Garth received his black belt from Master Claudio Franca in 2000 and has medaled at every belt level IN BRAZIL at the World Championships (Mundials). If you are new to the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, that means he competed with ALL the Brazilians at every level of competition. Garth is also a five-time US Open gold medalist in his weight and the open-weight. Probably his most recognizable achievements are Garth’s successes as an Abu Dhabi competitor. Garth has multiple wins over former UFC heavyweight champions Ricco Rodriguez and Josh Barnett as well notable wins over Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga, Sean Alvarez, Eduardo Telles, and many others.  Visit kaijinmma to learn more about Garth and kaijin.

Having the Right Tools Makes Everything Easier Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, Martial Arts

     The other day I was drilling a hole in one of our walls so that we could hang a  framed picture of Helio Gracie. Some of our walls are sheet rock and it doesn't take much to drill a hole in the wall to hang pictures, but the other walls of our dojo are concrete and it takes a little more power to drill any holes in them. We quickly realized that we would have to get a proper drill bit in order to drill into the wall. We made the drive down to Home Depot, picked up the needed drill bit and a few heavy duty screws just in case. When we got back we were still having trouble and we realized that the standard drill we were using wasn't going to work. We would have to use a roto hammer drill with the proper drill bit. So we got in our truck again and found ourselves in the back of a workshop looking for the right tools to make everything work just right. With the right tools we had no problem getting the holes drilled and are screws installed for Grand Master Helio Gracie to look over each and every one of our training sessions. 

     It's only fitting for me to realize that having the right tools are essential when building, creating, or fixing while trying to hang a picture of Master Helio Gracie. Master Helio must have been brilliant at knowing it took the right tool or right technique to conquer an opponent. His adaptation of the traditional Jiu Jitsu so that a smaller weaker person could use them against a bigger stronger person expresses the importance of technique over power and speed. Most importantly Helio must have understood the need for the application of proper technique at the exactly right time. Not only is it important to have the right tools and proper technique available, but also it's important to be able to recognize when those tools and technique should or should not be used. 

     If you were to walk into a Home Depot and look over all their inventory of tools, supplies, and gadgets, you would recognize that there are an overwhelming amount of things you could use to build, create, or fix. Learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is like building an inventory of Home Depot supplies and knowing how and when to use them. I'm very thankful for my contractor black belt friends for teaching me this lesson! Thank you! 

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

EDH Jiu Jitsu

How They Make IT Look So Easy! Jiu Jitsu Wrestling Judo

     If you have had the opportunity to share jiu jitsu, wrestling or judo with a family or friend, you're probably heard a comment, "why don't you just grab them and hold them down?" A typical response to that might be, "it doesn't work like that," "it's harder than it looks," or "why don't you try and see." From an untrained eye everything might seem very simple and even frustration to see very little taking place. However, to those with experience on the mat, they see what is invisible to those who have never trained.
     There is a degree of invisibility with all of these grappling arts. What might be invisible to the eye is usually felt by the body. Sometimes things are more obvious and sometimes more subtle. The belt or ranking system in jiu jitsu and judo is a good way of understanding the degree of invisibility. Let's take the jiu jitsu belt system for example, what is invisible to a white belt may not be invisible to a blue belt, what is invisible to a blue might not be invisible to a purple belt, what is invisible to a purple belt might not be invisible to a brown belt, and what is invisible to a brown belt might not be invisible to a black belt. The more experience and hands on training we accumulate on the mat, the more variations and understandings we are able to see. To a white belt side mount might appear like a person laying on top of someone. To a blue belt side mount might appear like a guy holding the person down. To a purple belt side mount might appear like a person smothering them with their entire body. To a brown belt side mount might appear like a guy pressing and driving off his feet into the person on bottom. To a black belt side mount might appear like the person using a specific part of their body against a specific part of another persons body for maximum weight and control.
     Being able to see not just what is happening, but what is really taking place is understanding invisibility. A few reasons for the invisibility is because of the speed that things take place, the specific points of pressure that may or may not be moving anything, and lack of experience. The link below is a great demonstration that demonstrates the invisibility of judo. Although it might seem silly to see them "throwing" without any contact, in many ways there is no other way to display the invisible factor to those with limited training or experience.
     The "they make it look so easy" is a comment we often hear from those that have some experience but are still at the initial stages of learning. Those types of comments are a result of the invisible forces in work. Invisible forces working perfectly in sync, and something everyone will one day master with consistent and dedicated training on the mat.

Watch and share this facebook link from the JUDO MEME page:

JUDO DEMO LINK

EDH JIU JITSU 

916 595 4064

What Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling and Life all have in Common

     This video is an reminder to us all on the importance of finding balance. In jiu jitsu and in wrestling we are constantly trying to maintain our base and stay in good balance. You could almost make the argument that the "game" of these grappling arts is about being able to take someone off balance while maintaining control of your own balance. Ironically, our training on the mat is both how to maintain your balance and get someone off balance, but also what to do when you completely lose your balance. How you react and face the fall or challenge after you've been taken off your center. How to fall without hurting yourself is one basic but good example of what we learn to do when we've completely lost balance. When learning how to fall we intentionally take ourselves out of balance to learn and regain ourselves from the experience. We have to make corrections, adapt and train our reactions by constantly doing what we ultimately dont' want to do. We do all this while knowing that it's inevitable to lose your balance and the only way to protect yourself is through consistent and proper training. Interesting to see that balance training is not in avoiding it from happening, but training your reaction knowing that it will happen.
     Life seems to work in the same way. We are constantly struggling and fighting to maintain balance with our work, family, friends, hobbies, etc. It seems interesting that most of our training is about how to maintain balance and hold a firm base instead of learning how to take the fall and recompose ourselves after a hard fall. The video is an interesting reflection of how delicate the maintenance of balance can be.
     The last few seconds of the video show how every single little thing has an influence and effect on balance. After an intricate seven minutes of stacking the sticks in perfect balance, the smallest, lightest, seemingly most insignificant part of the display, the feather, is removed from the stack. As a result, the stack of sticks fall right down to the ground. There is not a single chance for the sticks to maintain balance one the feather is removed. As insignificant as it might seem, the feather was an essential element in the display maintaining balance. It could be someone blowing on the feather, a gust of wind, a typhoon or a tornado that knocks the feather off. That is not within our control. What we can control is how we react to the situation and go back to rebuilding our balance. How we take the fall with the least amount of impact. Being confident with our training and knowing that we are able to regain our balance in as little time as it took for us to lose our balance.
   

Eliot Kelly 

916 595 4064

Train your Balance!

Graphic Video on Self Defense: What could you do?

WARNING EXTREMELY GRAPHIC VIDEO 

     A few weeks ago in our Ladies only Jiu Jitsu class and our NoGi Jiujitsu class we incorporated a presentation involving this video. This is a recent home invasion video of a mother being assaulted by a man who was eventually apprehended thanks to the video camera that happened to be set up. What a horrific scene of malicious attacks! We used this video in our class as an example of how our self defense training in class could or couldn't protect us from an attack like this one. While violent home invasions are not an everyday event, we need to be alert and mindful of the potential dangers surrounding ourselves. More importantly we need to have a plan in case something were to happen.
     According to the lady being attacked, she tried to be as quiet as possible so that she wouldn't alarm or scare her children. Her thought was that by not making any loud noises, her kids would remain quiet and the man might leave her kids alone. Her tactical self defense was about protecting her children. While she may not have been able to physically defend herself from the attacker, you could argue that her self defense tactics were successful by being able to protect her children from being harmed. Looking at the situation and what she was trying to accomplish from her tactics, we could say she had great family self-defense.
     But this brings up more questions. How could she have better avoided the situation? Would a rigorous and routine training of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Self Defense Seminars made any difference? That's difficult to say. However, one thing for certain is that a  FAMILY SELF DEFENSE action plan could be created just in case incidents like this were to ever take place again.
     Just as people are recommended to have an action plan for a tornado, earth quake, tsunami, or any other type of natural disaster, it would make sense to have an action plan for self defense situations. A good educational self defense program should include an action plan. An action plan not just for those that are being attacked but for by standers and onlookers. If someone is not necessarily involved but witness to an attack what steps do they need to go through to help the person being attacked? Have a plan!

El Dorado Hills Jiu Jitsu 

916 595 4064

A Jiu Jitsu Community Project on Cardiac Self Defense

     I've finally found a platform I feel comfortable standing on a soap box and talking about for hours on end. HEART HEALTH. As a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor I've had the opportunity to teach kids as young as five and adults into their seventies. From these friendships on the mat, I've had many encounters that have shaped what I teach, how I talk, and who I interact with.  Most of all, every time I'm on the mat I feel privileged at the wonderful opportunity I have to promote a lifestyle of health and fitness. Up until this point, my approach to health and fitness has been through the physical act of training. Training to lose weight, training to become stronger, training to have good cardio, training to de-stress, training to meditate. The physical training made me eat better, think better, and feel better. However, I've never made the connection to talk about heart health and talk about its relationship to health and fitness. 

     With the help of my friends, I will be taking on a new project inspired by my friends and the organization TAP CANCER OUT, (really cool site you should check it out) to bring about a greater awareness for cardiac disease.  The Jiu Jitsu community is full of healthy dudes in their 30's, 40's, 50's and even 60's, yet we would be in denial not to talk about this deadly attacker. 

     I'm not going to lie, I was always nervous about our "wisest" student at the age of 74, rolling around and training with these guys in their prime. But last year we had a student at the age of 35 in tip top shape, low body fat, didn't smoke, didn't drink, suffer from a heart attack. I was in absolute shock when I heard the news and didn't know what to do or how to help. All I remember was feeling very sad and helpless. Almost a week ago another one of our students suffered a heart attack at the age of 37, in tip top shape, low body fat, didn't smoke, didn't drink... I couldn't believe it. I was shocked but I had learned to act from my previous experiences. 

     I now know more about the potential for cardiac disease then I did a week ago and will continue to educate myself and in turn my students on the importance of taking preventative cardiac self defense training. The new project I'm going to be taking on will take many different shapes over time, but my hope is that it brings about an awareness within the HEALTHY and FIT jiu jitsu community that silent attackers can still attack! I've never taken on a project like this before, but know there are many other jiu-jitsu brothers that need to know about this silent attacker. Looking forward to making a difference! 

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

The Gentle HeART

Self Defense for Men Starts with Heart Health

     We have a variety of age groups training on the mat at El Dorado Hills Jiu Jitsu. The youngest being age five and the eldest being age 74. I would be hard pressed to give an average age of our student population, but I'm willing to bet it's somewhere in the early to mid thirties. These are all very fit individuals with a strong sense for eating well, not smoking, not drinking, and incorporating a healthy dose of fitness in their life. One of the most important aspects of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is self defense and we have practiced many different situations with the sport and combative situations that would enhance a students knowledge to apply practical self defense tactics if they are ever attacked. However, instead of defending themselves from an random assailant on the street, being able to defend themselves from silent attackers that creep up from within may be far more important.
     The silent attackers are heart disease. Heart disease affects 2,500 people every single day in the United States. These silent attackers need to be given special consideration as the deadliest assailants out there.
     While most of the self defense tactics we train are related to taking preventative measures. Cardiac Self Defense starts with taking preventative measures as well. In this video Dr. Laxmi Mehta outlines some good preventative measures for Cardiac Self Defense. In short here they are:

1) Know the symptoms of heart disease
2) Know your risk factors for heart disease
3) Visit your health care provider
4) Maintain a healthy lifestyle

    This outline is a very simple yet practical approach to thinking about hearth health. Learn the facts about cardiac self defense. Even if you exercise on a regular basis, if you don't eat right you are not taking every possible measure to defend your body from these assailants. We will be covering heart disease in more detail over the next few weeks. Please take the time to do your own research and take steps towards preventative cardiac self defense.

Eliot Kelly

916 595 4064

El Dorado Hills Jiu Jitsu

Fight Fit El Dorado Hills July Program

July Workout

     

WARM UP:

1.    10 min of walking, running, jump rope, biking etc

MOBILITY

1.    Foam roll back and gluteus

2.    Lacrosse ball shoulder blade (if you have it)

3.    Big and small shoulder circles

4.    Hollow body

5.    Anke rolls

6.    knee rolls

7.    Hip twirls

8.    Handstand

WORKOUT: 

 

Day 1: 

Circuit

Week 1: do 3 sets of 10.  Week 2: do 2 sets 15.  Week 3: do 1 set of 20 and 1 of 10

1.    Pull up or row 30

2.    Press over head 30

Goblet Squat 50

Farmers walk mark distance or count steps (Week 1: do 1 walk.  Week 2:  rest for 1 min and do a second walk, Week 3:  3 walks)

Day 2:

1.    Instead of Goblet Squats do 50 athletic burpees 

EDH Fight Fit 

916 595 4064

See you on the mat!