Martial Arts in El Dorado Hills, CA. Judo, Wrestling Jiujitsu

     Martial Arts in El Dorado Hills keeps getting better and better. EDH Grappling, home of EDH BJJ, The Wrestling Dojo, and Judo with Garrett Sensei is taking grappling to another level in northern California. This “school of grappling” has brought together some of the best grapplers in the area to share their experiences and knowledge on and off the mat.

     The Brazilian Jiujitsu program is led by black belts Eliot Kelly and Todd Jones. Cumulatively, they have amassed close to 45 years of grappling experience. Interestingly, they both started learning Brazilian Jiujitsu for the same reason; they wanted an active hobby that stimulated the mind and body. Their experiences have shaped a curriculum well balanced in Self-Defense, Sport Competition, and Fitness.

     The Judo program is led by black belt Garrett Aldrich. Garrett began his grappling career in folkstyle wrestling, but soon found a passion for the Olympic style Wrestling, Greco-Roman. As a cadet and junior he traveled on the national team, and moved on to wrestle in junior college. After overcoming some injuries and transferring to UC Davis he found a new passion in Judo. At the time, he was looking for a fun and active hobby that would get him back in shape. He quickly realized the training was doing more than getting him in shape. The philosophy and culture associated with the Martial Art allowed him to develop not only his body but his mind as well.

     The Wrestling program is led by former division one coaches Beau Weiner and Eliot Kelly. Although wrestling has become more of a sport than a martial art, the two coaches have applied their martial art experiences to provide a systematic approach to learning technique. In addition to technical instruction, the wrestling curriculum has incorporated elements of self-defense, fitness, and a philosophy that promotes honor on and off the mat.

     If you would like more information on our program at EDH Grappling visit:

EDH Grappling

(916) 595 4064

Martial Arts in El Dorado Hills

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

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"

"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."

How to Become a Better Teacher of the Gentle Art

     Have you heard of the movie The Horse Whisperer? Well, Buck Brannaman is the true living horse whisperer. He is amazing! In the documentary Buck, you see first hand the spirit of the gentle art both in practice and teaching.
     The gentle art is a concept we hear all the time in Jiu-Jitsu, but this is a universal concept applicable to all grappling or wrestling based Martial Arts. Unfortunately, I've found that many jiujitsu and grappling academies talk about the gentle art, but struggle with implementing it into their curriculum, training, and lifestyle. The Gentle art is the concept of guiding an action, and not forcing an action. The concept of always trying to understand something with precision, and not just doing something to make it work. The concept of breaking things apart to build them back up stronger, and not just to impose your will on them. As student's and teacher's we can all learn from these concepts.
     In my opinion, Buck's methods need to be taught, studies, and applied to all coaching situations. In wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and all of the grappling arts, there is exists the spirit of the gentle art, but very few have come to understand the methods and merits to this type of instruction. By mastering the gentle art as an instructor, I think we will find that we are not just responsible for helping other's become great jiujitsu players, but also responsible for helping other's learn more about themselves.
     Buck is a true pioneer in the application and of the gentle art. I highly recommend all teacher's, coaches, and those involved in positions of leadership to watch and learn from this documentary, BUCK.

Eliot Kelly
EDH Grappling 

"Buck Brennamen is a Master Instructor of the gentle art!"

Fundamental Jiu-Jitsu Lessons from My Cat (Part 1)

I used to think cats were the laziest and most boring pets to own, but recently realized I was just never around long enough to appreciate their unique characteristics. In the last year my wife and I have acquired 2 cats, and it has been enlightening to see them play and roll around with each other. In my opinion, it sometimes looks like a simplified application of no-holds-barred Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Recently I have found myself observing my cats with a keen eye, hoping it would somehow enhance my awareness on the mat. Here are three very dominant traits that I have noticed from my cats, Maru (the runt of a litter born near our apartment), and Tomo (a tomboy adopted from the SPCA).

The first trait would be my cats’ ability to establish a solid guard. While observing my cat in the guard, I noticed how the back of the head was off the ground, the feet were up and positioned between the bodies, and the limbs were used to test the balance and posture of the other cat. Rather than keeping the back flat on the floor, the cat would roll from shoulder to shoulder and post up on an elbow (or whatever joint that could be comparable to an elbow) when there was a small gap between the two. When the cat on top would make a move, it forced the other to reposition in guard using a hip-escape.

The second trait would be the hip-escape. Also known as shrimp-ing, this action is one of the fundamental movements in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Not only is it an essential movement when trying to move and position your body on the mat, but it’s also an essential action to create or take away space. Whenever it looked as though the cat on top was positioned a little out to the side, the cat in guard would casually push off the ground to distance the hips in order to maintain a position where their bodies were facing one another. Within this display of Jiu-Jitsu movements, I realized flexibility was a key factor allowing for the action.

The third trait would be flexibility within the back and hips. Although I have never seen my cats do the butterfly stretch, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have any problem doing so. Their flexibility allowed them to move freely and maximize the use of their body without strain or discomfort. They have also shown me the ability to curl into the smallest ball or arch backwards into a semi-circle.

Although it may be a little silly to compare cat’s play with Martial Arts, we should realize the movements we are acquiring follow principles that exist in nature. The movements we train our bodies to do instinctively “make sense” in nature and therefore are practical and applicable. We are essentially re-teaching our bodies to do what we have untaught ourselves. What tied all of these traits together were Maru and Tomo’s ability to adjust their speed and balance, maintain an element of surprise, and stay relaxed all while having fun.

Eliot Kelly
www.edhbjj.com