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."