Martial Arts Schedule for Fall at El Dorado Hills Jiu-Jitsu

Click to Enlarge JiuJitsu Schedule

Here is a description of the classes we will be offering for the fall at El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If you have any questions about the classes please let us know. Our phone number is 916.505.4064 our email address is edhbjj@gmail.com

Fundamental Jiu-Jitsu: 
     The fundamental Jiujitsu class high lighted in green is a martial arts class for teens and adults. Our fundamental jiujitsu class will include a warm up to increase flexibility, strength, and drill movements associated with the development of jiujitsu. The technical instruction is based on fundamental positions seen in competitions.

Open Roll: 
     Open roll is an opportunity to train without the constraints of an instructor. Students are encouraged to drill, stretch, and roll during these times. It is a student-led training session. As a beginner this might be a very difficult class to take part in. Ask a colored belt what you should be doing, they will direct you and might even give you a free lesson on different positions. 

Kids Jiu-jitsu: 

     Kids jiujitsu is for ages 5-11. In this class fundamental curriculum is taught for different skill levels. Yellow belts in the class are assistant coaches to the coaches and help the younger, less experienced students learn. The yellow belts help by being leaders in the class, by working one on one with the students and assisting the coach whenever necessary. Kids with more than 6 months of experience are welcome to join the advanced class every Friday. You must have the instructors approval before enrolling in this class. 

Self Defense & Jiu-Jitsu for Women:

     Jiu-Jitsu for women is a class that takes place only once a week, therefore it is very important that you are present in this class if this is the only class you are enrolled in. The class incorporates positions of awareness for self-defense as a part of the warm up. All levels and interests are welcome to take part in this ladies only class. Although women are not limited in joining the other classes, this is a special time for them to train only with other women. 

Wrestling Match Hour: 

     Match hour is a unique opportunity for local wrestlers with some wrestling experience to wrestle with wrestlers who used to wrestle in college. All wrestlers, coaches, and wrestling enthusiasts are welcome to join this once a week class to wrestle, drill, and have fun on the mat. 

Community Jiu-Jitsu: 

     The community jiujitsu class is a free class for members of the el dorado hills, folsom, cameron park, rancho cordova, shingle springs, and in general the greater Sacramento area. This free class is for those going through financial hardships, single parents, poor college students, who just can't afford to do jiujtsu. We will be collecting donations for those who would like to make donations and use the money collected from the class to give to a local charity, help a student travel to a tournament, or make improvements to the facility. This is a class for ages 10 and up. 

Family Fun Jiu-Jitsu: 

     Family jiujitsu class is for parents to share time on the mat with their sons or daughters no matter how old or young. The experimental class will give people an opportunity to "hang out" while "working out" on the mat. All members are encouraged to bring their little ones on the mat and simply have fun! 

EDH JiuJitsu 

916.595.4064

NoGi Jiu-Jitsu Tournament "Gentle Heart" Raises Awareness & Money in El Dorado Hills, CA

     El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiujitsu hosted the Kids NoGi "Gentle Heart" Tournament Clinic this weekend in El Dorado Hills, CA. The tournament was an opportunity for students at EDH BJJ to compete in front of friends and family, learn from their wins and losses, and have fun on the mat. There were three divisions. Here are the results from the three divisions:

Owen v Kye

Yellow Belt: 

Gold - Angelo

Silver - Nico 

Bronze - Patrick

Gray - Belt #1

Gold - Owen 

Silver - Ryan 

Bronze - Phillip

Gray - Belt #2

Gold - Ethan

Silver - Owen

Bronze - Kye

     Each competitor displayed a great series of technique as they battled it out one by one. There were some great scrambles, great takedowns, submissions from all angles, and most of all great sportsmanship. Each competitor knew the importance of helping each other compete to better themselves and so did the crowd. The mood in the dojo was positive, encouraging, with a slight degree of intensity and satisfaction for doing their best. Since this was an opportunity for the students to get as many matches as they could, every competitor win or lose, had at minimum three matches with some as many as five.
     In order to promote the spirit of learning, the tournament included an element of a clinic to the competition. After every single match, the competitors met with a coach to go over some of the strong points and weak points in their strategy and jiujitsu. Doing so reinforced the essence of competition, which is bringing out the best of what's within us. Interestingly, every student showed significant improvement from match to match, proving that the tournament-clinic concept was very helpful.

     The tournament also helped support one of the local events taking place in September. This tournament raised awareness and money for the heart walk talking place in Sacramento next month. A portion of the competitors registration went towards making a difference in improving public health and awareness. In addition to the medals, the students received heart shaped key chains as prizes for the competitions. The NoGi tournament will finish up the nogi jiujitsu training for the kids this summer as they students transition back into the gi for the fall. We are looking forward to seeing their improvements this winter at the Winter Gi Tournament-Clinic in El Dorado Hills. Another big congratulations to all the competitors and parents for supporting their growth and learning on and off the mat!

EDH Jiujitsu 

916.595.4064

Cem Kilos, Hundred Kilos, 220 pounds.... Being heavy or luscious from Side Mount

     Another one of the concepts Porfessora Caren covered in her seminar was the need to be heavy in jiujitsu. Many of the top positions like side control and mount are positions of weight. I remember when I first started learning jiu-jitsu the side control was referred to as the 100-kilos position, or Cem-Kilos in portuguese. Hearing this position called this resonated with me because it totally made sense. In the Jiujitsu for women seminar, Professora Caren chose to use the word luscious instead of heavy to describe the side control and mount position. Here is a little explanation of why from one of the students in attendance:

Haha, Yes Luscious! Basically she was going over the concept of embracing and loving your body. As well as using it to feel heavy ( putting weight on your opponent so that you are able to control their movement to some degree). I loved that she delved into the discussion about the stigma that society has that ladies have to be light and not take up space...so on and so forth. She brought up the fact that in Jiujitsu its a positive to feel "heavy" on your opponent and she described it as "being Luscious" Thank You again Caren, you are so amazing!

     What a wonderful and empowering message to own your body and train with confidence! See you on the mat! 

Eliot Kelly

EDH Jiujitsu 

916.595.4064

Ten Reasons to Sign Up for the NoGi Tournament this Weekend

     Our NoGi in house tournament clinic is coming up this weekend. If you have been thinking about signing up but haven't yet, here are a few reasons to get your name on the list. There is no particular order of importance to the list.

1. $5 of your registration will go towards the Heart walk in September.

2. Your Jiujitsu will be tested and win or lose, your jiujitsu will improve.

3. You will receive personal feedback from your match. 

4. The referee will be there to protect the safety of the competitors. 

5. The awards were handmade and look really really cool! 

6. If you've never participated in a tournament you should at least do one in your BJJ career. 

7. Win or lose, your motivation to train will become more clear. 

8. Unlike a regular class, you will experience excitement, adrenaline, and learn how to control it.

9. If your friends or family come, they will get to see what real jiujitsu looks like.

10. It helps your instructor see an evaluate your jiujitsu. 

     Even if you don't sign up for the tournament, we highly recommend coming in to watch and support your teammates. Believe it or not, just coming to watch will make an impact on your jiujitsu. Not to mention your teammates will feel supported and appreciate you being there to cheer you on.

EDH Jiujitsu

916.595.4064

The Mat is a Mirror: Jiujitsu Lessons from Professora Caren Camblin

     A few days ago we had the opportunity to host Professora Caren Camblin from Santa Cruz. She taught a women's only jiu-jitsu class followed by a jiujitsu class for teens and adults. This was the first time for El Dorado Hills Jiujitsu to host a female black belt. Here is a little background on Professora Caren Camblin:

     Professora Caren Camblin received her Black Belt from Claudio França in 2010 after 14 years of training. She holds a masters degree in philosophy from Stanford University and her philosophical training deeply influences her approach to practicing and teaching jiu-jitsu.  Her primary interests are in the underlying principles of jiu-jistu, and how the realms of self-defense, art, and sport intersect.  Caren's teaching style is relaxed, collaborative, detail-oriented, and a bit cerebral.  She is forever open to questions and to troubleshooting problems on the spot.

     Caren is a Core Lecturer at University of California, Santa Cruz and she serves on the governing board of the nonprofit Nonviolent Communication Santa Cruz. Her husband, Mike Roberts, is also a Black Belt under Claudio França. 

     One of the concepts Professora Caren Camblin shared with the students during the seminar was on the reflective properties of the mat. The "mat is a mirror" of how you are feeling, your strengths and weaknesses, your frustrations, fears, excitement, pessimism and optimism, your joys and satisfactions, the list goes on. Training and being on the mat is a time of reflection, a time to see who you really are and assess or reflect on the things that you are feeling and going on around you. (I'm probably butchering what Professora Caren said with my limited vocabulary... SORRY Sensei!) Interestingly, this is a concept that is also embraced in the study of Yoga. I've heard some masters say that Jiujitsu has it's origins in India where the Martial Art or lifestyle of training included elements of jiujitsu, yoga, and  medication. (Could anyone help me expand on this?) 

Thank you Professor Caren Camblin for sharing with us the lifestyle of Brazilian Jiujitsu. We look forward to seeing you again soon! 

Eliot Kelly

916.595.4064

EDH Jiujitsu

Self Defense and Jiu-Jitsu for Women Seminar in El Dorado Hills with Professora Caren Camblin

     We may not remember every single jiu-jitsu class we have had on the mat, but there are a few special classes we will always remember. Yesterday was one of those classes at El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Professora Caren Camblin, a black belt under Claudio Franca of Santa Cruz, was in El Dorado Hills to teach a ladies only seminar followed by a seminar for teens and adults.

     The ladies only seminar included women from Rocklin, Folsom, Granite Bay, Roseville, Cameron Park, and El Dorado Hills. First time beginners joined the class as well as seasoned veterans with broken in gi's and belts. The seminar began with an introduction that included a discussion on how they got started with jiu-jitsu and what kept them coming back. Professora Caren's special attention to teaching with detail showed as the students quickly grasped the concepts she was showing. In addition to her technical explanation, the seminar included an opportunity to think about the philosophy that accompanies jiu-jitsu, training, and being a woman on the mat. Professora Caren shared with us some very specific positions that would traditionally not be considered as essential positions to know and understand for self-defense.

     Just as the jiu-jitsu class for women was a great hit, the teens and adults class was a very fun and exciting experience for everyone. The teens and adults class began with a series of fun warm ups that activated the core, worked on balance, and helped practice a movements pertinent to jiu-jitsu. The theme for the one hour class focused on the idea of "position before submission"and "position before passing." Again, her detailed technical instruction with a focus on explaining and understanding the concept behind the movement/position was very insightful and mind opening.
     Her lesson included more than technical instruction. In addition to her detailed explanation of different positions, the class included a deeper sense of understanding of what jiu-jitsu has to offer. How the practice and struggles of jiu-jitsu can be a reflection of our struggles off the mat. How the practice of jiu-jitsu creates a special bond of friendships. And how the practice of jiu-jitsu is the gradual understanding of the philosophy of the gentle art.
     Thank you Professora Caren for helping EDH Jiu-Jitsu send a message to our community that Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone! We can't wait for your next visit!

EDH Jiu-Jitsu 

916.595.4064

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Karate, Taekwondo, or Jiu-jitsu, which is Best?

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Karate, Taekwondo, or Jiu-jitsu, which is Best?

This is an article full of shopping advice. If you’re shopping for a martial arts school, for training, then you’ve come to the right place.

Professor Eliot teaching Kids NoGi in 2011

I’ve been studying the martial arts since I was in 6th grade, I’m a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, I wrestled at UC Davis, a division 1 school, and have had the opportunity to work at some of the most prestigious wrestling camps in the country. In addition to training martial arts, I teach. I'm currently working towards a Masters degree in teaching Japanese as a foreign language and have been a teacher, teacher's assistant, and tutor for more than 10 years.

Here are three piece of advice for you, regardless of the kind of martial arts you might be interested in:

• It’s the coach, the teacher, that makes the “style,” not the other way around. Look for a coach you respect, look for a teacher you feel you have rapport with. If a martial arts teacher treats you poorly, leave. If he or she treats you with respect, you might be in the right place.

• Find a teacher that has a kind of training that speaks to the kind of training you like to do (or think you would like to do). If the class is too easy or too slow for you, say so. If it’s too hard core, consider finding another teacher (or at least address the issue with the instructor). Some teachers will use apparatus to train, some will only need mats or mirrors or a hardwood floor.  If you have the luxury of choices, then choose a kind of training that fits your fitness level and interests.

• Every good school offers and introductory program that allows prospective students to try classes before they enroll. If a school does not offer a free trial class or classes, don't enroll.

(Note: Click this link or call this phone number 916.595.4064 to get a one-week free trial program at our school)

• Don’t sign any sort of long term contract for lessons with an instructor until you know him or her very, very well. If you know the teacher, go ahead and support them. If you don’t know the teacher, simply wait until you do. If a school owner tries to pressure you into a long term or high ticket contract, find somewhere else to spend your money.

In the end, in today’s world, most martial arts teach many of the same things. Remember however, it’s not “the martial art” that teaches you, it’s the teacher. Look to his or her experience and demeanor before you look at the style.

See you on the mat!

EDH Jiu-Jitsu

916.595.4064