How Good Can I Get After 3 Months of BJJ?

Posted on December 8, 2014 by myackulic

So you’ve grown tired of your chicken-elbow biceps and little chicken legs and are looking for a new challenge. BJJ has the potential to transform you into a Greek God but you’re unsure how long it will take for you to move from complete embarrassment to fairly decent. Well, as with any martial art or any sport, getting really good takes time, but you’ll be surprised how much you can learn in a short space of time.

In terms of progressing up the pecking order in winning competitive matches and moving up the belt rack, there wont be much visible progress. However, in terms of the impact 3 months of training can have on your physical fitness, technique, understanding and overall endurance you can come on leaps and bounds.

The early stages of anyones BJJ career focusing on grasping a good understanding of basic guards, escapes and techniques. Enough to defend yourself on the street but not enough to challenge a more advanced grade in a throw down rolling session in class. By the end of three months you’ll be thinking Kanye is a time traveller from the future and wrote harder, better, faster, stronger specifically about your BJJ career.

The start of your training will focus on how to defend and escape when in a grapple, as well as enough painful arm bars and gag inducing chokes to keep any attacker away and leave you feeling pumped and confident in many situations. No doubt you will also experience how good getting your arse handed to you in a roll feels, you’ll have the rolling buzz and a new found motivation to improve and get fitter. You can establish a basis on which to build, and rapid progression and improvement is not unheard of. To someone untrained in BJJ you’ll be able to comprehensively out do them, so by all means take the opportunity to embarrass your friends when they are being a little too cocky.

It’s important to remember that where BJJ may look a little rough around the edges, it’s an art that takes decades to perfect. The IBJJF state that a student should spend 2 years at white belt level, so as mentioned, in three months your wont be changing your belt. The three months will inspire you though, giving a target to aim for and igniting a desire that you did not know you had within you. You could say that BJJ is more than just a sport, is a lifestyle choice, and a choice that you will not regret making.

In summary, you’re not going to be as huge as Arnie or a ninja like Bruce Lee in just three months of training. You will notice improvements in overall fitness, strength and desire to succeed. The most appropriate word do describe what three months can give is transformation, both physical and mental. Just think what another 3 months will bring…

Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great Brazilian programs like Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14.

All those and you get a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL!

Children’s BJJ For Better Health Habits

Posted on December 1, 2014 by myackulic

BJJ Kids in Edmonton

With general lifestyle habits deteriorating over time, the associated health detriments will no doubt keep very close to that trend, with a lot more lifestyle diseases being reported and suffered today and the really sad part is that all of this can be avoided with the simple act of taking things back to the basics of healthy living.

One need not necessarily become a full-on health nut — all it takes is a simple adjustment of lifestyle habits which could account for better health, but at the same time are probably very hard to change since they become an embedded part of modern day living.

The real cause for concern surrounding this is of course the mere fact that what starts out as a simple, once-off oversight on a health and lifestyle issue, gradually becomes a habit which eventually grows into a deeply-enshrined part of how we live our lives and the real danger is that bad health and lifestyle habits can have children born into them since the potency of these gets stronger generationally.

When a child is born into bad eating, health and lifestyle habits, they see absolutely nothing wrong with them and will continue to develop the legacy until those issues go right down to genetic levels, by which time it is very hard to change and nearly impossible to say the least.

Children’s BJJ for better health habits can be one of the many ways through which to counteract the detrimental effects of bad lifestyle habits, since Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) will ensure kids are exposed to high enough levels of activity to negate all the negative effects of an unhealthy lifestyle, or certainly go a long way in correcting some of the major advocates.

Children’s BJJ for better health habits is extremely effective because of one simple thing and that is the fact that kids who participate in a combative art form like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu do not feel as if they are engaging in somewhat of an exercise which requires a lot of them. — they do not feel as if they are obliged to do it but rather do it because they enjoy it, which is a win-win situation for all parties involved since the kids benefit in a number of different ways, many of which they do not even know.

If a child’s body gets accustomed to eating junk food everyday, with the absence of adequate exercise while they sit in front of the screen, playing video games all day, getting them involved in something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu may be a mission at first, but once they have tasted the joy of being in an organized structure where they can interact with a number of other people, the exercise will most likely prove to be favorable to them and they will want more.

Children’s bodies love stimulation and the effects of that are directly felt by the kids, both mentally and physically, after which time the practice of something like BJJ becomes an essential part of their lives — something which they look forward to and do with a level of determination that will almost certainly fight against the detrimental lifestyle issues that could otherwise become a serious problem.

Now is a great time to start BJJ for your Child with our brand new Saturday classes. Email us at myackulic@arashido.com for more info.

Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great Brazilian programs like Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14.

Life Lessons Learnt from BJJ

Posted on March 28, 2014 by myackulic

As any martial artist will know, the influence of training stretches far wider than the walls of the dojo, spreading into all aspects of a students life. Martial arts and BJJ in particular, have taught me many useful principles that can be applied to my life in a wider sense.

1. Perfection is Unobtainable

The pursuit of perfection is exactly that, a pursuit, a journey with only a beginning rather than a definite end. In all aspects of your life, there is always room for improvement, learning is not a finite process. There is always scope to learn more, whether its taking up a new language or realising the flow of a technique should move slightly differently after performing it for the thousandth time. To have a perfect technique requires you to make a million tiny mistakes, tweaking each time in a constant never ending cycle.

The same principal can be applied to the rest of your life. Whether it be work, finding ways to be more efficient or relationships, making mistakes that shape you a person and learning from them. Practice will never make perfect, but the lesson to take home is that improvement is like a wind, with no definitive start or finish, just moving forward.

2. You Are Never the Best

Where you may be sitting pretty as the most accomplished in your school, if not on a regional or national scale, there will be someone better on a global scale. Rather than bother you, this fact should inspire, push you harder and enable you to learn from your fellow artists. Take something new from each roll, from each technique applied and each technique applied on you. I am always in competition, not with others but with myself, the constant strive for improvement should be relished in, in all aspects of a student’s life.

3. Getting Beat Builds Character

There is no shame in getting beaten, as long as you learn from it. Sure it can be initially embarrassing if you get dumped on your ass by the newbie, but that will teach you not to underestimate opponents. There are lessons to be learnt each time you get knocked down, no matter the scenario. If you accept this, the only way to move is onwards, in your training, performance and personal life.

4. 9 to 5 Isn’t Everything

BJJ helps put aspects of your life in perspective. Through is fundamental lessons of accepting defeat, dedication to improve, prioritisation of actions and endurance can be applied to both work and personal situations. If you lose a job, you’ll be back up looking for another just like losing a roll. If you try something and it doesn’t work out, you learn from it and try again. BJJ is just like any other sport, mastery takes time, practice and dedication. We live in a society where we expect success to be immediate, change to be fast and are driven by fads and crazes. BJJ teaches you to take a step back, take time to build a solid foundation of basics on which you can begin your climb to success.

5. Your Body IS a Temple

The best birthday present you ever got was your body. Without it you’d be useless, it takes battering on occasion but it’s always there for you. It’s capable of greatness if you condition it, care for it and don’t waste it. I’m not saying never drink, never have a binge day, I’m talking on a wider scale. By physical conditioning, eating well and training hard, you’ll be amazed at the knock on effects it can have. You’ll have more energy, sleep better, perform for longer and you’ll look fantastic. BJJ helps hone your body into an efficient, sculpted, straight-up-beast.

Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great Brazilian programs like Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14.

All those and you get a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL! As well as our 30 minute Fast Fitness program for FREE!

Fighting Tips, Part 2

Posted on January 17, 2014 by myackulic

When it comes to applying technique, there are two sets of BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU fighters: pattern fighters and adaptive fighters. A fighter who has a pattern will usually learn techniques, use them well, and transition with them well. Some BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU fighters are great at this, but an adaptive fighter is one who may not just know the patterns but can adjust and adapt to the situation at hand.

I understand it is always great to have a coach for support and technical guidance. But I think being an independent, adaptive BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU fighter is of utmost importance and it is truly what leads you to understanding your game. Your coach is just there to help you along but should not always hold your hand.

Let’s look at it like birds. When a bird leaves its nest it has to spread its wings and fly on its own; it will be hard for another bird to simply carry it. You want to fly on your own. When it is your time to spread your wings, you should spread them your way. And when you are in mid-flight you may need to adjust your speed, distance, and height. If you are hurt or have a broken wing, you may have to adjust your path to survive. If your game is intelligent and you are a calm fighter, you will find the right movement. If your positions are not working and you run out of movements, you have to use what you do know to create something useful to advance your game.

You can also take a look at Russian wrestler Buvasaer Saitiev. He is a not a big, quick, or particularly strong athlete. He is a just an exceptionally technical athlete. He has competed in four Olympics and is a nine time World Champion (including three Olympic gold medals). I think this says something for his longevity and the type of athlete he is. He is a cerebral wrestler. He uses his mind and understanding of his technique to adapt and win. He is certainly tough in many ways, but what makes him so special is his wrestling skill coupled with his adaptive tendencies. He is present in his matches; when something difficult or complex happens against him, he reacts quickly and creates countering methods on the spot that turn into his offense.

When you tap someone during sparring, do not brag about the tap or tell your friends who you tapped. Often, this person wasn’t going 150% against you anyway because sparring in the gym is not a competition, so bragging that you ‘beat’ a guy who was going easy on you makes you look foolish and puts you in line to get a rude awakening later on. And don’t keep score every time you roll, people will get annoyed at this type of behavior—just have fun.

Come down to Arashi Do and try out one of our great Brazilian programs like Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14. All those and you get a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL! What are you waiting for?

Call or text us at 780-220-5425 or email us at myackulic@ArashiDo.com

Does the Gi Really Help?

Posted on October 7, 2013 by myackulic

With the popularity of events like the UFC, it’s really easy to get wrapped up in the idea of not only training No-Gi Submission Wrestling, but avoiding training with the GI since you may want to compete in No Gi or MMA competition. Well I have 5 great reasons to training with the Gi, even if you will never plan on competing in a Gi tournament.

It Slows Down Your Partner – The Gi is a great training tool. It helps us slow movements down so we can see what is happening…WHILE IT HAPPENS. This is super important for Beginners and when learning new moves. It gives you time to understand what is happening and adapt while you get a better “Feel” for the situation.
Your Escapes Get Better – When training with a Gi there are many places your partner can grab, there is more friction, his transitions are tighter etc. The Gi forces your movements to be more refined (accuracy, timing, angles), as escaping is much more difficult. However, once you have mastered the escapes, there is NO WAY he can hold you down in without the Gi. Sweat increases movement and lack of better grips allow for more freedom and range of motion.
More Brain, Less Attributes – With Gi grappling, there is more focus on timing and pressure. That is important. Your window of opportunity with the Gi on lasts much longer, giving you time to answer your partners attack or defense. In No Gi you need to react much faster, if you are too late to react it forces you to rely on your attributes (Speed, Strength, Flexibility, mobility etc.). By eliminating your attributes until they are absolutely necessary you will be able to develop the technical side of BJJ. Invest in a game that you can play for the next 40 years, not just while you are in your prime.
You’ll Develop a Choke Proof Neck – Most No Gi guys tend to not want to wear the Gi because they fear the chokes (and the lack of movement). Although you will get choked alot, and I mean ALOT, more with the Gi, it does condition your neck, just like strikers condition their shins and fists. Also, it is much easier to get choked with a Gi because the size of the Gi itself is small. This builds awareness of your neck so it is not exposed whether you train Gi or No Gi that day.
It Encourages Creativity – There are so many ways you can use your Gi, your opponent’s Gi, Belts, Grips etc. The possibilities seem endless. New positions, transitions and submissions are being discovered and rediscovered all the time. Wearing the Gi encourages you to think outside the box and explore what is out there.

There you have it guys, 5 simple reasons why you should be rocking the GI. Plus, you have so much more space to deck it out with patches when you get those sponsors knocking at your door. A couple other side benefits: hygiene, looks cool, and one day you could be a Black Belt.