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!

Metabolic Training and BJJ

Posted on May 26, 2014 by myackulic

It’s no secret that BJJ is one of the most intensive full body work outs around today. It’s results can not be disputed and can have have rapid and dramatic improvements on anyones body at each extreme of the spectrum. I can build the scrawny nerd physique into chiselled statuesque glory, and help the overweight loose weight and become toned without fad diets where you can only have chewing gum. BJJ will have an effect across all the sports you’re involved in, and the other sports will effect your BJJ. Here we highlight ways in which BJJ can improve your metabolic training, and your metabolic training can influence your BJJ skills on the mat.

GAINS…

Rolling and grappling definitely causes you to feel the burn, it maxes out your fitness in terms of strength, endurance and cardio. So what exercises are going to help you last longer in a BJJ roll? Should you be benching 4 times your body weight in a desperate push to improve? Well the answer to that is no.

BJJ is designed to allow technique to outsmart raw strength and power, so huge amounts of lifting like a meathead is not going to do anyone any favours. Weight training to lesser levels can have awesome improvements on your training though. Think logically, there are weight classes in BJJ rolls, so lifting anything above your own body weight is going to non beneficial, as that’s roughly the weight of an opponent you’ll be facing.

The most common mistake is isolating the muscles that you are going to be training. If you only train biceps, you’ll only be strong where you biceps are the driving force. Train full body because BJJ is full body! You don’t want to be that guy who can bench 100kg but can’t do a pull up. Overtraining certain muscles is also going to make you look ridiculous, with golf ball biceps or a stacked upper body and Johnny Bravo legs. No, not cool, ridiculous.

For all round improvement, work a circuit in the gym. Run through bench pressing, military and dead-lifts and most importantly squats! Everyone neglects leg day, but leg day is the one. Whats the point in having all that power if your legs cant propel you forward! No body likes chicken legs. Get real.

Trim Around the Edges…

For the BJJ student looking to shed excess fat and trim down, you’ll notice fairly extortionate drops in weight from when you start training. Your limiting factor is likely going to be cardio at this point. This isn’t to say start running 10k a day, sure that would improve your cardio, but only in one scenario. BJJ is intense, and uses all parts of you body in a roll. You want to be looking into taking up CrossFit.

CrossFit is taking the sporting world by storm, combining numerous exercise in an exercise length that is remarkably close to the duration of your average BJJ roll. The lifts involved in CrossFit are all kinetically linked to the ground, making them the ideal supplement to your BJJ training.

Eat Clean, Get Lean, Stay Mean…

Diet is a major aspect of sporting success. By eating clean, you’ll see the fat stay off and your energy levels stay up, letting you fight harder and for longer. Taking a load of supplements is in now way as good as eating well, with natural ingredients to gain lean muscle. By eating clean you can leave the roid-rage behind and grow your body proportionately, giving you a physique and fitness level you just don’t get anywhere else.

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 Obesity with MMA or a Funeral for Your Fat!

Posted on February 16, 2014 by myackulic

With life generally becoming a lot easier, in the sense that a lot of technological innovations are gradually replacing some of the basic functions humans had to engage in, this has given rise to some issues which could otherwise have been easily avoided, such as the high rate of obesity, not only throughout the nation but throughout the world.

The developed world as well as the rapidly emerging markets are the ones hit hardest by this pandemic and this is when some of the ancient principles should be called on, once used by the likes of martial artists to not only keep fit and healthy, but also to avoid any lifestyle conditions such as obesity, which is a very big problem in that it breeds a number of unnecessary health issues.

The concept of fighting obesity with MMA is nothing new, with the only new components being the specific combative art of mixed martial arts (MMA) and the actual act of fighting obesity instead of avoiding it altogether.

In the past, obesity was avoided through the use of the combative arts but, the script has been amended a bit, with the concept now taking the form of fighting obesity with MMA and the combative arts.

If the mixed martial arts as well as other combative arts have been effective in the avoidance of obesity, surely they must be effective in the eradication of obesity, although it must be said that prevention is indeed much better than cure, something which holds up in a number of medical fields.

The budding mixed martial artist who is reading this right now is most likely under the category of those who want to fight obesity with the use of the mixed martial arts, instead of prevent it, since it’s probably a bit too late for that, but they should not despair because they will be happy to know that mixed martial arts is indeed one of the best ways through which to fight obesity, lose the flab and become much learner, healthier and fitter in the process.

Mixed martial arts and its deployment for the purpose of weight loss and the fight against obesity gets its strength purely from the explosive nature of the sport, requiring nothing but the highest levels of engagement in the processes on the part of the practitioner, so there are no half measures here and you will definitely see the results you want if you put in the required amount of effort.

Complete beginners are at more of an advantage, especially those who have never been involved in any of the other forms of the combative arts, and are jumping straight into the mixed martial arts as a means through which to fight obesity.

In the same way, those who haven’t recently been physically involved in any other form of explosive physical activity stand to benefit a lot out of choosing mixed martial arts as a tool with which to fight obesity, since the body will be subjected to some of the highest levels of activity, which have proven to be the ultimate obesity fighting catalysts.

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!

BJJ in Edmonton: Maintaining the Culture

Posted on February 3, 2014 by myackulic

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, no matter where in the world it is practiced, always strives to maintain the purest element of culture which it is so well known for. With the popularity of BJJ growing so fast there is less and less risk of anyone getting a watered down version of BJJ. That being said it does bring out some who want to take advantage of the number of people wanting to learn.

Arashi Do has been part of the BJJ scene in Edmonton since the beginning. Professor Mike Yackulic was the second person in Edmonton to get a Black Belt. He has taught more than any other instructor in Edmonton and to a wider range of students than anyone as well. From children 3 years old to those over 50, he helps them all achieve their goals.

Even though Arashi Do is many miles away from the original land of the combative art, Brazil, he has keep up on his training. Training with his BJJ Instructor, Mestre Sylvio Behring (7th Degree Black Belt) twice a year and many trips to Rio De Janerio to train and compete.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructors don’t necessarily have to be Brazilian to ensure that the highest standards are upheld, such as those maintained at Arashi Do Martial Arts. Many of the Instructors at Arashi Do began their training in other Martial Arts which helps offer a more complete picture for blending Arts together, with their interest in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu often growing from an initial interest in other, more traditional forms of the marital arts.

It is an extremely rare occurrence for a Jiu Jitsu teacher to have started their Jiu Jitsu career by diving head first into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as it is somewhat of a highly specialized art, requiring a lot of skill and dedication to master. Patience goes a long way too, but Brazilian Jiu Jitsu novices need not worry about taking too long to really get going, as the basics are quite easy to grasp, especially if some understanding of the combative arts is already present.

If you do not have any experience in a previous martial art do not worry, in no way puts you at a disadvantage however, as this is actually an advantage, if anything, because the slate is completely clean and there are no bad habits brought over from any other forms of fighting. As an instructor I always find it more challenging to teach those that are unable to adapt the moves from their previous experience.

A fundamental mistake that many beginners make however, is thinking that the grappling-focused combative art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu requires nothing but making it up as you go, as in on-the-spot planning, quick reaction and high levels of improvisation can be misleading in that way.

A very high level of skill goes into mastering the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and, in most cases, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructors, who run competitive BJJ clubs are often so passionate about their art that they would want to deliver their knowledge in a way that reflects well against them, while maintaining the purity of the art form, in honor of the greats who have entrusted them with the same knowledge that they are now tasked to pass on.

With all of these considerations, the culture of BJJ at Arashi Do Edmonton will never die. Our instructors are professionals that strive to learn from the best and bring back that knowledge to you. We not only bring experience in the technical side of the art but experience in teaching. Since Arashi Do North Edmonton opened it’s doors we have taught over 46,000 classes, making our school one of the most experienced ones in the city.

Nobody wants to disgrace the combative art form, doing all they can to preserve the kind of output demonstrated by Arashi Do and that is advantageous for all those wanting to learn BJJ in its purest form.

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!

Building Self-Confidence Through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Posted on January 27, 2014 by myackulic

Self confidence can come through a number of different channels, one of which is discovering you are actually born with it. The truth is though, everybody is actually born with a plethora of positive traits, in their purest forms, one of which is self confidence indeed. The only thing which would deter anyone from displaying that self confidence is if it was stifled by the interactions they have with the environment around them, particularly other people they come into contact with.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is one of the best ways through which to restore any dormant self confidence, in anyone who has lost it, since everybody simply has a deep reserve of self confidence in them, amongst other positive traits that could have been stifled along with that self confidence.

In fact, building self-confidence through BJJ is one of the best ways through which to tap into that natural reserve of positive attributes which simply need reawakening, which is why a lot of budding combative artists choose to take up Jiu Jitsu for a number of reasons, one of which is indeed rediscovering their dormant self confidence.

In all likelihood, there was a recent or past incident which prompts the budding martial artist to have the kind of introspection that has them saying enough is enough, but they naturally do no know which is indeed the best method through which to regain or build the kind of self confidence that would have a positive influence on the overall or immediate quality of their lives.

But what is it exactly which makes Brazilian Jiu Jitsu one of the best self confidence builders?

It’s quite simple really — or at least in concept but it can prove to be very effective in practice as well.

BJJ is one of the most effective means through which one can defend themselves or hold they own very well in combat, as is discovered by those who take up Jiu Jitsu as their combative art of choice.

The participant need not necessarily be the very best mixed martial artist in their circle of competitors and compatriots — all they really need is the basic fundamentals which make them competitive enough to defend themselves successfully or at least compete at a reasonable level.

This breeds a kind of power which can be tapped into at anytime when the need arises, and in this way building self-confidence through BJJ proves to be one of the most effective ways to do so.

Although it has been mentioned that one need not necessarily be the very best mixed martial artists to successfully build their self confidence through BJJ, the very nature of practicing BJJ will require them to apply themselves in such a way that they become competitive and effective enough to acquire a set of skills that instills self confidence, in that they will naturally believe in their new-found abilities and lose the fear.

The self confidence spills over into different areas of the livelihood, subsequently, since the new-found ability to overcome nervous situations breeds even more confidence in other areas of one’s life.

Come down to Arashi Do North 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!

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.

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

Top Ten Reasons to Join Arashi Do BJJ (Part 1)

Posted on March 6, 2013 by myackulic

Ok, you might not need any reasons to begin training in BJJ, but I’m going to give you 10 Great reasons for those living in Edmonton to do BJJ at Arashi Do Martial Arts.

1. Simple and safe Self Defence for all ages and sizes – We have a heavy focus on Self Defence for all our students. Not interested in Self Defence but more in Sport? Did you know the whole reason for for sport competitions was the idea of testing the effectiveness of one’s ability to Defend themselves? 90% of the Self Defence we cover at the White Belt Level is Sport Applicable.

2. Build real, unshakeable confidence in yourself – Children and Adults alike have benefited from the Valuable Life Skills we teach in Class. Our Instructors will help you achieve you personal goals using Martial Arts as a method of reaching them. Confidence is easily built by stepping outside your comfort zone and exceeding what you believed was possible and our Instructors are great at getting you there.

3. We have Edmonton’s Longest running BJJ Program – Professor Mike started grappling in 1997 and begin teaching Grappling in 2000 and BJJ in 2002, making this BJJ program not only the longest, but making him the Instructor with the most hours of Instructing on the mats. Add in the variety of Children’s Classes, Intermediate Level Classes, Self Defence Classes and Women’s Only Classes and you have Edmonton’s Most Experienced BJJ Instructor.

4.A variety of classes for the hobbyist or competitor – We offer classes for those interested in Self Defence and those interested in Sport. Either way, we make sure that ever class has you sweating, smiling and learning. Every class will have other students with the same or similar goals to partner up with.

5. Learn how to deal with confrontations verbally and physically – In our BJJ classes we teach you not only the physical skills to apply in Self Defence situations but the verbal skills to either defuse the situations or buy some time and set up your defence. Training your verbal skills also forces you to be more aware of your surroundings, something incredibly important for Self Defence.

Stay tuned for part 2 with five more great reasons.

BJJ for Women

Posted on February 25, 2013 by myackulic

For the fairer sex, the idea of getting involved in the combative arts may have been somewhat of a taboo, in years gone by, but more and more of the forward-thinking societies of today encourage the involvement of women in sports such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

BJJ for women is starting to get recognition from many in the Martial Arts Community as a simple yet effective method of Self Defence. Husbands, Boyfriends and Fathers everywhere are now encouraging their Wives, Girlfriends and Daughters to train in BJJ to not only learn to defend themselves, but as a fun hobby that they can share together.

One of the common fallacies which should be addressed from the get go, is that of how women think they stand to lose a fair bit of their femininity if they get involved in the combative arts, particularly in the form of mixed martial arts, but that is exactly what it is, a fallacy which needs to be incinerated.

A woman can be just as effective in the combative arts, as their male counterpart, without having to pack on the pounds and build lean muscle mass which would ultimately take a chunk out of their femininity, so women need not worry about strange developments in places they would like to keep as feminine as possible.

This is not to say the training regimes will be conducted in the absence of some strength training, certainly more in the case of those who are bit more serious about their craft, but if a woman does abdominal exercises to strengthen their core, for instance, they will not see the same kind of development as a male doing the same exercises.

In the case of the woman, their core will strengthen but the appearance of the stomach will be far from looking like a defined set of six pack abs, unless an extraordinary amount of extra emphasis is placed on the abs so as to amass those kinds of developments, but the time which the overall training regime requires for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will not allow such developments, so there should be no such worry.

The importance of learning something like BJJ, becomes all the more defined when the consideration of just how useful it can be beyond the competition comes into play, since women could really use the type of skills that could help them in situations such as those which require some self-defense.

For more information on Women’s only BJJ training click here.

Still not convinced? Check out what Erin thought about her first class… you may relate: