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!

Top 10 Reasons to do BJJ at Arashi Do Part 2

Posted on March 11, 2013 by myackulic

Last week we covered 5 great reasons to start Training BJJ, Muay Thai, Karate or MMA at Arashi Do Martial Arts. This week we continue the top 10 Reasons. If the first 5 were enough, come down to Arashi Do to start your 30 DAY FREE TRIAL!

6. We have Professional Instructors – Professor Mike has been teaching full time since 2002. Teaching is not a hobby or something to do in his free time, it is his only source of income. It just makes it so much easier because he absolutely loves to teach and is super passionate about the Martial Arts.

7. We have a Curriculum that sets Realistic, Manageable Goals for you – Every program we offer has a curriculum designed specifically for not only the Art involved but the age group of the students. This is super important since not only do children of different ages and adults learn differently, but it offers consistent challenges to keep students motivated and testing at each level offers great feedback.

8. A great way to relieve your daily stress – Had a bad day, people of life driving you nuts? Our classes offer a chance to let loose physically and get some endorphins in your body, something proven to make you feel better. You will leave class feeling refreshed and like you accomplished something. For children it offers a great way to burn off energy and work out there frustrations. It’s all about finding balance with oneself, some need more aggression in their life, some need to burn it off. Yin and Yang.

9. Meet other like minded positive people – We are very proud of the environment that we have created. You will find the students here really want to be here and feed off the good will of everyone. You will find Instructors and senior students are more than happy to lend a hand for any of your questions.

10. Several classes to fit your schedule – With the number of days and times we have classes we are sure to have a class to fit your schedule. We offer classes during the lunch hour throughout the week, evenings, and weekends. We even have a Women’s Only BJJ Class and classes for more experienced students (when you reach that level).

There you go, several reasons why you should come done to Arashi Do and try out one of our great programs. 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

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: