Heel hooks by Onnit invitational Champion Chance Braud.

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Question from a blue belt: Is BJJ worth it? Do the benefits outweigh the consequences.

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This question was posted on facebook by one of our students...here is my instructor's response. I thought it was pretty good, so I thought I'd share:

From Jeremy "Gerbil" Arel:

Toes and fingers will be perpetually injured. The ribs are a freak accident. Some people have it happen regularly, the majority of people it's not an issue for. I can say that as you get more hip movement you will strain your ribs less and less.

You're still trying to figure out when you should tap. I know that sounds kind of crazy as we've all been tapped more times than we can count, but you'll find a comfort zone for tapping.

I'm not going to tell you it will be easy, because it wont, but I can say that BJJ is VERY rewarding in a way nothing else is. You'll find out new and exciting things about yourself that you never knew, some good, some bad, and you'll be ok with both.

BJJ is the longest lasting, most abusive relationship I've ever been in. I've quit, literally, dozens of times, only to find myself back on the mat in the next class.

You're a pretty chill guy and you don't have a ton of ego but as a human, ego is still part of the equation. I can promise you as you come to accept your place in the grappling world your and train for the sake of training you will experience far less injuries.

At the current moment you're still in the discovery phase of learning. This is one of the beginning phases where, sometimes, you dont even know if you are preforming the move correctly. This leads to you making mistakes that can sometimes get you injured because you zig when, in fact, you should have zagged. I can also say, with a fair amount of confidence, the more you train, this less this will happen as well.

I guess the point that I'm trying to make is most of the problems associated with injures will be mitigated through prolonged training (MOST). There will still be mornings where you wake up and your body hates you, but overall the benefits outweigh the consequences.

When you factor in the self efficacy obtained through training BJJ the equation heavily tilts towards "worth it". There is no amount of money that is worth your peace of mind. Walk to your car confidently, play with your children in public confidently, sleep with confidence, and interact with your peers confidently because you know your worth.

Many people go through life thinking they have discipline, fortitude, and grit but few have ever tested themselves. BJJ is real, it's in your face and it exposes all of your weaknesses (emotionally, physically and technically). BJJ forces you to address these weaknesses, fix them, accept them or quit. Those are your options.

I came to the realization, 5 years ago, that I am ok with being a loser. I can go out, give everything I have, try my hardest and accept that losing is a possible outcome. Sometimes my current best isn't enough to get the victory.

Your success, in LIFE, is directly connected to your ability to deal with losing. If you can pick yourself up, analyze the situation, and attack it again then you are a better person. So many people hold back, avoid competition, never try and make excuses because they are afraid to lose.

Losing is part of life. It's reality. Losing doesn't mean the war is lost, it just means you have to regroup and attack differently.

Whereas I can deal with being a loser, I can not deal with quitting. Losing was not a choice, it was a reality. Quitting on the other hand is giving the victory away without defending it.

So many life experiences apply here, too many to write out on facebook.

In closing, training BJJ prepares you for losing and winning. It teaches the value in both and forces you to come to terms with that value. Realize the benefits of BJJ and continue to train!

http://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/1nj8jt/question_from_a_blue_belt_is_bjj_worth_it_do_the/

Sportsmanship

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Dear Parents,

This month your child will be studying the character lesson: Sportsmanship. Good sportsmanship is when individuals, teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials treat each other with respect. Children learn the basics of sportsmanship from the adults in their lives, especially their parents, coaches, and teachers. It is important that children learn how to persevere and behave with dignity when they participate in sports – whether they win or lose at something. 

Here is a guideline regarding children and sportsmanship based on age:

• With children ages 3 and 4: they are learning that all sports have rules. Teach them that following the rules is the most important part of sportsmanship.
• With children ages 5 and 6: they are learning about right and wrong as it applies to sports. Teach them that sportsmanship is not about winning or losing, but playing fair.
• With children ages 7 to 9: they are learning to recognize their own individual skills and abilities. Teach them how to take pride in their accomplishments and in improving their skills instead of focusing on winning or losing.
• With children ages 10 to 14: they are learning that real athletes have good values and ethics in sports. Teach them the importance of showing respect towards their teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials.

Displaying good sportsmanship isn’t always easy. It can be tough to maintain sportsmanship particularly when things don’t go your way. But the children who learn how to do so will benefit in many ways. A child who practices good sportsmanship is likely to carry the respect and appreciation towards people into every other aspect of their life.  

Thank you for your support and we look forward to watching our youthful students build the skill of sportsmanship!

Sincerely

Blacklist staff

blacklistbjj@gmail.com

(985)851-2911

www.blacklistbjj.com

www.facebook.com/blacklistbjj

www.twitter.com/blacklistbjj

#Blacklistbjj

Text BLBJJ to 72727

Derrick Breaux & Blacklist Martial Arts Now Provides an Evolutionary Children’s Martial Arts Program Known as SKILLZ

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Contact: Blacklist Martial Arts 488 Corporate Dr. Unit 05 Houma, La 70360 blacklistbjj@gmail.com (985)851-2911

Blacklist Martial Arts

PRESS RELEASE

Derrick Breaux & Blacklist Martial Arts Now Provides an Evolutionary Children’s Martial Arts Program Known as SKILLZ  

New Age-specific Martial Arts Classes Can Provide Children with a Positive Light at the End of the Tunnel.

Research has proven that children who do not participate in childhood activities that enhance their physical, emotional, intellectual, and social stages of development tend to fall behind those who do, which means their chance of success as adults weakens. In today’s competitive society, it is extremely important for parents of children between the ages of 3-14 to get their child involved in some type of activity that better prepares them for adulthood, in a positive and productive manner.

Child development expert, Melody Shuman, explains that one successful solution is an innovative children’s Martial Arts program know as SKILLZ. Melody, and internationally accredited Martial Arts consultant, has made several pro-active steps to helping today’s youth become more motivated and confident through this age-appropriate Martial Arts training concept. “We’ve figured out how to target children’s stages of development and maximize their skills and abilities through our age-specific curriculums. The SKILLZ program has proven to increase a child’s abilities physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially. The results are incredible!” Melody explains.

In our area, Derrick Breaux, head instructor of Blacklist Martial Arts is the very first school to offer children within our community classes that are age-specific. “Many Martial Arts schools put kids from 6 to 14 in the same class. After joining Melody Shuman’s SKILLZ program and training with her team of consultants, we are now going to split up our classes to be age-specific. This will help us train our youthful students in a more positive and productive manner,” says Derrick. “Our parents are very excited about enhancing their children’s lives through this fun and educational approach.”

To give people in the community an opportunity to see first hand how these age-specific programs work, call (985)851-2911 to schedule an appointment, or check out their website at www.blacklistbjj.com

Introducing the Internationally Acclaimed Extreme SKILLZ Program!

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Introducing the Internationally Acclaimed Extreme SKILLZ Program!

Ten to fourteen-year olds are the smartest students in the school. Yes, they are smarter than most adults! They are also physically competent and can excel in most physical challenges that are presented to them. The problem we discovered is they are so focused on what is socially acceptable that they have a hard time keeping themselves emotionally driven to the task at hand. The solution we found is to provide them with their own program that targets their stage of development in a manner that nurtures their social and emotional instability while at the same time building skills that set them up for success. With that said a structured program introducing extreme skill-based training in Martial Arts has proven to be very successful.

Here's an overview for the stages of development of children ages 10 to 14:

• Physically- they typically have great technique and agility, but they can be lazy which leads to sloppiness.
• We expect them to initially be sloppy on things that are easy physically.
• The goal for our program is to get them to understand their potential if they pay attention the intricate details. We normally bypass the basics elements of physical development and jump right into the complicated details.

• Intellectually- they are extremely smart. Their critical thinking skills are top-notch, but their decision making skills are typically the exact opposite, and that is why most adults treat them like a child.
• We expect them to initially make choices that are easy as compared to applying thought and effort.
• The goal for our program is to get them to see the bigger picture and apply their intellect.

• Emotionally- thanks to science, they are typically all over the emotional spectrum. This is more prominent in boys than girls.
• We expect their efforts to be based on what they think is cool.
• The goal for our program is to help them apply intrinsic motivation and realize their true potential. Our goal is to also help them improve their decision making skills with drills that challenge their reaction time.

• Socially- they care about what their peers think. If something is cool, then they will put more effort into it.
• We expect them to initially hold back if they are uncomfortable as a defense mechanism.
• The goal for our program is to help them excel at everything they do, especially in front of a crowd.

By understanding the stages of development of 10 and 14-year olds, we were able to select 8 age-appropriate skills that make up the Extreme SKILLZ Program:

1. DEXTERITY
2. REACTION
3. VERSATILITY
4. MOMENTUM
5. PRECISION
6. INSTINCT
7. STRENGTH
8. VISION

We cover one of the above skills per class (in order.) During each class we run a warm-up; deliver a mat chat about the skill; run two or three skill-building drills; and then we have them demonstrate the skill to earn their skill-stripe. They must earn all 8 skill-stripes in order to graduate to the next belt level. Once they earn their next belt they will continue to run through all 8 skills earning their skill-stripes with more challenging curriculum as they advance to each rank. They graduate to the Elite program and begin to work towards their 1^st Degree Black Belt after they have successfully completed all 9 belt ranks of the Extreme SKILLZ program. 

Here is an example of what a white belt must demonstrate for each of the 8 skills above in order to earn their next belt:

1. DEXTERITY - Demonstrating the three stage 1 block’s and three stage 1 strikes from memory. They must show the proper chambers and ending position for all of the moves in order to pass.
2. REACTION - Demonstrating basic single-hand grab escapes. They must apply the proper escape techniques within three seconds, four times in a row in order to pass.
3. VERSATILITY - Performing combinations 1 - 9 of the stage 1 form. They must perform each move with proper chambers and execution in order to pass.
4. MOMENTUM - Demonstrating the three types of jump front kicks. They must show proper technique in each of the kicks, five times in a row in order to pass.
5. PRECISION - Palm strike board break. They must break a board with a palm strike in three shots or less in order to pass.
6. INSTINCT - Performing the first sparring combination on focus mitts. They must hit the mitts with proper technique, speed, and power, three times in a row in order to pass.
7. STRENGTH - Holding each static leg, arm, abdominal, and core exercise. They must not lose technique or else they have to start over. They must hold each exercise for no less than ten seconds in order to pass.
8. VISION - Reciting the definition and meaning behind courage. They must provide the correct answer while speaking confidently in order to pass.

As you can see we take Martial Arts training to a whole new level! We use extreme elements of traditional Martial Arts curriculum to build skills that are appropriate for 10 to 14-year old  This means that your child will learn and grow at a pace that is not too easy, nor too challenging. The best part is the Extreme SKILLZ program will equip your child with skills that they will utilize in every area of their life! 

My Experience at the KRU Conference 2013

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My Experience at the KRU Conference 2013

This past January, I had the opportunity to travel to Tenafly, New Jersey to attend the KRU Conference 2013. This is an annual event put on by Master Ace Ramirez and his staff at KRU Training. When we arrived, I was immediately struck by how welcoming everyone was. I felt like I had known them my whole life. After our introductions, we didn’t waste any time getting on the mats.

On our first night, we participated in the regular classes offered at the gym. The instructors kept things very disciplined and structured. A great deal of thought had been put into everything from the way we began class with traditional bowing to the music selection playing throughout class. The energy level began high as we warmed up, then slowed down when instruction began, and gradually built up until our final round of pad sparring. By the end of the night, I was drenched in sweat and ready for the full event to begin.

The actual KRU Conference began the next day. It was the start of three long days of training with coaches and students from around the country. Master Ace broke down the entire curriculum into detailed pieces. We covered the ins and outs and whys of everything from footwork to pad sparring. I learned so many new details about techniques that I had thought I fully understood. The conference ended with an emotional awards ceremony from Master Ace. It was obvious just how much passion he has for the martial arts and how much he cares for his students, coaches, and instructors.

The biggest thing I took away from the KRU Conference was not the martial arts techniques but the strong bond among everyone. It’s more than just some organization you’re a part of; it’s a team and a family. The bond I have with everyone in the KRU organization, even though they are scattered across the country, is no different than the bond I share with everyone at Blacklist. And being part of that family and something bigger than myself is the reason why I love martial arts.

Seven tips for finding the right martial arts program for your child

Seven tips for finding the right martial arts program for your child

All martial arts schools are not created equal.  Even within the same style, in the same town, your son or daughter could have a dramatically different experience.  So, what can you do to find a program that’s right for your family? 

1.    Look for a real curriculum.  Many schools will have a series of forms that students have to master before advancing to the next belt or level, but do they have an actual, structured program?  Is that program age-appropriate?  Does it nurture skills and behaviors that you want to see in your child, such as respect, discipline and leadership?   

*At Blacklist, we proudly offer Master Melody Schuman’s world-famous Skillz program, designed to enhance your child’s physical, emotional, and social development.  Classes are divided into age groups, and use fun and fitness to help your child learn and grow.  You will see a dramatic difference after only a few classes! 

2.   Look at the school.  Take a hard look at the facility itself.  Is it clean?  Is the equipment in good shape?  Don’t be too distracted by a window full of trophies or a wall covered in tigers or ninja swords.  What about the school’s appearance tells you what they value?

*At Blacklist, we’re all about offering an updated, clean, and safe facility.  In fact, our school was just remodeled with brand new equipment!  We also have a strict cleaning routine, with all of our mats and padding sanitized on a daily basis.

3.    Watch a class.  Sit down, turn off your cell phone, and watch an entire class.  Pay attention to the format.  Does it seem organized and structured?  Are the students engaged?  And most importantly, does it look fun? 

*At Blacklist, we invite you to watch one of our classes any day, and at any time.  You’ll see the same quality of instruction, and feel the same positive energy in every group.

4.    Meet the instructors.  Talk to the owner or head instructor, but don’t stop there.  Find out who will actually be teaching your child’s classes, and have a conversation with him or her.  Does he or she seem enthusiastic?  Skilled?  Helpful?  But perhaps most importantly, does this instructor have any kind of training or certification to work with kids?  Remember, kids are not little adults, and teaching a four-year-old is a world apart from teaching a teenager. 

*At Blacklist, our instructors have to be certified by Master Melody Schuman prior to teaching any kids’ class.  We also attend conferences and webinars on a regular basis so that we’re constantly learning and improving.

5.    Ask around.  Talk to the other parents at the school.  See what they have to say.  Also, ask friends, neighbors or co-workers for recommendations.  Word of mouth matters.

*At Blacklist, we invite you to talk to any of our staff or parents to hear what they have to say about our school.  We’re certain that you’ll hear good things!

6.    Try it out.  Most schools offer some form of trial period.  Take advantage of it.  If a trial isn't offered, ask for one. 

*At Blacklist, we offer one day, two weeks or 6 weeks trial program, including a personalized and age-appropriate assessment and a uniform. 

7.    See what your dollar gets you.  Is there an enrollment fee?  Extra costs for uniforms?  Extra costs for belt testing or seminars?  How many classes per week (or per month) does the fee cover?  Sometimes the “cheapest” school isn’t actually such a deal.  But most of all, try not to let cost be the deciding factor in your decision.  You often get what you pay for, and a school that costs a little more probably has better instructors, facilities and programs. 

*At Blacklist, there is NO enrollment fee and a uniform is included in the 6 week trial.   Your monthly fee also gets you two classes a week, including multiple coaches, and unlimited fun.