“Is Jiu-Jitsu good for Self-Defense?”
Yes! Most martial arts focus on kicks and punches. These are great if you are confident that you can trade punches and kicks with an attacker. Exchanging punches is a risk because YOU WILL GET HIT. In Gracie Jiu Jitsu we teach you how to get your opponent into a clinch, take them down to the ground, establish a superior position, and THEN start punching or submitting. This has been proven over and over again.
“Why are most Jiu-Jitsu techniques focused primarily on the ground?”
In our class, the word “rolling” is synonymous with “wrestling” or “sparring.” Through many street fights, the Gracie family looked at the anatomy of a street fight and realized that the point of judo, karate, boxing, kickboxing, and street fighting is to get your opponent to the ground, using either throws or punches. In reality, this is not where the fight ends. The Gracies noticed that the fight would continue on the ground. In fact, it is quite easy to get a person to the ground. Once there, the fight begins. We will submit or punch a person once we have dominant control on the ground, which takes much of the risk away. What might seem like “rolling on the ground” is actually a competitive vying for a superior position to apply a submission.
“How can I tell one Jiu-Jitsu school from another?”
Selecting a Jiu-Jitsu school is almost as hard as choosing a college. Though most schools are comparable, the main difference lies with the level of instruction. Eduardo Rocha is a 4th degree black belt under Royler Gracie, he has learned from the very best and has taught Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil for over 15 years. Eduardo brings to the Bay Area a modern approach featuring the latest techniques from Brazil.
“I’m a woman. I don’t particularly want to wrestle with dudes. Can I still attend class?”
Yes! We want you to be comfortable. Our female membership is steadily increasing and we host a female only class on Sundays! Once you learn techniques and meet everyone you will find that you will become more accustomed to the sparring with males and females. Our goal is to move at your pace and not put you in uncomfortable situations. When you are ready, let your instructor know.
“How can I avoid injury?”
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu can be tough training. Safety is our number one concern. We want you to keep coming back! Make it safer by following these precautions:
Be sure to stretch
At first, go slow. Think of it as a chess match and allow your body to become accustomed to sparring.
TAP. You aren’t here to prove anything. Tapping means you’re learning.
Leave your ego at the door.
On the flipside of this, sometimes people don’t tap because they don’t know they’re in danger. If you are rolling with a new person, keep this in mind before you try an exotic submission on them that they are not familiar with.
Always roll with control. Don’t go nuts. If your partner is going nuts, ask him/her to calm down because you’re not feeling comfortable.