The three keys to dealing with closed guard We have all faced that opponent in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament who is up on points and just wants to hold down guard. They latch on a squeeze for dear life and watch the clock run down. Frustrating. Then there is the pro-guard player will work … Read more
Five Reasons Why Your Child Should Learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 1) It’s fun Simply put, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is fun. Put a bunch of kids on a padded floor and they will inevitably begin to play fight, wrestle, roll and run. Kids love to learn how to playfight. So when you show them a … Read more
Discovering the BJJ Journey: A Glimpse into a Child’s Class Whilst there are rituals and routines in place, classes are kept fun and engaging. Although the specifics of instruction and content will vary depending on the age and skill set of the students, a kids BJJ lesson will be typically look like the following: At … Read more
Mentally Prepare For The ‘Hard Class’ Every serious martial arts gym has at least one ‘hard class’. That night of the week where your coach decides conditioning for competition (or conflict) is in order. Its reputation precedes itself. It is talked about in hushed tones and whispered about in the locker room after class. Some … Read more
The Evolution of BJJ Over Time. I was in class recently. As an aside our coach casually mentioned some specific details about the technique that we were learning. Impressed, my training partner remarked to me ‘that’s black belt knowledge right there’. I initially agreed with him, but then upon reflection, responded with ‘I guess it’s … Read more
TRAINING CONSISTENTLY Whether you are a weekend hobbyist or a seasoned competitor the most important element of any exercise schedule is consistency of training. Even if you are time poor and can only squeeze in 45 minutes of activity a day, you can still achieve the results you desire provided you are training regularly. Consistency … Read more
It’s hard to describe what training with The Godfather of grappling is like to anyone who hasn’t experienced it. As they say feeling is believing and nothing says that more than when Uncle Gene grabs hold of you with those big thick hands of his and gets the precise angle for a submission and the pain is immediate.
A rare interview with Coach John Donehue If you ask Coach John Donehue how he ended up teaching, training, and coaching, some of the most distinguished martial artists of this era, he will put it down to being in the right place at the right time. If you ask anyone who knows John personally, you … Read more
With Jiu Jitsu, it is hard to objectively measure your progress, because everyone is progressing alongside you. The same people that I struggled with when I first started at John Donehue Jiu Jitsu and MMA are the same people that I struggle with now. I still can’t pass Patty’s guard, Nikki still runs rings around me, and Ash … Read more
I have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for just over a year, I started in 2017.
The positive and encouraging vibe from the coaches and my training partners make classes very enjoyable.
