Jake Johnston will be at West Side Jiu-Jitsu Academy, (2238 Washington Blvd, Ogden UT, (801) 920-6500) Saturday February 25th from 10:00am to 1:00pm.  The seminar fee is $55, payable at the door.

“Jake Johnston is the only certified Gracie/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in the Southern Utah area.  He started his training in Provo, Utah in the summer of 1993 under world-renowned Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instructor Pedro Sauer.  He was promoted to blue belt in 8 months, and began helping teach Pedro’s kids and adult classes.

His dedication to Gracie Jiu-Jitsu continued as his desire to learn turned into a deep passion.  In 1996 Jake began commuting to Southern Utah and started teaching private lessons and group classes, becoming the first person to teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in St. George.  He received his purple belt in 1999, his brown belt in 2004, and was awarded the prestigious black belt in August of 2006.  Jake has been learning and teaching Gracie Jiu-Jitsu for 18 years.  He is one of the few people to be a direct student of Professor Sauer, earning all of the belts beginning with white all the way to black under his instruction.  This makes Jake officially certified in the exclusive teachings of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  Jake has dedicated the majority of his life to Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.” – Seminar Promotion e-mail.

Life is Jiu-Jitsu and Jiu-Jitsu is Life

Its good bye for now and rest.  I will see you again and maybe then you can help me understand.  I won’t forget you Chris.

Rest in peace, Chris.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu

I opened my e-mail and there was my instructor, Mark Johnson of West Side Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!  Holy Cow!  I’ve been away from BJJ for a while but I didn’t think it was long enough for him to write a book!  I of course will be getting the book and writing a review.  Mark has been a great mentor to me and I enjoy our friendship.  I can’t wait to read his perspective along with other stories I’m sure he has included.  Now Mark you need to publish the kids Jiu-Jitsu book you were working on.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu

I’ve never been one to start putting up the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving but this year we wanted to feel more festive.  We looked in our collection of decorations.  There was nothing for Thanksgiving.  We had a few pictures the kids had done at school but it was not enough.  So this year we broke with tradition and put the Christmas stuff up early.  We followed it up with watching The Christmas Story. Once again I keep seeing BJJ every where I go.  After all these years I did not notice until today that Ralphie put Scut Farkus in the mount before beating the tar out of him.  Scut of course did no know any escapes and just got wailed on.  It just goes to show you how a solid principle like gaining and maintaining mount is universal in its application.  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu may not be the original author of the mount but its where I learned it.  It is also where I learned to make very good use of it in self defense just like Ralphie.  Keep swinging Ralphie!

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu.

My copy of Advanced Brazilian Jiujitsu Techniques is in the mail!  Years ago I bought, The X-Guard: For Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, No Gi Grappling, and Mixed Martial Arts, it was the first book I had by Marcelo.  I found the full color pictures and step by step examples very helpful, not to mention the X-Guard itself!  I am hoping this new book will be just as good or better.  I will be sure to do a review when it arrives.  He could not have timed it better.  It is like getting a early Christmas present. 

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu

Brent Alvarez is a MMA fighter with a (2-2-0) record according to MixedMartialArts.com.  But I think he had his best fight yet when he bagged a bad guy.  I always like to see BJJ in action.  This isn’t the first video I’ve seen of the Rear Naked Choke in action on the street.  I don’t think it will be the last.  Those of you who watch the MMA fights or practice Jiu-Jitsu know what he could have done to the guy once he had control.  He showed in my opinion what discipline BJJ teaches by not hurting the robber.  He also reiterated what I and other have said that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be a gentle art.  He didn’t have to throw any punches or kicks.  He got to back control and neutralized any threat the thief could be to others or himself.  Well done, Brent!  Thank you for showing the world the power and effectiveness of BJJ while taking another criminal off the street.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu

The makers of Submission Master did not pay me or give me anything to say this.  I don’t even know who they are.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu

As you already know I have had to take a break from BJJ for financial reasons (See my post: “Training at Home When You Have No Other Choice”).  Its more important to pay the bills and support my family then tap people out with Triangles.

The price of everything seems to be going up these days.  I thought I read something on The FightWorks PodCast about the average cost of classes being $100.  Where I practice is below that.  As I remember the survey done on FightWorksPodCast was some time ago.  I could not find it on their site.  I wonder what the average is now with the economy in a wreck?  For me my classes were part of my “discretionary spending” fund.  That has now dried up with adding a mini-van to the family and soaring food costs.  What “cut backs” have you had to make?  Has the cost of your classes gone up?  Maybe you can still afford classes but nothing else.  I mean no new gi or rash guard.  What you have will just have to do.  Maybe it means no seminars or tournaments.  Let me know, I’m curious to hear what others are going through in this economy with their Jiu-Jitsu training.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu

Smart phones have become the mainstream.  I’ve found my iPhone is only as limited as my imagination.  I can find new and productive uses for it all the time.  The other day I realized how handy the Voice Memos application is that is standard on it.  To often thoughts come to me and I am no where near my computer or pad and pencil.  But I always have my iPhone with me.  Thus began my audio journaling.  I found it easy to quickly record my thoughts on a voice memo.  It was great because when the thoughts strike me if I don’t record them some how I lose 75% of them.  Its just to busy a world and my memory too over crowded as it is to keep everything in.  Now that I had my audio journal going I came across the problem of “How do I index them so I can find the one I want?”  This lead me to transcription and How to Transcribe iPhone Voice Memos with Dragon Naturally Speaking along  with a free way iPhone m4a Transcribing (Switch Audio Converter and Express Scribe Transcription).  Either way works nicely.  In the end I have the audio recording and a transcript of it that is searchable.  I edit the transcriptions to fill in the gaps and clear up what is said on the audio.  I then reference the audio records that make up the transcript.  All in all I really find it easier and more enjoyable then typing my thoughts up after the fact or at the end of the day.  Please see my first post on journaling at: How to Keep a Journal for BJJ.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu

I received this e-mail today from Jiu-Jitsu University: “Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu Belt Rank Certificate.  Personally signed by Saulo and Xande Ribeiro!  Includes your name and belt rank!  Recognize your belt rank officially with this frame ready, professional certificate.  Perfect to hang in the house or office!!”.  The price for the “celebrity” signatures is $50.  It didn’t say exactly but I can’t imagine anyone can get it.  I assume you must have some documented or proof that you attained a belt under Saulo and Xande Ribeiro school.  I would hope that the $50 isn’t above and beyond a testing fee but I think it is.  What this comes down to is making money off of testing.  I don’t know about you but this bothers me as much as getting no documentation and relying on word of mouth for substantiating your claim to a certain school and your promotions in it.  I think I remember a survey being done on The FightWorks PodCast that said the average monthly cost for BJJ classes was $100.  Why can’t they then provide a certificate like this and testing for a modest fee especially in these economic times? Sadly I think it is because the bigger the school and the more notoriety it has the more it’s a business and less like the small family feeling schools.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu