Tag Archives: martial arts

Belt Promotion: PeeWee Gray White Belt Sam

Congrats Sam! PeeWee jiujitsu class gray white belt promotion:

Sam brings focus to the peewee class where things can get kinda crazy at times. His leadership is in his ability to focus, concentrate, and show others how to train. Even in a class with four year olds with are brand new to the art of jiujitsu, Sam’s actions speak for the coaches. When Sam speaks every body listens.

Sam started jiujitsu with the invitation from his friend, and you will find them challenging each other, laughing, learning, and growing into the mat as a martial artist. Friendship on the mat is an incredible experience. Your friend becomes a person you want to beat, a person who will encourage you, and someone you will respect more each and every day you train.

Post Training Chat: Passing the PEaR at EDH Jiu Jitsu

Passing the pear. We got the pear cards out today after the 11am class at el dorado hills jiujitsu. The pear cards are a great discussion starter with over 100 different prompts, the cards act as a fun way to talk about something and get positive communication going between people.

While we focus a majority of our time training and learning the art of jiujitsu as a martial art, there is so much opportunity to learn about each other and talk about different things. This was a fun card we just randomly pulled from the deck.

At EDH Jiu Jitsu we look to do more than just be a martial art school. It is our mission to make a difference in our community. The difference starts with with positive interactions and communication with one another.

Belt Promotion in El Dorado Hills BJJ Kids Martial Arts Class

Gray Black Belt Promotion at EDH BJJ
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Abigail has been training for almost four years in El Dorado Hills Jiu Jitsu.

She was one of the first girls to start training and has been leading the way for the young women who train at our school. More importantly, Abigail is determined, courageous, & intelligent. She doesn’t backdown from challenges and when she is met by adversity, she perseveres with the help of her family, teammates, and coaches.

Abigail is aware of her surroundings, a skill that is considered extremely important in self defense.  For example, the other day, she noticed someone from the younger class needing some coaching. She didn’t hesitate to step in and quickly help the pair of students. It was exactly what a good coach would have done.

EDH BJJ Gray Belt Promotion | Kids Martial Arts

Gray Belt Promotion
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Chase earned his gray belt in just under three years of training after he started training with his father at El Dorado Hills Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Chase has a focused mind that pays close attention to detail and doesn’t hesitate to ask questions or stop and think before doing something.

His determined spirit to never give up, along with his technical improvements over time, has led him to where he is now.

We’re excited to see him continue to improve and move up into the junior bjj class in the next year or so!

EDH BJJ Blue belt promotion: Dave

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Congrats to Dave on his blue belt promotion! Dave has embraced the jiujitsu lifestyle and taken a full approach to living strong in diet, training, and life on and off the mat.

Dave has challenged himself on the mat with tournaments, asking questions, video study and is also working on a community service drive, collecting supplies for the Sacramento Children’s Home.

In the last few months Dave has really dove deep to better understanding different positions by asking questions and studying in small group sessions. We are excited to see Dave move up to new challenges as a blue belt on the mat and serve his community in his works off the mat! Congrats!

Wim Hof Method in El Dorado Hills, CA

I am super excited to announce that we will be hosting a Wim Hof method workshop at EDH Jiu Jitsu next Sunday, March 18th from 9:30am-1pm! Reed Shelger is the owner of Paradigm Training Center in Houston, Texas and is coming to California to do several workshops and EDH Jiu Jitsu is the last stop of his west coast tour! Now, many of you are probably asking, “What the heck is Wim Hof?” Well, here is a little introduction to the Wim Hof method workshop:


“Discover the techniques of “The Iceman” and learn breathing, mindset and cold adaptation techniques that will help increase focus, boost recovery, enhance performance, and uncover the hidden abilities of your physiology. An incredibly simple, insanely effective and scientifically proven way to strengthen the cardiovascular system, and become the best athlete you can be.  Benefits include fat loss, improved cardio, reduced stress, among other health benefits.

What is the Wim Hof Method? The Wim Hof Method is a way to tap into the hidden power of oxygen and cold exposure; two natural resources that used to be part of our everyday lives throughout most of our evolutionary history, but that have been almost completely lost to the comforts of modern society. With the WHM you can unlock the potential inside yourself, and open the door to an array of health benefits. The Wim Hof Method rests on three distinct pillars: Breathing, Cold exposure & Commitment.

Combine the 3 pillars to unlock a multitude of benefits:

  • Improved immune system

  • Increased energy

  • Heightened focus & determination

  • Reduced stress levels

  • Dealing with fear and challenges

  • Improved sport performances

  • Better sleep

  • Greater cold tolerance


About Reed:

Reed Shelger is a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler (teammate of Jef Bristol) and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor.  As a certified Wim Hof Method instructor, Reed Specializes in applying the Wim Hof Method to improve performance for martial artists and athletes.


THERE ARE ONLY 20 SPOTS AVAILABLE  SO REGISTER AT THE LINK BELOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!!!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wim-hof-method-workshop-enhance-performance-for-martial-arts-athletes-tickets-43668183713


DETAILS:


  • Sunday, March 18th 9:30am-1pm

  • EDH Jiu Jitsu

  • $99 per person

  • 1 hour theory and science

  • 1 hour breathing and yoga

  • 1 hour for the ice bath

Coach Eliot

IBJJF SF Open Results & Reflection from EDH BJJ & Self Defense

On February 25th we took a small team down to compete at the San Francisco Open. The event was held at the historic Kezar pavilion. Driving into the city on clear Sunday morning, I felt a mixed sense of nervousness for the competition and nostalgia from living there over two decades ago.

I was the first one from our team to compete, and I was pretty nervous. It was my first tournament at Black Belt and my first match was against a former training partner of mine. I was happy to pull guard cleanly and have to opportunity to play my game. As I was pummeling for grips he pressed my guard and kept me on my back. I was getting passed and I bridged and came on top… well sort of. He locked a triangle and did my best to defend it and he was able to secure a nice wrist-lock. It was a hard first lesson at Black Belt, but you have to start somewhere.

After my match, I walked down Height Street and placed this experience in the context of my life. Even when you lose, there is a special place in your past as a person that put it all out there.

The tournament was a great learning opportunity for everyone. There were people competing for the first time in their jiu jitsu journey, and others for the first time in 2018, after the holidays. One of our students Brad made his competition debut at the IBJJF SF Open this weekend and he documented his experience on his blog on linkedin. “How competing in a combat sport taught me more about how to improve myself and help others do the same.” Give his article a read and let him know what you think!

Tournament Results:

Blue Belt:

  • Jamie – Bronze
  • Jarrod – Silver (in his first competition at Blue Belt)

White Belt:

  • Ryan – Silver
  • Brad – Silver (First Competition)

by Coach Aaron

Photography By Aiza Tengan

Van Robertson Seminar in El Dorado Hills Jiu Jitsu & Self Defense

Last month we had the honor of hosting a seminar at the academy for Van Robertson. It was a really neat experience as the attendees were mixed with adults and child practitioners.

Van taught variations of the Bull Fighter (also known as the Toreando) pass, with a very reactive and systematic approach. The passes primarily dealt with the guard player maintaining both grips on the sleeves of the guard passer. Using both sets of grips (on the guard player’s pants and their grips on the passer) she anchored their guard and switched grips on the legs in a specific manner that killed their ability to make space. There was more to it than that, but that’s what I took away from it in essence, besides the specific techniques that she taught.

The seminar was a donation based event where all the money made was donated to a non-profit brazilian jiu jitsu program in Oakland called Guardian. Guardian Jiu Jitsu is a martial arts program that funds children to train under the age of 18 with donations from their adult members and community events. We were able to raise just about $400 for the event.

If you have the opportunity to train with or learn from Van in the future we highly recommend taking advantage of the opportunity. She is detailed, thoughtful, and engages with learners in a fun and active way.

Van now lives and trains in Auckland, New Zealand, but we are lucky that her parents live here and that she comes and visits when she is in the area!

Coach Aaron

Wim Hof Method Workshop in El Dorado Hills, CA

EDH Jiu Jitsu is hosting a unique workshop with a certified Wim Hof Method WHM instructor Reed Shelger on March 18th. The Wim Hof Method, developed by none other than Wim Hof himself, is a training method of breath, stretching, exercises, and ice cold submersions. The scientifically proven method is designed to strengthen the cardiovascular system, with great benefits that result from cardiovascular health.

All in the EDH, Folsom, Cameron Park, and in general the greater Sacramento are welcome to join us for this workshop. We look forward to hosting Reed and you on March 18th! Here is an interview our coach Eliot Kelly did with Reed Shelger while he was visiting his academy in Houston, TX.

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

DESCRIPTION

Discover the techniques of “The Iceman” and learn breathing, mindset, and cold adaption techniques that will help increase focus, boost recovery, enhance performance, and uncover the hidden abilities of your physiology. An incredibly simple, insanely effective and scientifically proven way to strengthen the cardiovascular system, and become the best athlete you can be. Benefits include fat loss, improved cardio, reduced stress, among other health benefits.

FAQs

What can I bring into the event?

Towel

Clothing for Ice Bath, i.e. swimsuit

Yoga Mat-Optional

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Rshelger@gmail.com

 

Teamwork in an individual sport and martial art

Individual sports and martial arts are unique in that they often require an immense amount of teamwork to build a successful individual performance or development. This concept is unique in individual sports because in the heat of the moment only one person is responsible for the success and failure of the battle. However, to prepare and execute in battle it takes an entire team to do so. In life, just like in these individual sports, there are individual responsibilities that contribute to the success of the entire group. The ability to recognize your individual responsibility and contribute to the team is essential. This contribution might come in the form of being a leader, a follower, a silent voice of action, or mustering people together with your words and action. Needless to say we work on both of these skills on the mat at edh jiujitsu.

Only those that work together can be the strongest! Here, we aren’t just building grip and leg strength. At our martial arts academy in El Dorado Hills we don’t just teach technical and physical skills, we also teach skills of collaboration and working with others. This is a skill that is important on the mat but even more important in life off of the mat. One example of teamwork being taught is through “tug of war” a team of strong individuals won’t beat a team of averaged strength individuals all working together. In doing so we talk about leadership, in this example the leader is the one getting everyone to pull all at once. We also talk about being led, in this case those that agree to all pull at the same time.

It’s intriguing to see the different personalities come out when we do these training sessions. Some follow, some lead, argue, quit, persevere, but in the end we all begin to see the strength and value in working together.