Fighter

Welcome to the fifth installment of BJJ Academy Dreams, where I give you valuable insight into what it takes to start and run a successful academy of your own.

For many of you – whether you’ve been training one year or 15 years – you’ve probably already dreamed of potentially making your passion – Brazilian jiu-jitsu – your career. These days, there are many avenues to do so: coaching, competing, starting a jiu-jitsu brand, working in the event industry, or… running an academy. This last has been, and still is, the number one goal for most of the jiu-jitsu “lifers.”

But just as with any business, there are many challenges in 1) making your academy survive those first tumultuous years, then 2) making it a successful and indispensable part of your community.

For more than 16 years, I’ve trained at and visited hundreds of different academies, all over the world. I’ve taken note about what works and what doesn’t. And I’ve decided to share that knowledge in this multi-part series called “BJJ Academy Dreams” to help you and your academy thrive… so you can share your passion for jiu-jitsu to others.

In this episode, we'll be covering how to address strategies for growing your student body, as well as retaining your students and building the jiu-jitsu community of your dreams.

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New year, new you… time to get cranking on those jiu-jitsu goals that will make you the best and most epic version of yourself!

What? It’s already February, you say? Yes, well, about that. They call the second Friday  “Quitters Day,” because most people quit their new year resolutions about two weeks into the year. After that, we all need about a month for mourning our dear, deceased aspirational goals, before rallying back.

That brings us to today, where planning for your best year yet really begins.

This year, we decided to give you a few ideas that will contribute to a more well-rounded jiu-jitsu experience: a little competition, a little focus on technique, and a little good old fashioned fun. Why? Because your best year yet should be challenging, fulfilling, and packed with the heart of the gentle art: the jiu-jitsu community.

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Who reads books anymore these days? Well, there are still a few of us stalwarts of the written word still kicking. At the very least, we still like to collect physical books and let them gather dust on our book shelves or coffee tables.

In today’s technological world, the preferred medium of knowledge for all things Brazilian jiu-jitsu are now videos, dispensed through YouTube, your preferred social media platform, or the numerous “online academies” that have proliferated in the past decade.

This is understandable. Jiu-jitsu – any martial art, really –  is a dynamic sport that is best captured in action. In fact, young whipper-snappers these days won’t have to know the frustration of trying to replicate a technique from still-image shots in an instructional book so thick you could defend yourself against intruders with it.

Yet… there are still a few gems out there that are worth destroying a few trees for. These are books that focus less on technique and more on the philosophy, principles and personal journeys of some of our sport’s most noteworthy individuals.

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When you start learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of techniques that make up the arsenal of a BJJ practitioner. There are so many. And each offers its own entries, modifications and finishes, as well as its own unique benefits and drawbacks.

And can we talk about all those names?? A single technique can have two to three different names, depending on which affiliation you train under or which style you practice. It’s daunting – but not impossible – to get them all straight.

In this series, I’ll provide you a 101 guide to the most common – and uncommon – jiu-jitsu techniques. We’ll cover a basic understanding of the techniques, common positions and ways in which they are executed, as well as tips to help you get the desired result.

In this edition, we’ll cover one of my favorite techniques: the knee slice.

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The IBJJF No-Gi World Championships is one of the biggest and most prestigious competitions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, particularly for those who of us who eschew the pajama variety of grappling. Less than three months away, now is the time to start thinking about how to prepare.

While it’s not the Gi Worlds, nor the ADCC – or ahem, CJI - winning at this event can nevertheless propel an athlete’s career and reputation to the next level. However, competing at such a high level requires serious preparation - both physically and mentally. Whether you’re competing for the first time or you’re a seasoned veteran, it’s important to have a structured, well-planned “training camp” so that you can be sure to perform at your peak.

Here are a few tips and tricks on preparing for the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, including critical skills, conditioning, strategy, mindset, and recovery.

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