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  • Training - It's Not Just For Your Body

    Training - It's Not Just For Your Body

    We often focus on the physical benefits of training: our personal progression, learning new techniques, improving endurance, etc. And while there are many physical benefits, we should also adhere to the mental benefits. One of the greatest, and often overlooked benefits of training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that it requires us to be in the moment. It may sound trite, but when we step onto the mats for an hour and a half we temporarily leave our other problems behind. We are necessarily focused on the technique(s) or our training partners directly in front of us. In today's fast-paced digital society where we are bombarded 24/7 by a literal litany of information, and more recently some ....

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  • New Year, New You? There's still time to restart those resolutions you promised yourself!

    New Year, New You? There's still time to restart those resolutions you promised yourself!

    It's almost February, and the reality for many people is that they've already given up on their New Year fitness goals. Why do so many people fail to achieve their fitness goals? It doesn't have to be this way! Two of the biggest reasons that people fail to achieve their fitness goals are that 1) They aren't specific, and 2) They bite off too much at once! If your goal is to 'get in shape', how do you define that? How do you know if you have or haven't achieved it? And what milestones do you have by which to measure it? By now, we know that movement is a key element to a healthy lifestyle. Many of us sit at a desk many hours a day, and spend even more time sitting in our cars ....

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  • New Year, New You? There's still time to restart those resolutions you promised yourself!

    New Year, New You? There's still time to restart those resolutions you promised yourself!

    It's almost February, and the reality for many people is that they've already given up on their New Year fitness goals. Why do so many people fail to achieve their fitness goals? It doesn't have to be this way! Two of the biggest reasons that people fail to achieve their fitness goals are that 1) They aren't specific, and 2) They bite off too much at once! If your goal is to 'get in shape', how do you define that? How do you know if you have or haven't achieved it? And what milestones do you have by which to measure it? By now, we know that movement is a key element to a healthy lifestyle. Many of us sit at a desk many hours a day, and spend even more time sitting in our cars ....

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  • Jiu-Jitsu -- The Ultimate Meritocracy

    Jiu-Jitsu -- The Ultimate Meritocracy

    Whether you're new to Jiu-jitsu or have been training for years, it can be tempting to fall into a mindset that questions the legitimacy of another person's belt rank, or perceived skill level. This often happens when we compare ourselves to other people, wondering why they have a certain belt and we do not. There is a danger to this type of thinking because we set up subjective comparisons. The truth is, Jiu-jitsu is a meritocracy and ranks are awarded according to an objective matrix of knowledge, skill level, experience, practical application, attitude and time. Here are a few things to consider if you fall into the trap of this thinking. -Rank is bestowed by a student's coach, who ....

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  • The Art of Timeliness

    The Art of Timeliness

    The Art of Timeliness 5 Reasons Why Being on Time to Class Benefits You and Your Child William Shakespeare famously said, "Better three hours too soon, than one minute too late." As we all swing into action in the new school year many of us will be juggling multiple schedules and competing interests. Sometimes it's a challenge to figure out how to prioritize those interests. I'd like to encourage all of our parents to be sure they are getting their child to class on time. Here are five ways that being on time (and early) will help both you and your child. It gives your child time to get mentally and physically prepared for class. Those extra few minutes will help them prepare ....

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  • Best Practice Hygiene Tips and The Gentle Art

    Best Practice Hygiene Tips and The Gentle Art

    The very nature of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu means we are in very close contact with each other. More so than perhaps any other sport. As we have many new students joining the school, I wanted to share a reminder of some best practice hygiene tips that we should all aspire to. 1) Wash your gi after every class. Don't be tempted to do two training sessions in a dirty gi. Not only does this help prevent bacteria from being spread and potentially causing health problems, it also means you'll have more training partners! (Pro tip: a cup of white vinegar or a laundry detergent booster like Borax along with washing your gi in hot water will help kill bacteria.) 2) Personal hygiene -- trim your nails ....

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  • Competition Season is upon us! Here's a few tips on preparing yourself!

    Competition Season is upon us! Here's a few tips on preparing yourself!

    Some things to consider for competition season Competition season is an exciting time to turn our energies to new goals. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare for your next competition. 1) Training intensity -- While it's important to spend enough time on the mat, it's equally as important to make sure that time includes the intensity levels you need to prepare you for competition. This includes longer than normal time limits on your 'Randori' matches as well as considering 'King of the Hill' scenarios that will, not only, push you further and stress your body the same way you'll be stressed in competition, but also to strengthen certain positional situations. 2) Rest ....

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  • How I lost 120 lbs. Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!

    How I lost 120 lbs. Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!

    Team Renzo Gracie Denville Student Profile -- Tomas Javornik What motivated you to get involved with Brazilian Jiu-jitsu? For most of my adult life, I was severely overweight and unmotivated to do anything about it. Making excuses for myself was easier than putting in the work to make a change. I finally found the motivation to do something about it in July of 2019 because I didn’t want to live with that mindset anymore. After two months of working with a personal trainer to make sure I could train comfortably without feeling like I was going to pass out after a few minutes of exertion, I walked into Team Renzo Gracie Denville and signed up for a trial class. I knew ....

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  • Don’t get discouraged! Pivot, Reset and STAY THE COURSE!

    Don’t get discouraged! Pivot, Reset and STAY THE COURSE!

    As many of you have discovered by now, maintaining your fitness goals can be challenging during these times. New daily routines and schedules may go awry, workout partners may not be available etc. And when we lose our routines, we often slip in accomplishing our goals. Don’t get discouraged! There are steps you can take that, when executed as a system, will help you through this. 1) Set small daily goals. This might sound trite, but what are your daily goals? Do you actually have some? If you're forced to miss a day of training it's still important to supplement that class with other physical exercises! It might include 20 minutes of jogging. Or you might be starting small ....

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  • New Year, New Faces

    New Year, New Faces

    You've probably seen a lot of new faces around the gym lately. Any time you visit a new school to train, or are the guest yourself at a new school, you are faced with a lot of opportunities. And this often spawns a lot of questions. Here are a few commonly asked questions: -How competitive should I be? -Do I adopt the practices and traditions of the new gym or stay with what I'm used to? -Do I need to prove myself so people take me seriously? -How do I find training partners that are willing to train at my speed/level? Meeting new training partners can be both intimidating and a welcomeopportunity -- it's all about mindset. Sure, you could ask the new face at the gym to ....

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