MORE PROMOTIONS!
Congratulations to everyone who has received a stripe (or two!) in the last couple of weeks. It seems like every day someone is reaching a promotion threshold, and a lot of that has to do with the gym growing and my method of promotion. Because I don’t like to do ceremonies where everyone is promoted at the same time, my promotions trickle out one by one (or two by two!). If you feel like you’ve been passed up: don’t sweat it. Your time will come. You can only be promoted to each belt and each stripe a single time. There’s no need to rush the process instead of enjoying it. Jiu-Jitsu is a marathon, not a sprint. Similarly, when you reach that desired promotion, don’t get too caught up in the promotion itself. Instead, focus on what you have done to reach that promotion. Consider the time you have spent on the mats learning and training, and maybe even the time you have spent off the mats thinking and studying. As long as you are actively training Jiu-Jitsu, you are getting better and your belt rank will come to reflect that.
If you have any questions about your promotion – or lack thereof! – please come talk to me. Most of my criteria are variables that I discuss with almost every promotion: good attitude, good work ethic, knowledge of the curriculum, consistency in training, mat skill, and service/leadership qualities. Most of these attributes are just attributed to time spent on the mats. In terms of particulars, I would be happy to discuss with you what you can work towards to improve. Again, congrats to everyone who was promoted! Remember, the journey never ends!
GUEST INSTRUCTOR: MATT MORIN!
In just two weeks – on Friday, August 11th at 6:00 P.M. – Matt Morin of Freeform Jiu-Jitsu will be teaching a Double Sleeve Guard Clinic. Matt was kind and generous enough to offer to teach this clinic on a donation basis. All donations will go to the Dane County Humane Society (DCHS). This clinic is completely free to all Sanctuary and Freeform members, with a donation encouraged (you can donate as little as $5!) but not required. Non-members will be required to make a $25 minimum donation to the DCHS. Sanctuary will be matching up to $500 in donations.
We would really like to pack the mats for these events and show some love to the instructors who are coming out to share their Jiu-Jitsu with us.
For this clinic, you will need to register beforehand here. Again, if you are a member, a donation is not required but registering for the clinic is … so sign up sooner rather than later! I really hope to see all of you there!
Fundamentals: last week we continued with both our study of Open Guard and Takedowns. On Monday we reviewed the hip control position, and entering into the Over Under Pass from there. On Wednesday we studied the Sickle and Tripod sweep from Open Guard. On Friday we drilled the Single Leg takedown and responding with the Guillotine. We will continue Open Guard and Takedowns this next week, transitioning to a new style of curriculum/study that I will talk about in the next month.
Advanced: in our Advanced Classes this week we continued our study of the Waiter and Waiter X positions, respectively. We studied options from this position depending upon whether our partner settles their weight down (performing the basic Waiter Sweep), to either side (transitioning to X-Guard), and overhead (taking the back).
No Gi: this week in No Gi we studied a variety of chokes from the Front Headlock position including the Arm-In Guillotine, D’arce, Anaconda, and Peruvian Necktie. We also went over a couple of options should our Peruvian Necktie fail.
Jiu-Jitsu is a safe environment to learn working through uncomfortable positions. This week we discussed paying attention to the body language and facial expressions of our teammates while training, since each of us is at a different place in our learning. When feeling panicked or stuck, the first step is to calm the mind and find that space to make the first move to get out.
This week we reviewed our double under pass and also spent some time working to escape double unders. We worked on controlling the legs and hips to pass open guard and finished the week with a single leg takedown. Congratulations to Ayrton, Charlie, Jackson, Toree, and Viggo on earning their next belt!
REVIEW OF THE WEEK
More than anything else, what makes a good academy is culture. More important than any accolades of the instructor or team, the average belt rank, or the quality of facilities is the quality of people, environment, and relationships. It’s something we strive to cultivate, perfect, and maintain here at Sanctuary. To ensure a safe, respectful, friendly, and fun atmosphere without sacrificing the inherent intensity and challenge that Jiu-Jitsu provides. I often think about the quote from Marcelo Garcia, “I never say I am better than anyone, but I know I love Jiu-Jitsu more than anyone!” And that’s really what we strive for here … not to be better than anyone, but to share our love for Jiu-Jitsu with everyone. Thanks for the kind words, Tom. We’re so happy that you’re here at Sanctuary!