IBJJF CHICAGO
We had a great showing at the IBJJF Chicago Spring Open! Karen, Ryan, Jesse, Jack, and Andre all took 2nd place in their divisions and Karen took 2nd in the Open Class as well! PK competed in the No Gi division and did very well against an incredibly tough – and much younger! – opponent. It’s no small feat to go from Masters 5 to Masters 1, and most people would simply not compete in the face of such a drastic age discrepancy so it’s truly a testament to PK’s character, work ethic, and attitude to put himself out there and leave it all on the mats!
Honestly though, I’m very impressed with everyones performances, not because of the individual outcomes but because of how they handled themselves and the lessons they learned – and the adjustments they will certainly apply – to improve their Jiu-Jitsu.
HARLEM FREE FIGHT
Andrew represented Sanctuary Jiu-Jitsu at a charity event in NYC at the Harlem Free Fight Academy on the same weekend as the IBJJF Chicago Open. Andrew won his match by submission, but more importantly I remain inspired and so proud of how Andrew represents our academy – and Jiu-Jitsu overall – with his kindness, generosity, openness, and gameness. I have never met a person with a bigger heart than Andrew, whom I have never heard utter an unkind word about anyone. He has been one of the most consistent people both on the training and competition mats, and regardless of the outcome he is always striving and reaching to improve himself and those around him. To see him succeed is immensely gratifying, because he deserves it more than anyone I know. I feel truly privileged to be able to share the mats with Andrew and have him out there representing our academy.
SEPTEMBER SEMINAR ON DECK!
Our next seminar will be on Saturday September 20th, and will be taught by Amanda Bruse! Amanda is an accomplished competitor and coach representing Atos HQ. She is a Black Belt under Andre Galvao and is particularly known for her No Gi accomplishments, medalling in both the IBJJF Pan No Gi, World No Gi, and American Nationals Championships. She also has experience competing at the ADCC Trials and Combat Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
This seminar will be No Gi and focused on the Front Headlock position, with an emphasis on the Anaconda and D’Arce chokes. The price will be $50 for Sanctuary members and $60 for non-members. You can sign up by clicking the respective links above.
Fundamentals: in our Fundamentals classes we’ve been focusing on utilizing our guard to get underneath our opponents and tie up their legs with the Single Leg X and X Guards – prior to that we were focusing on similar concepts but utilizing the upper body control provided by the Spider/Lasso and Closed Guards, respectively.
Advanced: in our Advanced classes we have been utilizing an active drilling format – drilling, repping, and doing positional training with specific goals. We have been focusing especially on the various passes utilized to nullify the De La Riva Guard – namely, getting to Headquarters and using the same-side lapel and pants grip to combine the Knee Cut, Leg Weave, and X Pass.
No Gi: in No Gi we have been studying entering and attacking the legs from Side Control, Shin-on-Shin, and K-Guard.
In Kids’ Class, we’ve been learning that working hard and getting better can go hand in hand with having fun on the mats! Teamwork has been a big focus too, emphasizing the importance of checking in with our partners and showing good sportsmanship. For positions, we’ve worked on frames and making space from bottom Mount, a spot that can feel frustrating but teaches perseverance. We’ve also explored Single Leg X and Spider Guard, both very technical positions, and the kids are tackling them with focus and determination. Congratulations to Ryanna, Ayrton, Milah, Ares, and Ava on earning their next stripe! These kiddos continue to embody Sanctuary’s philosophy of maintaining a good attitude, staying consistent, and working hard.