’25 PROFESSOR
Professor Caio’s annual visit and seminar was amazing, so thank you to everyone who came out! The first day Professor taught some basic defensive positioning and guard retention from Turtle, progressing into teaching more advanced reversals and counters … including a throw from standing!
In the No Gi seminar Professor showed a panoply of techniques (armlocks, shoulder locks, sweeps, tricep slicer(?), back takes) from an innovative underhook/overhook position that he then connected to several other positions; truly showing his pioneering wizardry in the art of Jiu-Jitsu.
The most important lessons I learn from Professor Caio are rarely the techniques being taught, but the underlying concepts and principles that inform his Jiu-Jitsu. Or random segways and tangents he takes in the course of teaching the seminar. What struck me the most this year was his insistence upon not learning “magic Jiu-Jitsu;” because Jiu-Jitsu isn’t magic. If you’re just collecting random techniques instead of focusing on the underlying principles, positions, and concepts of Jiu-Jitsu, they will work: just like a magic trick works on people who aren’t privy to them. But once the trick is learned, the “magic” is gone and fails to impress – or function! As practitioners we should be primarily focused on learning the underlying concepts that make Jiu-Jitsu a foundationally sound martial art and combat sport, and not on the “magic tricks.” I say “primarily,” because let’s face it: magic tricks are still fun, and novelty is an important part of training – and life in general. But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and forget about what makes Jiu-Jitsu powerful and effective.
NEW HOODIES!
We have new hoodies in stock! Two designs in three colors! We have a new zip-up design in an olive green, and our classic design in black and cobalt blue pullover hoodies. We have most sizes in stock and they’re $60.
HOLIDAY PARTY
Our annual Holiday Party will be held on Friday, January 23rd, from 6pm – 8pm! It will be at the Goodman Community Center, Eve Room (the same as last year!). This event is a show of appreciation to all of our members and is free of charge. It’s a great opportunity to socialize with your teammates off the mats and without sweaty gis and spandex (although you’re welcome to wear your gi, if you’d like).
Food and drinks care of Banzo will be provided. All evening classes will be canceled on this night! We would love to see all of our members and their families at this event, so please RSVP by Friday, January 16th if you’re planning on attending!
FREE WOMEN’S FUNDAMENTALS!
Starting on January 18th and every third Sunday of the month thereafter, Coach Karen will be teaching a Free Women’s Fundamentals class that is open to all! This class will be very beginner friendly, and a great introduction to Jiu-Jitsu for women who are interested in the art.
Coach Karen is a seasoned and active competitor – competing and winning major tournaments at every belt level – and an incredible instructor, focusing on and emphasizing the elements of the CTA curriculum that have led to her successes on the mats as well as that of her students and teammates. If you’re interested in this class for yourself or others and would like more information you can contact Karen here.
PROMOTIONS
I’m excited to announce Christian Neumann has been promoted to Purple Belt, and Kevin Kristensen to Blue Belt! Both have been training with us here at Sanctuary for a few years and have been incredibly consistent and focused in their training as well as being great teammates and training partners. Congrats to you both!
In kids class, we have been focusing on escaping tough positions and not giving up the pass. We are practicing working our way out of bottom mount and using smart movement to get back to a safer position. We have also focused on looking for opportunities, such as our opponents opening up a triangle opportunity by defending a choke.
We added some new games to the mix to work on our grip strength such as Ghost and Belt Climber. During live rounds, everyone is doing a great job trying to apply the techniques we are drilling and being intentional with their Jiu-Jitsu.
We have recently celebrated a lot of stripes. It is great to see all the progress on the mats Congratulations to Ayrton, Tobie, Lars, Abby, Ares, Aria, Ava, Esmay, Lena, Miles, and Rhys! Consistency and a positive attitude make all the difference. Great job team!