PROMOTIONS

JAKE

Jake has been training for about five years and has developed into a very formidable grappler. What I love most about Jake is that he has had to take several long periods of time away from the mat but always came back stronger and ready to keep progressing. I’m stoked to recognize Jake as a CTA Blue Belt!

DALE

Dale is a quintessential member of our community – a kind, generous, consistent, and hardworking student and training partner. The leadership qualities he displays in his life, career, and calling are also on full display on the Jiu-Jitsu mats. He has applied himself to every facet of Jiu-Jitsu – from training, studying, doing privates, competing, and helping others. His Jiu-Jitsu has grown in spades and I’m so honored to recognize Dale as our newest Blue Belt!

STUKA

Stuka came to us as a tough Blue Belt, but has really developed a focused game that is hard to avoid and devastating when applied – the very definition of a Purple Belt. Stuka is incredibly consistent and hard-working, always asking questions and studying the larger game and technical aspects of Jiu-Jitsu … and it shows! Welcome to Purple Belt, Zach!

KENNY

Kenny is one of the most technical and game members of Sanctuary. That’s a very rare combination! He also displays all of the qualities of a Brown Belt: a well-rounded and technical game coupled with a deep understanding of Jiu-Jitsu that doesn’t detract from his openness to learning and his desire to grow his game. Kenny also embodies the Brown Belt trait of service; I often see Kenny helping his partners to understand and expand their Jiu-Jitsu. I’m very proud and honored to share the mats with Kenny and all I can say is that it’s about time he’s wearing a belt that represents his knowledge and contributions to Jiu-Jitsu and our academy. 

HOLIDAY OPEN MAT!

This Monday (September 1st!) there will be NO CLASSES. Instead we will be hosting our regular Holiday Open Mat from 10am – noon! These Open Mats are usually huge and a ton of fun – with a lot of familiar and new faces visiting us from other academies. Remember, Open Mat is Gi and No Gi, you can show up and leave at your leisure, and they’re always free of charge and open to all teams, affiliations, and academies so invite your friends and we really hope to see you there!

NO GI SEMINAR

We have announced our next seminar! On Saturday September 20th we will be hosting Amanda Bruse! Amanda is an experienced competitor and sought-after coach representing Atos. She is a Black Belt under Andre Galvao and is well 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 have been focusing on getting underneath our opponents legs and hips in order to off-balance them. We studied how this concept connects the Lasso, X, and Butterfly (or Seated) Guards by various means. 

Advanced: in our Advanced classes we continued drilling, repping, and doing positional training with specific goals. This week we reviewed the previous weeks chain of passing utilizing the Knee Cut and Leg Weave to pass the DLR but also added the X Pass and the Long Step to the chain of passes.

No Gi: in No Gi we studying attacking and applying the Calf Slicer from top Side Control and how to effectively attack the Heel in 50/50. 

This week the kids dug into sweeps from Spider Guard and had a blast testing their skills with some competition-style games. Our theme was “Do Hard Things,” and everyone really embraced the idea that pushing through challenges is what makes training so rewarding. We also talked about how showing up and working hard helps you get a little better each time. A big congratulations to Miles for earning his very first colored belt He has grown so much since starting Jiu-Jitsu – moving with control, staying focused, and showing real progress on the mats.