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Be part of the Napier Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team - Guardant Jiu Jitsu

Guardant Jiu Jitsu Team Growing

It's been about eight months since moving my BJJ classes out of the garage and into the Napier Judo Club's dojo. The team is starting to build momentum, gaining new members and developing good basic grappling skills. Some guys are wanting to compete and I support this.
We are very lucky to have a good relationship with the local Judo club and some cross training has been possible.

Often takedowns are a neglected part of Jiu Jitsu training but they need to be practiced since all official matches start from standing. Not to mention many self defense situations begin with you on your feet.
Receiving a takedown or throw by way of breakfalling also needs to be practiced. Otherwise you run the risk of serious injury when sparring, competing or even just falling over. I know from painful, personal experience what happens when you do not know how to breakfall in a grappling match. Six months with NO TRAINING! The dislocated elbow was pretty sore as well.
I do not want any of my students to suffer the same way, so we will continue training some basic Judo for BJJ situations occasionally.

We offer a free week of trial classes for prospective new members to our team. So if you or someone you know is keen to try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for fun, sport or self defense, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I'm currently planning an in house league for members of Guardant Jiu Jitsu. Rather than a competition run on one day. A series of matches run over the next half of the year with points awarded for each win. I need to work it all out but needless to say at the very least a cool trophy will be awarded to the winner.
Let me know your ideas about this, guys.

Also if you are creative and want to design team shirts, logos or even just have ideas about them. Let me know about it.

Looking forward to rolling with you all soon. OSU!

Keeping it Fun

The month of May has been huge for the Guardant team with promotions. Blue belt for Jamie Stevens. Plus Cody and Logan Evans earning a stripe each on their white belts. You may have heard grades don't come easy in BJJ. That's pretty much an understatement. They are earned with time on the mat, sweat and a heap of work drilling the various movements and techniques. Everyone progresses at a different rate but we are all on the same ladder. So it pays to lift as we climb and we all improve faster.

My Jiu Jitsu coach, Yoshi "SAMURAI" Takano says: Train every day.... It's our way.... Only Training makes result.

Presenting Jamie with his blue belt

Drilling the basics but keeping it fun has become the norm for us. 

We often throw in something complicated or flash looking but break it down into enough small steps so everybody gets it. It's a great exercise to show yourself how much you are capable of with some patience and practice. 

As my Judo coach Andrew Truman says: You already learned the hardest physical movement in the world to learn as a baby...walking. So you can do this!

Here's to another month of progression and fun.

Seminar Success

The Yoshi "SAMURAI" Takano Brazilian Jiu Jitsu/BJJ seminar was a huge success. We had around 20 adults over the two main sessions and even a couple of kids for the children's workshop.

One of the founding members of our team Bryan was graded to Blue Belt in BJJ. New member Corey received his first stripe on his Blue Belt and I myself was ambush graded to Purple Belt and made an official Coach under Yoshi Takano and his coach Kenji Ogusu.

Yoshi has posted a few of the techniques covered in the seminar on his and his coach Kenji Ogusu's new facebook page http://www.facebook.com/JpnzJuJutsu.
Feel free to check them out and like the page if you want to.

We've had some new people join the Guardant Team since Yoshi visited on 7/4/12 and there is still room on the mat for more.

BJJ SEMINAR IN NAPIER

I am very happy to announce my friend and coach Yoshi "Samurai" Takano will be in Napier for an afternoon of seminars. Here is the link to the event:  http://www.facebook.com/events/189939071119515/

It will be held at the Napier Judo Club Dojo which is where I teach my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes from.

$50.00 per person gets you into both 12pm & 5pm Seminars.
There is also a kids only Martial Arts class at only $10.00
Barbeque after 5pm seminar.

***Timetable***

12pm-2pm Basic BJJ skill

2pm-3pm Kids class (only $10)

5pm-7pm Submission/Guard position

7pm BARBEQUE

Martial Arts people from ANY school or style welcome!
Beginners and Kids welcome for the seminar!!
Come along and give it a go!

Brought to you by http://www.facebook.com/Guardant.Wayne



Master Yoshi Takano’s Background:

Yoshi "SAMURAI" Takano Yst Chch Black belt registed under
Kenji Ogusu Ko Gym KO SHOOTO GYM
Jiu-Jitsu Fedaration Of Japan (Rickson Gracie)

- Former member of Jr Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team (Japan)
- Asia-Oceania Wrestling Championships (4th)
- NZ Wrestling/Grappling Champion
- MMA UMAF Light Weight Champion
- Brazilian Ju-Jutsu Black Belt (under Kenji Ogusu)
- Judo Black Belt
- Starter of NZ FILA Grappling
- Former Wrestling Coach in Crichton Cobbers
- Former Wrestling Coach in KO SHOOTO GYM
- Official NZ Instructor of Combat Wrestling

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CHRISTCHURCH-SCHOOL-OF-MARTIAL-ARTSMMASAMURAIDO-JO/132258350183387

Yoshi's Master Kenji Ogusu's background:

Kenji Ogusu
Owner of KO SHOOTO GYM SHIZUOKA/JAPAN

MMA-Fomer World Pro SHOOTO 2nd of the world
BJJ-Black Belt
Brazilian Ju-Jutsu Asain Champion

His black belt registed under
Japn Jiu-Jitsu federation
Jiu-Jitsu Fedaration Of Japan (Rickson Gracie) 

I hope to see as many people there as possible. This is a great opportunity to lift your ground game and a brilliant deal to boot.

Martial Arts, an Investment in YOU

Recently I had a customer come into my workplace complaining how he's worked all his life, payed his taxes bought toys for his retirement but now has to sell them because the pension doesn't pay enough to run them. Motorbikes, boats and big cars are all fun as long as you can afford to run them. My customer had set himself up for disappointment by investing in toys that required a higher income than he had planned on having at retirement.
Investing in yourself by training in martial arts or any skill that makes you happy is a way of making sure you have something you can always be involved in. You might not be competitive but you can enjoy practising your skills for your entire life or just be involved in the scene. Invest in yourself because nobody can take that away from you. Worst case scenario, you could be the mysterious homeless guy in a ripped up dirty gi, training and living under a bridge. Do something that makes you feel important. Do something that is going to give you life long pleasure.

Reasons for starting Martial Arts

Why does anybody decide to start learning a martial art. For some people it's self defense. For others it's for fun, sport or the lure of a black belt. Many people start for fitness and social reasons.
In my opinion these are all great reasons to start. Any reason to start that's not simply for the sake of causing harm is fine in my book. I started because as a teenager I became facinated with what I saw in Kung Fu movies and fighting video games. It looked cool and flashy and I really wanted a black belt. I still play the games, watch the movies and I'm still training but it's become more about becoming the kind of black belt or person in general that I want to be.
Whatever it is that gets you into a dojo for the first time may not end up being what keeps you there.
Make the most of your training, have goals and have fun.
See you on the mats.