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A Mom’s Take on Managing Training With, Well, Everything.

I was standing in my kitchen on a Sunday morning, about to pour a cup of coffee, when I looked over at my six and eight year old daughters. The eldest was slumped over the kitchen table, wobbly head barely resting on an unbalanced upright arm, and her face held the type of dejection that you’d expect to see on an adult who forgot, for the second week in a row, that yesterday was trash day. (Been there.) “What’s wrong kiddo?” I asked. “Mom,” she said, “I don’t wanna go back to school tomorrow. I’m tired, and sometimes school is just TOO MUCH.” I’ve become used to these types of adultish quips from her, and so I stifled ....
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22 Jan 2018
What do the belt colors mean?

What do belt colors mean in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brazilian Jiu Jitsu like most martial arts have a belt system. Wishing that system are ranking structures for youth and adults. For this article I will be referring to the Adult belts. The adult belts are as follows: white, blue, purple, brown, and black. This structure seems simple enough, everyone starts at white belt and works their way to the rank of black belt. However the journey from white to black is a an arduous journey filled with many ups and downs. Today we will focus on each belt level and how they apply to the person training. And what they can expect to focus on at each belt. White belt
- Most definitely the most ....
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4 Jan 2018
Types of training partners

Happy New Year! How to utilize the different training partners in your academy. When first starting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu it will seem like every training partner you have can impose their will. However as we progress you will start to find three different types of people you roll with in regards to skill. It is important to take advantage of and roll with each one of them. There are also specific things to keep in mind while rolling with each in order to get the most out of that session with them. This can help you progress much faster than normal. At white belt we feel like all that ever happens is we get smashed by the more experienced training partners during sparring. ....
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Common BJJ Terms

Merry Christmas! If you have not already noticed, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and grappling as a whole has some uncommonly used words. I would like to take time to go into some of the meaning behind some of these words. Unfortunately, we will not be covering every single one, but more of an over view. When referring to the place you train and your instructor most people think “dojo” and “sensei”. However in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu where we train is called an “academy”, and your head instructor or black belt is called “professor”. If a brown belt or below is running class, than the proper term for them is “coach”. From my ....
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Cleanliness and Jiu Jitsu Part 2

Welcome back! If you read last week, we discussed the importance of washing our uniform. Today, we will discuss the importance of cleaning not only our bodies, but the mat surface in which we train. The human body is host to a lot of micro organisms and bacteria. Some are more harmful than others. Being proactive about cleaning ourselves before training can help inhibit the transfer of viruses, bacteria, and fungi. There are a few easily transmittable bacteria and fungi that can lead to skin infections. Staphylococcus (Staph) and Tinea (Ringworm) are some of the most common to be found in the grappling realm. Each of us are carriers for these, and when brought into close contact ....
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Cleanliness and Jiu Jitsu Part 1

If you are not familiar with Jiu Jitsu, then I will tell you it is a very close contact activity. You will have a lot of barriers crossed once you begin training. Your “bubble” or more commonly known as “personal space” will be invaded very frequently. This means hygiene must be at the top of your priority list. Life before Jui Jitsu may include laundry once or maybe even twice a week. However, after you have begun grappling training, laundry can turn into an everyday affair depending on how much you train. This is not said to scare you, but it is a mere warning. Be prepared to utilize your washer a lot more than you are currently. Having a clean uniform and ....
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Lauren Nonnenmacher

With absolutely no knowledge of Jiu Jitsu, we brought our 6 year old son in less than a month after GMBJJ Chesapeake opened. We were welcomed with open arms and loved the clean, new facility. Professor Greg has an unmatched patience and enthusiasm to teach the Youth classes. Our daughter couldn’t wait for her dance recital to be over and her birthday, so that she was old enough to join her brother and learn Jiu Jitsu too. After a year and a half at this Academy, we have found that they have become family. Absolutely FIVE STARS!

Carter Slawson

I was only in town for the summer, but I can’t believe what I was able to learn in such a short time. Professor Greg Walker treated me like a regular student even though he knew I was only there for the summer. The fundamental classes were on point and definitely helped my game. My only regret was not being able to formally say goodbye due to flying back home early. I look forward to dropping in when I’m in town!

Tuatha De danaan

I have been training for over a decade as a fighter and a grappler all over the East Coast. Now I only do it for exercise and fun. Greg does a great job with all levels of students. Just a great environment for learning both BJJ and respect for others. I’ll definitely be coming back here. Greg is a great ambassador of Gustavo Machado BJJ.

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