He will show a series of sweeps with his favorite Submissions that made his 9x Champion of the World in BJJ.

This will be an unique opportunity to learn from the best.

This coming tuesday at 6pm in our academy in Alameda professor Ricardo Vieira-CheckMat will be coming through to share the finest BJJ techniques straight from Brazil.

Come down and let’s learn from the best!

This will be CheckMat affiliates only-

Cost:Free

9x World Champion is coming to our Academy for a Workshop! is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

They will be coming saturday at 1pm here in our gym in Alameda.

This will be a great opportunity for everyone meet and greet this former UFC fighter plus watch his son spar and get ready for a MMA fight that day in Richmond.

It will be a National television in our academy recording for a program in  TV that will be going out in October.

This should be a great exposure for our academy plus something really cool.

Make sure to come down for some training and bring your NoGi gear on saturday,and of course bring your cameras!

See you on the mats,Sergio Silva

Former UFC Pro fighter Eugene Jackson Called me today is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

I just could not believe that he would do such a high level of instruction for FREE.

So as soon as I heard this movement of FREE seminar I made sure that I would registered right away.

I told all my students but only 4 of them jumped in-What a luck guys.

Stewart Jones,Misha,Phill , Robert and of course myself-I just could loose the opportunity to learn from a World Class teacher.

One of my teammates from CheckMat Ali(From A-Team)told me once that Leandro’s classes its just like a mini seminar.

When I arrived at AKA,I knew for some reason that it would be an amazing experience.

I had so many things in my plate for that day(my son’s birthday it was just one of them)but I just could not miss the opportunity to learn for a such great instructor.

When I arrived in the seminar I got caught by surprise,they were in the middle of explain some important tools of key points in how to pass the guard safely in BJJ.He went on explaining few different ideas in how to pass and be able to secure the 3 points.

After we spent around 25 minutes explaining in how to pass the guard he started to teach the half spider guard(Ali told me that his brother Ricardo Vieira is one of the most dynamic halff spider guard jiu-jitsu player that he ever met)I was very curious to find out what kind of transition he would be showing to us(Professor Sebastian Lali also spent with us a quality time explaining the key points of the half spider guard).

To my surprise professor Leandro Vieira ended up showing the basic concepts but a little bit beyond I ever saw someone explaining me that particular technique.The most impressive details that I was missing after 20 years practicing BJJ it was in the basic idea after you execute the technique.Driving back from the seminar and just thinking about the details that he showed us it made me think outside of the box and just trying to understand the basic concepts of the basics it just made my day.

The details of everything that he explains mixing with the comedy jokes that he put in the middle of his seminar it just made the people on the mats laughing out loud and happy to have such a high level of instruction.

I just can’t wait to come down to AKA to have a BJJ class with him again-Really happy to have professor Leandro Vieria so close by us.

What we learned from professor Leandro Vieira! is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Tonight while practicing NoGi I was fascinated in how many options one little adjust of the grip can make in the big picture when you do right.

We studied 2 hours straight Omoplatas and all I have to say that everyone really understood the concept really well.

It was nice to see in the beginning of the class new students look at this like I was talking with them in portuguese with two heads.

But by the end of the class they were pretty comfortable applying the drills that we learned in class.

We did several set up yesterday in triangles and today in Omoplata,tomorrow will be arm bars attack from the guard and a very special arm bar that I learned years ago from my good friend Marcelo Monteiro.Come through tomorrow guys for another great BJJ practice with our Team Silva-CheckMat.(“Getting ready for the upcoming battles”).

Now by having one of the main CheckMAt leaders right in San Jose providing a great opportunity for all of us of great training and great network of BJJ techniques-Life is good!

Submission Wrestling(NoGi)class with Sergio Silva is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Classes are available for toddlers from 2.5 years old – 4 years old.

Classes will start this coming Friday(02-03-12) here at our Alameda Team Silva Jiu-Jitsu academy.

In these class Sergio Silva who is a dad of Tiago Silva (2.8)usually teaches the principles of BJJ-

Several games are play in class-

-Escape from the cave

-Put back in the spider web

-Catch the bear

-Attack/play with the turtle

-Tons of fun games

And run wild after the kids,parents are participating in class.

It’s a good idea to expose your child to this class so him/her can have a great idea of human contact and have fun in the process.

It’s a great to socialize and have your kids burn those extra calories-

This class is 45 minutes long.

Toddler Samurai start this Friday(02-03-12) is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Back then it was just a hobby but then it became a lifestyle that changed my life and everyone that surround me and my friends.

My attitude towards Martial Arts changed people’s life in many different ways:

It help save people getting out of the streets away from drugs and the violence.

It help people have a better way to manage their weights getting ready for competition.

It help family man stay focus at their important jobs and be able to be a better dad in the house.

It help kids get better grades through school and High School because of the discipline that Martial Arts offering.

It helps people have more respect with their coworkers and family members in the house.

It help kids stop bullying others in school and in the streets.

It help kids,teens and adults to have more leadership in their communities.

I started teaching Martial Arts in the Bay Area in 2000 back when I was training at the academy of Ralph Gracie.Back then it was just a dream but in 2003 it came into reality.

In 2003 I received my black belt from the professor Marcelo Monteiro and now I’m teaching the methods that I learned through the years here in Alameda,Hayward and El Cerrito.

Martial Arts in the Bay Area is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Children

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an art developed by age old monks. It focuses on self
defense and building a martial art that aims at enhancing psychosomatic harmony
of the practitioner. These techniques can be of special help to children.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for children could help them overcome their shortcomings and
evolve into better individuals.

You will see your child speak more for themselves as well for others.We make sure as a Martial Artists that we not only practice Martial Arts on the mats but also OUTSIDE of the mats as well-That means opening a door for the elder or help someone at the grocery store.The kids from Team Silva Jiu-Jitsu programs they have chores just like a homework that we offer to the families so when they are ready to do the belt test they turn back the sheet that changes over the period of the time-

The next one it will be discipline!Kids get extra points if they get in class on time,if they help parents with the dishes and many others-The list goes on and on!This help parents to keep track of their progress and for the instructors see the improvement in home it makes just a WIN-WIN situation-

Discipline,Respect and Leadership is one of the main objectives that we aim for.

Many children face the problem of being bullied and are vulnerable to various
anti-social elements. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can help a child tackle this problem.
It equips the child to protect himself. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu aims at fighting
with a stronger and larger opponent using grappling and ground-fighting
techniques. It uses techniques like joint locks, compression locks and
chokeholds to make the opponent give in. This can also develop a child’s
confidence and increase his self-worth.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also teaches the practitioner to respect one’s opponent.
This helps in controlling tendencies like bad mouthing, foul language and
unethical practices in a child. The child learns to treat everyone with respect.
It also increases his tolerance level towards people. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also
requires the practitioners to follow a set of ethics. This helps a child in
building relationships with his peers and elders.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be a good way to stay fit. These days, children have an
easy access to sedentary options for entertainment such as internet games and
TV. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be an interesting way for the child to stay fit.
Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu requires rigorous and compulsory exercise and
practice to develop strength and get the technique right. This can help a child
check obesity-related issues and gain health.

Toddler Samurai Class will be available start every friday from 4pm-4:45pm-In
these class parents are encourage to participate and have fun with your
kid.Tumbling,playing several type of games and learn the ancient Martial Arts of
Brazilian Jiu-JItsu.We will be playing with medicine balls,and other BJJ
games.Classes for toddlers will be $65 dollars for 4 sessions or $18 dollars
drop in!

We also are offering Adult BJJ,NOGI,MMA,Self-Defense Fitness.
Capoeira,Yoga and Family Yoga also available!

Martial Arts for Kids,Teens,Women and Adults is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

In 1987 I started to practice soccer-Futsal full time and in the side I would do Judo to learn the art of falling and Capoeira on Saturdays on the park.I used to go to this park close to my house(Curitiba-Brazil) and on Saturdays and Sunday they used to have roda de Capoeira.

In the roda instructors would help beginner players with the more acrobatic moves and others would just do their best to keep the roda going.

Practicing Judo and Capoeira in really early age it was something very special,because since I was not 100% committed it I had a very good idea about the fighting aspect and the Capoeira just could not hide the culture of where I’m coming from-Brazil.

I started to practice BJJ right after when I realized how much politics are involve in the Futsal. I decided to try it out a Brazilian Jiu-JItsu class in these class that just had open 2 blocks away from my house.

I felt in love with the art at the first class-Since I was a brown belt in Judo when I started doing BJJ it was cool to realized that I could adapt a lot of the holds right into BJJ.

After moving to United States in 1999,it was in 2002 that ended meeting the Grand Master Wally Jay.

I saw a Mini Van with a magnetic in the side that would say Small Circle Jiu-Jitsu.I followed up the car since I was very close to my house.They ended be going to get some coffee and I asked the lady if they knew Wally Jay.The lady said yes.She was actually the wife of Wally Jay and Wally himself was in the back of the car.

I told him that I was teaching down in my house.

He asked if he could come down to watch one of my classes,I just could not believe myself that the Grand Master of Jiu-JItsu and one of the main Jiu-Jitsu teacher of Bruce Lee was asking me to watch my class.

In the end he was sitting in the couch watching the class with one of his main students and he gently asked me if he could showed me one or two things.

I told him:PLEASE,we would love to learn from you.

In that day one of my main students-Scott Osborn came to class to give a gift(The whole VCR tape of Wally Jay)-Very interesting day i was having that day.

Wally Jay ended up spending almost two hours on the mats and only stop because his wife came in the dojo to get him out of there.

In 2008 we start teaching and practicing the Martial Arts of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Alameda.

We were the First Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in the Island and the first to ever produce a World Champion and Pan American Champion in house-

Martial Arts in Alameda is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

I was dating this beautiful woman that later on she became my wife and mom of my son.

She showed me a different way that I could treat my body away from the competitions aspect that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu present to us in  our daily lives.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a Martial Arts that consistent always present to us the EGO aspect of life that always get between us and the best way to learn anything new that is related it to fighting another human being.

In Yoga I found out that is the best way to get on the mats and learn your truly you-Who you truly is inside of you.

I realized so much the difference between BJJ,Life and Yoga and came into sense that everything connect in one way or another.

Practicing Yoga with my wife not only showed a way to best understand myself as a human machine where I can do anything that I desired to but also a great way to bound with my wife and that special connection with here.

She thinks Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is very interesting as a Martial Arts for the fact that we don’t use punching and kicks.The grappling aspect is something that really interested her in all aspects.

The connection of BJJ and Yoga is amazing.

Both come from India and both introduce a way to connect the mind-Body and spirit into one.

The difference between them is that In BJJ you always confronting someone else besides of yourself and in Yoga you are always confront your most dangerous enemy-YOURSELF.

Yoga is a art the challenge yourself because you are force to deal with yourself a 100%.

The Asanas-The physical aspect of the yoga.Is something very special and when you learn the style that best fit you,you just find something very interesting that perhaps you had lost a while back.

Have an opportunity to practice Yoga is something that all of us should try as a Martial Artist but also as a part of our human Nature.

Yoga is everything and is in everything.

As a professional Mixed Martial artist I discovered that by practicing Yoga I can always accept it my limits and what I can do and what I cant do on and OFF the mats.

Practicing Yoga in our Alameda dojo it made me realized not only about what Yoga is truly represent in my life but also what Yoga represent to others.

See the power that Yoga represent in my daily life I’m able to bow and understand better who I’m truly is.

I believe that practicing Yoga in Alameda it really made me realized several aspect of my fighting skills and I would recommended this practice to anyone that would like to live a better life in this world.

Rebecca Trissell is teaching Yoga in Alameda every Thursday(At Alameda Yoga Statio) and every Saturday at Team Silva Jiu-Jitsu academy.

Come down and practice Yoga in our beautiful Island of Alameda.

Yoga in Alameda is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Developing a Game Plan

One of the first things you should do when preparing for a tournament is come up with a game plan, and train and drill it until you commit it to muscle memory.

A game plan should not be a loose idea of what you want to do in the tournament; your game plan should be a well thought out document that you study before and after training so that you go into the tournament with a detailed plan of action. You do not want to step out onto the mat and “wing it”, and you do not want to try out some fancy submission that you saw on youtube the day of the tournament. Tournaments are where you stick to what you know and are comfortable with, and then class time is where you experiment with new moves and work your weaknesses.

Food for thought when writing a game plan:

• What are you strong at?

• Where do you need improvement?

• What type of opponent are you fighting?

Strengths and Weaknesses
Think about what you are strong at and what you need to improve on when creating a game plan. You may have a good guard, but are weak at passing someone else’s guard, so you will want to create a game plan that will put you on your back so you can work sweeps and submissions.

Who are you fighting?
Consider who your opponents will be while writing your game plan. If you are competing in the heavyweight division your game plan will be different than someone competing in the featherweight division.

SIMPLE GAME PLAN EXAMPLE

Situation

• Strong at top game

• Weak at playing guard

• Medium heavy opponents

Overall Objective

• Takedown opponent
  (Practice at least 2 takedowns during training)

• Take top position

• Work towards full mount, or take the back
  (4 points each in a match)

• Maintain dominate position
  (Practice controlling opponents back, and keeping the mount position)

• Look for submission
  (Practice 2-3 Submissions during training)

It is a good idea to make a game plan for every situation you can think of happening during a match. That way, when something unexpected happens, and it always does, you will have a practiced course of action to take.

Takedowns and Takedown Defense

All Jiu Jitsu tournaments start from standing, so you will need to address takedowns in one way or another. Some people, myself included, love going for a takedown because you generally end up in a top position and you start the match off 2 points ahead. Likewise, some people prefer to skip the takedown and pull guard, which you recieve 0 points for, so that they can start working sweeps and submissions.Even if you don’t like takedowns you better learn how to defend against them because you may face an opponent whose strength is takedowns and throws.Takedown Training Before a Tournament
Drill at least (2) Takedowns
Drill “sprawling” to avoid the common single leg, double leg, and ankle pick takedowns.

Cutting Weight and Good Nutrition

Cutting Weight
If you are competing for the first time, or are still new to competitions I would strongly recommend you don’t cut weight. The reason for this is because cutting weight is really hard on your body. If you do not have experience cutting weight, like a wrestler for example, then it is in your best interest to compete at your natural weight first and then impliment a diet to drop weight slowly and safely.The last thing you want to do is cut too much weight and lose your match because you are too weak and have lost too much muscle mass.To learn more about cutting weight check out this article about How to Cut Weight.Nutrition
Jiu Jitsu tournaments are like arenas where gladiators colide; It is one athlete against another, and the athlete that lives a healthy life and eats a good diet is going to have the advantage going into a fight.Adding and implementing good nutrition into your training regement will help you perform at your best. The best advice I can give you is to grab a book on sports nutrition and see what works best for you.

Make sure to put in your diet tons of dark greens and if you are under weight a nice dark green salad follow up with a great past with olive oil and simple dress could make all the difference in the morning of your fight…Experts suggest that eat easy meals to digest is strongly recommended it(Oatmeal in the morning and two hours later a banana or a protein bar)

Packing for the Tournament

• Your Gi - make sure it meets the tournaments requirements in length, fit, color, patches, and no holes!
• An extra Gi - If your Gi rips during a match, you could be asked to find a replacement within a certain time limit. If you have more than one Gi it is a good idea to bring an extra to the competition just in case.
• Water - Make sure you bring enough water! Stress, sweat, and fatigue can all make you thirsty; come prepared with at least a few water bottles. Some of my teammates like to bring coconut water because it has a lot of electrolytes (I haven’t tried it, but my team recommends it!)
• Snacks - What you eat on competition day is important. Make sure you get a healthy breakfast, and bring some healthy snacks with you to the tournament.
• A Friend - Hopefully you already have your teammates and a coach coming to the tournament so you will have someone in your corner. At the very least, try and have a friend with you to help you warm up, stay relaxed and give you support. Not to mention, take pictures of you up on the podium with your medal!

Staying Calm and Minimizing Mistakes

When you compete, you will experience a surge of adrenaline and nerves; everything you think you know, you will forget (This is where your game plan comes in handy). Your stomach will be twisting with knots, and your body will feel shaky and on edge. If you can’t handle the nerves it will really impact your performance and fatigue will set in much faster.During your match, you are not thinking as calmly as you do during training, and you are often rushed and in a panic. Many times when someone loses a match it is because they made a simple mistake that they would have never made normally; in a competition your nerves are one of your biggest enemies.You need to make an effort to slow your mind down and focus on not making mistakes. Always make sure you are in control of your body, and have a sturdy base. Instead of focusing on how nervous you are, focus on controlling your opponent and looking for their mistakes – they will surely be making some mistakes of their own.

Make sure to meditated for the time that you are fighting-If your match is 5 minutes sit still few times for that time-Sergio Silva strongly suggest to meditated at least 4 times before your fight in the day before you fight…Going over your game plan inside your head so when you step on the mats everything is a DEJAVU.

Win or Learn

Competitions are a way for you to learn more about yourself, and see what you need to work on to become a stronger jiu jitsu practitioner. Everyone is eventually going to lose a match; it’s just the way the sport is. You learn so much more from a loss than you do from a win, so don’t be hard on yourself if you lose and take the opportunity to improve the holes in your game.Learn from your losses and move forward; never dwell on them; and always keep a positive attitude about competing. Competition is only part of your jiu jitsu journey, and should always be looked at as a chance to learn and grow.

Make sure to have fun while having this amazing  experience.

Sergio Silva always says you only learn who you truly is when you get in a fight and BJJ gives you this opportunity without the chances of getting hit and almost 93% of the time you get out of this matches without any kinda of major  injuries.

The most important this have fun!

Make sure to listen to your coach and be able to filter the suggestions that he is giving to you.Don’t listen to your opponent’s  coach(That will mess with your head and not allow you to play your game)

March 24th we will provide a friendly atmosphere where novice BJJ players will be able to have a chance to fight players at their levels.

If you would like to register to our friendly Jiu-Jitsu by the Bay,please make sure to register yourself TODAY-www.jiujitsubythebay.com

How to Win a BJJ Tournament! is a post from: Bay Area Brazilian Jiu Jitsu