Mass BJJ

And the winner is... “The Demogorgone”! There were lots of great entries but the visual of this one, the fact that Scott’s last name is Gorgone, and the long speech that @portanteron gave us on the history of the Demogorgon in advanced dungeons & dragons during a kickboxing class put this above the rest. Congrats @davewall13 come on down next time you don’t cancel your reservation for the 59th time and grab your shirt!

“What made you come to kickboxing Phal?”

“My wife is taking kickboxing, I don’t want her to beat me up!”

Also, love the shoutout to @e_walsh01

Caption this photo. Winner gets a free tee-shirt!

Black belt in BJJ. Hasn’t jumped into a kickboxing class in more years than he can remember. If @with2as can do it @e_walsh01 can do it!
I mean, you can do it!

Updated Schedule! New stuff for the week:

1. We've updated the schedule, it will wipe out any classes that we adjusted so if you already signed up for this week, take a look and make sure you are still signed up for the classes you want to attend!

- The kids kickboxing was filling up immediately so we've added another class and moved the day.
- We pushed adult kickboxing back to 6:00-7:00 on Tues/Thurs.

2. Just a reminder for parents watching out back. You need to have a mask on when you are in the back watching class. This was part of the deal with the landlord that if we had people hanging out back they would have to wear masks.

3. Remember to wear your Mass BJJ shirts to class! We announced it all week that it was the last week we were letting it slide. Burpees for everyone if you don't have a Mass BJJ shirt for class!!!

4. Dan Pheonix is running a BJJ drilling class on Sunday mornings, check it out.

Just a side note that the kickboxing classes have been fantastic for several reasons. If you had been doing Jiu-Jitsu before all this started and have been waiting for Jiu-Jitsu to start again, I would highly encourage you to try the kickboxing classes out. Scott and I were talking this week about just how much everyone has improved with their striking since we started back up. So many people have come in with absolutely no striking experience and actually look like strikers at this point. Each week we start something new. Mon and Tuesday are the same classes, Wed and Thursday are the follow up classes to that concept or technique. Friday is the "Don't tell Nate" fun class.

One of our members came up to me this week and said he begrudgingly came back to kickboxing since BJJ was not an option a few weeks ago. Over the past few weeks he has been amazed at how much he has enjoyed it. He said being back on the mat with all his teammates was something he didn't realize how much he missed until he was back doing a class with all of them again. That the camaraderie and getting through a class together was really important to his mental well being. The class is physically tough and the workout at the end doing the rounds always left him sweating. And he found himself at home thinking of striking techniques and concepts to improve upon much like he had been doing with his BJJ. He had that breakthrough that it wasn't just BJJ that he loved, but martial arts. He said that when we went back to BJJ classes he would still be doing striking with his BJJ.

This is very much how I feel as a martial artist. My hope is that every one of you come in and give it a shot. There are many of you that are continuing to pay the school and haven't come in to train. I can't tell you how much it is appreciated by me and our team. I just want the opportunity to something back to you. Maybe you will come in and hate it, but maybe you won't... Give it a shot!

Benefits of coming to kickboxing class:
1. Learn a new martial art.
2. Get/Stay in shape.
3. Train with your old teammates.
4. Look like a Ninja!!!

[07/23/20]   Facebook live class will not be held tonight, my helpers are gone. There social life is really starting to get in the way. Thank Bill

Kickboxing - Rear Leg Kick Basics

Learning to throw the rear leg kick is very difficult. This is a pretty long video going over all the small details that I like for someone new to know as they are learning to kick. There is a lot here... Scott bet me this video would be done in under 5 minutes... Unfortunately I definitely proved him wrong...

Tips for beginners learning the rear leg kick. Sorry about the sound quality at certain points.

I think everyone has seen the story of Bridger, it is incredibly moving and powerful. But I had no idea he did Jiu-Jitsu! I love seeing him on the mat!

You may have already heard the incredible story of Bridger, the HEORIC six-year-old boy from Wyoming who saved his sister from a dog attack earlier this month.

Well it turns out this HERO is a Juijiteiro!!
Bridger - who trains jiu-jitsu - was told by his doctor that he was the "bravest patient" they ever had.

He stepped in to save his sister from the dog attack because he believed: "If someone had to die, I thought it should be me."

Bridger, you are a real life hero and thousands of people world-wide are incredibly proud and inspired by your bravery!!
💪🏼🦸‍♂️🥋
@robertwalker307
@blacklabelbjjcheyenne

#leglocker #leglocks #nogi #grappling #submission #submissiongrappling #jiujitsu #nogijiujitsu #bjj #brazilianjiujitsu #fight #jiujitsulifestyle #sambo #catchwrestling #train #drill #jiujitsulife #mma #FearTheReaper

Want to try kickboxing but don’t have gloves? We got you covered! New Mass BJJ gloves are in!

We are updating our schedule and these are the changes that are taking place this week.

1. More kickboxing classes. We are replacing the Mon/Wed 6:00-7:00pm BJJ training with Kickboxing classes. The kickboxing classes have been packed, and the one thing we keep hearing is the need for later kickboxing classes. If you haven't been training and are looking to get back on the mat, come in and try out a kickboxing class! We have had so many people who have never trained striking, jump in these past few weeks and make tremendous progress. You will learn some great techniques and it will definitely keep you in shape! (We have a ton of Mass BJJ kickboxing gloves at the school if you need gloves.)

2. Dan Pheonix will be running a BJJ drilling class on Sundays at 10:00am. This will be a 45 minute class focused on drilling techniques on the dummy. If you've been off the mat for a while, this will be a good way to sharpen up your skills before we are able to get back on the mat with other people.

3. Nick Bennett has been running his strength and conditioning class on Zoom during the whole time we have been closed. For the time being it will still be only on zoom, we are just adding it to the schedule to make it easier for people to find it. If you haven't attended it before, this will work for you if you are an out of shape beginner or a seasoned athlete. Email [email protected] for log in info.

4. Mass BJJ Mountain Bike Club. Like being outdoors? Like riding a bike? Want to get your butt kicked by a 60+ year old that recently had a knee replaced? This started organically as Greg Catalano kept taking people out mountain biking. Now there is a whole group of people who meet up several times during the week to hit the trails. They coordinate meetups on the Facebook group,

"MassBJJ Mountain Bikers"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3031249310276761

It is a closed group and you can request to join and someone will add you.

5. Bill's Facebook Live class is still going on Thursday nights at 7:00pm. I didn't add this to the schedule, but I just want to remind people to tune in to Mass BJJ's live feed on Thursday nights if you have the time. It's a toss up as to what the best part of that class is; Watching Bill torture his daughters as he forces them to help assist in the class? Watch the comments section make fun of Bill for the duration of his class? Listen to Bill make fun of Pat and Corn? Will Bill's daughter ever get to throw him? Tune in, it is definitely enjoyable. You may even learn a few techniques!

This was a very weird schedule to put together... Taking away BJJ classes to add kickboxing classes, adding zoom classes and mountain bike clubs to the schedule... It is so far from what I was thinking we would be doing 6 months ago. That being said, I am so proud to watch this community pull together to find other ways to continue to stay connected and keep pushing one another during this period.

See you on the mat... or on the trails!

We have people that are brand new to striking to professional fighters. No matter what your experience, come on in. Get in shape and sharpen your skills!

[07/09/20]   Class tonight at 7 will be rescheduled until tomorrow, my camera girls is working, and my rolling helper is not here. Thanks Bill

Kickboxing - Straightening out punches

Some more drills for beginners working on basic strikes. These drills are used to make sure we keep our elbows in while throwing straight punches.

A drill for making sure our elbows stay in while throwing a jab and a cross. And a drill for keeping the elbows in on a 1-2 combination.

Kickboxing - Stance 01

One of the first conundrums we face when we begin striking is, "What is the right stance?" Here are some tips on how to chose a stance if you are just getting started with your kickboxing.

Kickboxing - Chosing a Stance

Massbjj ride, where's Scott and Nate????

We are ready to move indoors!

Starting on Monday July 6th, we enter phase 3 in Massachusetts. This means we are able to move all of our adult classes back inside! We still have to abide by all the same regulations that we had outside. So people will still need to register for the class they wish to take onliine here:

https://massbjjacton.sites.zenplanner.com/calendar.cfm?DATE=2020%2D06%2D05&VIEW=WEEK&&locationId=

Remember if two people from your family are coming to class they both need to reserve a spot.
- The way the Massachusetts rules are set currently is that masks are not required if adult students are 14 feet apart, masks are required if we are 6 feet apart. We have the bags set 14 feet apart, but the squares they are in are spaced 6 feet apart. We are going to cotinue to require that adult students wear a mask while training next week. We will look at how well we are able to keep our distance during class and see if it will be possible or makes sense to allow for masks to be optional for adult students in the future for the classes in which we can maintain 14 feet of distance.
-We will have the garage and back door open during class.
- Each student will have their own square section of the mat. For kickboxing, there will be a heavy bag in each section. For BJJ there will be a training dummy for each student.
- Bring a water bottle with you to keep next to your station.
-We will let people into the school 5 minutes before class begins. Students will have to go outside after class ends. (We have to clean a lot between classes.)
- The locker rooms and shower will be closed so wear your training gear into the school with you.
-The lobby will be closed so you can't bring your kids inside to hang out while you do class.
- We will keep the same schedule next week that we have had this week. We will look to add some more classes to the schedule the next week.
-Bring your own equipment, we can't let people borrow gear. (I ordered 60 pairs of kickboxing gloves, hopefully they will be here soon.)

If you have any questions or concerns please email me at [email protected].

Look forward to seeing you guys back on the mat!

Nate

Kick Boxing - Basic Strikes 01

We've added a lot of kickboxing classes to the schedule since we still can't strangle each other. This is the first thing I like to teach someone when they are getting started with striking. We shot a few more videos that I will upload later addressing proper stance and working more with these basic strikes. Hope to see you in kickboxing classes!

Striking Basics - Jab, Cross, 1-2

[07/02/20]   No gi tonight, some jokes, some laughs, some half guard stuff. 7pm on Facebook.

[06/29/20]   We are canceling the noon “Family BJJ” class due to the thunderstorms. We will see how things look in the next hour and a half and let you know about the 1:00 kickboxing class.

[06/25/20]   Virtual class tonight will have to be moved to tomorrow, I know I know, but its summer jordyns at a party, jess just got back from the cape, and I am still at work and have a 730 meeting in bolton. I will have class tomorrow, most likely 11 so I can grab my helpers before they take off. Thanks Bill. When can we roll on the mats?????? Yes I am whining..

Well that’s a class we will not soon forget!

[06/18/20]   There will be no virtual class tonight, I have employees that are busy and let's just say jessie fell asleep at the beach and has water blisters. Bill

Getting ready for the kids! Remember we are still on zoom every Mon/Wed/Fri at 4:00pm if you can’t make class!

Our first ever, Kids Kickboxing class! Someday we will look back and wonder why we were training Ninjas!

Funniest Family Moments

Under 40 class... Bahahahahaha

https://www.facebook.com/FunniestFamilyMoments/videos/460308131485173/?d=null&vh=e

Fierce battle between two pint-sized chihuahuas 🤗🤣

Credit: Newsflare

Mass BJJ moving into phase 2

As Massachusetts moves into phase 2 of re-opening we are able to make some changes to our classes. You will still have to register online for all of our classes as they have limited spots. You can see the schedule and sign in here:

https://massbjjacton.sites.zenplanner.com/calendar.cfm?DATE=2020%2D06%2D05&VIEW=WEEK&&locationId=

Kids Classes:

Kids are allowed inside the school, so we are going back to breaking up the classes by age. I will post with much greater detail on the kids classes in the Facebook group "Mass BJJ Kids!" which is here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/576085225830364/

(You will have to ask to enter the group and one of us can add you in)

As we are adjusting the schedule now; if you already signed up for classes this upcoming week, please double check the schedule that your class is 1) Still on the schedule and 2) You are in the right age group.

Adult Classes: Adults are still outside.

We have adjusted the schedule from last week. One of the things we changed was changing the name from "kickboxing/agility training" to just "kickboxing". It was clear that not a lot of people wanted to run around and do agility drills in the parking lot. We spent the week teaching kickboxing like we would normally do in a kickboxing class. On a personal note; I think that if you want to use this time right now where we are limited in what we can do Jiu-Jitsu wise you should be coming to the kickboxing class. Both Scott and I are instructing the class and getting to work with each student since the class size is so small. I have had a lot of people asking me over the past few years if I would teach kickboxing again. Well here is your chance. Once we go back to normal I will probably not have time to teach kickboxing. I think that every martial artist should know the basics of how to strike. And most people that think they know the basics, do not really know the basics. (Sorry 3 years of karate when you were a kid does not cut it.) Take advantage of these classes, there is an opportunity here.

Family/Solo training BJJ - Please make sure you make an account for each person that is going to be training and sign them up as we are still technically allowed 10 people in an area.

Thank you again for helping us make this work. If you have any feedback or things you would like to see please let us know!

Nate

Last week was one of the most stressful and rewarding weeks I can remember. We had been planning on reopening inside in about a month. We got word that we would be allowed to open up for classes outside with certain restrictions. We scrambled to figure out how to set up a schedule for this uniques situation. Leia did a great job of setting up a portal to allow people to register for classes online which was one of the conditions for opening. We got some mats together and made or received donated standing heavy bags while we waited for some high end wave masters to come in. We negotiated with the landlords for the allowance to use the front yard and back parking lot, and then tried to get the word out to everyone that this was happening.

This was a great opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of after being closed for so long, but I was nervous that:

1. I made sure we were doing everything in as are a manner as possible for our community and
2. I realized that this was such a different situation, that I was going to have a hard time predicting the problems that we were going to run into.

Throughout the week, the setbacks and hurdles we had to jump through were frustrating, and not being able to anticipate how and where they were going to come from was very stressful. But each time we saw you guys walking up to the lawn with your gym bags in hand after not seeing you for months... I think everyone was just so excited and happy to have a this part of our life back, even if it was just a piece of it. It was clear this was so worth the effort!

I want everyone to know that this week wouldn't have happened without Scott. Obviously everyone sees him at the school all the time; teaching the kids class, running the kickboxing and MMA program, and helping me run my classes. But this week Scott did all the heavy lifting, literally! He moved heavy bags, set up mats and dummies and did so many countless things behind the scenes that had to be done to make this week happen. I can't express my gratitude to him for what he has done for Mass BJJ.

During the time we were shut down there has been so much done by members of this community to keep it together; Nick Bennett (Sorry Lindsay, couldn't find Nick to tag him on here.) Running his strength and conditioning classes online. Bill roping his daughters into running a BJJ class on Facebook each Thursday night. (Still waiting for that Judo toss Bill!) And Greg for organizing some Mass BJJ mountain bike rides. All of our friends: Kenny, Joe, Mike, Jay, Keith, Pat, Doug and Tom coming on to do MMA/BJJ breakdowns on Zoom and sharing their thoughts and experiences with us.

We are clawing our way back, just like in Jiu-Jitsu, things are not always going to go the way you want. You can just lie down and quit or you can find a way to stay alive just a little longer. Every moment you keep fighting for is a potential opportunity to take advantage of!

We are entering phase 2 in Massachusetts this coming week. This will allow us to make a change in the schedule and bring the kids classes indoors. (Adults will likely still be outside.) We have been setting up for this for a while. I will post details on Sunday as to what the schedule will look like for next week and what the change in rules will be as we move forward.

Thank you for the continued support! See you soon!

Nate