Poolesville Self Defense/Talon Jiujitsu

09/14/2026

**Poolesville Day Champion & Parade**

There are still chances to get your matches in this week to be eligible to win the Poolesville Day Championship! Training this week will focus on matches in most classes, so make sure you get in to get as many as you can to boost your score!

The top score from the top 10 matches you have will your score. Bonus points are being added at the end (on Friday 9/18) to determine final overall standings.

An announcement will be made on Friday before the big Poolesville Day Parade on Saturday to announce the winner!

**PARADE NOTE**

We will meet at Poolesville Elementary School (PES) by 9:30am. The parade promptly starts at 10am. Coach Mark will be there by 9:15am to endure our spot.

All parade participants should wear their Team Talon/Poolesville Self Defense white or black rash guard, and Gi pants with their belts. Parents are welcome to join in and if we have extra shirts we will hand them out to you.

09/09/2026

A MESSAGE TO PARENTS

One year ago I earned my Brazilian Jiujitsu Black Belt.

I wrote out every moment I could have walked away and didn’t. Fifteen of them (there are definitely more).

Starting late in life.

Starting a Family.

Building a Career.

Numerous Injuries.

Dislocated elbow.

Four major surgeries.

Years of infection.

Long stretches away from the mats.

Every single one was a fork in the road.

I am sharing it with you because your kids are on that same road right now. Maybe not with the same stakes, but with the same question underneath every hard class, every failed technique, every day they don’t want to come in.

Is it worth it to keep going?

Here is what I want you to know as a parent.

Your child needs to struggle.

Because struggling is how they build something that is genuinely theirs.

The confidence that comes from doing something hard and not quitting.
The resilience that forms when they get tapped out, get back up, and try again.
The identity that develops when they push through something they did not think they could.
We cannot build that for them. We can only create the environment and conditions for them to build it themselves.

At Poolesville Self Defense we talk about Becoming Battle Ready. That is more than a slogan.

It is what actually happens to the kids who stay long enough to find out what they are made of. They learn to manage discomfort without running from it. They learn to fail without falling apart. They learn that the struggle is not something to avoid, it is something to get better at.

That capacity does not stay on the mat. It follows them into the classroom, into friendships, into every hard moment life puts in front of them.

When they say they don’t want to come to class, bring them anyway.

When they say it’s too hard, remind them that hard is the point.

When they want to quit, give them one more class before you decide.

The mat lessons are life lessons. That is not a saying. It is what I have watched happen to every student who stayed long enough to find out.

See you on the mats.

Coach Mark
Poolesville Self Defense

09/06/2026

One year ago, I earned my Brazilian Jiujitsu Black Belt.

This was the longest goal I had ever chased after and I could have given up so many times.

I decided to write out all the times life gave me forks in the road to deal with and why I chose to not give up.

I think many of you who train will face one or more of these challenges at some point and have to make those same choices.

1. Building a family — Life got bigger. Time got smaller.
2. Career demands — Work repeatedly competed with training.
3. Multiple moves — Every move meant rebuilding my life and finding my place again.
4. Opening a gym — Building Poolesville Self Defense became a full-time responsibility.
5. Losing a 15-year career (2018) — Choosing the gym came with a huge professional cost.
6. Dislocated elbow — Two months into BJJ, at my first competition.
7. Psoriatic arthritis — A purple-belt diagnosis that changed what my body could handle.
8. Hip replacement (2021) — Suddenly questioning whether I’d ever train normally again.
9. Prosthetic hip infection — Recovery turned into a multiple year long fight.
10. Four hip surgeries — Repeatedly having to start over physically.
11. Four years of infection — Years of uncertainty, setbacks, and fighting to get healthy.
12. Nonstop antibiotics — A constant reminder that the battle wasn’t over.
13. Long periods off the mats — Watching the sport I loved instead of participating.
14. Age and physical limitations — Continuing has became harder as the years go on.
15. Self-doubt — Wondering whether the black belt was still possible.

And underneath all was the same question:

“Is it time to walk away?”

Every time, I found a reason to come back.

Our 5th team value is now:

Never Give Up.

My instructor, Mike Moses always said, “Mat lessons are life lessons.”

He’s 100% accurate.

Coach Mark

09/06/2026

The Poolesville Day Championship leaderboard just shifted.

Oliver Shay takes the lead (30 points). Tyler McKittrick holds steady at #2, just 1 match away from the 10-match minimum. But here’s the real story: Tommy Condac is climbing fast with 5 submissions already—halfway to the +10 bonus.

Evelyn MacAvoy? 7.00 average per match. She’s facing bigger opponents and the points show it. That’s striving for your A Game.

39 matches logged. 13 days left. Some kids need 3-5 more matches to compete. Others need 8-9.

Here’s what matters: You don’t need to win every match. You earn points for taking on the biggest challenges. Your top 10 scores count toward the final standings.

Win the Championship Belt on 9/19. Lead the Poolesville Day parade!

Get 10+ matches in by 9/18.

Mat skills are life skills.

09/04/2026

The Poolesville Day Championship leaderboard is LIVE!

Over 20 kids competing so far.
34 matches logged.
2 weeks to go.

Currently leading:
Tyler McKittrick (28 points) with Oliver Shay hot on his heels (23 points).
A three way tie for most submissions with 4.
Tommy Condac holding the fastest submission at 10.54 seconds.

But here's the real win: Kids earning bigger points for facing higher belt, older, or heavier opponents.

That's how we build champions and Jiujitsu that matters!

Get 10+ matches in by 9/18 to be in the final standings!

Winner leads the Poolesville Day parade and takes home the first ever Poolesville Self Defense Championship Belt.

09/01/2026

New season. New schedule. New energy.

Check out what's happening at Poolesville Self Defense this fall!

- New class schedule posted online and in the gym.
- BOOK your classes!
- Back to school special running through 9/30.
- Poolesville Champion training competition with the first ever PSD Championship Belt on the line.
- Adult promotions coming October 3rd.
- Family members: plus up your membership with gym equipment and our 100-workout training program.

Reach out to Coach Mark discuss.

Become Battle Ready.

Poolesville Self Defense |
240-418-2856 | psd.gymdesk.com

09/01/2026

TUESDAY SCHEDULE

4:30pm-5:15pm Talon Martial Arts (Ages 4-7)
5:30pm-6:15pm Talon Martial Arts (Ages 8-11)
6:15pm-7:00pm Black Belt Team Sport Jiujitsu class (invite only)
7:00pm-8:00pm Nogi Games Based Sparring (18+)

See you on the mats!

09/01/2026

**UPDATED FALL SCHEDULE**

Based on feedback from our parents, we have lived the start time 15 or 30 minutes for several classes.

Please book your classes and review the UPDATED start times!

Let’s have a great Fall!

Coach Mark

08/31/2026

POOLESVILLE SELF DEFENSE SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER

Back to School. Battle Ready.
School season is here!

It's the perfect time to get your kids trained in real skills, real confidence, and real community. We're offering a free 2-week trial and back-to-school special pricing through 9/19:

90 days unlimited training for $399 (normally $525), no enrollment fee. Family discounts available.

Ages 4 and up. Jiujitsu, Boxing, Thai Boxing, MMA, Wrestling, Self Defense.
psd.gymdesk.com/schedule |

240-418-2856

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POOLESVILLE DAY CHAMPION TRAINING COMPETITION

For the first time ever, we will be crowning a Poolesville Day Champion!

Our kids from 7-17 have been competing all month in our training competition (8/24-9/18).

Every match counts. Every win builds momentum. On September 18th, we'll announce the winner and present the first-ever PSD Championship Belt!

On September 19th, our champion will lead the Poolesville Day parade.

This is what battle ready looks like. Months of training. Real competition. Real recognition. Real leadership.

This isn’t about winning and losing; it is about taking on big challenges and earning rewards for facing them.

Standings will be updated weekly at Poolesville Self Defense. Follow us on Instagram or Poolesville Self Defense/Talon Jiujitsu on Facebook.

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OCTOBER 3: BJJ PROMOTIONS
Saturday, October 3rd, we're testing and promoting adult Jiujitsu students across all belt levels.

Mat skills are life skills.
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Contact us anytime.
Poolesville Self Defense
240-418-2856
20010 Fisher Ave, Suite F
Poolesville, MD 20010

Striving for your A Game is striving for mastery.

Poolesville& #039;s only martial arts studio. BJJ, Boxing, Thai Boxing, Self-Defense