Renagado Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

Friday Night. Advanced No-Gi.

A lot of people spend Friday night looking for a reason to skip training.

These athletes spent it sharpening their skills, helping their teammates improve, and getting a little better than they were yesterday.

Different ages. Different backgrounds. Different goals.

One team.

Proud of the room we’re building at Renagado BJJ.

No Masters. Only Mentors.

A coincidence… or a reminder?

This photo from an IBJJF tournament appeared in my Facebook Memories today.

The timing is funny because our Fundamentals classes this week have been focused entirely on the north-south position.

Five years ago, I was using north-south in competition.

This week, we’re helping students understand:
✅ How to maintain control from north-south
✅ Common attacks from the position
✅ How to escape when someone has you pinned there

One thing I’ve learned after decades of training and coaching is that fundamentals win. The positions that show up at the highest levels of competition are often the same positions beginners need to understand first.

The basics don’t become less important as you advance.

You just become better at them.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, this is exactly the kind of practical, real-world training we focus on every week.

Congratulations to full-time plumber, husband, father of two, former rock musician and current Team Choke-U/Renagado Brazilian Jiu-jitsu purple belt Joe Blazer.

Joe collected two bronze medals at the North American Masters Championship in Long Beach, California, yesterday. On the way to the podium he hit two of his favorite sweeps from lasso guard and submitted one of his opponents with a triangle choke.

“Competition rounds are different when there’s a goal on the calendar. 🔥

Tonight in the Renagado Competition & Strategy Lab, part of the room focused on helping Sophia Foyer prepare for her super fight this weekend at the Nitro Fight event in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

One of the best things about a strong training room is seeing teammates come together to sharpen timing, pressure, reactions, and confidence before competition day. Every round becomes intentional. Every detail matters.

Proud of the work Sophia is putting in and the way the team rallied around her tonight. Let’s go represent. 👊

This is part of Jiu-Jitsu too.

Not just rounds, techniques, or competition prep. The conversations after class. The friendships built over hard training. The feeling that you actually belong in the room.

For a lot of adults, that matters more than they expected when they first walked in.

No coach. No lecture. No “move of the day.”

Just three students staying after class to solve a problem together.

That’s real Jiu-Jitsu culture. Not memorization. Not collecting techniques. Learning how to think under pressure, communicate, experiment, and sharpen each other.

This is what advanced training should look like.

“No Masters. Only Mentors.”

“Fundamentals” doesn’t mean easy.
It means learning the right habits, building real skill, and having fun while doing it.

Tonight’s No-Gi Fundamentals class at Renagado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu featured plenty of technique, problem solving, and a lot of smiles on the mats.

One of the best parts of Jiu-Jitsu is that it gives people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to train together, learn together, and grow together. Some nights are hard rounds. Some nights are moments like this.

That’s the culture we’re building at Renagado. No egos. No intimidation. Just good people helping each other improve.

🥋 Adult & Kids Classes
📍 Valparaiso, Indiana
📩 Message us to try a class or ask about our 3-Class Discovery Pass.

THROWBACK THURSDAY — 2023 IBJJF Houston Open

Three years ago I competed at the IBJJF Houston Open and was fortunate to come home with gold in the gi and double gold in no-gi.

But the older I get, the less I think the medals are the important part.

What matters more is:

* continuing to test yourself
* continuing to learn
* continuing to step into uncomfortable situations
* continuing to improve even when nobody is forcing you to

Most adults stop challenging themselves physically somewhere along the way.

Jiu-jitsu gives you a way to keep growing.

That’s one of the biggest reasons I still train, compete, and teach today.

At Renagado, I want to build an environment where people can chase improvement for years — whether that means competing, getting in shape, learning self-defense, or simply becoming harder to break mentally and physically.

And honestly… I still love this stuff as much as ever.