Pain….that is what kids feel when being teased or bullied.

The delivery of pain by other kids is something that is getting worse with time. With parents busy trying to make a living, or too busy with their careers, children are defenseless when encountering bullies.

Mental toughness is derived in various forms. One of the quickest ways is to have your child take the martial arts, but martial arts that work. Because, one day, they will be tested and your child will have to defend themselves.

Once the bullies are on alert, they will pick another victim.

A OC Jiu Jitsu and MMA, we teach your child how to be tough and teach them physical skills that work. With time, they will become more confident and learn to ignore the taunts and teasing by others. We teach self defense, and only teach students who will use it wisely. We get the bullies, but they don’t last long since our classes are full of students that they would pick on.

If you think our martial arts do not work, go watch the UFC. That is what we teach but in a structured and gentle way.

We are starting to see kids who are victims of bullying. Bullying comes in many forms, and the one form that is the greatest  is the verbal one. This is the constant teasing and taunting that kids get from others, and if your child does not have the physical skills to handle himself, then the insecurity just grows.

We developed a program where your child will learn a complete martial arts system: this system will teach your child to feel empowered, and able to defend themselves in their mind and body. What we don’t encourage is the display of their martial arts ability, but the philosophy of walking away, knowing that they could easily defeat the bully.

For those few seconds, your child’s life could change. Just enroll your child and buy cheap insurance for their future well being.

I see many martial arts academies that advertise that they teach life skills, discipline, and respect. I find it amazing, that many people believe this can be accomplished 2-3 times a week for an hour each session.

Life skills, discipline and respect is taught by the parents not by the martial arts academies. If you believe that the martial arts academies can, then I have a snow hut to sell you at a great discount.

At OC Jiu Jitsu and MMA, we can teach your child skills that they can use for the rest of their life. These are real and practical self defense skills that can help them cope with the fights (that every kids gets into once or twice before college) that they may encounter.

Think of us as cheap insurance that will help them prepare for something (school bullying or fights) that could change their life. I still remember my schools fights and wish I had martial arts training at that time.

Steven Kroesen, OC Jiu Jitsu and MMA student, recently won his weight division in the NoGi division at the last NAGA championships in Las Vegas. Top winners won a samurai sword which Steven is proudly displaying with his instructor Roger de Freitas.

Steven trains 6 days a week. Hard work does pay off. While other martial arts schools have 2 or 3 kid classes a week, OC Jiu Jitsu and MMA has the most comprehensive MMA program for kids. The California Pankration Association (MMA for kids) holds class at the academy every Sunday at 12pm.

One of Steven’s other instructors is World Abu Dhabi Champion Rani Yahya. How many kids have an opportunity to train with top level competitors? Usually it is with a blue belt instructor with under 1 year of training.

The road to a black belt is a hard journey. Many Brazilian black belts joke that you will lose a couple of body parts to get there. Well, I have suffered many injuries (some serious) and have vowed that it will not happen at OC Jiu Jitsu and MMA.

There is always a smarter way to approach problems - it depends where your vantage point is. Peering from the black belt, I know that more technical training, a slower introduction to free training, and  analysis can circumvent any need for constant hard and injury prone training.

What is the goal? If you want to be the baddest fighter in the world, you have a very long journey. It is only a journey of satisfying your ego since there is really no financial rewards.

Some students, like many other students at other academies, gauge their progress on who they beat that day.  This day-to-day progression will lead to humiliation (yes you will get tapped by a lower belt and it is normal), frustration, and finally, that student will quit in the end.

So what is the goal of getting a black belt? Like anything else in life, it is about not quitting and accomplishing that goal. Whether it is in business or life, accomplishing goals is a powerful way to succeed in life. Having caring instructors can also help with that journey.

It is our goal to help you attain a black belt, but not to compromise your life.

Once upon a time Royce Gracie dominated the UFC with his BJJ skills. That was a long time ago and he was easily defeated by Matt Hughes (not a BJJ specialist (but who passed his guard like butter)) who got clobbered by George St. Pierre.

Many people (even in BJJ) refuse to acknowledge the evolution of MMA fighting. That is ok - since they will never make it in MMA.

Today, the student of the martial arts should look to revise his skills and keep up with the current changes. I know the old argument - “You are breaking tradition” and “This is a phase”. Tell that to the  MMA fighters who are forced to revise their skills and practice wrestling, judo, muay thai, bjj, catch wrestling, and etc.,

If someone is telling you differently then you are being brainwashed. Just don’t test those skills - you will be humiliated.

The philosophy of Jiu Jitsu has been lost in the US. Many people believe that Jiu Jitsu is Brazilian, but it is actually Japanese. The philosophical teachings of Jiu Jitsu has not been revived since it has been passed down from Maeda in the early 1900’s.

Like many other Asian martial arts, jiu jitsu shares some interesting traits.

In this country, Jiu Jitsu has been overshadowed with the concept of only winning ( by tapping your opponent). Once ego is involved, the art ceases to inhabit that person. Many students drop out of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since their frustration of being tapped becomes too overwhelming. Students believe that tapping their opponent defines them at that moment - and it is, at best, a hollow victory. Focusing on winning preoccupies the student with using the same techniques - any chance of experimenting with new ones takes a backseat.

Jiu Jitsu has many benefits. It can teach you the process of trial and error. Transfering these skills into business, and dealing with many failures (like tapping) can help you patiently reach that point of success.

More importantly, to keep moving and going with the flow of strength can help you become more flexible in life and business.

Unfortunately, there are too many academies where the person is defined by their daily victories. Unless that student trains to become a professional fighter, his losses will always be a source of frustration than a learning experience.

The martial arts is an evolving, organic style that lends itself to the creative and bold. Bruce Lee changed the face of the martial arts by using techniques borrowed from other styles. I guess you can call him the first MMA specialist, but he took an American approach to a “traditional” art. MMA is the newest art, and is the superior one (hate to tell that to the traditionalists)

People who usually frown on the “new thing”, are the ones who don’t understand the dynamics of life. I once had a surgeon, five years ago, laugh about the internet when I discussed it with him. Too bad the surgeon didn’t have the brains of the founders of Google, Yahoo, Amazon - should I go on? And yes, they are about 1,000 times richer and smarter as well.

Like anything else, you have to keep swimming to survive and stay sharp. If you don’t accept that life changes, then be prepared to be passed by.

Hope you like to wave.

The last UFC exemplified the need to become well rounded. George St. Pierre easily defeated Matt Hughes using Judo throws, strikes, and submission finishes.

It can’t become any clearer than reality. If you think you can defend yourself with one style, then prepare to accept defeat, and get hurt. It can’t become any clearer.

Brainwashing takes all forms and clouds the picture of how to get things done. Tae Kwon Do kicks with jeans (forget it), BJJ taking the fight to the ground (well, you have to get there first and deal with the strikes in the meantime).

Think realistically and practically. The 1% chance of getting in a confrontation can change your life forever.

We went through reconstruction at the school and classes will resume on Wednesday January 2. Three of our instructors will be back from the holidays.