Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training

Hey folks,

we are offering classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at a club called KS Gym near Goethe Platz (Zenettistraße 48). More information can be found here:

http://www.ks-gym.de

You can always stop by and take a free class before you join. The people training there are a lot of fun, no egos, no thugs. We also have an English speaking instructor (me) to help you over any language barriers. So come over and get your lazy butts moving!

See ya there,
Niels

Got a parent-child class?

Unfortunately we don't.

Price?

I may be interested. I don't speak German and I have a few questions that may already have been answered on your site... nevertheless here goes:
How many adults train in a typcial session?
Is this course accredited with any body?
Is it mostly grappling... what about throws, strikes, pad work etc?

Many thanks for your answers.

I have some questions too, also not answered on your site (I think):

1. how similar is it to traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu? Is it similar to any traditional Japanese style, e.g. Yoshinryu?
2. do you do weapon training (for example sword etc)?
3. will it hurt (that is, do I need to increase my insurance)?

The last question is important for me. I don't want to do any full or semi-contact sparring - I could go back to Karate for that. But I am keen to train again in an effective self-defense method. Just in case I spill someone's pint in The Arc.

ThePosterWithNoNunchukas<sup>*

* Actually I do have Nunchukas. And a rather scary martial arts dagger. They were a birthday present. Not sure why.</sup>

As far as I know, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was created by the Gracie brothers. I've heard it's pretty hardcore.. but can't remember who I heard that from. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu_jitsu - worth reading in case Niels doesn't have time to get back to you straight away.

Thanks UA.

From the Wiki article it does seem rather hardcore. Also very keen on ground-work; I'm more a "kick em in the nuts then run walk away" sort of fighter. Though I have no objection to inflicting arm locks and throws.

Then why not start one?

Alright, I haven't checked this forum in a few days but now I'm back. Here are the answers to your questions:

- Price is 39 € for a 12 month contract or 43 € for a 6 month contract. There is also a 20 € enrollment fee.

- The group is relatively new (started 2 months ago), and so far we have about 12 students in total. The number of people in attendance varies and has a lot to do with the sun shining or not, I think ;-) Today, we were 6 people on the mat.

- We are a member of Team Jorge Gurgel, a very successful American BJJ and MMA Team. Team Jorge Gurgel has several people fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, regularly places high at NAGA and other huge grappling tournaments, as well as in local MMA events. With about 350 students in the US it is one of the biggest and most well known teams in the States.

- We do mostly grappling (groundwork and some throws). Today, we actually did some basic MMA stlye clinch fighting (closing the distance, single underhooks, takedowns etc.) and maybe we'll expand on that in the future. But the focus is definitly on grappling.

- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is not very similar to any traditional Jiu Jitsu style I know, except for Judo (if you consider that a Jiu Jitsu style).

- We do not train weapons.

- BJJ does rarely hurt BUT is very exhausting. It is basically a fun way of getting in shape, learning functional self defense while having a blast with friends. That's at least my definition of it ;-)

- We seldomly spar with strikes but "wrestle" a lot. This seems counterintuitive but is actually a very functional way of attaining "alive" skills that translate into real fighting (as proven by countless MMA fighters who do this kind of sparring a lot). If you want to find out more about this, search for "Royce Gracie" on You Tube. He was the first to make this kind of fighting popular.

About the Arc and the spilling thing: Tell Jason (the owner) to buy the guy a new beer instead of spending all his money on Sambuca at the Euro Hotel Bar ;-) The nunchaks actually reminded me of "Napoleon Dynamite" - has anyone seen that movie? It's great, especially after a few beer and / or Sambucas ;-)

Thanks @ Angel for the link, that is a very accurate description, as far as I can see.

About the kicking and walking away part: That is easier said than done, from my experience. "Ground happens", actually it happens a lot, and than you better know how to deal with it. But that is just my honest opinion, I really don't want to offend anyone. I would just recommend checking it out.

A parent-child class might not be too successful, from a business point of view. BJJ is more geard towards adults, since it does include some dangerous techniques like joint locks, choke holds etc. I personally recommend Judo for kids, they love it. I actually used to teach Judo for kids, but as I said, right know I'm more focusing on BJJ for adults.

I hope that answers all your questions. Feel free to ask more, I'm always happy to talk about my favorite sport ;-)

Best,

Niels

Thansk Niels.

So are the terms in Japanese or Brazilian? Ichi ni san or um dois três? Koshi guruma or ... something else? Just curious.

How come it is cheaper for a yearly contract than one for a 6 month one?

most gyms and sports clubs offer a 'cheaper' yearly rate because they would like you to be a member for 12 rather than just 6 months.

But it makes no sense. Even if you wanted to only do 6 months of training then you may as well pay the yearly fee and not turn up for the last 6.

@ sleepless

What planetmoni said. From what I understand it is also about being able to plan / calculate ahead of time. If you have a core of long term students you can estimate your profits and expenses a lot easier. But I do not make the prices, I'm just the instructor there, the club actually belongs to someone else.

@ UA
The terms are mostly in English actually. Since BJJ only became popular after its success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship it is highly influenced by the American scene. But there are still a few techniques with Portuguese names (like "omoplata").

Important:
There is no training on Easter sunday!

Alright, I'll be happy to answer any other questions you might have. Bring 'em on ;-)

Niels

ttt

ttt for a great sport ;-)

to the top

Hi Niels, im new in this forum ( this is actually my first post here ) and I am very interested in joining the class. Ive been living in Munich for 1 month. Ill be heading there for more information. See ya!

Ive just seen the videos of Gracie... Jesus is it me or did he take down people who almost doubled his size? I was thinking of joinin "kickboxen" here in munich but now I know im interested in THIS.

Hey M,

Yes, Royce Gracie is da bomb ;-) Just come over to the gym and check it out! Here is a cool video of Royce for the rest of you:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_vGVKMPs-fs

@ all:

We have added a new class time on Thursdays at 8:30 pm !!! Sundays at 5:30 pm is going to be an "open mat" thing from now on, for sparring, drilling etc. Hope to see you all there!

Best,

Niels

Hey, I was there last Sunday. I was the guy with the green shirt that stayed watching the class... the spanish dude!

Im sorry I couldnt come on Tuesday, its just that I havent signed the contract yet for various reasons:

1. I still havent received my bank account card ( with the number ).

2. I just moved to my cousins husband friend's house, and im currently looking for a job to be able to pay the classes.

3. I think that when I come there ( Sunday or Tuesday at the very latest ) im going to change my contract to 6 months just in case I go for summer vacations on june or so.

Right now im beginning a new life by my own, and its been a rough start... I need to find a part time job enough to pay my food, german courses, gym and BJJ AND of course a job which wont disturb the BJJ classes schedule. Lets see if I manage to do it... I really hope so.

The class I though looked very cool, though it seemed like most of the guys were exhausted at the end, specially the blond guy his face was red xD... im used to working out intensively at the gym, but thats more of an anaerobic type of exercise... im gonna get tired too soon at the first classes and I bet ill get my ass beaten too.

Anyways im really looking forward to learn this sport, it looks like a lot of fun. Hope I manage to do so!

See ya!

Hey M,

I'm looking forward to you training with us. Just take care of these things so that you have your head free and can really enjoy your BJJ experience. And I guarantee you, it is going to be a good workout ;-) See you in class!

Best,

Niels

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know that I teach at a new gym near Goetheplatz now that also offers excellent Muay Thai Boxing instruction. The URL is:

www.ks-gym.de

This should be especially interesting for people who are into MMA. You can of course still take a free class anytime to check it out. Right now, class times are Wednesdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm. But we will soon add a third class time.

One more thing: We only do 2 months contracts, so unlike most schools, we don't require you to make a financial long term commitement, when you don't know yet if the sport is for you. Let me know if you have any more questions, and I hope to see you on the mat :-)

Best,

Niels

Hi Niels,

I'm curious to know how the teaching process generally goes. Formal, regimented, learn as you go, something else? I'm currently training Aikido (in the very traditional Japanese style), and expect that there would be a huge difference in the approach to training/learning. In a given class, what is the split between building specific skills vs competitive grappling vs fitness?

I have some interest in the program you're running as an addition to (contrast to) Aikido and can see it working with the training times and flexible contract you are offering. A couple of brief insights or an informative link concerning training methodology would be enough so that I can get an idea of what to expect before jumping in.

Thanks,
Todd

I'd love to do a martial art but it looks kinda scary from this website. I never even know that gym existed even though it's round the corner from my house. What kinda mix of people/levels do you have?

I don't want to speak for Niels...but, in my experience with BJJ there is nothing to be scared or intimidated by. The people are typically very friendly and eager to share the sport. As long as you are attentive and have some determination, you can learn the basics quite quickly. You will be "rolling" before you know it. Also, it is awesome for getting in shape. I trained for about 3-4 months in Chicago before moving to Germany. There was a guy in my newbie classes who was quite overweight; he lost something like 60 pounds in the matter of four months.

Not to mention the fact that BJJ can be a really fun sport...and, as a bonus, it teaches you self-defense skills which are very useful in the unfortunate event of a physical altercation (e.g. fighting off your back, taking an aggressor down, applying chokes/locks, etc.). Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is much more practical for a street fight, as it focuses on teaching you ground skills (where 90% of fights end up). Only a limited amount of time is spent on "stand-up" skills (e.g. punching, kicking, throws, etc.) which are focused on in arts such as Taekwondo, Karate, Aikido, Judo, etc.

I plan on training at ks when I move to Munich in September/October.

Cheers,

Chris

I did Jui-Jitsu in England with the NSJJA for years and absolutely loved it.
There is really nothing to be frightened of as a newcomer, as you are taught everything you need to know right from the beginning.
I had lots of fun, and also enjoyed the social element of the sport :-)
To anyone who is vaguely interested, I would recommend that they go along and give it a try!

Niels,
I don´t know if I´ve missed it, but is there the opportunity to do a "probestunde" or two???

That is just a myth made up to promote the sport. BJJ is a good martial art and all but stats and quotes like that just aren't true and end up sounding more like a fake sales pitch.

Hey guys,

I second the previous posters, BJJ is very much about getting a fun workout with a great group of people. We have people from all walks of life: Students, IT experts, policemen, business people etc. It's a very friendly and supportive environment, you'll make many new friends =) As for the format: We do a functional warm up first, that already incorporates sport specific movements. Afterwards we do 2-3 techniques, and then some resistance drilling. Then it is lots of sparring (don't worry, it is exhausting but doesn't hurt) and then a different fitness regimen every class. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have anymore questions.

And of course: You can stop by anytime and take a free class! Our class times:

Tuesday 8 pm
Thursday 6 pm
Sunday 4 pm

Talk to you all soon!

Niels