Tag: Jiu Jitsu

This is a quick highlight of yesterday's evening class with Head Instructor Chris Stolzman drilling everybody on open guard passes. Notice the nice "cartwheel" that Morrison Butler (white Gi, brown belt) pulls on Leo Saraceni (blue gi, blue belt).

Below you'll see the first two videos of an exclusive KnuckleUp Fitness series with Head Instructor Kazeka - these two relate jiu jitsu and self-defense in 2 escapes from the good-old Headlock:

The first video shows how to defend a headlock choke

And the second video shows how to keep from being punched in the face and defend the headlock.

We've got a ton of videos from master Kazeka coming up soon - just as we have a ton of videos of Chris Stolzman's classes coming up soon as well.

Our Outer Banks jiu jitsu class has been filling up almost every day, and we'll soon start an advanced class, according to instructor Stolzman's criteria.

Stay tuned for more videos and more news. And dont forget...

Sign up on the right to get a full week of BJJ free

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Tags: bjj, chris stolzman, Jiu Jitsu, knuckleup fitness, outer banks

The New Jiu Jitsu Program Introduces Students To The "Smooth Art"

Along with the winter schedule came a highly anticipated Jiu Jitsu program, and 2 weeks into the course, it's already creating newfound fans in the gym. BJJ classes have been getting more and more students that seem to enjoy both the mental and physical challenges created by this intelligent art.

Master Chris Stolzman applying a choke during class

The new program has been on the plans since August, but it wasn't until master Chris Stolzman arrived that it really took off. Stolzman is an renowned brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, having well over 9 years of experience in BJJ. He is getting ready to implement the official USA Jiu Jitsu curriculum this coming week, after testing each student's experience level.

Before, students would receive a challenging mix of Wrestling, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu instruction in a manner more consistent with MMA - wearing only rashguards and shorts - no special garment. The MMA instruction would extend beyond Jiu Jitsu to simulate a more realistic situation and to help students that had upcoming fights.

According to Chris, however, when BJJ is practiced without GI most of the technique is compromised because students get slippery from sweat very quickly. And contrary to popular belief, it does not prepare for real life situations because in the case of an altercation, participants would always be wearing clothes.

A great deal of students have already tried this brand new style and are getting used to wearing the GI (also called Kimono) during class. They also enjoy the powerful workout - BJJ works abs, arms, legs, and back - without high-impact of joint strain.

Give Master Chris Stolzman a call today to schedule a free week of training - 404-247-5494

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Tags: bjj, bjj classes, brazilian jiu jitsu, Jiu Jitsu, jiu jitsu training, jiujitsu outer banks

Charlie Craddock, 1st Place Absolute and 2nd Place In His Category

KnuckleUp Brazilian jiu jitsu and MMA student Charlie Craddock dominated The Good Fight tournament in Virginia Beach on August 29th.

Charlie conquered first place in the Absolute No-Gi Beginner division (Absolute means there's no weight categories - fighters can compete against heavier or lighter opponents) which is in itself a major accomplishment.

But he went on to win 2nd place on his weight category (177-179lbs) in the beginners division as well.

And Charlie is one of the few fighters that actually respects the beginner requirements (less than one year of training) - most competitors forget their time on the mat when signing up.

The entire KnuckleUp team is very proud of Charlie for these two major wins. He's a dedicated student, and comes to the jiu jitsu classes even when he's supposed to start his shift right after.

As you can see in the picture to the left, Charlie is a really strong athlete, which is a huge advantage, but his technique is quickly catching up, as the competitors at the Good Fight tournament noticed.

To Charlie, our most sincere congratulations - you deserved it!

Here are the videos of Charlie's final fights in Virginia Beach:

The Absolute Division Final (Charlie's got the dark rash guard)

The 177-179Lbs category final:

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Tags: bjj, brazilian jiu jitsu, Jiu Jitsu, jiu jitsu tournament, knuckleup bjj, virginia beach bjj

Sean Spangler (left) and Leo Saraceni after exclusive class 6/18

On Wednesday, the 17th, and Thursday, the 18th, KnuckleUp had the honor to welcome Sean Spangler on the mat.

Sean taught an exclusive seminar on Wednesday, for a group of intermediate and advanced fighters, and left each one of them impressed with the technique and effectiveness of his teaching.

In Las Vegas, where Sean spends most of his time, he trains with Robert Drysdale and a team of high-caliber professionals.

Sean brought to the seminar strong, proven drills, and shared with the students how to take basic moves to perfection by focusing on flawless execution.

His execution of the rear-naked choke is close to flawless, and according to him, the secret is knowing when and where to apply energy.

Sean is not the heaviest fighter on the mat (aprox 180lbs), but controls heavier and stronger opponents utilizing a rather suave style of jiu-jitsu that relies on focused pressure application instead of raw strength. When teaching a defense to the inside-guard arm bar, Sean explained how to control your opponent's hip movement as well as leg pressure, which allowed for a much more efficient defense against stronger opponents.

Here are some pictures of the Thursday class:

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Tags: bjj outer banks, Jiu Jitsu, KnuckleUp, sean spangler