Fitting into your BJJ School

One of the hardest parts of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is fitting into your BJJ school. This list is here to help you recognize all of the diverse students you will encounter at most Academies around the world.  Now, since there are generally no “cookie cutter†students, this list may slightly vary but it should give a good summation of most schools.

The New Student

This student has probably only been a part of the school for less than 2 months. They are still a bit shy around other students and may even seem a bit lost. The ones that have been at the school for less than a month will still have that look on their face like they don’t know what they got themselves into. This is normal, they are still in the process of fitting into their BJJ School. They typically are the one that is wandering around the room trying to make a connection with other students.

The Hobbyist

Every school has them, in fact, with the popularity of BJJ, the Hobbyist Student is becoming more prevalent. They are the student that comes to class once or twice a week.  Everyone is friends with them. They do not really study BJJ outside of the academy but still love class when they are there. Typically they will be the student who is a Blue Belt and has been training as long as some of the Purple Belts. The hobbyist is a key student in the academy. They are the ones that tend to bond quickest with The New Student and help them transition into what kind of BJJ Student they will be. They have no problem fitting into your bjj school because everyone likes them and they have their place on the mats.

The BEAST

This is the student that seems to tap everyone. They could be the nicest person off of the mats and the other students like them, but The Beast is the Purple or Brown Belt that nobody can seem to do anything to and goes through everyone else. They tend to be the guy that doesn’t compete that much but absolutely loves BJJ. They are always studying and taking notes. They are the last one off of the mats at the end of the night and never make excuses.

The Competitor

Not everyone will fit this description. This student lives and breathes Jiu-Jitsu Competitions. When they train they keep track of positional points in their head. They are always getting ready for their next tournament, and sometimes will also fit the bill of THE BEAST that we just talked about. They aren’t always the highest ranked student in the room either, usually a younger Blue or Purple Belt will fit this description.

The Seasoned Veteran

This is the rarest of students. The older Brown or Black Belt in the room that has seen it all.  They have been there and done that, and held every role in the academy. They are usually one of the instructors on staff at the school. Do not let their role as the Seasoned Veteran fool you though. They are still tough as nails and ready to keep the younger and newer students in line. They tend to be the instructors right hand man or close to it and they command a lot of respect from the other students.

These are just a few of the different types of students you will encounter while fitting into your BJJ school. There is nothing that says you have to be any specific one of them, and who is to say you can’t be each of them during your journey through Jiu-Jitsu. Just get on the mats and enjoy BJJ for the amazing art that it is.

Savarese BJJ

Call Today to start your BJJ Journey. 201 933-5134

5 reasons to enroll your child Martial Arts

Listed below are 5 reasons to enroll your child in Martial Arts. Hopefully they help you on making the decision to go with Kids Martial Arts to help your child.

Strengthens your bond with your child.

One of my favorite parts of teaching the kids program is seeing how excited kids are after class. Especially when they go talk to their parents about what they learned. After we all bow out for the end of the training session, they run to the parents with huge smiles. In addition, they start filling them in on how good they did in class. The look on parent’s faces when this happen is priceless, they see that their child is having a great time, and almost immediately start seeing the benefits of having them in the program. In turn, you will be excited to bring your child. You will wait anxiously to hear from them about how their day was, and what they accomplished.

New Encounters.

We have children in our academy from all over Bergen and Hudson Counties. Chances are, outside of the training room, the kids would have never met. From the moment your child joins our Kids Martial Arts Program, they will begin to make many new friends. They will have the opportunity to encounter kids from different schools, and many of them spend time together outside of class. For kids who have a hard time making new friends, this in invaluable.

Physical Fitness

Let’s face it; the world is not what it was when we were kids. The frequency of kids being outside and being active is lower than it was back then. Schools are not as focused on Physical Fitness as they once were and now with video games as accessible as they are, kids do not want to be outside. Childhood obesity is at an all-time high, and the lack of emphasis on Physical Fitness is one of the main reasons for this. Every class at the academy incorporates physical fitness into the curriculum and the kids will even participate in a Physical Fitness Challenge 3 times a year.

Overcoming Fears

Starting a journey into any Martial Arts Program, can be a scary one. The kids do not know what to expect and can sometimes be very nervous. Getting them onto the mats for the first time is a huge step towards teaching them how to overcome and conquer their fears. Through the lessons taught in our academy, your child will be able to face fears in all walks of life, from taking big tests in school, to interacting with new kids, and even playing other sports. Leadership traits will begin to shine through when their fears go away and you will see a stronger more confident child emerge right in front of you.

Self-Defense

In conclusion, the number one reason parents enroll their child in Martial Arts is for self-defense. They want their child to be able to hold their own in case they ever are in a physical altercation. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the number one Martial Art for Self-Defense. Your child will learn how to assess a situation, stay calm, and react the appropriate way. Above all else, they will know how to avoid conflict and resolve dangerous situations without having to be physical with an aggressor. The best means to defend yourself is knowing when to walk away.

About Savarese BJJ

Did you enjoy these 5 reasons to enroll your child in Martial Arts? If you live in Hudson or Bergen County and want to start your child in an award winning school, call us today at  201 933-5134. We will set them up for a FREE, NO OBLIGATION CLASS.

Lyndhurst martial artist wins “Instructor of the year”

Lyndhurst martial artist Professor Chris Savarese was presented with the Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Association Instructor Of The Year Award. Lovato Association head Rafael Lovato Jr presented Savarese with the prestigious award thursday night at Savarese’s Academy. Because this covers all of the Lovato schools across the United States and Canada, over 30 in all, the award is quite an honor.

First, Lovato, the 4x World BJJ Champion, recognized the talent in the Savarese Academy’s room and the hard work of the instructors and Professor Savarese. Also, Lovato spoke movingly of the success the school had through a personal health battle Savarese had encountered. Most noteworthy is that Savarese did not forego his teaching duties. Finally, he presented Savarese with the Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Association Instructor Of The Year Award.

Due to the fact it was presented at his Academy, Savarese was very touched and honored. In addition to the Lovato Jiu-Jitsu association having some amazing, world class instructors, Savarese has a great deal of respect for them. Hence, everyone at Savarese BJJ is very honored to represent the association.

Rafael Lovato Jr Lyndhurst NJ seminar

Since Oklahoma City’s Lovato came to train at and teach a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seminar at the Savarese Academy, over 60 students were in attendance.

Lovato taught some useful concepts for any BJJ practitioner. Framing defenses from the guard that can be useful in other positions as well started off the seminar. Next up came the finer details of the passing, mount attacks and submissions. These details have been working well for him in competition for the past year. Teaching concepts and not just moves made it a true teaching seminar. Students at the Academy called it one of their favorites that Lovato has done here.

Finally, thank you to Professor Lovato and everyone for a great night of learning Jiu-Jitsu.

In conclusion, do you live in the Bergen, Passaic or Essex county areas and want to learn jiu-jitsu? Call the Savarese team at 201 933-5134 for a free trial lesson.

Lyndhurst martial artist wins Instructor of the Year

Lyndhurst martial artist wins Instructor of the Year

Savarese BJJ students split NJBJJF Absolute championship

Students of the Savarese BJJ Academy split NJBJJF Absolute championship last Saturday in Homdel NJ. “Handsome” Mark Garcia and 16 yr old Leo Alves, both won 3 matches to advance to the finals of the tournament. The New Jersey Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (NJBJJF) Summer Open was held among close to 50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools in across the tri-state area and from schools from Maryand and Delaware. Absolute divisions are the most prestigious to win because the Absolute division has no weight limit. Garcia and Alves decided to split the division instead of teammates fighting. This is a common occurrence in BJJ when teammates make the finals of a tournament that doesn’t have a monetary prize. Making their victories even more impressive was the fact that the 2 were the lightest in the division.

Garcia is a real up and comer on the tournament scene. Mark also won his division at the NY Open, the toughest East Coast toughest each year. Look out for Mark in the future.

Alves is also becoming a big name on the tournament scene. Savarese Jiu-Jitsu has 3 teenagers (Alves and fellow teammates Sean Yadimarco and Ariana Zeppetelli) who have consistently fought in adult division over the past year and won gold medals vs adults. Each of them had excellent showings in the World BJJ Championship in CA in July. Winning an adult Absolute title at only 16 yrs old is a major accomplishment for Alves.

NJBJJF Tournament

Fernando Sarmiento, a BJJ blackbelt, created the NJBJJF tournament in 2008. This Federation was established to bring the best competition in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to New Jersey.  The mission of the NJBJJF is to bring together those academies, teams and individuals searching for a traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu championship and help spread our art.

The rules used in this event follow the traditional rules utilized by the IBJJF. NJBJJF’s greatest objective is to preserve the integrity of the competitors and to give our spectators a true show.

Anyone interested in joining the Savarese BJJ Academy, call 201 933-5134 to set up a free intro class.

Last weekend, four students were promoted at Savarese Jiu Jitsu Academy in Lyndhurst. The Park Ave Academy holds it’s competition class (Blitz) every Saturday. All four were promoted after the hour long competition type training by Professor Chris Savarese, the school’s owner.

Brian Earns His Second Brown Belt Stripe

Longtime student Brian Procel received a 2nd stripe on his Brown Belt. Procel is coming off an excellent showing at the 2016 IBJJF World Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship in Long Beach California where he won one of his matches by choke in 29 seconds against a very seasoned competitor from the West Coast. His competitor had already won multiple tournaments across the nation this year, but Procel persevered. Brian has been doing well himself during this competition year medaling at a couple of different tournaments. I’m looking forward to see what the rest of the year has in store for him.

Eric Estevez was promoted to the 1st stripe on his Purple Belt. Eric has been training BJJ for 6 years and is one of the most committed students in the school. He is at class almost every day trying to improve and has one of the best guards at the Academy. Eric has also jumped into the competition scene this year for the first time, testing himself in an effort to improve his skills.

Danny “DRod” Rodrigues also received the 1st stripe on his Purple Belt. Danny is a great learner and follower of the program at Savarese BJJ. There is no doubt that he is headed for blackbelt one day because he is slowly improving every week by following the curriculum, especially on the passing end. Most lightweights his size just train their bottom game and practice their guard 90% of the time. Not him.

Eric Earns His First Purple Belt Stripe

He is very well rounded, one of the better guys I’ve seen in that regard. He isn’t uncomfortable in any position. We are excited to see where he will be in 2 years.

Henry Talasans received his 3rd stripe on his White Belt. Henry is already showing signs of having an excellent submission game from his closed guard and is improving every day because of the consistency of his training.