5 reasons to enroll your child in Martial Arts

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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.

5 students promoted at Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu Academy

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5 students promoted at Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu Academy

5 students promoted at Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu Academy on saturday after a live training session. Lyndhurst’s Savarese BJJ Academy, led by 2nd degree blackbelt Professor Chris Savarese, promoted Anthony Del Guercio, Andrew Zeppetelli, Babatunde Ojo, Ariana Zeppetelli and Kayla Zeppetelli.

2 Teens promoted

First, Ariana Zeppetelli, who is one of the instructors of the Academy’s “women’s only” classes, received the 4th stripe on her bluebelt from Professor Savarese. Zeppetelli, at only 17 yrs old, is one of the most technical students in the entire school. Efficiency comes easy to her because of her great focus in class and her drilling to perfection. Rank or size doesn’t matter, she can hang with anyone in the training room. Therefore, Professor Savarese says she is one of the few teenagers he has taught over the years who understands that repetition is the key to success. Futhermore, everyone at Savarese Jiu-Jitsu looks forward to she how great she is in 5 years.

Another to be promoted was Babtunde Ojo, who received the 1st stripe on his bluebelt. Ojo helps out with the kids program and is improving rapidly over the last couple of months. Very eager to learn, he even takes notes in kids classes if he doesn’t know the techniques Professor Sean is teaching. Therefore, we say to look out for this kid in 2017, I think a huge jump in coming for him

Upperbelts Promoted

Also promoted was Anthony Del Guercio, who received the 2nd stripe on his brownbelt. A laywer by trade, he works long hours every day but still is one of the most dedicated students we have, training almost every night and still testing himself through competition. Consequently, we believe a blackbelt at our Academy is definitely in his future. Also, he is one of the top students in our Academy and an instructor of Fundamentals classes.

Andrew Zeppetelli received the first stripe on his purple belt from Professor Savarese. Due to being is one of the most dedicated and hardest workers in the Academy, purplebelt was an easy decision. In addition to working 15 hour days at his job, he still finds time to train 4 times a week and is one of the top self defense students. He is a great example to his children, who also train the the school. Finally, he is a true model of consistency, never missing more than a week since he started.

Kids get promoted too

Finally, Kayla Zeppetelli received the 1st stripe on her yellow belt. The kids program’s top student, she routinely trains with the adults, showing no fear and more courage than many of the adults.  Professor Savarese says he wishes he had 100 students like her, she is tough as nails and a pleasure to teach. Her future in BJJ is as bright as she wants it to be.

What’s Next for this group?

All of these students will be competing in the NJBJJF tournament in November. You can find more info about the tournament at njbjjf.com

Kayla

Kayala

Mark

Mark

 

Baba

Baba

Anthony

Anthony

Ariana

Ariana

Lyndhurst martial artist wins Instructor Of The Year

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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

Lyndhurst martial artist wins Instructor of the Year

Lyndhurst martial artist wins Instructor of the Year

Rafael Lovato Jr Lyndhurst NJ BJJ seminar

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Rafael Lovato Jr Lyndhurst NJ BJJ seminar

Rafael Lovato Jr taught a Lyndhurst NJ BJJ seminar at the Savarese BJJ Academy last night. Lovato, the 2007 World Jiu-Jitsu and 3x No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Champion, took to the mats of his good friend Professor Chris Savarese’s school to teach to the over 50 students in attendance.

Professor Savarese’s thoughts

Savarese had this to say after the seminar. “Thanks to Rafael Lovato Jr. for teaching a truly awesome seminar at my Academy last night. First of all, for making it a night to remember for all of us. Futhermore, the seminar was so useful for any BJJ practitioner as he taught some great framing defenses from the guard. These defenses can be useful in other positions as well. Also, he gave of the finer details of the passing and mount attacks and subs that have been working so well for him in competition for the past year.

It was a true teaching seminar that taught concepts and not just moves. Hence, it was one of my favorites that he has done here. To make the night even more special, he recognized the talent of our room and the hard work of the instructors and I. I was then presented with the Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Association Instructor Of The Year Award. Professor Rafael spoke movingly of the success we had through a personal health battle I encountered. Since I was on the mats with my students, I was very touched and honored to have that moment.. Also, because our association has some amazing, world class instructors whom I greatly respect. Therefore, I am honored to represent our association. Thank you to Professor Lovato and everyone for a great night of learning Jiu-Jitsu.”

The Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Association

Lovato Jiu-Jitsu is one of the strongest teams in the United States. Led by Rafael Lovato Jr, the most decorated and experienced American BJJ competitor of all time, students of the Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Association receive cutting edge instruction from one of the World’s best. Currently, the Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Association has produced 4 ADCC veterans, World and Pan-American medalists at all belt levels, and No-Gi World medalists. Based in Oklahoma City, the Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Association (LJJA) also has schools across the country and in Canada. The LJJA has developed a proven system to reach the highest levels in BJJ despite your location or resources.

You can find out more about Lovato here http://www.lovatojr.com/about

Anyone on the East Coast interested in taking a Lovato seminar or joining a Lovato affiliated school, call the Savarese BJJ Academy at 201 933-5134.

lovato-2016-sav-award

Savarese BJJ students split NJBJJF Absolute championship

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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.

Lyndhurst Football Coach Earns Jiu Jitsu Certification

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Carlos Dorjo, a Lyndhurst football coach, earned his jiu jitsu teaching certificate last night.

Dorjo, who coaches the offensive and defensive line for the Lyndhurst high freshmen football team, earned the certification at the Savarese Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Academy, located in Lyndhurst on Park Ave.

Dorjo is only the 4th student in the 10 year history of the Academy to earn this certification, which takes up to a year to earn.

Lyndhurst football coach earns jiu jitsu certification

Lyndhurst football coach earns jiu jitsu certification

Dorjo sets a great example for his players and the students he teaches at the Savarese Academy. Dorjo teaches at 7am classes there.

Four years ago, Dorjo suffered a great setback not only in his BJJ training, but in life. Dorjo tore his ACL and while rehabbing his injury, he tripped and ruptured his patella tendon, making it impossible to rehab the ACL injury.

He missed almost 3 years of training, and had much difficulties at work because he couldn’t walk. His knee looked like a cantaloupe at times. The athlete in Carlos told him to never give up, something he preaches in his teachings every day.

Like the great Michael Jordan once said “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out a way to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” That has been the theme of Dorjo’s return to the mats at the Savarese Academy, where he also works as the school’s program director.

Dorjo is overcoming another obstacle by competing at the New Jersey Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (NJBJJF) tournament in August in Homdel, NJ. It will be his first tournament in almost five years.

Dorjo was an excellent competitor before his injury, last winning the Grapplers Challenge in Red Bank NJ in 2011. There he won all of his matches by submission.

Anyone who wants info about the Savarese Academy or is interested in trying a free class, call 201 933-5134 for more info.

Four Promoted at Savarese Jiu Jitsu

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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.

4 promoted at Savarese Jiu Jitsu Lyndhurst

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.

4 promoted at Savarese Jiu Jitsu Lyndhurst

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.

Keep your jiu jitsu routine during summer

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Keep your jiu jitsu routine during summer

It is very important to keep your jiu jitsu routine in the summertime. This goes for both adults and kids. All too often, the weather gets nicer and people don’t come to class or parents consider taking their kids out of jiu-jitsu for the summer.

For the adults, maybe we hit the beach of the weekends or have a pool. Remember, once you get out of your routine, it is hard to get back in. Egos take a blow when we no longer can keep up with the guys or ladies that stayed disciplined all summer. You don’t want to be that guy.

Keep going!

Have you ever been on a diet or were on a workout routine that was really working for you?  Maybe you were trying to get in shape for a vacation, the summer, or another event. You had fantastic results when you stuck on that schedule. Everything was going great, clothes fit better, had more energy, you were at your target weight. You thought, “I’m going to stick with this after my vacation. I feel great!”. Then, you go on vacation, feeling great about yourself. Reality sets in when you get home.

Hard to start again

You have been unhealthy and you miss the first workout on Monday because you need to “get back into the swing of things.” Futhermore, you miss Tuesday and Wednesday. Hence, you swear you’ll start again next Monday. As a result, a few days then becomes several weeks. You lost your motivation and now become frustrated because you feel like you have to start all over again.  You’ve lost momentum. It is akin to pushing a stalled vehicle. It is very hard at the beginning but it gets easier as you get it going and the wheels are turning. Jiu Jitsu requires the same type of momentum. It becomes easier to see results the more consistently you do it. Once you stop, you feel like you have to move that vehicle all over again.

Keeping your child’s routine

Keeping a child’s routine during the summer is much more difficult because we need the help of parents. Every summer, many parents consider taking their children out of jiu-jitsu. It can be for so many different reasons. More play dates, maybe you just want to give them a break, maybe they are in day camp, you have vacations or day trips planned or maybe, quite honestly, you just want a break. After all, it’s the summer, it’s time for fun! One small problem with that, there is a reason you brought your child to jiu-jitsu. Maybe they were overweight, had self-esteem issues, needed discipline or focus at school. Whatever they were, you came here with goals and we were working with you to improve them.

Don’t lose Momentum

Taking a break from martial arts is not the same as taking a break from a sport they play. Lessons of the martial arts are used to build your child from within to reach their goals and face their fears. Taking the summer off isn’t just taking a break from the techniques and takedowns, you are taking a break from focus, from confidence. And like I said with the adults above, they will feel like they have lost momentum. In addition, they will feel like they are staring all over again. Furthermore, they will start to compare themselves to all of the other kids who did not take the summer off. Most of all, the kids who didn’t will be closer to promotions and seeing their teammates get promoted and them falling behind will give them a sense of failure, harming their confidence and progress. Promotions won’t come if they haven’t put in the work. Please keep them on a routine in the summer, it makes the winter much easier.

 

 

 

NJ jiu jitsu schools unite for training session

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Elijah BJJ came to Savarese Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Lyndhurst for a friendly training session. This is the second time the academies have met in an effort to help each other become better at BJJ. Ideas and techniques were exchanged in order to help each team find their strengths and weaknesses. The two academies and their students have become friends along the way.

Professor Chris Savarese of Savarese Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Professor Tyrone Elijah of Elijah Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu have known and trained together for over 15 years. They brought their knowledge together to help their students. Professor Sean Bermudez, the head kids instructor at Savarese BJJ and one of the best kids instructors in NJ, lead the kids through the training session.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Lyndhurst / Union jiu jitsu schools unite for training session

Lyndhurst / Union jiu jitsu schools unite for training session

If you are looking for a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and ground fighting, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is what you are looking for. BJJ is of the belief that most altercations find their way to the ground. Making each student prepared to gain a dominant position and use joint-locks or choke holds to force the opponent to submit is the goal of BJJ.

BJJ instructors believe that a smaller, weaker person, using leverage and proper technique, can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger assailant. BJJ can be trained for self defense on the street or in law enforcement situations, sport grappling tournaments, with the kimono and without, and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights.

Savarese BJJ Academy

Savarese Jiu-Jitsu Academy opened in 2006 and is located in Lyndhurst NJ. Classes are taught for men and women, teens and kids and classes 7 days a week. If you would like to try a free class, please call 201 933-5134 to get started.

Elijah BJJ

Elijah BJJ is  located at 1330 Stuyvesant Ave in Union, NJ and has classes for adults and children. It is the first BJJ school in the Union area. For a free class, call (908) 578-2522 or visit their website for more info.

Lyndhurst / Union jiu jitsu schools unite for training session

Lyndhurst / Union jiu jitsu schools unite for training session

 

Lyndhurst/Union jiu jitsu schools unite for training session

Lyndhurst/Union jiu jitsu schools unite for training session

 

BJJ lessons: Training Tired

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One of the most important lessons to learn in BJJ is to train when you are tired.

Normally, we do not want to do anything when we feel this way. However, studies have shown that training though fatigue results in better maintenance of strength and improved postural control. Specifically, endurance athletes and soccer players who performed strength or balance exercises at the end of their training sessions, rather than at the beginning. They were less negatively impacted by fatigue during their matches. All athletes can also see psychological benefits from pressing past their physical limits.

When you learn to withstand fatigue and push through something difficult, it gives you confidence. It’s empowering and shows you that you can do more than you likely thought you could.

Training tired forces you to use your technique because you do not have any power left. This will make you a better technician on the mat. This is why many smaller practitioners and women generally have better guards than powerful practitioners, because they are forced to rely on their technique.

Danaher on Training Tired:

One of my old training partners and instructors, John Danaher, recently touched on this on his Facebook Page. “Anybody can train when they feel like training – the real question is whether you can train when you don’t feel like it. This constant pushing for better results comes at a price. You see the gym is empty behind us. A few hours previously it was packed with nearly eighty people in an afternoon class. Now they are gone. But Mr Cummings remains. This pattern of extra effort beyond the norm is the distinguishing characteristic of all great enterprises. So often people ask me how my students became so adept at the skills they display in competition – if they could see the daily price they pay in time and effort their question would be answered before it even left their lips…”

It is important to try this. When you train tired, you also find out more about your weaknesses. When we train fresh, especially bigger and stronger practitioners, we can mask weaknesses with explosive strength. You can’t do that when fatigued and as a result, you will find out more about situations where you are weaker.

This is also important especially in self-defense scenarios, when you won’t have control over when you can stop fighting. You will have to know what you are capable of and what you are NOT capable of when exhausted. While, training tired you will gain a deeper understanding of your own strengths and limitations, and in the process will toughen you up. Don’t push it to the point that you hurt yourself, because then you won’t be able to train at all.