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.

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu student excels at World Championship

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Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu student excels at World Championship

Lyndhurst Jiu-Jitsu student Brian Procel from Savarese Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competed in the 2016 World Championship this weekend. As a result of his preparation, he tapped his 1st opponent in 29 seconds!

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu student taps opponent 29 seconds

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu student taps opponent in 29 seconds

Match details

Jersey City’s Procel, finished Vinicius Canabarro with a clock choke from the back off of a scramble. Fighting in the brownbelt middleweight division, Procel is part of the Savarese BJJ Academy Competition Team. The team had an excellent showing at the World Championship this year.

Message from Brian

“First of all, I’m still California dreaming. What an incredible experience that I am so glad to have shared with my teammates. Just wanted to take a moment to thank my Savarese Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu family for helping us all prepare for this moment. All of us competing wanted to give you something to cheer about and can’t thank you enough for your positive vibes! Many positive things to take away from this experience. However, the one big thing I took away from this experience was having confidence. It confirmed for me that we are learning things the right way. Another thing, those of us representing our school name belonged on a big stage such as this tournament. Thanks Professor Chris Savarese for always being our number 1 fan through our journey of improvement. Most of all, for never losing confidence in what we’re capable of.”

 

Savarese BJJ Academy

Located at 40 Park Ave in Lyndhurst, NJ, the Savarese BJJ Academy is considered one of the best BJJ schools in NJ.

 

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu student taps opponent in 29 seconds

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu student taps opponent in 29 seconds

 

North Arlington Kid Martial Artist Earns Top Student

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Savarese BJJ would like to congratulate Mateo Santiago, a North Arlington Kid Martial Artist on being awarded Student of the Month for the month of June. Mateo, known as Happy Feet at the school, trains consistently 4 days every week alongside his older brother Antonio. He is also one of the Award Winning Kids Competition Team members, having been part of every Team Title that the kids have won. Over the last few months, Mateo has really grown as a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and is getting close to being promoted into the teens program.

About Savarese BJJ

Lyndhurst NJ Children’s Martial Arts is beneficial in many ways. Children who participate in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes quickly increase their physical fitness level. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu involves both large and small muscle groups in the body. Improvement of physical well-being is not the only goal.

Our program can and will help your child increase their confidence, self-esteem, discipline, while teaching them life skills that will last them a lifetime.

Our award winning program, your child will be able to progress at their very own pace. We understand that everyone learns differently. No matter if your child can only train once a week or every day, we have the program that will fit your needs.

New Jersey kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu develops many traits in your child. These traits include:

  • Increased self esteem
  • Greater Self Discipline
  • Increased ability to Focus and Concentrate
  • Elevated Self Confidence
  • Overall Improvement in Attitude
  • Improved Physical Fitness Level
  • Development of Leadership Skills
  • Greater Respect for themselves and others
  • Increased Patience
  • Greater work Ethic
  • Better Understanding of How to Channel Aggression

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is also a fun, competition based sport if your child chooses to compete. We prepare students to compete as well in separate competition based classes and we have one of the top competition teams in NJ, winning 6 team championship in various tournaments over the last 3 years.

Don’t let your child become a statistic. Call Savarese BJJ at 201-933-5134 for a free class.

 

Lyndhurst students to compete in World Jiu Jitsu Championship

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Lyndhurst students to compete in World Jiu Jitsu Championship

Five Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu students are set to compete in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship in Long Beach, CA.

Next weekend, Savarese Jiu-Jitsu Academy students Brian Procel, Caitlin McManus, Sean Yadimarco, Leo Alves, and Ariana Zeppetelli go. They have been training hard for this for the last 6 weeks.

While in preparation, a couple of them competed at the 2016 Big Apple Open in NYC. Here, Zeppetelli shined. winning all of her matches by submission en route to winning her division handily.

Their instructor, 2nd degree blackbelt Professor Chris Savarese, is excited for them. “Competing in the World Championships is an honor and something you never forget. But we aren’t just showing up, we are going in to win! I am very excited for this opportunity for them and about their chances.”

The tournament will broadcast live on flograppling.com where you can watch the Savarese students fight under the Saulo Ribeiro team banner.

Best of luck to all the Savarese, Lovato and Ribeiro students!

IBJJF World BJJ Championship

The World Jiu-Jitsu Championship , also known as The Mundials or the Mundial de Jiu-Jitsu, is the most prestigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament in the world.

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation hosts the event in CA every year.

The first World Championship was held in 1996 at the Tijuca Tênis Clube gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It has since grown tremendously, with over 1650 competitors (including 250 foreign athletes) fighting before a crowd of over 12,000 in the 2005 championship.

Held in Brazil every year until 2007, the tournament then moved to California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California. This marked the first Mundial tournament ever to be held outside of Brazil. Finally, the competition has continued to prosper in California and there are a record number of entries for 2016.

Savarese BJJ Academy, Lyndhurst NJ

Savarese BJJ Academy opened it’s doors in 2006 and is owned and operated by Professor Chris Savarese.

Located at 40 Park Ave in Lyndhurst, it is known as being one of the best BJJ schools in NJ.

In addition to the Adult and Kids competition team winning numerous team titles over the last 3 years, the school has a great reputation as one of the top schools on the East Coast.

If you would like to try a free class, call 201 933-5134 to set one up.

How to properly add to your jiu-jitsu

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How to properly add to your jiu-jitsu is a question I get asked a lot by white and blue belts. There are many answers to that question but the main ones are as follows: don’t quit trying and perfect your fundamentals. Everything in BJJ builds upon the fundaments in one way or another.

Too often, I see a student fail at a technique they recently learned. Instead of trying to figure out what they are doing wrong, the student will write off that technique as something that does not work. The old idiom “Rome wasn’t built in a day” applies here.

You will not perfect a technique or be able to add it to your jiu-jitsu by practicing it 5 times. The technique should be drilled over and over until the movements are down. Following this, you can start to try it against people while rolling. If you are not successful against a more experienced person, try it against someone smaller or less experienced than you. Eventually you will be able to make progress against your more experienced partners.

Malcolm Gladwell explores a similar concept in his book Outliers. Throughout the publication, Gladwell repeatedly mentions the “10,000-Hour Rule;” claiming that the key to achieving world class expertise in any skill is to practice it for 10,000 hours. Without putting in the time, there’s no way of knowing if something is going to work for you by hardly practicing it.

Try and fail. Then fail again. The only way to become successful at anything is to fail at it first.

When I was a purplebelt, I worked for over a year on my half-guard. My good friend and training partner, Joe D’Arce, used to tap me with darce chokes constantly. I used to joke “that choke was perfected on my neck.” Moreover, I would also get flattened a lot.

One day during a training session with Fabio Leopoldo, he fixed a small detail for me to win my underhook and not get flattened. From there, the position took off and became a strength in my jiu-jitsu. It then opened up other options like arm drags and sweeps. The point is, I failed for months before it became one of my strengths.

Don’t give up. Keep trying.

I always tell my students that you are only as good as your worst position. Keep trying the techniques until they work and turn your weaknesses into strengths.

Professor Chris Savarese is the owner/head instructor of Savarese Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Lyndhurst NJ. If you would like to try a free class, call 201 933-5134 to set one up.

Ed Veccione earns 1st Savarese BJJ promotion

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Ed Veccione earns 1st Savarese BJJ promotion

Congrats to Ed Veccione for earning his 1st Savarese BJJ promotion! Veccione was promoted to 1st stripe on his whitebelt, one of the most important promotions because it signals that you are learning. While the white belt is the first belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it is also the most important. It shows that this person has taken the leap into joining our wonderful art and sport. Ed is improving on his fundamentals and will continue to do so.

Savarese BJJ Academy

The Savarese BJJ Academy, owned and operated by head Jiu Jitsu instructor Prof. Chris Savarese, is located at 40 Park Ave in Lyndhurst NJ and is one of the best BJJ schools in the tri-state area. We routinely win awards for our students and continually aim for greatness. BJJ teaches discipline, self-worth, humility, and the ability to live a healthier life – both on and off of the mats.

If you too are interested in learning self-defense and the sport aspect of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, contact us for a free trial lesson with an instructor 201 933-5134.

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu blackbelt becomes certified instructor

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Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu blackbelt becomes certified instructor

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu blackbelt becomes certified instructor

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu blackbelt becomes certified instructor! Congrats to Mohammad Mohebbi on becoming just the 2nd student to graduate from the Savarese Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy instructor course. Moe, as he is also known, is now a certified instructor at the Academy. Mohebbi received his blackbelt from his instructor and the school’s owner, Professor Chris Savarese in January of 2013. He took the extensive and difficult instructor course so he could begin teaching.

What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or BJJ, is a martial art, combat sport, and self defense system. BJJ is an art that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting. It’s belief is that over 90% of altercation end up on the ground so BJJ teaches you to be proficient off your back and on the ground.
Jiu-jitsu promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using proper technique, leverage, and balance.  Students are taught to take the fight to the ground, and then to apply join-locks and choke holds to defeat the opponent.
BJJ training can be used for sport grappling and submission wrestling tournaments, in the kimono and without, street self-defense and in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. “Rolling”(sparring) and live drilling play a major role in training and improving at BJJ.

Savarese BJJ Academy

The Savarese BJJ Academy has a beautiful 5000 sq. ft facility to train in. Classes are taught 7 days a week to fit anyone’s schedule. Classes are held during the morning, noon, and night for everyone’s convenience during the week. There are also classes on weekends.

If you are interested in trying a free class. please call 201 933-5134 to set up an appointment. No experience is necessary and in fact, no experience is preferred so you can learn our system from the outset.

 

Savarese Jiu Jitsu sisters awesome photo

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Savarese Jiu Jitsu sisters awesome photo

Check out this picture from the Big Apple Open on Saturday. Two Savarese BJJ students who are sisters, Ariana and Kayla Zeppetelli, fighting at the same time on mats next to each other. Both are on the back of their opponents looking for the choke. Is this awesome or what? Photo was captured by Savarese friend Vincenzo Cisternino, who is a student of David Adiv, Savarese’s first BJJ instructor.

Ariana recently became the first certified instructor at Savarese BJJ. This is a great achievement for anyone to accomplish, but even more impressive for a high school student.

Savarese BJJ Academy

Are you looking for a self-defense system that’s easy to learn, yet powerful enough to make attackers wish they’d never crossed your path? If you answered yes, then it’s time you discovered Savarese Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes in Lyndhurst, NJ.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the official martial art of Brazil.  Jiu Jitsu literally means “The gentle art†because there’s no need for abnormal strength or physical power. But Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is anything but gentle to your attackers! Once you begin training in BJJ,  you will develop the skills to take the fight to the ground. Consequently, you grapple your attacker and get him in a submission hold that will leave him begging for mercy!

As you learn Jiu-Jitsu, your self-confidence will skyrocket as you get into the best shape of your entire life. BJJ is a full-body workout that exercises every muscle from head-to-toe! When you take Jiu-Jitsu at Savarese BJJ Academy , it doesn’t matter if you’ve never taken a class before or if you’re already an experienced fighter! No experience is necessary and in fact, preferred! With Jiu-Jitsu classes at Savarese BJJ, you’ll learn the exact system and skills taught by the Gracie family, the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! Professor Chris Savarese is the owner and head instructor and one of the first Americans black belts promoted by Royler Gracie, a multiple time World BJJ Champion. If you would like to try a free class, call 201 933-5134 to set one up.

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

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Savarese Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy, a Lyndhurst Jiu-Jitsu school, excelled at the Big Apple Open Tournament in NYC this weekend.

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

With only 22 competitors in one of the East Coast’s biggest tournaments, the competition team racked up 17 medals in total.

Professor Chris Savarese, the Academy owner, had this to say on Facebook:

“What a great day we had at the Big Apple Open. It was a really great tournament.

Man my juices were flowing. I haven’t been that pumped up at a tournament in a long time.

The competition in all the divisions was really high. I saw some amazing BJJ competitors. The tournament was run smoothly. The refs were very good and I didn’t see a lot of mistakes.

Our kids and adults fought awesome today. I am really proud of everyone who stepped up to test themselves. This is one of the best gi tournaments on the East Coast every year. I’m proud of you win or lose because you aren’t afraid to fail. That goes a long way in my book.

Congrats to all those who medaled. Some others need to be more aggressive, you can’t win a tournament match by constantly defending but at least we know what to work on.

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Ariana Lynn Zeppetelli was a star today, completely dominating a women’s bluebelt division at just 16 yrs old. You were flawless and used your corner perfectly. I wish everyone listened like you.

I’m proud of every single one of you. For those who had off days today, I would suggest to get right back on the horse with the lessons learned today and do the NJBJJF next week.

Our kids fought like lions today. We took 3rd place in the team standings against some of the biggest schools in NYC, finishing ahead of them even some that had multiple schools there.

I am happy to call you guys family.

Thanks to Professor Sean Bermudez for giving up a Saturday with his family and to all those who came to support your teammates today.

Oss”

If you are interested in taking a free class at the Academy, call 201 933-5134 to schedule one.

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament

Lyndhurst Jiu Jitsu school excels at NYC Tournament