[Sportsandrec] Brazilian Jujitsu

Tue Sep 1 15:51:58 UTC 2015

Very true. I've had the chance to cross train at a few academies with
big names and left rather disappointed. Our academy is decent size,
not huge, we have about 60 people on the mat each night, but we are
also 1 of only 2 academies in this immediate area, unlike Los Angeles
where there is one on every corner. My blind black belt friend's
academy is literally right across the street from one, and there is
another just down on the corner. There is a lot you can tell about the
instruction just by the way you are received wen you first walk in.
When I first joined Elite Team, I had called and let my professor know
I was coming and told him I was blind. When I got there, he sat me
down and laid out his plan, letting me know he had contacted a number
of his acquaintences who had worked with blind students in an effort
to figureout the best way to instruct me. Just a month into my
training, I decided to attend a seminar they had, and even though the
moves were way over my head and super advanced, I am glad I went
because It allowed me to see his level of dedication to each student.
I don't remember who was  giving it, but we probably had 50 people
there and because Tom wanted to make sure I got it, he worked with me
himself. He would walk around the mat, make sure the other students
were good to go, then come back, do the move on me and then have me
drill it over and over, teaching me as I went. I still remember those
moves though I've not had the oppotunity to use them again, yet. One
of these days. Tom is very particular about who I drill with and does
his best to make sure my technique is spot on. I am a diabetic and
most often I roll with my pump on, which he is aware of and will ask
me how my sugar is doing at least 2 times throughout each classand I
know his level of dedication to the other students is the same. He
could very well charge over 100 bucks a month, but only charges 60.
One of my friends, on the other hand, trains at a large academyy in
the L.A. area, pays nearly 200 bucks a month, was promoted to blue
after 9 months of training and can't tell you the difference between a
Kamura      and an Americana and I've never heard him use a legit BJJ
move to get a submission. A good academy is going to teach you what
you need to know, not what you want to know, just as with any other
sport. I've met people who can pull off a flying triangle, but can't
do a basic sweep or arm bar. Alas for instagram and social media sites
where snapshots fuel a desire for 30 seconds of fame.

On 9/1/15, Idrees Crawley <idreescrawley at gmail.com> wrote:
> and that's what really sets the sports of MMA and BJJ apart from most
> others. The athletes and trainers that you hear about are really accessible,
> even to people just walking through the door. I train at Brolio Estima's
> School, for those of you that don't know who he is Braulio is a former ADDC
> Champion and  4 time BJJ World champion. He's currently ranked as one of the
> best in the entire sport. We also have a lot of the Blackzilian team members
> stop by the school from time to time. Also in my area but not at the school
> where I train they have Marcos De Mata teaching BJJ to average students as
> well as professional fighters. He was cornering A lot of the ATT fighters at
> the last UFC event. Again, while it is fun to learn alongside and from a lot
> of these big names it does not mean that you can't get training that is just
> as quality from a smaller school that has instructors with little to no name
> value. The reverse can be true as well. Just because someone has a popular
> name or has done well in the sport does not mean that it translates into
> teaching. That is why it is important to not only learn about who's teaching
> you but to take these intro classes and free months of instruction when
> offered.
>
> Idrees Saadiq Crawley
> On Twitter @BlindSideGJJ
>
>> On Aug 31, 2015, at 2:02 PM, Marana weber via Sportsandrec
>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Doug The Rhino Marshall is the head Muay Thai instructor at our academy
>> and Marion Reneau is our women's instructor.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Aug 31, 2015, at 10:24 AM, justin williams via Sportsandrec
>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Incredible.  I'd love to meet such folks.
>>> Justin.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Sportsandrec [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>> Idrees Crawley via Sportsandrec
>>> Sent: Monday, August 31, 2015 1:22 PM
>>> To: Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List
>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: Idrees Crawley <idreescrawley at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Brazilian Jujitsu
>>>
>>> I would have liked to say that the Internet radio show that I host it was
>>> a job but it wasn't. It was more of a project of mine. I've had the
>>> pleasure of interviewing such fighters as former Bellator Champions
>>> Michael Chandler and Daniel Straus. I have also interviewed many UFC
>>> fighters like Flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, Miesha Tate and
>>> actually had Ronda Rousey on a couple of times, but that was before she
>>> became really popular. I am currently flirting with the idea of
>>> relaunching the show and website.
>>>
>>> Idrees Saadiq Crawley
>>> On Twitter @BlindSideGJJ
>>>
>>>> On Aug 31, 2015, at 12:47 PM, justin williams via Sportsandrec
>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> That is impressive; fight nation sounds really neat.   I'd like that
>>>> kind of a job.
>>>> Justin.
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Sportsandrec [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>>>> Of Idrees Crawley via Sportsandrec
>>>> Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2015 3:27 PM
>>>> To: Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List
>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Cc: Idrees Crawley <idreescrawley at gmail.com>
>>>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Brazilian Jujitsu
>>>>
>>>> Sorry for any confusion, that was me as well. Converted to Islam a while
>>>> back and just getting around to the name change. Bill, looking forward
>>>> to speaking with you my friend. I also have a history in covering the
>>>> sport of mixed martial arts as I used to write for MMAFightCorner.com
>>>> and hosted an Internet radio show called FightNation Radio. I guess you
>>>> can say that combat sports is my thing.
>>>>
>>>> Idrees Saadiq Crawley
>>>> On Twitter @BlindSideGJJ
>>>>
>>>>> On Aug 30, 2015, at 2:47 PM, Kristopher Adkins via Sportsandrec
>>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Hey Bill, I don't think we are too far from each other. If they are
>>>>> only offering private classes definitely do not take it, if they are
>>>>> really good at what they do they should be able to train you in a
>>>>> class atmosphere like everyone else. you should check to see if you
>>>>> have an American top team in your area. Up here the American top team
>>>>> charges $20 a month plus you have to pay six dollars each day that
>>>>> you come in but you get unlimited classes for the day. I train at
>>>>> Gracie Barra and while they may be more expensive than a lot of the
>>>>> other schools their instruction is unmatched in my opinion. Sure
>>>>> thing, for anyone else that would like to get a hold of me for any
>>>>> reason you can contact me at IdreesCrawley at gmail.com or on Twitter
>>>>> @BlindSideGJJ
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Aug 30, 2015, at 10:45 AM, Kociaba Fitness via Sportsandrec
>>>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Idrees,
>>>>>> Where in Florida are you located?
>>>>>> I am in Hollywood, the south florida area.  I have contacted a couple
>>>>>> of BJJ studios in the area and was amazed at how costly they were.
>>>>>> They offered me a free week but suggested because of my lack of vision
>>>>>> that I might want to start with a couple private lessons, at a
>>>>>> seriously higher price than their group classes of course.
>>>>>> A year or so ago I interviewed Steve Maxwell who I believe had one of
>>>>>> if not the first Gracie  studio in the us.
>>>>>> If you are any where near me please contact me directly at
>>>>>> kociabafitness at gmail.com as I would like to learn more about where
>>>>>> you train
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Bill Kociaba
>>>>>> www.kociaba-fitness.com
>>>>>> "Building Better Bodies Since 1981"
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Sportsandrec [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>>>> Behalf Of Idrees Crawley via Sportsandrec
>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2015 10:26 AM
>>>>>> To: Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List
>>>>>> Cc: Idrees Crawley
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Brazilian Jujitsu
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello everyone. I study Gracie Jiu-Jitsu down here in Florida. From my
>>>>>> experience there is a big difference between GJJ and BJJ. The Gracie
>>>>>> Schools that I have attended have been more professional, patient, and
>>>>>> have an actual curriculum. They have also seemed more prepared to
>>>>>> teach not only blind students but individuals with many other
>>>>>> disabilities as well. The BJJ Schools that I started out with did not
>>>>>> really have a curriculum. They were more competition and tournament
>>>>>> centered. They were teaching techniques in completely random order and
>>>>>> having you spar live far sooner than you should. Many of the
>>>>>> instructors did not even have a certification to teach the art, just
>>>>>> either had a black belt or a black belt with some competition
>>>>>> experience. It seemed more like they were here to make a quick buck
>>>>>> off of the popularity of the sport. You don't need a big Academy or
>>>>>> popular names to get quality training, keep this in mind. The smaller
>>>>>> camps are often the better ones because you get a more personalized
>>>>>> experience. This is in no way meant to bash anyone training at a BJJ
>>>>>> school, just to warn people before joining any old Academy. Do your
>>>>>> research on the instructors and take your free intro class or free
>>>>>> month of instruction before deciding on if it is a right fit for you.
>>>>>> I am also looking to network with other people that are teaching and
>>>>>> or studying GJJ/BJJ or any other grappling arts such as judo,
>>>>>> wrestling and Sambo. I am working on getting my certification to teach
>>>>>> the art so I can work on opening up my own school sometime in the next
>>>>>> two years.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Take care.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Idrees Saadiq Crawley
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Aug 27, 2015, at 10:34 PM, Marana weber via Sportsandrec
>>>>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hello Heidi. My coach is a black belt in both Judo and BJJ and we are
>>>>>>> here in the Central Valley if anyone is looking for an academy in
>>>>>>> this area. We have a great team with 4 UFC fighters who train out of
>>>>>>> there. My blind black belt friend is Bill Tetsch and he owns Leon Jiu
>>>>>>> Jitsu in Los Alamitos, Ca. Looking forward to connecting.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Aug 27, 2015, at 7:03 PM, Heidi via Sportsandrec
>>>>>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi guys,
>>>>>>>> I am one of the Paralympic judo coaches. If any of you who are doing
>>>>>>>> BJJ are interested in giving judo a try as well, please let me know
>>>>>>>> and I'll be happy to help you find a club in your area. A lot of the
>>>>>>>> techniques from BJJ and judo are similar and a lot of people cross
>>>>>>>> train in both. The US Paralympic program also provides a lot of
>>>>>>>> opportunities for VI players. This year we have gone to Germany,
>>>>>>>> Hungary, Canada, Korea, and we will be going to Japan in November.
>>>>>>>> Please feel free to email me or call me - judoheidi at comcast.net,
>>>>>>>> 303-591-9563. Marana I would love to talk to you. Also, who is your
>>>>>>>> black belt friend? Thanks!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Heidi
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> From: "Jody Ianuzzi via Sportsandrec" <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List"
>>>>>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>> Cc: "Jody Ianuzzi" <thunderwalker321 at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2015 2:47:19 PM
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Brazilian Jujitsu
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> When we taught judo we taught for free as a Boy Scout explorer post
>>>>>>>> judo was always offered at little cost through YMCAs and places like
>>>>>>>> that.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> JODY 🐺
>>>>>>>> thunderwalker321 at gmail.com
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish
>>>>>>>> sometimes." DOCTOR WHO (Tom Baker)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Aug 27, 2015, at 1:30 PM, Marana weber via Sportsandrec
>>>>>>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It really depends on your location. I have seen prices range from
>>>>>>>>> 60 bucks a month to 180 bucks a month. I am extremely fortunate to
>>>>>>>>> have a great academy at the lower end cost wise but have found that
>>>>>>>>> is rarely the case. The best place to find to train is the one
>>>>>>>>> where The owner doesn't for the love of the game, rather than the
>>>>>>>>> money.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On Aug 27, 2015, at 9:52 AM, Darian Smith via Sportsandrec
>>>>>>>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> that’s really interesting.
>>>>>>>>>> how much are classes normally?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Darian
>>>>>>>>>>> On Aug 27, 2015, at 9:43 AM, marana Weber via Sportsandrec
>>>>>>>>>>> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Hello. BJJ is absolutely the best thing I've ever done, as I
>>>>>>>>>>> said before and absolutely no problem for people whoare blind.
>>>>>>>>>>> One of my good friends is a blind black belt who owns an
>>>>>>>>>>> academy and teaches both blind and sighted students. BJJ is a
>>>>>>>>>>> full contact sport and is a lot like wrestling but you use
>>>>>>>>>>> submissions and chokes. We incorporate a good amount of Judo,
>>>>>>>>>>> which we use primarily for take downs.
>>>>>>>>>>> Everything is done by feel, in fact, most of the higher ranked
>>>>>>>>>>> belts I know have told me they close their eyes when they are
>>>>>>>>>>> rolling. The trick is going to be finding an academy where they
>>>>>>>>>>> will be willing to work with you on the same level as everyone
>>>>>>>>>>> else and I can ask my Professor if he knows of any good ones up
>>>>>>>>>>> in Berkley, or relatively close. Everyone learns a little
>>>>>>>>>>> different, but I've found that what works best for me since I
>>>>>>>>>>> am total is to first listen to the description of the move,
>>>>>>>>>>> have my partner perform it on me a couple times then do it to
>>>>>>>>>>> them and have one of the higher ranks walk me through it as I
>>>>>>>>>>> do it. Most academies will let you try aclass before you join,
>>>>>>>>>>> which I would highly recommend. Good luck and keep me posted.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/27/15, Star Song via Sportsandrec <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi Marana,
>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm in California too, Berkeley, and your Brazilian jujitsu
>>>>>>>>>>>> sounds interesting. No problem for those who are blind? Can
>>>>>>>>>>>> you tell me more about it?
>>>>>>>>>>>> Shonen
>>>>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>>>
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