What Makes Dade City BJJ Different?
Jiu jitsu gyms are popping up left and right. At the same time, scandals and misconduct are running rampant in the BJJ community.
How can you be sure you are choosing the right school for you and giving your kids the opportunity to train in a safe and structured environment?
We could tell you all the things we do that other gyms also do, but instead we thought we’d give you the top five reasons our school is different.
1. We operate independently. We don’t answer to any overarching organization with a hierarchy and dues just to carry a big name. We are a small school and take pride in coaching at a high level with a curriculum strongly rooted in fundamentals, but also one that is accessible to all ages, skill levels, and goals. Establishing our own curriculum makes our game unique and modern, but grounded in the core techniques and skills of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We make sure our students are constantly being challenged to evolve their game. Our school has all the training equipment we need, with no additional fluff or ego involved. Come as you are, wear what you can afford, our gear or otherwise. We don’t believe that dressing the same creates discipline or changes the color of your belt. We know your name, we understand your goals, and we’re not trying to nickel and dime you.
2. We take our training environment seriously. Does this mean we bow to pictures of our lineage or follow all the old school rules? No. We operate on strict guidelines of respect and kindness to our students and expect the same from each student to one another. We want all of our members to feel safe and comfortable training here, including our women and children. We aim for a family-friendly atmosphere and have several full families hitting our mats every week. Classes are intentionally structured, fast-paced and straight to the point. Professor Ray “All-Business” Wood coined this fight name for a reason! With that said, our school has plenty of room for comradery and fun.
It’s understandable, given the allegations being thrown around in the jiu jitsu community, women may feel that training at a school comes with risks. We have created dedicated groups for women to get started in a safe and supportive space coached by women. After a couple of classes, most, if not all, integrate into our coed classes to get a feel for self-defense in realistic situations and feel completely comfortable doing so.
3. We encourage cross-training and spreading your jiu jitsu wings. How do you know if your jiu jitsu really works if you don’t put it to the test out in the wild? We don’t limit our students to training only at our school. We like when members test their skills and game in unfamiliar environments. The best way to expose holes in your game is to roll with people coming from entirely different backgrounds. There’s a good chance you’ll come back to us with a cool new insight too!
4. We love competition and think it is an important experience at all levels, but we don’t believe all our students need to be regular competitors. Although jiu jitsu isn’t for all, it is for many. It is a unique hobby in the sense that it does require a certain level of physical health to train, but the level of intensity is determined by each individual athlete. We welcome hobbyists in our gym and don’t expect them to train at the level of our competitive team. All ages, skill levels, and goal sets are welcome - we support you in becoming a better version of yourself for life’s day to day challenges, whatever that looks like to you. Are we actively building a fight team? Absolutely. Do we think everyone needs to be on it? No!
5. Our backgrounds include a variety of sports and we believe improving the athlete as a whole improves the jiu jitsu. Mobility, explosiveness, working with different body types, strength, speed, we’ve trained it all. Kids classes focus on activities and games that enhance athleticism in jiu jitsu. In turn, athletes joining us from other sports see the benefits that training jiu jitsu give back - grit, mobility, explosiveness, and strength. Our older students find improved mobility and flexibility, conditioning, overall fitness levels and weight loss while also being presented with mental challenges that keep their cognitive abilities sharp.
If you think our school sounds like a good fit for you, we invite you to try our classes for an entire week. Unlike other academies that require applications, coach meetings, etc. before joining, we feel so strongly about what we do that we invite you to drop right in. Regardless of if you are brand new, or coming from another academy, each class will challenge you and test your limits. If you try it out for a week and don’t think we’re a good fit, we feel that is best for both of us to know in the beginning before you’ve committed any of your hard earned money to us. At the same time, we are confident in our approach and know if you experience it for yourself you’ll love it too.
Still have questions about our academy? Feel free to reach out to us!
