INTRODUCTORY BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU SEMINAR

(BEGINNERS WELCOME!!!)

WHERE: K-1 Fitness, 2001 Van Ness Ave (at Jackson), San Francisco
WHEN: August 1st (THIS Wednesday!) at 7:00pm
PRICE: $20 for non-members, FREE to members of K1-Fitness



Professora Jessi Taran, (2 time winner of the US Open in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), 1st place winner of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in BOTH Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well as submission wrestling, and currently ranked by grapplers.com as the number 1, female BJJ heavyweight in the world) will be teaching an introductory BJJ/submission wresting seminar this coming Wednesday night, at K-1 fitness in San Francisco at 7:00 pm. For almost ten years, Taran has studied under and trained with some of the most well-respected BJJ fighters in the world today, including Ralph Gracie, Renzo Gracie, David Camarillo, Ricardo de la Riva, and Sergio Silva. She is one of only FIVE American women to have ever achieved the rank of Black Belt in the art of BJJ. She also holds a Master's degree in philosophy from the Katholiek Universitat Leuven, in Belgium. She wrote her thesis on 'The Role of Courage in Women's Moral Action'.

Often referred to as 'the world's most practical martial art', Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is grappling based, combative art. Primarily focused on the 'ground game', in recent years, BJJ has won substantial notoriety due to it's unparalleled success in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) venues such as the UFC. Like Judo (which shares a common history), no strikes or kicks are used in Jiu Jitsu. The object of a BJJ match is to achieve a dominant position and immobilize your opponent. This is done by trapping the other person in a submission hold, (usually a joint lock or a carotid artery choke) and applying just enough pressure in order to get him to 'tap out' or verbally submit.

Because of the enormous popularity of televised fight shows such as the UFC and IFL, many people think that BJJ and MMA are the same thing, or that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu's primary importance is it's functionality in winning MMA fights. While it's true that the study of BJJ is an integral element of any MMA fighter's education, it's important to remember that BJJ and MMA are NOT the same thing. Despite it's practicality and proven combat effectiveness, a BJJ match is NOT 'a fight' - it's a GAME, an ART, and a SCIENCE. Only when the art is viewed as a whole, and not just as a means to an end (i.e. : cool submission holds for MMA fights... ) can the beauty, complexity, and subtle, non-verbal, truths that lie at the heart of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, be fully understood and appreciated .

Professora Taran is the co-founder of the Open Door Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Oakland, California, where she has been teaching for the past four years. She currently teaches at both the Open Door Academy in Oakland, and also at World Jiu Jitsu in Marin. Taran's stated goal is to make the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu accessible to ANYONE who wants to train, regardless of age, fitness level, gender, or sexual orientation. According to Taran, 'Most BJJ instructors focus the majority of their energy on those students they think have the best chance at becoming tournament champions. Personally, I feel that if a student really wants to compete, that's fine. But if he doesn't want to compete...well...that's fine too! You do learn something from competing in tournaments, but honestly, I really don't see the karmic value of taking a bunch of really tough, athletic, guys, and turning them into really, REALLY tough, athletic, guys. Where's the challenge in THAT, you know? I myself am much more interested in taking regular people of average, or even sub-standard, athletic ability, and giving them something that they never had before, or even knew existed. Now THAT means something! I love seeing how people's lives change when they don't have to worry about feeling afraid anymore. You don't need to be 'tough' in order to be successful at Jiu Jitsu. That's the whole POINT. That's why it's so amazing!'

Aside from her many accomplishments, both as a competitor as well as an instructor, (Taran's students have placed in multiple high level BJJ and submission wrestling tournaments, including the US Open and the Pan American Games) what truly sets the Professora apart from other BJJ instructors, is her precise attention to technical detail, and her 'philosophy of control'. Says Taran, 'Despite popular misconceptions about the art, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is really NOT about injuring or hurting one's opponent; it's about controlling him. We know this because it's the ONLY martial art in which you can spar FULL FORCE, without necessarily getting injured or injuring your opponent. Of course, like any sport, injuries can happen sometimes, but only accidentally. You certainly aren't trying to hurt anyone! As a matter of fact, I believe that if you DO hurt the person you're rolling with, it's same as a loss. This is because both results are ultimately rooted in the same cause - a loss of control. In order to be able to physically control another person stronger or larger than yourself, you must first learn control of your own body. '

Professora Taran will be teaching at K-1 Fitness on a regular basis starting the second week of August.

For more information please write to: info@karate-one.net , or call (415) 474-3322


posted by:
Cyclops
SF Bay Area