Why Your Childs Martial Arts Training Should Start On The Ground.

Starting your child’s martial arts training on the ground prepares them for worst case scenarios such as dealing with a bully or much larger aggressor. As soon as they are comfortable and capable to handle their safety in the worst case situations, they will have the confidence and awareness to avoid confrontational interactions before they begin.

Giving your child the tools they need to defend themselves without physically damaging an aggressor is the perfect solution to schoolyard bully incidents. Brazilian jiu jitsu, unlike taekwondo, will give your child a different option instead of punching and kicking their way out of a self defense situation. It will allow your child to safely and effectively shut down a bully without causing any harm or escalating the fight. It allows for the de-escalation by using jiu jitsu to (if needed) escape and get away, or hold an aggressor on the ground until help arrives.

Taekwondo or karate might teach your child how to throw a punch or a kick, but it cannot teach your child how to defend himself should striking cease to be effective or acceptable in the situation. If your child's only avenue of defense is to strike, the situation becomes escalated and more dangerous. Give your children the tools they need to be prepared to safely and effectively protect themselves while limiting the chance of damage or injury. Start their martial arts training from the ground up!

Nova Gyms Martial Arts & Fitness now has Jiu Jitsu for kids 4-12 in Oak Creek & Pewaukee, WI. 

Now is the perfect time to get your child started today!

Marquette University BJJ club to Host a live broadcast BJJ Tournament

On November 18th, 2017, Marquette University BJJ Club (MUBJJC) will be hosting a morning of adults Jiu Jitsu “scrimmages” followed by a live-broadcast, competitive, BJJ Micro Tournament for Adults (White Belt - Brown Belt) later in the afternoon.  The purpose of this event is to bring awareness to the benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as well as fundraise for the MUBJJC. White and brown belts from around the Midwest will have the opportunity to showcase their skills on a global stage as each of their matches are filmed and broadcasted by the Jiu Jitsu media company, BJJ 4 Change.

On November 18th, 2017, the Marquette University BJJ Club (MUBJJC) will be hosting live BJJ Micro Tournament for Adults that will be filmed live and broadcast by BJJ 4 Change.  The event will take place at the Marquette University Helfaer Tennis & Rec Center located at 525 N 16th St., Milwaukee, WI 53233. Event details and participation information can be found at www.BJJToday.com.

Chris Martin, a Marquette Alumni and a partner of Nova Gyms Martial Arts & Fitness in Oak Creek, works with the MUBJJC to provide support, staffing and development for the club and is mentoring the club on how to put on a successful tournament. 

“Jiu Jitsu Micro-Events, such as this, have been popping up lately throughout the Midwest and the next few months are sure to create a lot of buzz as this event will be broadcasted, professionally edited and shared for future use among many online media channels,” said Chris Martin. “The intention is to bring general awareness to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and to also create family friendly events that will continue to provide entertainment to our community.” 

Part of the funds generated from the event will go to help the MUBJJC grow their club for years to come.  Currently they are raising money to purchase more matts so more students can train as the club grows.  The event will also be included in the documentary they are creating called, “My BJJ Club.” 

The BJJ Micro Tournament is accepting sponsorship support for the event.  Already many businesses such as Float Milwaukee, Fresh Fin Poke, and Grappling Beard & Body have signed on to advertise themselves at the event. 

“I do not think companies can find a better value for their money through advertising, with the amount of impressions that companies will get from this event, the brand awareness from their logo on our banner in the gym for the next year, and the many more impressions from these matches as they are shared on the internet for years to come,” said Martin. 

A BJJ History Lesson with a View of the Future

It’s hard to believe that a chance meeting between a wandering Japanese martial artist and a Brazilian businessman way back in the early 1900’s would change the face of martial arts so dramatically, the world over.

The two men in question were Mitsuyo Maeda, the son of a well known Sumo wrestler from Hirosaki City, Japan and Brazilian Gastao Gracie, the grandson of a Scottish immigrant. Maeda was traveling around North and South America showcasing his Jui Jitsu skills when Gracie offered to let him tour with a circus for which he had a half share.

The diminutive Maeda would throw down challenges for anyone to join him in the ring, much like the boxing booths that traveled around Europe.

His ensuing successes became the stuff of legend, and it was at a demonstration in Belem in 1917 that Gastao’s son Carlos first saw Maeda at work. Carlos eventually became a pupil of Maeda’s and in the late 1920’s opened up the first of the Gracie BJJ academies.

The rest, as they say, is history. Although the Gracie family is as legendary for their self-promotion as for their martial arts prowess, the influence the family has had on the development of the sport is truly phenomenal.

However, they were not the only developers and practitioners of Brazilian Jui Jitsu. Luiz Franca started his martial arts training in 1916 with Yoshihiro Satake in Manaus, Northern Brazil. One year later moving to Belem to begin his studies with Maeda at the same time as Carlos Gracie. A fact often left out of popular BJJ history.

Whereas Carlos’ academy would attract those wealthy enough to pay for tuition, Franca took his BJJ skills to Rio de Janeiro, where he taught the poor of the favelas. A tradition carried on by his star pupil, Oswaldo Fadda.

Fadda, at one time, the highest-ranking BJJ practitioner outside of the Gracie family, ignored the lucrative path of opening a high-end academy for Rio's well-heeled. Instead, he took his art to the beaches and public parks, where he taught for free.

In 1950 Fadda eventually opened his academy and within five years, had enough skilled pupils to challenge the Gracie's to a showdown. The result of the 14-match contest is open to debate, even though Reila Gracie (Carlos’ daughter) says in her book that overall victory went to the Fadda team.

What isn't in doubt, however, is the following year's competition, when Fadda’s team won a decisive victory, ‘we put an end to the Gracie taboo,' he told the local newspaper at the time.

There can be no doubt that the phenomenal worldwide success of MMA as a sport and the UFC as its high altar is thanks to another Gracie, Rorion. He started the UFC in 1993 as a way of promoting BJJ as the best martial art in the world capable of defeating all comers.

The adoption of BJJ ground moves into Mixed Martial Arts made it the ultimate and visually exciting combat sport it is today, but as established as it is, variations on the theme keep the game on its toes.

The latest of these evolutionary branches is Combat Jui Jitsu, the brainchild of controversial Eddie Bravo, instigator of the EBI (Eddie Bravo Invitational) no-gi submission-only tournament.

Eddie Bravo is a progressive BJJ tournamnet. 

At EBI 11, held earlier this year, the card saw stars of the sport such as Gordon Ryan, Ritchie Martinez, and Vagner Rocha battled it out for submission-only honors. Spectators were also treated to a roll out of the very first CJJ event as an added bonus.

Combat Jui Jitsu cranks it up a gear this November though when it becomes a tournament in its own right with a world title up for grabs. The eight-man competition that allows fighters to use open-handed blows when the fighting hits the floor generated serious interest in August with the announcement of the competitor’s names.

The card looks like a head to head showdown between MMA regulars and world-class grapplers. Featuring cage vets Cole Miller, Vagner Rocha, Diego Brandao and Mac Danzig. Plus, the cream of competition grapplers in the shape of EBI champ Garry Tonon, Nathan Orchard, Rafael Domingos and AJ Agazarm.

The event promises to be a battle of epic proportions, not just because of the controversial rules, but also because of the two different fighting styles.

Watching how each fighter adapts his game will make for excellent viewing. Raising questions such as will the MMA crew, more used to hand strikes be at an advantage, or will the submission fighters tie them up in knots?

We only have to wait a few weeks to find out.  

Whether CJJ is the future or just another branch of the BJJ evolutionary tree, for a sport that finds itself at home on the floor, it sure has to stay on its toes.

Yoga In The Park - Family Style

Coach Jess Hope - Yoga Milwaukee.  

For the rest of June we will continue to host family Yoga in the park at 11am in Grant Park, South Milwaukee.  This is a family friendly yoga event and is meant to bring awareness to the community that alternative fitness is available for the whole family.

Things You Need To Bring To Practice:

1) Yoga Mat 

2) Water

3) Towel 

4) Strap or Belt (optional)

5) Open Mind (no judgement)

Grant Park Yoga Location.  

Grant Park is a great location to practice yoga.  The park is close to the beach and the playground in case the kids need to take a break from the practice.  These yoga classes are part of all the Nova Gyms membership packages and also allow for the members to bring a friend to these Saturday yoga practices.  

Sign Up To Stay Up To Date With Future Yoga Events :

Check Out The Grant Park Location:

There is also still time to take advantage of the 10 week yoga package for $50 (includes these classes)- find out more here: 

Nova Kids BJJ Coach Joanna - Double Gold Performance

On May 20th, 2017 kids BJJ coach Joanna Trindade competed at Combat Corner BJJ tournament in Milwaukee, WI and came out with two 1st place wins.  In Jiu Jitsu tournaments like this one each round is five minutes unless someone can get a submission, however Joanna was able to finish all four of her matches in less than five minutes, combinedCheck it out: 

1:38 Finish Choke 

44 Second Arm Bar: 

43 Second Arm Bar: 

27 Second Lapel Choke: 

Kids & Adults BJJ Scrimmage April 2017

April 1st was the third chapter for BJJ Scrimmage events. We had multiple schools from the Midwest area come out and represent including Red Schafer MMA, Open Guard BJJ, Crossover BJJ Academy, Fight Prime Training Center and many more!

This was the biggest event yet with a 60/40 ratio of adults to youth competitors. Nova Gyms was happy to host this event and watch our BJJ team compete.

These events are a good opportunity to see the areas of weakness and strengths in our teams. Our kids showed great persistence and heart, always pushing the pace and moving forward.

We were pleased to have LocoJitsu displaying his beautiful artwork and will be looking forward to seeing him at future events.

Schools from all over Wisconsin and the Midwest were represented in this event and we are looking forward to even larger events in the future, stay tuned and be sure to put your email address on the list so that you can stay in the loop!

June 24th is the date of our next event which will be hosted by Open Guard in Oconomowoc Wi, registration is already open so mark your calendars.

Next event pre-registration at www.bjjclinics.com

Thank you Milwaukee Classic Pizza for sponsoring this event!

Gold Sponsors - Milwaukee Classic Pizza (Howell Ave) 

Milwaukee Has The Newest Innovations In Fitness & Martial Arts Training

It is no secret that people these days despise the treadmill, and with limited time in their busy schedules spending hours on a machine at a $10 fitness facility just is not cutting it anymore, but there is a new and more effective way to work out right here in Wisconsin that is taking the country by storm!

Laura Langemo Of Fox 6 News comes to Nova Gyms Martial Arts & Fitness In Oak Creek

OUR FITNESS KICKBOXING IS GETTING RAVE REVIEWS!

Laura Langemo of Fox 6 News stopped into our Oak Creek gym to find out what the hype is all about and try some fitness kickboxing with the rest of our students who come weekly to train with our caring coaches who want to help you and your friends hit your fitness goals in 2017.

Our kickboxing fitness classes are split up so that the beginners and advanced level students can train kickboxing fitness during any of our class times. This group style training environment helps keep people motivated and excited to keep coming back to this gym for more.  

Why Kickboxing At Nova Gyms? 

Unlike other martial arts training facilities that charge over $75-$150 per month for their classes, we offer flexible payment options at half that cost and provide you with a full schedule of classes that allow you to come to workout with our coaches anytime during our open business hours.  Your first class is always free and you need no prior experience to do any of our classes!  Give us a call today at 414-301-4133 and schedule your free consultation where we will design a training schedule and workout plan to get you started right away.  

April 1st - In House BJJ Scrimmage - Kids & Adults

We are excited to announce and invite you to another BJJ Scrimmages event hosted at Nova Gyms Martial Arts & Fitness on April 1st! This event is designed to help BJJ players of all ages gain valuable competitive experience without paying steep registration costs and spending all day at a venue!

Event Schedule: Kids pre-registration and check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m and brackets will begin rolling at 10 a.m until 12 noon. There will be a break at 12 noon for lunch, then adult check-in will begin at 1 p.m with brackets starting at 1:30 lasting until 3:30 p.m

Cost: Registration cost for kids and adults is $25. With families of more than one competitor a maximum of $50 will be charged for the whole family.

Introducing Stan Myaskovskiy

We are happy to introduce Stan Myaskovskiy to our BJJ program here at Nova Gyms. Stan is 10th Planet Purple Belt and will be an excellent addition to our no gi program. Don't forget we have special no gi packages and rates available. Inquire by calling 414-301-4133

Overall JJ Record: 29-23-3 19-12-1 as a Blue Belt vs all levels of competition Best Win Streak: 5 Biggest Loss Streak: 4 NOTABLE WINS: 2013 3rd Place Submission Challenge 170lbs (Chicago) 2014 3rd Place Third Haven Submission Tournament Open Weight (Madison) 3rd Place CMSO 1 (Under 155lbs) 8-man bracket GLTC Alternate Match Winner 2015 CHAMPION Gracie Regionals 155lbs (Chicago) CHAMPION CMSO 2 (155lbs) OPEN BELT 8-man bracket Stars and Stripes Superfight Winner 3rd Place Grind Submission Tournament 170lbs (weighed in 148) 2nd Place CMSO 3 (145lbs) 8-man bracket 2016 Sixels Border Wars SuperFight Winner 2nd Place CMSO 4 (145lbs) 8-man bracket

Lineage: Jigoro Kano → Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie, Sr. → Carlos Gracie, Jr. → Jean Jacques Machado → Eddie Bravo → Josh Passini → Stan Myaskovskiy

Nova Gyms is open to all BJJ associations worldwide, if you are interesting in sharing your BJJ knowledge with us please contact us at 414-301-4133

Introducing Jason Kazmierczak (Kaz)

Jason Kaz (black belt since 2012 under Daniel Moraes) is the newest addition to our BJJ program at Nova Gyms! We are excited to launch our new no gi and wrestling program! Jason will be teaching no gi BJJ classes on Thursday nights at 7 p.m as well as 6 a.m classes on Tuesday and Thursday morning starting March 2nd.

Bio-
Lineage:
Blue Belt - Henry Matamoros/ Pedro Sauer
Purple Belt - Henry Matamoros/ Pedro Sauer
Brown Belt - Eric 'Red' Schafer
Black Belt - Daniel Moraes

Started training BJJ in 1994
BJJ Blackbelt since 2012
USA Wrestling Certified Coach Undefeated MMA fighter

In addition to early morning no-gi classes, starting on April 2nd he will be introducing a youth and adult wrestling program with classes on Sundays at 3-4:14 p.m for youths and 4:30-6 for the adults.

Now providing special no-gi membership packages. Learn more by filling out the form below:

Introducing Nova Gyms Wrestling Program

Nova Gyms will be introducing a youth and adult wrestling program open to all of the community as well as current Nova Gyms members. This high performance program will be held Sundays from 3-4:15 p.m for kids ages 4-13 and adults 14 years from 4:30-6 p.m at our Oak Creek location. 

Wrestling coach Jason Kazmierczak's program will include:

• 10-15 minute warm up

• 10-15 minutes of drilling

• 10-15 minutes of instruction

• 30-45 minutes of live wrestling matches and situational drills

•  Kids classes are for youths 13 yrs and under and adult classes are for everyone 14 yrs and over.

Session 1 dates- 4/2,  4/9, 4/23,  4/30,  5/7,  5/21,  5/28,  6/4,  6/11,  6/18,  7/16,  7/30,  8/6,  8/13,  8/20, 8/27

No class on 4/16,  5/14,  6/25,  7/9,  7/23 

This 16 class program is open to the community for $50.  There is no cost to Nova Gyms members for this elective class.   

Call 414-301-4133 with any questions!

Nova Gyms is located on 27th street just south of College Ave. in the Pick N Save parking lot. 

HIIT TO IMPROVE YOUR MARTIAL ARTS PERFORMANCE

Don’t let winter keep you indoors this season!  Milwaukee will be covered in snow for the next few months and what better way to keep warm than burning calories in our functional fitness classes and HIIT sessions!

Whether your strength and conditioning routine is designed to supplement your Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu jitsu training, or just to keep in shape with some functional fitness, our trainers and coaches at Nova Gyms Milwaukee location are well equipped to help you reach your goals.

Training your strength and conditioning are an important part of your everyday life but also improve your stamina and endurance on the mats. You don’t need to be a competitive athlete to benefit from our functional fitness or HIIT classes! We tailor our fitness classes to work for everyone, all ages and fitness levels.

We are offering membership deals through the holiday season so try your free class today!

Rolling Knee Bar From Bear Hug - Self Defense BJJ!

Garry Tonon visited our Milwaukee location to show us some of his secrets. Here we are at the BJJ seminar working on a rolling knee bar from a standing position. For this knee bar we are stepping out, diving through to catch the leg and pinching knees together for the finish.  

BJJ CLINICS Presents: BJJ SCRIMMAGE 2 & 3 Coming Up

BJJ Clinics & Scrimmages are revolutionizing the Jiu Jitsu community in Milwaukee and the entire Midwest by providing an alternative to expensive all-day tournaments that may end in frustration and low turn-out. The scrimmages put on by BJJClinics are inexpensive, fast paced  and set up to make sure you or your child get as many of the best matches possible.

Blue belts showcase their competitive flow at the last BJJ Scrimmage. 

For newer (or even not so new) jiu jitsu practitioners, it isn’t always practical to pay a high registration fee and take an entire day to dedicate to a competition that may only offer one or two matches per division. BJJ Clinics have substantially lowered registration fees and developed a more fun competitive event for kids and adults to spend more time rolling and less time waiting around!

White belts get a good idea of what competition is like before they have to step on the real competition floor. Good experience! 

Currently set in our Oak Creek location at Nova Gyms Martial Arts & Fitness, our facility offers a large, clean mat space in a family friendly environment equipped with changing and locker rooms. We are opening up our facility to the entire Milwaukee area BJJ community for these events so mark your calendars for our upcoming scrimmage events scheduled for January 13, and March 31!

Increase Your Flexibility With Martial Arts Training

Stretching is an important part of your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and fitness training. Part of your warmup and cooldown should always include some stretching to prevent injury, increase flexibility and speed up recovery time. Your jiu jitsu game will improve as your flexibility increases and your probability of injury decreases.  Hip mobility is important for any martial arts training, here are some great ideas that you can try before and after your next training session.

Our jiu jitsu program, Muay Thai program and fitness classes all include some sort of mobility warm ups that prepare your body for activity. We also provide foam rollers and yoga balls for your use.  

Feel free to talk to our trainers and instructors if you have questions or concerns about how to speed recovery, prevent injury or how to use the foam rollers or yoga balls to improve your performance.