Elite Training Center: Redondo

Brazilian  Jiu-Jitsu has been in the United States since the late 1970’s and early part of the 1980’s in very small circles in California.  It wasn’t until the 1990’s that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became popular as a fighting style worldwide because of its success in Mixed Martial Arts events held on Pay-Per-View television.  So what has been happening with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since 1993?

The sad fact is that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors have not been teaching the self-defense and combatives strategies that helped Jiu-Jitsu become so successful in the Martial Arts community.  9 out 10 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school curriculums have been focusing on sport aspects for competition.  Around the country it’s very difficult to find an instructor that teaches self-defense and street combatives techniques.

Further in these academies, the competition techniques and strategies are from the late 90’s.  The result of these curriculums leaves a student with limited to zero self-defense skill.  For competition if this is what students desire as a goal has them involved  with outdated and an old looking expression of jiu-jitsu.  It is sad to watch.  New techniques and strategies make a big difference in competition.

At Elite Training Center, our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu curriculums give a student a well rounded education in Art, Self-Defense and Combatives.  For advance students that are interested in competition, Prof. “little” Tony Pacenski is known in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community for having a rich history in traditional approaches to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and can play in the modern styles.  He has been showcase on Budo Videos.com, Rolled Up,  Mat Time Radio, Inside BJJ, Endless Blogs and Jiu-Jitsu forums for creating specific full curriculums for modern jiu-jitsu practice and theory such as: The Sao Paulo Approach To Passing The Guard; The Berimbolo Attack Game and The 50/50 Guard for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition.  These video-instructionals and seminars have sold out internationally and continue to influence jiu-jitsu instructors, curriculums and academies all over the world.

Elite Training Center 1628 South Pacific Coast Highway,
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 543-1600
www.elitetrainingcenter.net

Inside Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.com conducted an interview with Elite Training Center instructor Prof. Tony Pacenski.

Check it out: www.insidebjj.com/2012/04/29/17-tony-pacenski

Elite Training Center 1628 South Pacific Coast Highway,
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 543-1600
www.elitetrainingcenter.net

Everyone has something to teach. This is such a great, understated truth; understanding it and embracing it can improve your skills so much faster than when you allow your ego to hold you back. Unfortunately ego is something we all eventually have to learn to rein in! No competitive person likes to lose, but if we don’t discover where our weaknesses lie and learn ways to improve them, how will we ever progress? At Elite Training Center in Redondo Beach, we have a structured learning environment that fosters cooperation among the students, with everyone supporting one another and helping each other progress by building fellow students and working together, not by simply dominating those who are weaker.

My husband, George, recently returned from teaching a grappling seminar in Latvia, and one of the students present was a Sambo World Champion. (For those of you unfamiliar with Sambo, it’s a martial art developed in Russia that, in its sport form, focuses on throwing, groundwork, and submissions). At 5’10, 200lbs, and incredibly strong, the man could have been a nightmare to have at the seminar, but George was struck by how humble and unassuming the champion was. He was far more open minded and interested to learn than instructors of lesser abilities that George had encountered on his European tour. The champion asked intelligent questions, worked hard, and made every session; afterward, he told George that he had learned a new arm bar, and he said that if he could learn one new thing from a seminar or class then it was always worth the time. The ability to control his ego in order to learn new things is probably a large part of why he’s been so successful.

Everyone has something to teach…keep this in mind when you’re training and you will progress much more quickly. Whatever martial art(s) you train, whether it be Muay Thai kickboxing, MMA, Kali Silat, Jiu Jitsu, or Krav Maga, eventually you will practice at a sparring pace…this is when it’s important to remember to stay calm and humble. Tempers can flare and egos get challenged, but learning to overcome your weak spots is essential to improvement. So take a step back. If someone is better at something than you, then learn from him or her so that you can progress. And also remember that you have something to teach someone else. In fact, teaching and working with your partner will not only improve his or her skill set but your own as well.

One final thought: At the Latvia seminar the youngest participant was a 16 year old boy, and the rest of the men picked on him and gave him a hard time. At one point George taught a technique that the boy was too tall to do successfully, so the boy modified it and figured how to make it work in a way that none of the very experienced people in the room (in addition to George and the world champion, a Sambo European champion was also there) had ever seen before. Don’t think that your lack of experience means that you have nothing to offer, and never believe that you are too experienced to learn something new…make an effort to put your ego aside and be open to new things. After all, it’s not only how we grow on an individual level but also how our martial arts’ systems evolve over time!

~Katie T.

I realize I have not been able to attend classes as of late. This is due to changing life situation & work schedules combined with out of town travel, pet sickness and my own healing. But, this is not to say that I have been out of training mentally and away from the Elite Training Center family spiritually.

As an example, a couple weeks ago while working at computer I heard the sound of screeching tires and crunching metal. My Elite training and what we learned in summer camp sprung into action. Before the sounds had stopped I had phone in hand and was dialed into 911. This pics below tell the story. As all of this was happening my throughs were ” I always knew this could happen, it’s happening now, and I am prepared to handle it”.

I was one of first on scene. Seeing others were already tending to the injured, I jumped in as primary communications and traffic coordinator. I was able to assess that no one was in danger due to the wreck on a busy road, lots of water and power pole. It was pretty amazing how a group of people sprung into action. We quickly identified a small group of responders, what our roles were and everyone stayed calm for the victims.

Throughout this whole incident I continued to remind myself of what we had learned at camp. While not on that mat with you all I continue to build upon the training I’ve received at Elite and try my best to apply to my everyday life. Sometimes being away from something gives you a greater appreciation for what you have. I hope to be back on mat soon.

Hope all is well with you and the school. I’ve been checking in on the blog to keep up as well. It’s nice to be across the country and read about whats happening. Give my best to everyone.

Alain

This Saturday the 31st at Elite Training Center we will be having a ‘Dog Adoption Fun Day’ from 11am-4pm. This is an open-door event to everyone, student or friend! We will also be having music and a grilled cheese food truck here at the school. In addition to all the fun we will be having a Pro-Shop gear sale with some items with up to 60% off! Again friends and family are welcome as we open our doors to the community.

We don’t ever fully succeed at anything without committing to it. This is true of pretty much everything in life and definitely true in martial arts.

For boxing and kickboxing commitment means entering, setting your weight and throwing punches; you can anticipate that you will get hit but the expectation is that whatever punishment you take is going to be worth it because you’re going to do much more damage to your opponent…you’re committing to winning the fight. Staying on the outside might be safer but it also creates a stalemate or worse, a loss. Why fight if you’re not going to commit to doing everything in your power to win?

The principle is the same in mixed martial arts and jiu jitsu. Sometimes you have to risk a dominant position in order to submit someone. If you want to win the match then you had better commit 100% to that submission or you’re likely to end up in a worse place, fighting just to avoid being submitted yourself.

You can also see the necessity for commitment in Kali. For example, if when fighting with a knife you never do anything but feint and don’t ever commit, you will never get close enough to win. Even if you have a fantastic defense you will eventually fail if you do not attack.

Perhaps the most important situation in which to have complete commitment is in self defense. An attack happens so quickly and is usually over within seconds…if there is any hesitation on the victim’s part it can be disastrous. There needs to be full commitment and intent to do anything and everything necessary to protect yourself and to get away.

At Elite Training Center in Redondo Beach, our systems are taught in ways that combine technique with tactics and ideas for real world application. We believe that the learning process involves controlled practice and repetition of techniques and skills, but at the core of all training is the commitment and intent to succeed.

The more we train the more we gain. Krav Maga, Kali, Muay Thai Kickboxing, BJJ and MMA all work in conjunction when applied at Elite Training Center in Redondo Beach, CA. Time spent on the mat can lead to many discoveries not only from the physical side, but also from the mental. New ways in which to train are discovered and these ways must be shared by those making the discoveries.

You have immersed yourself in a world that few will understand and even fewer will attempt! Let us know some of the positive
things you have experienced since you began your journey. You could quite possibly have discovered something that lower ranking students are in search of. It is through self discoveries that keep people eager to learn more.

Recently a young boy and his brother enrolled into Elite Training Center’s Kids Jiu Jitsu program. Whenever a new student joins us we always ask them to think about 2 or 3 goals that they want to achieve. The older of the two, 8 years old had 3 goals.

—Learn how to kick
—Learn self-defense
—Learn how to defend others

To grasp the gravity of the 8 year old’s goal is essential to truly understanding the martial way. We continually instill in the students, whether 8 or 80 how important it is to think of others rather than the self. To wholeheartedly give yourself to something bigger is how martial arts endure.

Krav Maga was created out of a true emergency situation. So many people saw the importance of learning the system that citizens and military personnel alike were more than willing to share this particular skill set. Being surrounded by countries who hate you spurred an entire country to buckle down and get focused on the task at hand.

Kali Silat, having it’s lineage close to 2000 years old, actually hid their combat system in dance and other celebratory styles from Spanish conquistidors. However, Kali endured because the culture deemed it as a true representation of the island nation’s spirit.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or BJJ is derived from Japanese Jiu Jitsu. Although not as old as the Japanese system, BJJ really came to the forefront of the martial arts world in the last 20 years due to the success of the Gracie family in the UFC. It is so very well established now that it is considered one of the most practiced martial arts in the world.

Muay Thai kickboxing, although a national sport and an integral part of every successful MMA fighter’s repertoire is to this day shared and trained at very early stages. The country of Thailand teaches a militarized version to its soldiers.

Live for something bigger. Take on the responsibility of giving back and passing the information on to those responsible. If an 8 year old can do it…

Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey last Saturday night was exciting to watch. It’s great to see female fighters exhibiting the skill and technique that up until recently was only really seen in the men’s fights. At Elite Training Center in Redondo Beach, we have a large number of women participating in all of our classes, from jiu-jitsu, to Muay Thai, to Kali, to Krav Maga, and so on. We even have a mixed martial arts class especially for women. Whether your goal is to be in the cage, gain self-defense skill, or simply get healthier, every woman should give it a shot. All female Elite students are welcome! We learn a lot and have a great time…hope to see everyone there!

When we learn to read, we don’t immediately jump into books with long, complex sentences. First we learn our letters, the formation of each and the sounds they make. Once those are mastered, we are taught how to combine them into words and then how to put those words together to open worlds of stories and knowledge. The martial arts are similar. For example, in basic kickboxing, we are taught how to perform a proper jab, cross, hook, uppercut, parry, elbow, knee, and basic kicks. We practice these individual techniques over and over again, embedding them in our minds and muscles so that they become second nature. So when we move to the more advanced program we are ready to learn how to combine these different elements to form a seamless flow of techniques as well as tactics and strategy. Those initial basic building blocks of movement are essential to every piece of our journeys. Although kickboxing was the example, this is true of all martial arts. At Elite Training Center, we are very proud of our programs (Muay Thai kickboxing, MMA, Jiu Jitsu, Kali, and Krav Maga); each of them has a defined and comprehensive basic training curriculum that truly prepares students for the large amount of knowledge and challenge present in our advanced programs. Our students succeed and progress because they are so well equipped with the fundamentals.
There is a time when reading clicks…when those letters cease to be seen and sounded out individually. We see the whole word and even phrases without even thinking about it. This is how martial arts skills evolve as well. Enjoy the process!