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  • 25 Sep 2023

    Never Give Up: The Most Important Lesson We Learn in Jiu Jitsu

    Hello Friends and Teammates, Recently I had an email exchange with a great mom and family that is part of the Emerge team. I changed the names for privacy, but here is our conversation. I think it is an important one regarding common struggles in jiu jitsu that also parallel life in general. My intent is for this to help anyone else who might have similar questions and challenges. Please give any feedback you might have or share with me your thoughts. -Coach Don Message from Mom: Hello Coach, Joey is starting to feel very discouraged that he isn’t getting better. He just told me that he when he does the rolling that everything happens so fast & he’s suddenly in ....

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  • Why Emerge BJJ Women's Self Defense?

    *This post is not legal advice. For legal advice consult an attorney who is licensed to practice law in your local area.* by Coach Jason Importance of Self-Defense. In an assault, you’ll experience fear and panic, along with a natural adrenaline rush. Despite the superhuman effects adrenaline can produce — we’ve all heard stories about the grandmother who lifted a car off her trapped grandchild — it doesn’t always work in your favor. You may experience tunnel vision, auditory exclusion and loss of fine motor skills. Consequently, it will be hard to see and hear, and complex techniques may be impossible to perform. If you stick with proven ....

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  • Huge Gains At Home: Part 1 Resources Online
    1 Apr 2020

    Huge Gains At Home: Part 1 Resources Online

    Hello BJJ Community. I wanted to encourage you all to see this time as a great time to work on things for your fitness and jiu jitsu in a different way. I truly believe each of you has huge potential to increase your knowledge, strength, and skills even if you are staying at home. We all would rather be able to train at the gym where we have the benefit of in person coaches and our teammates to support us, but that isn’t now and that means we can use this time to strengthen our resolve, adapt and utilize what resources we do have which I believe are many. There is a huge opportunity to improve in ways you may have never imagined. So here is a couple of things I wanted to suggest. ....

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  • How to Spar According to Legend Rickson Gracie

    How to Spar According to Legend Rickson Gracie

    A recent quote from Rickson Gracie black belt Henry Akins got my attention. The longer I have trained jiu jitsu the more I believe the following quote to be true. There is a lot of wisdom in the statement below from Henry quoting Rickson: If you want to develop very high-level skill in Jiu-Jitsu, there are some great Rickson quotes making the rounds online that I want to share with you today. The ideas in these quotes will become more and more important, the further you go in your Jiu-Jitsu journey. Here they are: “Even when you spar during training, you should minimize your natural talents. By limiting yourself, you may find yourself in much worse situation, but you are ....

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  • Circuit Workout For Conditioning

    Controlled movements that strengthen the muscles required for jiu jitsu and every day life are important to do even when you feel sore. Increasing blood flow to muscle groups will speed up recovery and healing. Sometimes we need to rest muscles but that doesn't necessarily mean not moving them at all. Live rolling in jiu jitsu may not be the answer because that often contains uncontrolled power-based movements. As much as we want to avoid that kind of movement, it is often the nature of live rolling. So on most days I like to keep moving but in a controlled way and pick the exercises that I know will wake up the needed muscle groups, provide balance in the body by stretching or ....

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  • Humility: A Character Trait We All Must Continue to Develop

    Humility: A Character Trait We All Must Continue to Develop

    I believe there are many character traits that jiu jitsu helps develop. Of those many, the most important trait (right up there with perseverance), in my opinion, is humility . Yesterday one of our kids in our Minjas program asked me, "What is humility?" Great question. Theologians and philosophers have discussed this since the beginning. And you will find varying definitions of the word between religous and secular folks. In the short time I had to answer the question I explained to her and the class, "Humility is the opposite of pride. Humility is having a heart that is open to learn. Humility is not afraid to try hard things and fail. Humility has no fear of man but an ....

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  • Jiu Jitsu Ballerina - BJJ For Cross-Training

    Jiu Jitsu Ballerina - BJJ For Cross-Training

    Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a whole body workout that can be done year round. One of the advantages of this is that it is a great sport for strength and endurance in the off season. Jiu Jitsu especially builds core strength, synergy, coordination and power. Some kids are even using jiu jitsu to augment their ballet dancing. Or is it the other way around?- Ballet augmenting the jiu jitsu? Either way, consider jiu jitsu as an excellent art for the mind and body anytime of the year. ....

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  • Takedowns and Passing the Open Guard - Two Observations at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds

    Takedowns and Passing the Open Guard - Two Observations at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds

    Coach Matthew and I were not competing this time but we were able to watch an entire day's worth of no-gi competition in Anaheim last week at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds competition. A couple of things stood out to me:
    Takedown proficiency once again appeared to be an area where many seemed to need more work. This was evident in the technique applied being unsuccessful and the many people who simply dropped to their butts rather than battling on their feet to secure a takedown and top control.
    Passing the Open Guard - As a result of number 1 above, there were many matches that ended up with one person playing an open guard on the ground while the other was standing on their feet and trying to ....

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  • Injuries: Is It Dangerous To Train Jiu Jitsu?

    Injuries: Is It Dangerous To Train Jiu Jitsu?

    The following is a revised writing from a recent email I wrote to a person who was new to jiu jitsu and had read that injuries are a problem. After I wrote this email to this person I decided this is probably worth sharing for others to read and is hopefully helpful to those trying to evaluate the risk in training jiu jitsu. Hello Mary, Thank you for your question regarding whether or not jiu jitsu presents a high risk of injuries. Just like in any sport, Injuries are certainly always a possibility in jiu jitsu but in my experience it is highly dependent on the person and how they train. It is also highly dependent on the gym and its leadership in how they direct the spirit ....

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  • Kids Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Vancouver


    Check out our new website for Emerge Jiu Jitsu!
    We proudly serve the Vancouver, Battle Ground, and Portland areas! Come see the programs and deals we have to offer. Kids Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Private Training and SO MUCH MORE! Fill out the "Request Information" form on the side of the page and stop in for a visit today! Don't forget to click below to visit us on our social media pages!! Facebook Google+ Instagram ....

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  • Observations at IBJJF Masters: Part 2

    Observations at IBJJF Masters: Part 2

    In Part 1 of this piece, I talked about my first observation being that of the absolute importance of sound white-belt techniques. Most of the matches I observed at 'Masters were that of the black-belt competition. And even at this high level, it was the basics that were the pathway to victory or the lack of solid basics that were the pathway to defeat. The second observation I would note at this event was that of the lack of strategy and technique in the area of takedowns. What I saw mostly was immediate grips on the gi and a long stalemate. Also, I noticed that almost nobody was interested in shooting a double-leg or single-leg takedown. Some competitors believe pulling-guard is their ....

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  • Observations at IBJJF Masters: Part 1

    Last month I was able to attend the IBJJF World Masters Tournament in Las Vegas. I was originally registered as a competitor but I had to pull out from this competition due to a back injury I sustained during my training three weeks before the event. What I want to do in this post is list some of the observations I had while watching the competition and experiencing the Masters event: 1. Fundamentals Matter The Most. Almost every submission that I observed happened because of sound "white-belt" fundamentals being utilized and/or sound "white-belt" fundamentals being missed by the person being submitted. The mount and the back control positions were where by far the most submissions ....

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  • Rickson Gracie Becomes a Red Belt

    Rickson Gracie Becomes a Red Belt

    Rickson Gracie becomes a red belt. His speech is very interesting. What I like here is his recognition of his commitment and knowledge of jiu jitsu but also at the same time his humility of not feeling at all entitled. It reminds me of what Rener Gracie once said while demonstrating how to tie a belt. In his demonstration, he uses a blue belt because it is easier to see in the video. Rener is a black belt of course but Rener says, “You can change the color of my belt, but I am still Rener Gracie.” Jiu Jitsu is a journey and path of continuous learning. And paradoxically, the more you learn the more you realize you don’t know. It is one of the things that ....

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  • Injuries and Setbacks: A Help or Hindrance On Our BJJ Path?

    Injuries and Setbacks: A Help or Hindrance On Our BJJ Path?

    One of the things I have learned in my jiu jitsu life is that setbacks and injuries will happen no matter how hard we might try to avoid them. When training properly, BJJ is a very safe activity. But like any activity, there are some risks of injuries. We always do our best to be safe and smart in our training but even with careful training we will likely face an injury. I have learned to not worry about this so much and to realize that injuries must be managed and viewed as part of the journey and in particular are a way to test our perseverance and resolve. Rather than view an injury as something all bad, I try to see it as a way to grow. This applies to life on the mat as well as ....

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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Melissa R

My kids love this gym! They enjoy their teammates and coaches! Friendly staff and very clean.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Greg G

Don and Jennifer are such great and caring people. I’ve known them as neighbors for many years. Emerge is a family focused Jiu Jitsu training facility teaching the skills of self defense and mindset for all levels. Their great family is heavily involved in the training with them as they create an environment where families can learn and train together.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Amir L

Staff is extremely nice and cares about you and will take time to explain everything too you until you understand. Just in general filled with good people and is a good environment to be in
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Kyle E.

It is a home away from home. Amazing people to be around, learn from, communicate, etc. I would recommend anyone to emerge. If you need grounding. Channeling, self defense, or a place to even relax, learn and feel alive, emerge is the place to be. Thank you very much for everything! ❤️

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Tawny R

We love Emerge Jiu Jitsu. My 6year old has been going for about a month has has already become a completely different kid. More coordinated. More confident. And has more self discipline and respect for himself and others. Every day is challenging for him and he walks away with sense of accomplishment. The staff and team of coaches are great at working with the kids no matter where’s they’re at in their experience. Can’t say enough!
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Konstantin C

My son started here about four months ago, and he loves it.
Coaches are very knowledgeable in the art, very helpful, keep all the kids engaged and having fun during training, great motivators, and very respectful.
We tried several other places and Emerge is the best.
I recommend this place to everyone. Thank you to the coaches and staff.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Nakia A

My son (5) has been going to Emerge for 6 months. The instructors are so patient and kind. My son has learned a lot in a short time. I definitely recommend to anyone!
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Chad K

I like it because of the family atmosphere. Plus it's not only teaching my child self defense but it's also teaching my child that even though it's hard work, you can over come it by applying yourself.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Jeremiah R.

Faith, Family & Jiu-Jitsu. Great place to train. Don and Matthew are great instructors that care so much. Great atmosphere, with tons of respect. Thank you Emerge for being so welcoming to visitors like myself. I hope to continue visiting your academy when I come to town.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Faith H

This was our girl’s free trial class. To say she loved it is a huge understatement. The instructors were fabulous; made her feel welcome by empowering all the students to be part of welcoming and helping as they could. She was super encouraged after having been nervous about not knowing what to expect at all. I can tell the investment in the students to be respectful and upstanding goes beyond just class time. A+ from this mama.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Nick K.

I am so pleased with our experience at Emerge Jiu-Jitsu. Don and his family are inspiring and have taught our son the importance of discipline, health, faith, and hard work. Respect came easy for him as they give and earn it freely here. So incredibly blessed with a martial arts gym here in Vancouver, WA full of integrity and fun

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Danny E.

Very excited for the opening of Emerge! Really wanted to speak about the character of the owner. Don is a very thoughtful, patient, and dedicated person. I would not trust very many people with my children but I would be very confident enrolling them to learn from Don and his family. Really looking forward to the first lessons in the new gym.

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