5 ELEMENTS JIU-JITSU/BJJ/SUBMISSION GRAPPLING

5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu is a world-class program lead by Gerardo Mulas and high level black belt athletes that have dedicated decades to the understanding, application, teaching and refinement of this wonderful martial art.  We are proud to offer a fantastic program both for the beginner and the seasoned practitioner, as well as those looking to be successful in the competition arena.

This discipline is a great method to learn realistic self-defense, develop tremendous fitness conditioning and understand the clinch and ground phase of combat.

There’s no other training that replicates how an actual fight feels like: The act of grappling with another human being is a very realistic method of experiencing it without the inherent risks found in striking/kickboxing full force.

Besides the fantastic fitness conditioning one develops to be successful in Jiu-Jitsu, the technical development plays a fundamental factor and it is pivotal to be a competent grappler.

5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu offers classes both in the gi (or kimono, the traditional uniform for Jiu-Jitsu) and nogi (rash guard and MMA or Jiu-Jitsu shorts) modalities.  Both attires have big relevance, whether one learns it for self-defense, for Jiu-Jitsu competition or for MMA (mixed martial arts) purposes.  Both are practiced barefoot.  

With multiple classes throughout the week our Adult Jiu-Jitsu program you will have plenty of opportunity to learn and develop your game.  In addition, we have our 5 Elements Kids BJJ program with 2 dedicated classes for our young ones.

We offer a systematic approach to learning this craft, understanding the differences between sport Jiu-Jitsu, (also known as BJJ/Brazilian jiu-jitsu, submission grappling), MMA and self-defense and how certain positions and techniques are relevant or not depending on what the application is for.

In addition to offering the most up to date techniques both in the gi and nogi, we also equip our students with the necessary movement and mobility techniques in order to expedite their learning curve and understand how important it is to move properly move when practicing Jiu-Jitsu.

Jiu-Jitsu History

The history of Jiu-Jitsu, or Gentle Art, is sometimes traced back all the way to ancient India and the Buddhist monks, and how they developed a system where they were able to prevent being robbed from their harvest and other valuable items from thieves, and how to apply total control over another human being without needing to end their life or severely injure them.

Closer in time to our current present times, Jiu-Jitsu is traced back to the Kodokan in ancient Japan, and the Samurai tradition of combat.

History also mentions that, during the expansion of Japanese culture in the 1800’s, Japanese envoys arrived in South American countries to share the culture of Japan in these lands, among them the country of Brazil.

Maeda, a Japanese member of the Kodokan, introduced the craft of Jiudo (what could be considered Judo and Jiu-Jitsu nowadays) to the sons of a prominent Brazilian family, the Gracies.  As the Gracie family were introduced to to this craft, they adapted their knowledge received to their body type, which was considered ‘weak’ for big Judo throws and other moves where physical size and strength will be a dominant factor.

For this reason they developed the newaza phase (ground phase of combat) to a whole different level, and that’s how Jiu-Jitsu, as it is understood today, took shape.  Nowadays Jiu-Jitsu is recognized as a martial art where a much smaller practitioner can completely dominate a much larger opponent.  This result derives from the principle of leverage through technical competency, and it is applicable nowadays as well, where much smaller Jiu-Jitsu athletes can completely dominate much larger practitioners due to their technical mastery.

  It is important to note that, even though the Gracies get the majority of the recognition for having established Jiu-Jitsu as one of the most prominent martial arts today, there were others in Brazil, like the Fadda lineage, and the Luta Livre lineage, that also contributed dramatically to how Jiu-Jitsu is understood nowadays.

Since the beginning of the UFC in the early 1990’s, when Royce Gracie, a 180 lbs., 6 feet tall, thin and normal looking guy, managed to beat everybody up, including fighters of multiple different disciplines (boxers, kung-fu, taekwondo, judokas, etc) being much heavier than him, and submitted all of them, Jiu-Jitsu became the rising star of the martial arts arena worldwide.

As Jiu-Jitsu established itself in the United States of America and the rest of the world, it has evolved tremendously.  Nowadays, we utilize multitude of techniques from Wrestling and Judo for takedowns, and for defending from them as well.  Jiu-Jitsu has also adopted many concepts and techniques from Catch Wrestling and Sambo, and, combined with the fundamental principles of this craft, has become the prominent form of grappling worldwide.

Every successful mixed martial artist spend a great deal of time learning Jiu-Jitsu both with the gi and the nogi modality as well, because of the relevance of the techniques when jumping into the cage.

Here at 5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu, you have the opportunity to become a master of the craft, and develop a very accurate and efficient game whether you want to achieve it for personal development, self-defense purposes, MMA or Jiu-Jitsu competition.

Whether you are in great shape and are an accomplished athlete or you are overweight and need a new method to get in great shape and have fun while you do it, 5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu will provide you with the necessary tools to achieve all of your goals.

Our students range from 3 years old all the way to the 70’s!  From beginners to very advanced, male and female, athletes and normal people alike all enjoy our program, develop their technical understanding, achieve great fitness shape and establish lasting friendships.

Our Professors are highly experienced both in the competition arena and as teachers capable of communicating their knowledge in a concise way to the students.

Jiu-Jitsu Belt System:

1. White belt, up to four stripes
2. Blue belt, up to four stripes
3. Purple belt, up to four stripes
4. Brown belt, up to four stripes
5. Black belt

Benefits of Training at 5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu:

1. Develop great fitness conditioning
2. Achieve fantastic psychological benefits from ongoing training 
3. Learn the most up-to-date Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling techniques
4. Have tons of fun
5. Lose weight and achieve functional strength 
6. Develop lasting friendships
7. Personalized attention from our Professors
8. Develop Self-confidence
9. Learn the skills to solve problems that seem difficult at first sight
10. Achieve high levels of enjoyment 

If you are new to Jiu-Jitsu, these are some of the protocols we expect from ALL of our students:

1. Come with a clean gi/kimono
2. Have our 5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu patch on your gi and/or rash guards
3. Attend class with trimmed nails and toenails
4. No foul smells; personal hygiene is a must
5. If you are late to class ask permission from the Professor to enter the tatami floor and participate in class
6. Do not leave the class setting while Professor is giving instruction, wait for he/she to finish then you can proceed
7. Use flip-flops to go to the bathroom or anywhere else outside the tatami floors; we take lots of time to keep the tatami clean and tidy, and free from bacteria and fungus; help out by keeping up with this request
8. Always be respectful towards Professor and training partners.
9. Do not give instruction to other students while Professor is teaching
10. Do not give instruction to other students unless they ask for your help
11. Always be mindful of your surroundings when training
12. Always be mindful and caring towards your training partners; you can train really hard and still be careful when your training partner is in a compromising position.  Remember you need training partners to become good at Jiu-Jitsu.
13. Do not stop in the middle of a round because you’re ‘tired’.  We all get tired and part of the training is learning to navigate your emotions and physical discomfort while you’re very tired.  Unless you feel dizzy, nauseous or something serious is going on please do not stop the round until time is up.
14. Tap often and tap clearly.  You can tap the floor, on your training partners body or verbally say ‘tap’.
15. Have fun and keep up the good spirits; some days you will feel tired or nothing works, that’s OK, it happens to all of us, progress particularly occurs on those days. 

We take great pride, dedication and care to see ALL of our students excel, we expect our students to be respectful, appreciative and considerate with the Professors.  A good quality Professor is like a found treasure; he or she will be there for you during your struggles on the mat, and will help you figure it out all the way to your Black Belt.  In addition, our Professors have the knowledge to help you expedite your learning curve and avoid unnecessary plateaus.

For these reasons, coupled with the fact that Jiu-Jitsu can be extremely beneficial from a psychological standpoint (dealing with depression, PTSD, anxiety, fears, decision making skills, figuring out solutions while in discomfort, learning to cope with obstacles, etc) as well as a physical standpoint (get stronger, more flexible, develop great fitness conditioning), we encourage you to invite friends and family to discover the benefits of regular training at 5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu.

We do look forward to seeing you enjoy your journey to become a 5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, and most importantly, take the valuable lessons you learn on the mats to improve your life outside the mats as well.

OSS

Gerardo Mulas

Head Jiu-Jitsu Professor

5 Elements Jiu-Jitsu