If you’ve been thinking about signing up for a Jiu Jitsu class, then there is no better time to start than now! By starting your training as soon as you can, you’ll not only learn some of the most important self defense skills, but you’ll also get the physical activity you need to live a happy and healthy life – it’s a win, win!

Before you head to your training academy for the first time, though, there are a few important things that we think you should know:

1. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Students often shy away from speaking up in fear of looking like they don’t know something, but if you don’t ask, you won’t! You’re there to learn, so always keep communication open with your instructor, other students in your class, and even those more advanced students you see throughout the gym.
2. Be prepared to trust others. You’ll likely be working closely with other students in your class, so you’ll need to be prepared to put your trust in them. On the other hand, you should also make an effort to show your fellow classmates that they can trust you! Don’t worry if this seems hard to do at first – it will get easier as you get more comfortable with those around you.
3. Know that practice makes perfect. As a first time Jiu Jitsu student, it can be easy to get frustrated if you have trouble with a technique or two. But, you have to remember that practice makes perfect! After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same idea applies for anyone training in Jiu Jitsu!
4. Listen closely. It’s one thing to just follow along with what your instructor is telling you, but the key to success is really listening and understanding what they say. Each time you enter the gym, be ready to make a mental note of everything you hear so that you can remember it in the future – every tip and piece of advice will come in handy!

As a Jiu Jitsu training academy led by martial arts experts, the fifth and most important thing we want to remind new students about is to have fun. Here at Renzo Gracie NH, we invite students to train with some of the best regardless of how much experience they have – all ages and levels are welcome!

To learn more about the Jiu Jitsu programs we offer, please give us a call at (603) 777-2775. You can also sign up for a FREE introductory lesson at our academy here!

According to Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center, 22% of students report being bullied during the school year. Although this number may seem low, if you ask us, it is 22% higher than it should be. But since bullying is something that children can encounter at any time, our goal is to at the very least help them be prepared. Below, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite self defense tips that we believe all children should know.

Use The Right Body Language

A person’s body language says a lot to those around them, and children who appear nervous may be more likely to be targeted. That said, all children should exhibit confident body language and behavior, which includes, but is not limited to, standing up tall and making eye contact. Even when they don’t actually feel confident, just the act of looking confident can make a huge difference before and even during a situation that requires self defense.

Travel In Groups

It doesn’t matter if they are on the playground, at the mall, or walking down the street – children should always travel in groups. Not to mention, they must always be aware of their surroundings so that nothing comes as a surprise. When you travel with others by your side, it becomes much harder for a bully or other dangerous person to successfully approach one particular individual.

Be Ready To Walk

It can be easy for children to want to fight back against someone who is targeting them, but the best way to keep a situation from getting out of hand is to be ready and willing to walk away. Although some children view walking away as being cowardly, the truth is that those who make the first move to leave an uncomfortable situation are much stronger.

At Renzo Gracie NH, we never want to see a child placed in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation, but should they be, we want them to be prepared! That’s why we offer several kids self defense classes at both our Exeter and Salem academies. To learn more about our programs for kids, please give us a call at (603) 777-2775 today.

We’re sure you’ve heard the saying “practice makes perfect,” and it absolutely holds true for anyone training in Jiu Jitsu. But since you probably don’t have 24 hours a day to spend on the mat at your academy 7 days a week, don’t forget that you can also practice at home – just make sure you do so safely! Below, we’ve outlined three tips that you should definitely read through before doing any training on your own:

1. Find the right space: Especially if you’ll be practicing with a partner, you need to make sure that you choose a room in your home that offers enough space to move around comfortably. That means, don’t choose a room where you can easily bump into something that stores breakable items! You may also want to have a mat of your own for added comfort and protection, and if you use one, make sure it fits into your practice space properly.
2. Do conditioning drills: Practicing Jiu Jitsu doesn’t always have to refer to specific fighting techniques – it can also include some strength training. After all, in order to excel you need be strong, so any time used to strengthen your muscles is time well spent! To learn which strength training exercises we recommend for our students, give us a call or ask your instructor.
3. Don’t forget to stretch: Whether you’re practicing the latest technique you learned in class or are going to spend time on conditioning, don’t forget that you must always stretch first. Even if you’ve only got a few minutes to dedicate to practicing, you need to stretch in order to prevent yourself from getting hurt.

Of course, though, even when you do have a safe place to practice at home, our recommendation is to leave the harder skills for your class – it’s always best to have a professional with you and have access to the proper equipment!

To learn about our training facilities in Salem and Exeter, NH, as well as for more information about our expert instructors, please give us a call at (603) 777-2775 or visit us in person today!

We’ve said it a few times and we’ll definitely say it again – what you eat and the diet you follow has a huge impact on your ability to succeed in Jiu Jitsu and any other form of martial arts. Of course it’s important to eat healthy even when you aren’t training in a sport like this, but when you are, it becomes even more critical that you keep up with a solid plan.

With that said, what do your eating habits look like? If you know that you need to make some changes, here are a few great places to start:

Focus On Water

Regardless of whether you drink it out of a bottle or consume it through the foods that you eat, water is huge. Try aiming for foods that have a high water content (at least 70%) – fruits such as watermelon, strawberries and grapefruit should do the trick, as will vegetables such as lettuce and cucumbers.

Adjust Your Combinations

Most of us eat certain foods together because, well, they taste good! But, it’s actually really important for all of us to put some more thought into which foods we combine and eat at the same time. The Gracie Diet places a huge focus on combinations – for example, starches can be combined with vegetables, greens, seafood, meats, sweat fruits and foods, fats and oily foods, and fresh and creamy cheeses, but not with each other. Another rule of the thumb you can live by is to not eat protein, carbs and starches in the same meal.

Work On Portion Control

It doesn’t matter how hungry you think you are – you don’t need to eat yourself sick during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Especially right before bed, it’s important to analyze the size of your servings to make sure you aren’t over-doing it. If you do feel the need to eat a lot, make yourself a big bowl of salad. And, should you be feeling hungry late at night, try to stick to fruit.

Still have questions about nutrition and how it relates to Jiu Jitsu? We at Renzo Graice NH are your Jiu Jitsu experts, so please feel free to give us a call at (603) 777-2775 to learn more!