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On Quality
When walking into a BJJ school many people are first drawn to the visual aesthetics that might commonly indicate that “this is a good school.” Is the facility nice? Are there a lot of people? Does it have good reviews? And while all of those things can indeed be helpful markers, they can also be […]
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A First Principles Approach to BJJ
Principles are fundamental truths that guide decisions and actions. A first principles approach gives you a north star to cut through noise, identify what matters most, and make your skills work for you rather than feeling perpetually insufficient. Without principles, the temptation emerges to accumulate more BJJ knowledge because you can’t qualitatively apply what you’ve […]
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PBJJ Blog: Lessons from my Teachers
“I did not fight to win. I fought to discover what was real.” – Yuki Nakai
Over my BJJ career, I’ve had the privilege of being exposed to incredible athletes, coaches and teachers. Looking back, I regret being too young and immature at the time to properly express gratitude for their attention. My teachers have been […]
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BJJ School culture: Essential qualities for any Jiu jitsu academy
By Emily Kwok
For most of us who decide to take an art on, we tend to prioritize things like location, price, aesthetics and instructor qualifications in our pursuit of learning. While these things are important, their influence wanes over time and can have less impact on our long term satisfaction and growth trajectory. What isn’t […]
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The Mind of a BJJ Black Belt: Cindy Fink
The first thing you notice is the unrelenting attack. Constant pressure. Ceaseless adjustments to the position. You’re out of options. Your limbs have been straightjacketed, your torso locked or twisted into an angle that renders it useless.
Only now do you realize that the end is near, though the endgame started much earlier. Often, there’s one […]
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Training Etiquette 101
By: Emily Kwok
“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling
We all know the smell of a ripe BJJ gym.The smell might give us a clue about the school’s cleanliness, frequency of use, or characters at play. It can tell us a lot, but not everything. A school that’s […]
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Faixa Preta
By: Emily Kwok
Faixa Preta: Black Belt
When I began training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it was a good while before I’d ever encountered a real live Black Belt and it never occurred to me that I would ever become one or want one. The Black Belt was almost like a god or deity — holy, sacred and […] -
How Leaders Should Lead
By: Emily Kwok
‘Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power’ – Abraham Lincoln
Reflecting on the 18 going on 19 years I’ve been involved with BJJ, it’s a surreal moment to confront myself with the fact that I’ve been training a long time; like long enough […]
