November 2022
October 2021
IMPORTANT MESSAGE – Notice for Black Friday!
The KODOKAN2021-10-18T11:17:21+00:00Ahh the good old days on the blue mats... . I was a purple belt back then and Professor Walton was a brown belt... Life was simple. We would take turns teaching every other day 3 classes per week in a 900 square foot room. Offering $90/per month academy dues to our students made sense. [...]
May 2021
FIGHT FOR FITNESS
The KODOKAN2021-05-12T14:21:45+00:00SPEAK UP ALBERTA! The fitness industry has suffered too long. If there is one thing we have learned (from many) over the last year is how important our health is. Now we need to make our voices be heard to our government. Help support the fitness industry by following these easy steps below. 01 [...]
August 2020
White belt twilight
The KODOKAN2021-03-10T14:31:50+00:00Reflections of a zebra belt Coloured belts commonly serve as visual markers of stages on our jiu jitsu journies. It is also possible to break down our progress into further stages. One stage that is interesting to look at is the so-called "zebra belt". This is the four stripe white belt who is near the [...]
April 2020
Dear Jiu Jitsu
The KODOKAN2020-04-08T10:05:59+00:00It’s been a while. It’s weird. I used to see you almost every day. I used to put on my gi in a rush. I used to put on my belt, looping it around my back, and tightening it firmly around my waist in front of me. I thought about my stripes, and what they [...]
February 2020
Yin and Yang: How to be a good training partner in Jiu Jitsu
The KODOKAN2021-03-10T14:31:23+00:00If we are going to learn Jiu Jitsu, we are probably going to do it in an academy that pairs us with a training partner in almost every class. As a result, it is important to understand how to be a good training partner. To this end below are five suggestions that aim to improve [...]
September 2019
Rolling in new territory
The KODOKAN2021-03-10T14:31:07+00:00The sport and discipline of Jiu Jitsu has grown internationally. The consequent opening of many academies in cities around the world means that Jiu Jitsu is now a sport that can be practiced almost anywhere. As long as we pack a gi, a rashgaurd, and our belt, we can train all over Rolling in new [...]
Fear and loathing in jiu jitsu
The KODOKAN2021-03-10T14:30:51+00:00One of the hardest things about jiu jitsu is facing fears that come with the sport. There are different kinds of fears we can have. Beginners might fear being too out of shape to start. Those further along might fear they are not good enough, or the hard training and physical demands of the sport. [...]
August 2019
Gentle like a lion killer: How to be gentle in jiu jitsu
The KODOKAN2021-03-10T14:30:29+00:00While no one could deny the effectiveness of Brazilian jiu jitsu, the more subtle aspects of the martial art have not always been promoted. Specifically, why jiu jitsu is referred to as the “arte suave” in Portuguese, or the “gentle art” in English? Some confusion about how jiu jitsu can be considered “gentle” is understandable. Afterall, [...]
July 2019
Rising Phoenix: How injuries help our jiu jitsu
The KODOKAN2021-03-10T14:29:59+00:00As with any intense sport which is practiced regularly, injuries in jiu jitsu can and sometimes do occur. There are ways to minimize the occurrence of injuries, and the human body is able to recover from almost any injury that occurs in training, but injuries are still often looked as a negative part of the [...]