We have a new fall schedule up at Cogito Jiu Jitsu, the biggest change being that we’ve added a Judo class on Mondays. We also moved our Muay Thai kickboxing class later on Mondays and Wednesdays so more of you can attend.

Why, you ask? And why does it matter to you, the BJJ-only person?

It matters because not only do we love Muay Thai and Judo, but these both make your BJJ game stronger. So, whether you want to compete (and do well!) in tournaments, or you are doing BJJ as self-defense training, these non-BJJ classes are going to benefit you.

Muay Thai helps the self-defense BJJ practitioner (or those interested in MMA) in learning how to strike, kick, and defend both. MT also helps you learn to keep pushing even when you’re tired. This applies to both self-defense and competition. The conditioning that happens in MT classes increases your stamina, improves your physicality, and prepares your mind to keep pushing forward even when you don’t want to. In BJJ class, you can tap out or just hold guard when you think you’re done. In MT, we often end with time on the bag or conditioning, which is just you against you. When you are working against yourself, it’s harder to “tap out”. You can’t hide behind someone else’s strengths or talents - it’s just you. So you keep punching or kicking or whatever else coach yells at you to do. When you slow, they yell encouragements. When you start feeling like you can’t do more, they remind you that you can...until, suddenly, it’s your brain pushing you forward because that’s what coach trained you to hear.

Judo is is essential to having a good BJJ game. How often do you see BJJ competitors start on their butts? Never! Training in Judo benefits your stand-up game immeasurably. Also, Judo incorporates so much with grip strength, defending grips, and obtaining grips. Whether you are preventing grips to defend sweeps in the De La Riva guard or obtaining grips to execute your favorite gi choke, the benefits of Judo in grip fighting easily improve your BJJ game.

Personally speaking, I have seen tremendous benefits in training in both Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. Right now (as I am two months post partum), I am only training MT to strengthen and condition as I prepare for BJJ and Judo. I hope to see you guys with me in class as I kick and punch things. I can’t wait to throw you in Judo and roll with you in BJJ - just give me a few more weeks!

​-Jennifer

Hi everyone!  This is Jen (in the blue gi), Dillon's wife and the 'overseer' of the website.  We've been open for a few days and, boy, has it been busy here!  It's been a hectic few weeks getting the gym up and going, but there is nothing quite as amazing as watching your hard work come to fruition.  

I've only been training a year and a half (it's actually how I met my now-husband), and in that time I've asked countless people to come with me to class.  There are usually two standard responses that I wanted to address.
1) I'm not in shape.
 I promise you that most people are not in shape when they start - I certainly wasn't!  When you begin, that's where we expect you to start...the beginning.  Through training you get stronger, gain more endurance, and will see significant changes in your endurance (and weight!).  
2) I'm too old.
This is ridiculous.  Dillon's father didn't start training until he was 49.  Every NAGA tournament I work (the North American Grappling Association has grappling tournaments around the world), there are men and women of all ages of all levels.  

I think that the biggest obstacle for people is fear.  None of us like doing poorly at something, especially in front of a bunch of strangers.  Most of us are not naturally athletic, so learning something that is very physical can be difficult.  Then, if you add in a martial art like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where the idea of personal space is nonexistent, there is a whole new level of discomfort added in.  I fit all of these, by the way.  I'm not athletic, I don't like talking to new people, and I have some severe space issues.  

That's why your environment and the people you are with matters.  I began training at the American Top Team in East Orlando and the people around me were incredibly supportive.  Everyone wanted to help you be better - higher belts had buckets of patience with me as I struggled to learn and maneuver my way around the mat.  You have to overcome the fear of failure and the possibility of being uncomfortable.  You will not always be successful at every move, but you only fail if you stop walking onto the mat.   Learning and growth comes from the struggles.  Your successes may be small (the day that I was only submitted three times was one of my greatest small moments), but each grows and snowballs into something greater.  The day I got my first stripe on my white belt, I called everyone I knew - it was one of the best feelings of my entire life.  

Jiu-Jitsu taught me a lot about myself.  I am a lot stronger and more determined than I thought I was. It taught me skills that translate into the real world; as a woman, if I am attacked, I am most likely going to end up on the ground.  However, that is where BJJ plays out and I know how to defend and attack from there.  

If you are nervous about joining, you should come in anyway and let me know.  Any questions you have, no matter how weird you think they are, we'll answer.  If you're nervous, we can schedule an intro (free) beforehand to teach you some of the basic movements and positions so the you can start from knowing something.  

It's only been a few months since the inception of Cogito Jiu-Jitsu, but the passion and purpose behind it has been a lifetime in the making.  This gym is more than just a place to learn and practice martial arts; this is a family where we work together to help each other improve.  The people behind Cogito want this to be a home for its members, a place where you belong and can learn, falter, and eventually master the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai Kickboxing.  More importantly, we want to help you become a healthier version of yourself, the BEST version of yourself.  Can't wait to see this family grow!  

-from all of us at Cogito Jiu-Jitsu