Beacon’s Parade of Green Join the EGA Tribe on Saturday, March 9th to march in Beacon’s Parade of Green! Deck yourself out in your fave EGA gi, rash guard, or swag and sprinkle in some St. Paddy’s day accessories. We have kids hoodies ($25) and EGA logo rash sets in stock in Beacon if you’d […]
*Contributed by Coach Rocky Skrelja The thrill of victory is what drives us to achieve. The feeling you have when you put a lot of work on a certain goal and succeed is unmatched as an athlete. You’re so focused on winning that the thought of losing is unimaginable. But in a sport where […]
Coach’s Corner *Contributed by EGA Black Belt and Coach, Joe Pomarico In every major combat sport, from novice to the professional level, competitors rely on a coach or series of coaches for guidance before, during, and after competition. Competitive Jiu Jitsu is no different, and having an experienced coach is a necessity which should not […]
Just. Show. Up. So you’ve done your research, reached out, had your consultation, signed the waivers, paid your first month’s tuition, and have maybe even purchased your gear. So what now? Get to your first class!! Now that you’ve made the decision to join us, we encourage you to seize the moment and just…begin! The mat […]
EGA Fishkill Did you know Evolution Grappling Academy can be found in TWO locations? We don’t just claim Beacon as home, but also Fishkill! Just 6 miles from Beacon, you’ll find us in the Dutchess Park Shopping Center (Ocean State Job Lot, Nature’s Pantry) at 1545 NY-52. Did you know that your BJJ membership includes […]
Coach’s Corner Will Over Skill: A personal experience It’s September of 2014 and there’s no A/C in the basement gymnasium of upper Manhattan’s City College of NY. The air is thick and humid with the pungent smell of sweat and dirty clothes. The venue is playing host to this year’s No Gi Pans, an […]
Coach’s Corner I started BJJ in September of 2007. Three weeks later I competed in my first tournament. I was a senior in high school working part time in the evenings at UPS loading trucks for less than $100 a week. Tournaments back in 2007 were $120 so I told myself “there is no way […]
Coach’s Corner Happy May! As we head into summer and turn the page on the cold weather and leafless trees, I wanted to check in with all of you and share some exciting news. Thanks to all of you, we’ve officially won ‘The Best of Hudson Valley’ in TWO different categories! We’ve won ‘Best […]
Coach’s Corner * Contributed by Coach Rocky Skrelja We often hear about martial arts being a great way to cultivate yourself and strengthen your character. We also separate Boxing from martial arts because it is a sport, however boxing is a martial art and can provide the same character building aspects as traditional martial arts. […]
Developing Confidence A dive into Dr. Nate Zinsser’s book The Confident Mind. Follow this series to learn from where confidence stems, how to cultivate confidence in your life, and how this translates as a student of Jiu Jitsu. Contributed by Matt Smith* This is the second in a series of posts on the concept of confidence […]
Back Control This video may be an oldie, but is definitely a timeless goodie! So through technique, a scramble, or maybe even a miracle you have found yourself on the back of your opponent. Now what? We need some hooks, a solid harness, effective head positioning, and a plan of attack. Mike Palladino breaks […]
Coach’s Corner My martial arts journey started in 1988, when I was 10 years old. After being ruthlessly bullied by kids in my neighborhood, my mother enrolled me in a local karate program to help me build confidence and discipline. Through the years I’ve trained in karate, Aikido, Jeet Kune Do and for the […]
Allowing Our Kids to Watch Us Grow! Contributed by Nickie Smith Five years ago, my youngest boy (we have three boys and one girl, ages 13, 11, 10, and 8) stepped into his first BJJ class at EGA. He fell right into place and it became just a natural extension of his being. After watching […]
Coach’s Corner The new year is upon us! I’m very happy and grateful for a fantastic 2022 with our tribe and I’m looking froward to another great year in 2023. Our students make EGA the community that it has become and I couldn’t be more thankful. We have a lot of exciting things to […]
Developing Confidence A dive into Dr. Nate Zinsser’s book The Confident Mind. Follow this series to learn from where confidence stems, how to cultivate confidence in your life, and how this translates as a student of Jiu Jitsu. Contributed by Matt Smith* What is confidence? Merriam-Webster defines confidence as, “a feeling or consciousness of one’s […]
Coach’s Corner * Contributed by Coach Nick Spencer I’d like to take time to talk about the importance of training partners. Without our training partners we literally cannot do jiu jitsu. This is something that we know and understand but although jiu jitsu is an individual sport, it takes a team to build a champion. […]
Coach’s Corner I am frequently told by both students and parents about their experiences regarding the benefits of Jiu Jitsu. There are few things that make me feel more fulfilled as a teacher and practitioner than these success stories. Recently a parent, whose child had been enrolled in Jiu Jitsu a couple of years ago, […]
Back & Leg Training for BJJ Contributed by Lou Torres A few weeks ago we brought you So You Want To Lift? where Coach Lou broke down strength training exercises, and their relationship to BJJ, for the entire body. This week Lou sits down to specifically address legs and back. While your legs and […]
Coach’s Corner Practice and the Importance of Approach In 2015 I read a book called Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Dr. Anders Ericsson. Ericsson, coining the term “Deliberate Practice,” was the world’s leading expert on “experts.” In his research he identifies two major types of practice of which I’d like […]
“Off the Mats” is a series dedicated to enhancing your BJJ game…off the mats! From strength and conditioning, sports psychology, nutrition, to injury prevention and rehab, we will share ways to improve yourself and your BJJ game from many different aspects of life. So You Want to Lift? Contributed by Lou Torres* There’s […]
Coach’s Corner Hello Tribe, July was an action packed month for us! We had an amazing day for promotions down by the river on July 16th followed by a seminar by my Coach, Rafael Formiga. Our promotions at the water front saw the promotion to black belt for 4 incredible individuals. Al, Joe Pa, Billy, […]
Coach’s Corner Promotion = Progress. As a coach, it is such a rewarding feeling and experience to oversee the development of an individual from the very beginning of their journey all the way through their advanced development. A promotion in rank is a marker of your progress and development. Whether you’re being promoted […]
“Off the Mats” is a series dedicated to enhancing your BJJ game…off the mats! From strength and conditioning, sports psychology, nutrition, to injury prevention and rehab, we will share ways to improve yourself and your BJJ game from many different aspects of life. Contributed by Lou Torres* Going into the summer months we naturally […]
Coach’s Corner Hey Tribe, I am happy to announce the start of a monthly EGA Newsletter to keep parents and students up to date with current events, future events, and announcements. We have an environment filled with dedicated and disciplined hard workers ranging from young children to adults. I’d like to use this as […]
Every year, the American Heart Association celebrates Heart Month to raise awareness about heart disease and heart health. What you may not know is that martial arts are great for the heart. In fact, the cardiac benefits of martial arts give a whole new meaning to the idea of cardiovascular fitness. With that in mind, […]
Grade school can be quite the experience for any child. It is a place where a child not only learns academically but one where a child must learn to socialize and function in the world. Unfortunately, there are a lot of negative experiences that a child may have when going through school. Whatever those experiences […]